# 2022 NFL+ and NFL Sunday Ticket Streaming Products



## B. Shoe

I'm renewed for NFL Sunday Ticket.tv and NFL Game Pass for the 2021 season. The new login slate is also updated in the Sunday Ticket app. Replays of the Hall of Fame Game worked smoothly in the Game Pass platform, but I'll report any streaming issues I may see during the preseason here.


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## B. Shoe

No issues on the opening night for NFL Game Pass. Both games streamed with no issue. It would be great to view multiple games at once (as you can on the Sunday Ticket app, and the former Preseason Live product also allowed up to four games at once), but if you're wanting to watch a preseason game live, you should be good to go.

What did surprise me tonight, from a YouTube TV perspective, was that *BOTH* preseason games were available live. I went into the YTTV live guide settings, and activated three additional NFL Network feeds. Both the WFT-Patriots game and Steelers-Eagles game were available, live, via the NFLN channel and NFLN alternate feed. (DIRECTV also had the Steelers-Eagles game activated on 212-1, but was subject to blackout.) One of the alternate feeds on YTTV already has guide information for one of the Friday preseason games.


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## B. Shoe

Updating after the Week 1 preseason games on Saturday and Sunday. Friday's alternate feed (Tennessee-Atlanta) was blacked out. I reside in the Quincy-Hannibal-Keokuk DMA, which is a few hours away from Tennessee, so I'm unsure if this played a part in the blackout, as Thursday's alternate game was not blacked out.

No real issues with Saturday games. Alternate feeds were available as far as I could catch them on YTTV. The NFL Game Pass app repeatedly pushed the NFL Sunday Ticket.tv streaming product during ad breaks. Short Cuts broadcasts (compressing the game into 30-35 minutes) is a really nice way to catch back up on games you missed, or just want to watch quickly.

The biggest complaint (not mine, but from others) regarding NFL Game Pass for the 2021 season has been the removal (at least for now) of All-22 camera angles. For bloggers/writers, this was a critical way to evaluate and review plays. There's been a lot of social media outcry for this to return, but there isn't a timetable for All-22 film to return as of right now.

Week 2 of preseason begins Thursday!


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## B. Shoe

Week 2 is underway. Just one preseason game from last night's slate, but no streaming issues.

As a reminder for those with either the DIRECTV Sunday Ticket package, or the NFL Sunday Ticket.tv package, at least part (if not all) of the last preseason week normally streams via the Sunday Ticket app.


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## the2130

B. Shoe said:


> Week 2 is underway. Just one preseason game from last night's slate, but no streaming issues.
> 
> As a reminder for those with either the DIRECTV Sunday Ticket package, or the NFL Sunday Ticket.tv package, at least part (if not all) of the last preseason week normally streams via the Sunday Ticket app.


Thanks, I've had NFLST for years, but I forgot about the the streaming app having games from the last week of preseason. It's good that there are more live preseason games on NFL network this year, but sometimes the games overlap. This week's Rams game on Saturday night starts at 10 p.m., but there is a 7:30 p.m. game ahead of it on NFL network, and the delayed telecast doesn't air until Thursday.


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## B. Shoe

the2130 said:


> Thanks, I've had NFLST for years, but I forgot about the the streaming app having games from the last week of preseason. It's good that there are more live preseason games on NFL network this year, but sometimes the games overlap. This week's Rams game on Saturday night starts at 10 p.m., but there is a 7:30 p.m. game ahead of it on NFL network, and the delayed telecast doesn't air until Thursday.


I would suspect this will happen on the Saturday evening of Week 3 preseason. In the traditional 4-game preseason, all Week 4 games would be hosted on Thursday. But in the new 3-game format, games are still spaced apart from Thursday-Sunday, albeit all Sunday games are live on some sort of national broadcast.


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## Steveknj

What is interesting is that the NFL.COM app still shows the pre-season games for streaming and still shows me as signed in with my DirecTV account, which I no longer have. I guess it doesn't check. Wonder how long that will be like that?


