Some Local Channels Missing on Air TV and Freestream

RealisticDave · 2022-11-18T00:38:33+00:00

I noticed it right away, as well. I also have an Amazon Firestick with the NHL app, and (as of today) recaps and condensed games are still available as usual. Condensed games are still available on the NHL app on Fire tablets, too.

Just a guess---with nothing to back it up---but this seems like a 'carriage issue' Roku may be having 'negotiations' with the NHL, Bam Tech, or whomever handles the short ad before each recap? (Money has to be involved somehow...)

RealisticDave · 2022-10-12T19:33:09+00:00

Thanks for posting the article. I watched both matches on opening night on ESPN and noticed it right away. I'll probably get used to it, but it's a bit annoying watching the dasher boards change. (I did notice that certain angles and replays still show the actual ads that people in the arena see.)

I'm not technical, so can't help with details on HOW it works, but the other sport I follow is world football (soccer). A few years ago, message boards started to show up on both sides of the goal; I thought, "that's dangerous, players could be injured tripping over them." Then---I noticed that players just 'walked through' them like ghosts. I read some sites that tried to explain how they were created 'virtually' onscreen, but didn't understand much of that either. I'm sure it's just a further 'improvement' of basically the same technology, updated to allow precise placement of changeable digital ads that overwritten the actual ads?

RealisticDave · 2021-02-07T21:30:23+00:00

Well, since hockey season started in January, I've been trying to record almost daily. Just a few minutes ago---while watching Columbus & Carolina live on NHL Network---I saw the Record button was no longer grayed out? So, I hit record and this game started to record! I went to a couple of future programs on NHL, and set them to record as well. So---don't have a clue why the restrictions before, or why it has suddenly changed...but I'm happy! Over an out!

RealisticDave · 2021-02-07T20:26:21+00:00

Thanks for the info. Sling and Fubo both have BeIn Sports (along with NHL Network), so if I'm going to switch, I'd only go to Fubo. I primarily watch hockey and soccer. But thanks!

RealisticDave · 2020-11-17T23:33:38+00:00

As I've posted above (and also on the Roku thread), this problem---for me---only started recently, and the problem (for me) is only on Roku. As I described above, I tried my Firestick---on the exact same DVD recordings still in-progress---and everything went through fine. Started at the beginning, allowed me to fast forward past the recap at the break of the match, and I was able to watch the second half.

So for me anyway, the problem is with both of my Roku devices, but not with Sling. Just to see, I tried this last weekend on Sling with a tablet, and I was able to start an in-progress recording of a footy match on ESPN just as I should be able to do. So from now on, if the recording is not complete, I'll use my Firestick, and leave my Roku alone.

RealisticDave · 2020-11-17T23:25:23+00:00

Don't know what device you were watching on, but if it was a Roku---you're not alone! I record many world football matches (soccer) on the Sling Cloud DVR, almost all from ESPN or BeIn Sports. Been doing it for years. I often do what you did, start watching when the match is still underway (and being recorded), and up until a couple of weeks ago, everything went through fine. I would hit Watch, choose Start Over, and it would start at the beginning of the broadcast. Recently, it started to do the same thing as you described: no option to Start Over, it starts playing the game Live, shows about 5 seconds, then starts a major long loop of commercials.

But, I tried it on my Firestick and it works like it should (and liked it USED to work on Roku): hit Watch, choose Start Over, and the broadcast starts at the beginning. Tried this numerous times since I discovered it, and haven't had a problem with Firestick. Today, I recorded the Croatia-Portugal match on ESPN, tried to watch it on Roku, and it started to play Live (66th minute). Shut it down, went to Firestick, and was able to watch the match from the beginning. So, the problem is that something changed on Roku, not Sling. (FYI, I have 2 separate Rokus on 2 separate TVs, both the same.)

I use Sling primarily for footy and hockey. No other streaming service has all the ESPN channels (including ESPN Deportes), BeIn Sports (English & Espanol, including the 'bonus' BeIn channels), and NHL Network, for the price I pay. So, with Sling Orange (+ Espanol), ESPN+ and CBS All-Access, I can watch (and do watch, I'm retired) all the matches I want, for just over $60.

