MASN Continues to Reject In-Market Streaming

[McNulty]

1 hour ago, NashLumber said:

Thanks. Maybe you can enlighten me. I'm not aware of a free option. I did realize last night that the one-team option that's new to MLB will not work for my situation. 

He's referencing Reddit streams. Or front row sports. It's too buggy and has so many pop up ads that I don't mind shelling out the $100 per year to always have high quality broadcasts. 

[terps19]

2 hours ago, cimota said:

If you are going to cheat why not just watch the games for free and not pay for Hola and MLB?

Also, I think that most of the in-market streaming from other teams require you to have cable subscription so I don't see it being very useful. 

I find the quality on those illegal feeds suck for the most part.  

[Natsfan17]

I'll stay out of the baseball talk, but us Nats fans are in the same boat.  I cut the cord at the end of last season, and really don't want to go back.  One thing that is really frustrating is that MASN is one of the only RSNs not on the Over the top options like Sling, VUE, and DirectvNow.  Those are a decent option for sports fan cord cutters, and just can't believe MASN is going to be the last of all sports networks not to offer anything outside traditional cable/etc.

What's the best service to use to avoid the MLB.TV blackouts?  Does it work well on all devices, ie, Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast?  I've heard that the hardware with GPS built in is a lot harder to get around.  I think that is limited to Android, IOS, and Fire TV products, but not sure?

 

[McNulty]

1 hour ago, Natsfan17 said:

I'll stay out of the baseball talk, but us Nats fans are in the same boat.  I cut the cord at the end of last season, and really don't want to go back.  One thing that is really frustrating is that MASN is one of the only RSNs not on the Over the top options like Sling, VUE, and DirectvNow.  Those are a decent option for sports fan cord cutters, and just can't believe MASN is going to be the last of all sports networks not to offer anything outside traditional cable/etc.

What's the best service to use to avoid the MLB.TV blackouts?  Does it work well on all devices, ie, Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast?  I've heard that the hardware with GPS built in is a lot harder to get around.  I think that is limited to Android, IOS, and Fire TV products, but not sure?

 

The easiest way is to get a vpn and put it directly into your router. That way all of your devices are ready to go. I have 2 routers. One with the vpn and one normal one. Some services like Netflix or Spotify have issues with the vpn. I use unblock us and it's 4.99'per month. 

[NashLumber]

1 hour ago, McNulty said:

The easiest way is to get a vpn and put it directly into your router. That way all of your devices are ready to go. I have 2 routers. One with the vpn and one normal one. Some services like Netflix or Spotify have issues with the vpn. I use unblock us and it's 4.99'per month. 

If I can get this or another VPN to work with my Apple TV, I will use their MLB app and (get the regular MLB season package since I'd need MASN anyway for the new one-team in market plan - makes it moot for me), then I won't have to even be concerned with sending the broadcast from my IOS/ Apple devices to the TV via AirPlay mirroring. But going the route you mentioned (or one a pal here sent me privately) should get me the games.

So it looks like there are a number of options now. You guys have been quite helpful, thanks a ton!

[Natsfan17]

1 hour ago, McNulty said:

The easiest way is to get a vpn and put it directly into your router. That way all of your devices are ready to go. I have 2 routers. One with the vpn and one normal one. Some services like Netflix or Spotify have issues with the vpn. I use unblock us and it's 4.99'per month. 

I'm very reluctant to do  a whole home VPN.  I have a lot going on on my home network, between having a CVO router providing work VPN, kids watching netflix, spotify, me watching TV through VUE which is also location dependent and I watch my home hockey team (Flames) through NHL CI.   I can't imagiine I'd get my full FIOS bandwidth through a VPN service.   

My research is looking like smart DNS is the way to go. It seems like you can just do the MLB.TV traffic directed through that, but leave the rest of your home traffic going through the regular FIOS routes.

Sorry for going super technical, but trying to figure out a solution for MASN games without breaking everything else that's working very well right now.  Anyone with similar requirements feel free to PM me. 

 

Thanks!

[McNulty]

I'm pretty sure unblock us *is* a smart DNS, technically.  When you set it up, all you do is change 2 IP addresses.  

You can do what I suggested to Nash, which is add the Hola extension on chrome and cast/airplay it to your TV.  Personally I think putting it on the TV adds an unnecessary step.  I watched every game on my iPad mini in 2014 and didn't miss the TV at all.

Anyways, you don't need my help as it seems like you know more about this than I do.

[BradyBunch]

This stuff makes me laugh..  pay for internet, pay for MLB tv, and a VPN.. and you think you pay less then you would if you (living in Baltimore/DC metro) for MASN?

[McNulty]

2 minutes ago, BradyBunch said:

This stuff makes me laugh..  pay for internet, pay for MLB tv, and a VPN.. and you think you pay less then you would if you (living in Baltimore/DC metro) for MASN?

People who still pay for cable make me laugh.  

In order to have MASN, you are probably paying around 50 a month for that level of the cable package.  That's 600 per year.