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## AngryManMLS

Steveknj said:


> What is interesting is that the NFL.COM app still shows the pre-season games for streaming and still shows me as signed in with my DirecTV account, which I no longer have. I guess it doesn't check. Wonder how long that will be like that?


I believe they are offering Game Pass for free this weekend with no login required.


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## the2130

AngryManMLS said:


> I believe they are offering Game Pass for free this weekend with no login required.


I checked tonight during the Rams game. Couldn't access it without a login.


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## B. Shoe

Getting ready to wrap up Week 2 of the three-week preseason today. YouTube TV has pretty much got the alternate feeds locked down to specific markets (this wasn't the case in Week 1.)

The only real criticism I have of the NFL Game Pass product is this -- during the preseason, the big push is to be able to watch any live, out-of-market preseason game. And you can do that, AS LONG as it's not the showcase game being broadcast at the moment on NFL Network. In both weeks 1 and 2, the NFL Network has either 1) left the last few minutes of a game to get to the start of their next scheduled game, or 2) bounced around other games during the start of a next broadcast game and not stayed with the opening series, where most starters are likely to play. The downfall to this is that the streams for the Game Pass stream are mirroring the NFL Network broadcast, and not staying with the respective game in its entirety.

Mind you, I get we're discussing preseason football, when we're in the fourth quarters of preseason games, where starters and star players are obviously not playing, etc. But for a lot of people that are purchasing the Game Pass product, being able to enjoy preseason games in full, live, is a big part of the draw.


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## the2130

Another drawback of these preseason telecasts is that they are loaded with in-game interviews. The announcers stop calling the play-by-play and they go to a split-screen view where it's hard to follow what's happening in the game. Its like watching a baseball game on ESPN or Fox - i.e., it's almost unwatchable.


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## B. Shoe

the2130 said:


> Another drawback of these preseason telecasts is that they are loaded with in-game interviews. The announcers stop calling the play-by-play and they go to a split-screen view where it's hard to follow what's happening in the game. Its like watching a baseball game on ESPN or Fox - i.e., it's almost unwatchable.


I get that. It doesn't bother me all that much. It's preseason; some people aren't that concerned about the fourth stringers who likely won't be on the roster in the next 48 hours, so toss in an interview with a coach or star player and catch up on some things. Preseason football is such a niche watch, I don't fault local markets trying to enhance their broadcast.


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## Steveknj

the2130 said:


> Another drawback of these preseason telecasts is that they are loaded with in-game interviews. The announcers stop calling the play-by-play and they go to a split-screen view where it's hard to follow what's happening in the game. Its like watching a baseball game on ESPN or Fox - i.e., it's almost unwatchable.


Unless you have a bet on the game who cares? (do people actually bet on pre-season games? THAT'S gambling addiction!!). I don't watch too much pre-season, it's boring to me, and at least for Giants games, they are local broadcasts focused on the Giants so I want to learn a little about the new players or how some injured players are coming along. So those interviews are fine. I agree, I do find in game interviews for games that matter annoying. I've seen ESPN do this for their NFL games too. I remember a Giants-Cowboys game a few years back where they spend the whole 2nd or 3rd QTR interviewing Emmett Smith who just HAPPENED to be doing DWITS that season, so they talked a little about football and the rest on how Emmett will do on the show. Meanwhile one team was marching toward a TV and it felt like an afterthought to the announcers. That is when my true hatred of ESPN began.


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## James Long

Steveknj said:


> Unless you have a bet on the game who cares? (do people actually bet on pre-season games? THAT'S gambling addiction!!).


In my opinion gambling has ruined sports. Having "skin in the game" can be fun. Cheap or silly friendly bets among friends might raise the interest in the outcome. But supporting the multi-billion dollar gambling industry where the house ALWAYS wins? Nope. Not for me and I hope the addicted can escape.

The saying about selling drugs applies - don't use the product. That is what the gambling industry is doing. Selling something where they are literally guaranteed to win.