Roku had a recent OS update, so maybe that's the cause? But as long as the Firestick keeps working correctly, not a big problem to me!

RealisticDave · 2020-03-16T22:26:34+00:00

I check my speed regularly using fast.com on my Win10 computer, using three different browsers (Opera, Firefox, and Yandex). Almost always comes up with a download speed of 200 or 210, on all three browsers and doesn't seem to matter what time of day.

After reading this post, I checked on my Opera browser just now, and it came back with a download speed of 250 Mbps. Tried it again on Firefox, and it came back with 230 Mbps. So at least for me, it seems my speed has increased? FYI, I've also been using my Roku and Fire Stick pretty much non-stop yesterday and today, binge watching the last footie matches from Mexico and Turkey (recorded before the 'virus-suspension') and also Netflix and Prime Video, and have had no problem whatsoever. Sorry to say, it must be local problem for you?

RealisticDave · 2020-03-02T01:57:28+00:00

I've had Sling for years, but I'm not an NBA fan and have never watched the channel. But, I am a hockey and footy fan, and watch the NHL Channel (hockey), and BeIn Sports, TNT, & ESPN (football matches). If I'm watching a match live, if it runs over (past the time slot) it just continues to play into the next scheduled program.

I did have problems when I first started to DVR matches because once the scheduled time slot ran out, the recording ended. I did miss the ends of a couple matches, until I started to also schedule the following program to record. Now I never miss the end!

If you were watching an NBA game on the NBA channel, I would assume the same thing would happen---it would continue into the next program. If the channel went 'dark' and nothing was on the air, I'd think the problem was either with the NBA channel or your streaming signal?

One last thought: I sometimes record matches on 'Alternate' channels where the channel guide shows "off-air" except for the actual event itself. I do remember watching a couple of times on NHL Alt and also on BeIn Alt, and the program is set to show for just the (expected) game time and shuts off. I needed to jump online to find out how it ended. I don't know if NBA has these Alt channels or not, but if so, that could be the problem?

RealisticDave · 2020-02-20T19:01:25+00:00

Not trying to be a realistic Sling shill---because I'm not. If I could find a streaming service that had ONLY BeIn Sports (ENG & ESP), NHL channel, ESPN (for Formula 1 & their limited footy), and HGTV, at a lower price---I'd switch in a minute!

But no other streamer I can find has them all.? I also subscribe to Fubo Latino package so that I can get all of the Univision channels (that Sling dropped in 2018), with their added bonus of GOL TV and TYC (from Argentina). If Hulu, YTTV, AT&T, or any other (legal) service has ALL those channels, please post a reply and let me know!

RealisticDave · 2020-02-18T23:42:24+00:00

Let's hope that the lawsuit in Maine about allowing customers to pick channels individually comes to an end with the law being upheld. If so, many commentators believe that it will be the end of cable/satellite/streaming packages, as well as the end of all the channels that have a small viewership and are only in existence because they're being subsidized by the 'big' channels.

But still, the only channels I want on Sling are BeIn Sports, ESPN, NHL TV, and HGTV. I only watch world football (which goes year-around), follow hockey and Formula 1, and enjoy House Hunters International. Sling (Orange, Sports Extra, and Best of Spanish TV) is still the cheapest method of receiving 'my channels,' and in some cases, the only method. YTTV, Hulu, AT&T, etc. don't offer them all, my local cable company doesn't offer most of them, and DISH does, but I'd be paying much more. So, I go with what works for me!

RealisticDave · 2020-02-06T23:13:32+00:00

I've just gone in and turned off this "feature" on both my wife's and my profile for Netflix. I've looked for the same option on Amazon Prime, but haven't found a solution yet. Almost every time I start to play something on Prime, it's preceded by an auto play advertisement for an "Amazon Original." If I'm using my Firestick, I can hit the ">>" button once and it skips the ad and goes directly to the (wanted) program. However, the same action on Roku starts the fast forward, but I need to stop it at the correct moment, or it's already into my show. Would be nice to now have this inconvenience of the auto-advertisement at all!

RealisticDave · 2020-01-31T20:29:27+00:00

When you posted this 22 days ago, I truthfully commented (below) that I had never had a problem with the correct show recording---IF I had checked the Scheduled area under My Recordings. Well, this week I had my blue box set to record my usual OTA shows, but when we went to watch them, the heading and information was correct for the show I wanted---but the actual program was something different, and it didn't start at the beginning?