MLB is 100 for the year.  The VPN for 6 months is 30 bucks (if you go that route, there are free ones).  And I don't know about you, but the internet is something I'm going to pay for anyway.  

I don't live in the market so I'd have to pay for MLB anyway.  But this option allows you to cut the cord.  I don't get the passive aggressive nature of your post.

[BradyBunch]

1 minute ago, McNulty said:

People who still pay for cable make me laugh.  

In order to have MASN, you are probably paying around 50 a month for that level of the cable package.  That's 600 per year.

MLB is 100 for the year.  The VPN for 6 months is 30 bucks (if you go that route, there are free ones).  And I don't know about you, but the internet is something I'm going to pay for anyway.  

I don't live in the market so I'd have to pay for MLB anyway.  But this option allows you to cut the cord.  I don't get the passive aggressive nature of your post.

You pay for MASN and a lot of tv channels for $50 a month. You pay $113 just for MLB tv.. which is literally paying $9 a month for just baseball. Then you pay for VPN. So it's $13 a month, plus internet.

Yes, we all pay for internet. But why pay $9 a month if you live in the DC/Baltimore market for just baseball when you can get it for $3-$4 a month plus other channels.

I live out of the market and I do pay for MLB tv as well. But I am not gonna sneeze paying for the lowest tier MASN is in, if I am in the local area because the cost is actually cheaper then getting cute and cutting the cord as you are gonna have to pay for the other channels you miss.

[McNulty]

31 minutes ago, BradyBunch said:

You pay for MASN and a lot of tv channels for $50 a month. You pay $113 just for MLB tv.. which is literally paying $9 a month for just baseball. Then you pay for VPN. So it's $13 a month, plus internet.

Yes, we all pay for internet. But why pay $9 a month if you live in the DC/Baltimore market for just baseball when you can get it for $3-$4 a month plus other channels.

I live out of the market and I do pay for MLB tv as well. But I am not gonna sneeze paying for the lowest tier MASN is in, if I am in the local area because the cost is actually cheaper then getting cute and cutting the cord as you are gonna have to pay for the other channels you miss.

What are you talking about?

You assume people will have to pay for the other channels you miss.  They don't.  You watch the shows you want a la carte, or download them via torrents.  My folks gave me their Verizon logon and my buddy gave me a Comcast one as well.  There are so many ways to watch TV now that do not require nearly as much money as paying for cable.  That doesn't even count fees for access to HD, multiple boxes, DVR, etc.  

I don't watch many TV shows.  I think I'm down to about 4.  I didn't even own a TV for a while.  Assuming you must pay for it one way or another is the old way of thinking.  And I pay for the VPN because I don't live in the states currently and it allows me to watch US only apps.

[Frobby]

6 hours ago, BradyBunch said:

You pay for MASN and a lot of tv channels for $50 a month. You pay $113 just for MLB tv.. which is literally paying $9 a month for just baseball. Then you pay for VPN. So it's $13 a month, plus internet.

Yes, we all pay for internet. But why pay $9 a month if you live in the DC/Baltimore market for just baseball when you can get it for $3-$4 a month plus other channels.

I live out of the market and I do pay for MLB tv as well. But I am not gonna sneeze paying for the lowest tier MASN is in, if I am in the local area because the cost is actually cheaper then getting cute and cutting the cord as you are gonna have to pay for the other channels you miss.

I have not cut the cord, but I really couldn't care less about most of the non-MASN channels.    It's amazing how many of them are garbage, and I could easily get the ones I want without cable.   MASN's the only thing keeping me there, mostly because I don't like acquiring content illegally.   

[Ohfan67]

5 hours ago, Frobby said:

I have not cut the cord, but I really couldn't care less about most of the non-MASN channels.    It's amazing how many of them are garbage, and I could easily get the ones I want without cable.   MASN's the only thing keeping me there, mostly because I don't like acquiring content illegally.   

Really? I always pictured you as a Hallmark Movie Channel kind of guy.

Just joking. I have cable tv and it is amazing how many stupid channels are in every package. If we paid a la carte, then it's easy to imagine that the number of channels carried by cable companies would dramatically shrink. 

[VeveJones007]

Sorry, but if you don't care enough to figure out how to get around the blackout restriction, then I have a hard time sympathizing with your indignation. Otherwise you're just yelling for the sake of it.

[backwardsk]

We bought a house in 2006 and had the super basic cable.  For some reason, we had MASN.  Not MASN2.  But I was good because I could watch many games.  I had no ESPN, Comedy Central, FX, etc.  I didn't miss it.  We lived like that for seven years then bought a new house.  Fios had a good deal so we got cable without the premium channels.

After the season was over, we dropped cable and saved a little over $70 a month. At the same time we got Sling for $25 a month.  I love Sling and their service.  We get a decent amount of channels.  However, we find ourselves spending more time watching shows on Netflix and Amazon.  We could drop Sling if we wanted.  My hope was that Sling would pick up MASN before April.  I doubt that happens.  I'd easily pay for VPN and MLB.tv and come out ahead.