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## Steveknj

James Long said:


> In my opinion gambling has ruined sports. Having "skin in the game" can be fun. Cheap or silly friendly bets among friends might raise the interest in the outcome. But supporting the multi-billion dollar gambling industry where the house ALWAYS wins? Nope. Not for me and I hope the addicted can escape.
> 
> The saying about selling drugs applies - don't use the product. That is what the gambling industry is doing. Selling something where they are literally guaranteed to win.


I totally agree and can speak about this for hours. I have never bet on a sporting event outside of a work organized football pool, a friend bet with friend or a fantasy league with friends, with not much as far as winnings, more for bragging writes. And how long before some player gets caught up in it. I guess with players making so much money, it's less likely in the past, but what happens if a player goes in debt, and needs a way to make quick money? We've seen gambling scandals in Europe and in the past here when it was illegal. Anyway, it's another addiction that we are feeding, I agree, but to me, what makes it worse is all of these ads coercing us to gamble. I was watching a non sports related show last night and during each ad break, there were TWO different sports gambling ads. And it's worse during sporting events where you not only get those ads, but you get graphics during the game, touting lines scrolling at the bottom of the screen and and commentators talking about it. ESPN News is so bad now that actually show takes up about 1/3 of the screen and the rest is betting information. And of course we have a casino that owns/runs a bunch of RSNs.


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## James Long

Steveknj said:


> And of course we have a casino that owns/runs a bunch of RSNs.


Still separately owned by Sinclair, but the "synergy" that will come from gambling tie ins is one more reason not to watch RSNs. Certainly a good reason not to pay for them. Maybe we could get Bally's to pay for distributing the channels?


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## NashGuy

James Long said:


> Still separately owned by Sinclair, but the "synergy" that will come from gambling tie ins is one more reason not to watch RSNs. Certainly a good reason not to pay for them. Maybe we could get Bally's to pay for distributing the channels?


FuboTV is planning to add sports betting to their app later this year. It's one of the ways they think that their service -- which continues to lose money -- will finally become profitable. Of course, they don't have the RSNs in their line-up (or TBS or TNT, which air a fair number of NBA and MLB games), so that's a lot of games they can't take bets on. Given the relatively small number of subs that FuboTV has (still under 700k) and the ease with which their internet-connected subs can instead place bets on any game in much more popular apps like DraftKings, Bet MGM and FanDuel, I'm skeptical that FuboTV can ever become profitable without a significant price hike. (Being so small, they obviously have higher per-sub channel carriage costs than do the big boys.) But raising prices, of course, would probably spell their demise since their relatively cheap price is by far the main reason anyone chooses it over other options.

Feels a lot like PS Vue 2.0 to me.


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## the2130

Steveknj said:


> Unless you have a bet on the game who cares? (do people actually bet on pre-season games? THAT'S gambling addiction!!). I don't watch too much pre-season, it's boring to me, and at least for Giants games, they are local broadcasts focused on the Giants so I want to learn a little about the new players or how some injured players are coming along. So those interviews are fine. I agree, I do find in game interviews for games that matter annoying. I've seen ESPN do this for their NFL games too. I remember a Giants-Cowboys game a few years back where they spend the whole 2nd or 3rd QTR interviewing Emmett Smith who just HAPPENED to be doing DWITS that season, so they talked a little about football and the rest on how Emmett will do on the show. Meanwhile one team was marching toward a TV and it felt like an afterthought to the announcers. That is when my true hatred of ESPN began.


At least we agree that ESPN is awful. As to preseason games, I don't think most viewers of these games are watching to see who wins. It's mostly about players vying for roster spots, position battles, and draft picks who may or may not be starters during the season. When Bears fans are watching a preseason game, do you think they would rather be watching Justin Fields play QB or one of the starters standing on the sideline jabbering with the announcers?


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## the2130

B. Shoe, are you getting the streaming-only version of Sunday Ticket or do you also have DirecTV?


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## B. Shoe

the2130 said:


> B. Shoe, are you getting the streaming-only version of Sunday Ticket or do you also have DirecTV?


Streaming-only package. This will be my third year with the streaming-only package. I was with DIRECTV for five years in my former residence. When I moved to a new town just about two years ago, fiber internet was available and I moved to all-streaming for everything.