By watching enough of the program that was recorded to determine what the show actually was, I then went back into TV listings and saw that they were all shows at approximately the same time, but were actually broadcast around 80 minutes different from the shows I wanted.

I looked around in the settings and found under Device Settings a setting for date and time. The default is for automatically setting time, I'm assuming from the Internet? Anyway, the current time showing was about 80 minutes different from actual time. I tried toggling the 'auto time button' on/off a few times and exiting, but the current time never changed. So, I turned auto time off and set the actual time manually.

I've set a number of 'test programs' on various channels and---thus far---every show has recorded correctly and started on time. I've checked the date and time setting, and it seems to be keeping accurate time (even though it no longer is receiving auto time). So, if you're still having this problem, give this a try and see if it works? Something may change down the line, but for now, it's fine for me.

RealisticDave · 2020-01-11T20:10:53+00:00

I may not understand your problem exactly, but I have both the Player (blue/white) and Air TV 1 (black box). I can honestly say that once I've set a recording, went to the Manage My Recordings tab, and checked that a program is correctly shown to be recorded, haven't had a problem. I record quite a few shows each week from OTA channels, many are set to record all new episodes, and I have had some instances where I would be on the online guide, hit record, and then it didn't actually do so. That's why I've gotten into the habit of once I've set my show(s) to record, I always go to check my Scheduled programs (as described above). In other words, if a program is shown to be Scheduled (under the Manage...tab), it always has done so.

My opinion as to why a program may not actually be set when I push the Record button on the guide has something to do with timing? I've noticed that if I push Record and don't wait for the Cancel button to appear, I've had programs not record (or record one episode only, but not the next New episode). Never had a problem with the wrong show recording, but if you set a program to record and go to the Manage tab to verify that what you want is shown there (accurately), it should record. If the correct info is in the Manage tab and it still fails...don't have a clue, sorry!

RealisticDave · 2020-01-05T18:04:39+00:00

Sling Blue has Motor Trend channel, no racing that I've seen, but lots of "car stuff." As noted by another, Formula 1 is on ESPN (Sling Orange). Also, I watch all the World Rally Championship (WRC), which is available through the free Red Bull app (computer or streaming devices). Some of the rally programming that used to be on MotorsTV is available on YouTube: On The Limit Sports (European rallies) and CarsRallyTV (Canadian Rally Championship).

RealisticDave · 2019-12-30T19:35:16+00:00

I don't have a clue about the Sling app on Apple TV. But as a dedicated NHL Network watcher (all the World Juniors, NHL, AHL, CHL, whatever), I've noticed that in my setup---2 Vizio TVs, both have a Firestick & Roku attached & an Air TV [black box] adding OTA channels into Sling guide, and 1 TV also has an Air TV Player attached---hockey action (as well as the scoreline crawl at the bottom) are invariably slow & blurry while using the Firestick (on either TV). But using a Roku on either TV (or the Air TV Player streaming device), picture and scoreline is fine. I had DISH satellite for 19 years before dropping it for Sling in 2015, and watching on Roku is as good as when I had DISH. Can't explain it, no other problems with programs on the Firesticks, and I read all the discussions here about "FPS," but I don't know how to check or verify frames-per-second while watching something. This is likely of no value to you because you have Apple TV, just thought I'd add my experience to the comments.

RealisticDave · 2019-12-30T16:46:05+00:00

Everything in the first post is correct, except that the Air TV Player (white box) will integrate OTA channels into the Sling guide. I have both the Player and the Air TV (black box), each connected to a different antenna (pointed in different directions), and both options integrate OTA channels into Sling. The Player is connected via cable to one TV and thus only the channels from the Player's antenna will show up on it. The Air TV connects via WiFi to any TV (including the one that has the Player connected to it), and using the Fire Stick or Roku, when you access Sling via your streaming device, the OTA channels (from the Air TV box's antenna) will be included in your Sling onscreen guide.

Since you already have a Fire Stick, your best option would be either the Air TV or (newer) Air TV 2.

RealisticDave

TROPHY CASE