help diagnose my MLB.tv illness

by wackomann on Feb 24, 2007 7:01 PM PST

Spring training has begun, and so comes the thought of purchasing a subscription for the upcoming season of MLB.tv. The demo is badass and so clear compared to years past it's incredible.

The 2007 demo works fine on my rig (WinXP, Media Player 11), I can see it and hear it and everything. My problem? When I try to pull up some archived feed of anything, whether it be a past Mariner highlight, a full game, or even Gameday Audio, I can get the usual picture but no audio whatsoever.

I've tried downloading drivers, codecs, etc., and I haven't found crap that will get the audio to work on the older stuff. Moreover, I'm worried that I'll buy the new package and then find that the audio doesn't work for whatever reason.

Has anyone else run into the same problem? I'm just asking here before I resort to asking Microsoft or MLB.tv about it and then getting some cryptic answer.

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I had problems...

...using Media Player. It never worked quite right. Once upon a time they gave the option to use Media Player or Real Player. I switched to Real Player and everything was great. I don't know if they still give the option, but if they do, you might try it.

by anotherjeff on Feb 25, 2007 8:40 AM PST reply actions

i remember that

Yeah, they used to have the RealPlayer choice, and I always chose it for the live stream. I remember coming home and wanting to see the Mariners' road games that year (2005), but the archived feed was Windows Media only. Boo.

Sports and Bremertonians. Because we can.

by wackomann on Feb 25, 2007 8:02 PM PST up reply actions

if the give you a URL you could try to find a PC

version of VLC (freeware) and use that to stream it. This is probably a wild suggestion but you could give it a shot

How in the name of Zeus's butthole did you get out of your cell?

by Scruffy Lefty on Feb 25, 2007 10:57 AM PST reply actions

VLC is great.

And there is a PC version.

http://www.videolan.org/

That's a right kerfuffle!

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Feb 25, 2007 4:48 PM PST up reply actions

VLC is great.

by anotherjeff on Feb 25, 2007 8:59 PM PST up reply actions

grr

Well, I tried streams that I know work, and the MLB.tv stream wouldn't work. Looking at the log, the thing basically said I couldn't get permission from the URL or whatever, which I think is its way of telling me that I bypassed the MLB.tv login even though I'd logged in already anyway. Something like that.

Sports and Bremertonians. Because we can.

by wackomann on Feb 26, 2007 7:04 PM PST up reply actions

Link?

I can't seem to find the archive. I found the page for the 95 ALDS game but there's no video...

by bluemax on Feb 25, 2007 1:04 PM PST reply actions

Wait do you have a subscription yet?

I don't think anything but the demo would work otherwise

How in the name of Zeus's butthole did you get out of your cell?

by Scruffy Lefty on Feb 25, 2007 1:08 PM PST reply actions

yes and no

I think I'm subscribed to the offseason package right now. The sound worked a few weeks ago when the Caribbean Series was going, but I have no idea what I might have installed since then that would have screwed up the audio. I haven't picked up the subscription yet for the upcoming season on account of fearing I won't be able to hear jack, hence the question.

Thanks to everyone for their help so far, by the way. I haven't tried anything above just yet since this is the first time today I've come back to the thread. Hopefully this sorts itself out.

Sports and Bremertonians. Because we can.

by wackomann on Feb 25, 2007 8:00 PM PST up reply actions

My though is

that since the new season is about to start you need to be subscribed the new season to access all the content

How in the name of Zeus's butthole did you get out of your cell?

by Scruffy Lefty on Feb 26, 2007 10:32 AM PST up reply actions

If you subscribed to mlb.tv last season

then you're automatically renewed for this season. from the MLB.tv TOS:

For certain Services purchased on a monthly basis (e.g., MLB.TV Premium Monthly and MLB.TV Monthly subscriptions), the term begins when you purchase and ends on October 31 of that year, with monthly billing during each of March-October at the then prevailing monthly rate. Unless you signified otherwise at purchase, the subscription will automatically renew on March 1 of each subsequent year and end on October 31 of each subsequent year, with monthly billing resuming during each of March - October at the previous year's rate. To cancel your monthly subscription or this automatic renewal feature, send an e-Mail to cssubscriptionfeedback@website.mlb.com or call Customer Service at 866-800-1275. Cancellation will become effective as of the next monthly billing cycle following receipt.
For Services purchased on a yearly basis (e.g., MLB.TV Premium Yearly, MLB.TV Yearly and MLB.com Gameday Audio Yearly subscriptions), the term begins when you purchase and ends on the last day of February of the next year, with one-time billing immediately following your purchase. Unless you signified otherwise at purchase, the subscription will automatically renew on March 1 of the next year at the previous year's rate. To cancel this automatic renewal feature send an e-Mail to cssubscriptionfeedback@website.mlb.com or call Customer Service at 866-800-1275.

Yes, I'm one of those people that reads TOS documents. I'm not proud of this, but it's helpful.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Feb 27, 2007 9:18 AM PST up reply actions

Huh. That's interesting.

Saves me a few minutes of renewal time, I suppose.

by Jeff Sullivan on Feb 27, 2007 9:48 AM PST up reply actions

As a matter of fact

I just got my subscription renewal notice today.

Sounds like I now get Gameday audio (I didn't have it last year) AND they're throwing in Spring training games with no blackouts. All for $79.95!

Shrug, I just hope the quality is better this year.

by bluemax on Feb 27, 2007 8:54 PM PST up reply actions

status

Sigh...no success yet. I wish the entire season of MLB.tv ran on the same application (Flash 9) for which they're showing the demo, because I'd have that licked. Of course, I can't tell you how many times a Flash plug-in for Gameday crashed my Media Player during the Mariner broadcasts last year, but oh well.

But yeah, video streams nicely, but it's just moving pictures because I can't hear jack. Every other sound on my computer works, but I can't stream video that has audio over it. I can stream .asx stuff just fine, which enables me to listen to the Canucks radio broadcasts. Also, .wmv files that are saved on my computer play just fine, audio and video are great. Just .wmv streams that have actual sound over them seem to be what I can't get.

...and if I don't get this rectified, I just might hurl my laptop off a cliff or something. Yes, I've just gone to the Windows Media Newsgroup with this question, and I'm praying like hell I get some good help.

Thanks for everyone's help, by the way.

Sports and Bremertonians. Because we can.

by wackomann on Feb 28, 2007 10:43 PM PST reply actions

Do you have a link to the archives?

I can give them a look tomorrow.

by bluemax on Mar 1, 2007 1:10 AM PST up reply actions

status

I've taken the advice of someone on the Windows Media newsgroup (select the correct audio device in the media player), and now the MLB.tv audio works, but not in the browser-launched player. Instead, I have to copy the URL and paste it into WMP for it to work. I don't consider that bad at all because if Gameday's Flash plug-in crashes a bunch of times this year like it did last year, it won't wipe out my video footage.

So the final outcome here is that my conundrum appaers mostly fixed. Not the most optimal solution, but it's a solution, and it didn't cost me jack.

Matt, if it's Windows Media newsgroup archives you're talking about, the board is here, with 844 pages of threads.

Sports and Bremertonians. Because we can.

by wackomann on Mar 1, 2007 6:45 PM PST up reply actions