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## the2130

B. Shoe said:


> Streaming-only package. This will be my third year with the streaming-only package. I was with DIRECTV for five years in my former residence. When I moved to a new town just about two years ago, fiber internet was available and I moved to all-streaming for everything.


Thanks, I figured you were a cord-cutter. I stream a lot of stuff, but I really hope the NFLST package doesn't become streaming-only when the DirecTV contract expires after next season. Streaming is fine for watching a game, but it would certainly limit how I watch the games and how many games I could watch. With DVR capabilities I often watch two or three games in the same slot and skip through the commercials to save time. And if the games overlap I don't have to miss the end of one game or the beginning of another. Sometimes I even stream a game on my tablet while I'm watching one or more games on the DVR. It wouldn't be the same without the DVR.


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## B. Shoe

the2130 said:


> Thanks, I figured you were a cord-cutter. I stream a lot of stuff, but I really hope the NFLST package doesn't become streaming-only when the DirecTV contract expires after next season. Streaming is fine for watching a game, but it would certainly limit how I watch the games and how many games I could watch. With DVR capabilities I often watch two or three games in the same slot and skip through the commercials to save time. And if the games overlap I don't have to miss the end of one game or the beginning of another. Sometimes I even stream a game on my tablet while I'm watching one or more games on the DVR. It wouldn't be the same without the DVR.


In my humble opinion (and I understand mileage varies for each person and their viewing habits), the NFL Sunday Ticket streaming package is superior to how you can view games, in comparison to the satellite offerings.

I, myself, am a longtime Steelers fan. If the Steelers are on during the early window, that's the game I watch and nothing else. If they're on a primetime/late window slot and I can browse around in early afternoon, the Sunday Ticket streaming app allows you to pick and choose up to four games to display at the same time in a full-screen quad box setting. (In comparison to the 4-game mix, where you can't pick games, and there's the border around the screens.) I use this to either enjoy other AFC North opponents games, or I can utilize one of the screens with Red Zone Channel. It's also easy to swap games in and out if one becomes a complete blowout.

In regards to DVR capability, I don't need one. Short Cuts (losing this from the satellite package was unfortunate, IMO) are available for each game from Monday-Wednesday, and I can consume a whole game in 30 minutes with no commercials. I usually catch up on the games I didn't get to watch much through this. (This leads to a deeper rabbit hole that cord-cutters don't really need DVR capability, because of on-demand, but that's a whole other thread.)

From my vantage point, the only downside to streaming-only vs. DIRECTV satellite is not being able to quickly bounce back to a local affiliate game on CBS or FOX if I'm on a Sunday Ticket channel. However, I've come accustomed to quickly bouncing between apps, so it's not the burden that some make it out to be.


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## the2130

B. Shoe said:


> In my humble opinion (and I understand mileage varies for each person and their viewing habits), the NFL Sunday Ticket streaming package is superior to how you can view games, in comparison to the satellite offerings.
> 
> I, myself, am a longtime Steelers fan. If the Steelers are on during the early window, that's the game I watch and nothing else. If they're on a primetime/late window slot and I can browse around in early afternoon, the Sunday Ticket streaming app allows you to pick and choose up to four games to display at the same time in a full-screen quad box setting. (In comparison to the 4-game mix, where you can't pick games, and there's the border around the screens.) I use this to either enjoy other AFC North opponents games, or I can utilize one of the screens with Red Zone Channel. It's also easy to swap games in and out if one becomes a complete blowout.
> 
> In regards to DVR capability, I don't need one. Short Cuts (losing this from the satellite package was unfortunate, IMO) are available for each game from Monday-Wednesday, and I can consume a whole game in 30 minutes with no commercials. I usually catch up on the games I didn't get to watch much through this. (This leads to a deeper rabbit hole that cord-cutters don't really need DVR capability, because of on-demand, but that's a whole other thread.)
> 
> From my vantage point, the only downside to streaming-only vs. DIRECTV satellite is not being able to quickly bounce back to a local affiliate game on CBS or FOX if I'm on a Sunday Ticket channel. However, I've come accustomed to quickly bouncing between apps, so it's not the burden that some make it out to be.


Thanks for the detailed reply. I would certainly subscribe to the streaming-only package if I had no other choice, but I certainly wouldn't like it as much. As a long-time fan of the Rams, I always watch their game in its entirety, although sometimes I do watch another game at the same time. I use a long wooden ruler to block the ticker at the bottom of the screen and I hit the 30-second skip if they do an update on another game. If I watch 2 games in the early slot, I can finish in about 4 1/2 hours and go to the late afternoon games without missing a play. If I do the same in the late slot, I can finish those games around 10 to 10:30 and then start the Sunday night game.

The problem with watching 4 games on a screen is that you only get the audio from one game at a time, and some of the plays are happening at the same time. I guess it really just comes down to how you Iike to watch the games. I do sometimes watch the shortcuts to see games I missed, but it's not quite the same when you know the outcome of a game, and you also miss the commentary between plays.

I don't subscribe to the Max package, so I only get Redzone Channel in the weeks when they offer a free trial. Even then, I rarely watch it. It can be fun to watch that way if there isn't one particular game you want to watch, but when they start putting 2, 3 or 4 games on the screen a once it starts to annoy me. They shrink them down too much and waste a large portion of the screen. I feel like I'm watching on cell phones.

Another drawback of the streaming package, at least with NFLST TV package, is that you are limited to one login. I imagine that's to prevent password sharing, but it also prevents me from using multiple devices at the same time in my own house. Is that also the case for the streaming-only package?


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## B. Shoe

the2130 said:


> Another drawback of the streaming package, at least with NFLST TV package, is that you are limited to one login. I imagine that's to prevent password sharing, but it also prevents me from using multiple devices at the same time in my own house. Is that also the case for the streaming-only package?


Correct. The biggest hope for NFL Sunday Ticket, if it does move to a streaming-only offering, would be that you could at least get two simultaneous logins. That's where the satellite product takes an edge; you could have one game on the satellite and one game on a tablet/smaller connected TV at the same time, if a split-screen/quad-box format isn't for you.

I will take this approach, usually during a late window, if the local affiliate broadcast on YTTV is appealing enough to put on the TV (We're a one-TV home.) If it's not a priority watch, I can get plenty of look-ins in the late window through Red Zone Channel.


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## the2130

B. Shoe said:


> Correct. The biggest hope for NFL Sunday Ticket, if it does move to a streaming-only offering, would be that you could at least get two simultaneous logins. That's where the satellite product takes an edge; you could have one game on the satellite and one game on a tablet/smaller connected TV at the same time, if a split-screen/quad-box format isn't for you.
> 
> I will take this approach, usually during a late window, if the local affiliate broadcast on YTTV is appealing enough to put on the TV (We're a one-TV home.) If it's not a priority watch, I can get plenty of look-ins in the late window through Red Zone Channel.


Yeah, they really should allow more than one login. After all, other family members might want to watch a different out-of-market game.


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## the2130

Looks like only the Sunday games are available on the NFLST streaming app. All of the Saturday games are showing "blacked out", and all Sunday games are available to stream except the local telecasts. Fortunately the 9 PM [email protected] game has a 1 AM replay on NFL Network.


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## B. Shoe

the2130 said:


> Looks like only the Sunday games are available on the NFLST streaming app. All of the Saturday games are showing "blacked out", and all Sunday games are available to stream except the local telecasts. Fortunately the 9 PM [email protected] game has a 1 AM replay on NFL Network.


Sorry I'm late to the party on this reply. I experienced the same thing. The app finally went past the "Every Game, Live, Every Sunday" slate into the actual app for testing. But as you said, Saturday games were blacked out, and Sunday games were streamed for testing. I didn't get to watch any Saturday games, but I had a phone notification from the Sunday Ticket app stating that Sunday games would be streamed for testing.


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## the2130

I watched part of the Jacksonville-Dallas game at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, mainly to make sure the app is still working on my tablet. The picture quality of the game was very good on my 12.4" Samsung tablet. The main drawback is the limited DVR functionality in the streaming app. If you start watching late, you can't start at the beginning and catch up, like you can with the TV version of the MLB.app (oddly, the MLB app that runs on my portable Android apps is lacking that functionality). You can pause and resume in the NFLST app, but I don't see any way to fast-forward or skip ahead to catch up. It would be nice if the app got updated to incorporate more DVR functionality.

On the other, with the streaming app I can still watch if rain fade knocks out the satellite reception during a storm. I recall a few years ago, before there was a streaming app, when a snowstorm the evening before a game blanketed my rooftop, where my dish is located. I was beside myself trying to figure out a way to clear the snow from the dish before gametime. Fortunately the sun came out in the morning, and even though the temperature never got above 30 degrees, the snow on the dish melted about an hour before gametime.


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## B. Shoe

Week one of Sunday Ticket streaming worked with no issues to report. Games switched smoothly from stream to stream, and multi-game view had no issues. I'm re-watching a game on Short Cuts to help fill my lunch break and will catch up on others on Tuesday and Wednesday night.

I really, really enjoy this version of the Sunday Ticket product and hope more people are able to have access to purchase it in the future (which, it sounds like is heading that direction.) If and when it gets to that point, maybe we'll get some additional options like home/away radio broadcasts paired with the video, skycam-only streams (ESPN+ does this for big college football broadcasts) and catching up on a game through big plays (this is currently a YouTube TV feature.) But I'm sure there are a lot of hurdles to fulfill that wish list.

Unless anyone just cares to chat about Sunday Ticket further, I think my goal with this thread is accomplished for the season. A moderator can feel free to close this thread.


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## NashGuy

It appears that the NFL is now selling the standalone streaming version of NFL Sunday Ticket to anyone and everyone:

The NFL Quietly Takes 'Sunday Ticket' DTC and OTT


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## compnurd

NashGuy said:


> It appears that the NFL is now selling the standalone streaming version of NFL Sunday Ticket to anyone and everyone:
> 
> The NFL Quietly Takes 'Sunday Ticket' DTC and OTT


Doesn't appear so. Just tried to sign up and it tells me I need satellite at my address

Did you read the article??

Just like last month's email, the most recent blast included the following disclaimer: "NFLSundayTicket.tv service is only available to non-DirecTV customers who live in select multi-dwelling unit buildings (apartments, condos, etc.) nationwide in the U.S. where DirecTV service is not available, live in select areas within various metropolitan cities, live in a residence that has been verified as unable to receive DirecTV satellite TV service due to obstructions blocking access to satellite signals, or are college students."


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## James Long

I tried a couple of addresses near me and both failed. One was the address of a former employer and the website suggested DirecTV for Business.

It is interesting that the reviewer was able to sign up and watch. Perhaps it was a mistake. Perhaps it was "live in select areas within various metropolitan cities". I don't see it as opening streaming delivery to everyone.


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## B. Shoe

I received this same email blast, and I am a streaming-only subscriber. During the NFL season, I'll receive various emails from the NFL in these sender names/email addresses:

NFLSUNDAYTICKET.TV - [email protected]-mail.com - This usually comes once a week on Fridays with the full schedule of games. Also used for my order confirmation emails.
NFL on behalf of DIRECTV - [email protected] - These are the NFLSundayTicket.tv promo emails. I've received the same ones the article writer received, even as being a current subscriber.
NFL Daily - [email protected] - Every morning Monday-Friday with top NFL headlines.
National Football League - [email protected] - A Thursday Night Football promo email, usually comes most Thursday afternoons.
NFL on behalf of Yahoo Sports - [email protected] - This has only come once (September 29) during the week 4 games that you could stream for free on the NFL and Yahoo apps.
When I was knee deep in NFL Game Pass during the preseason broadcasts, ads for NFL Sunday Ticket.TV ran in *heavy* rotation. I cannot recall if the disclaimer ran in small print during any of those spots (they were only 15 second bumpers), but this was strictly promotion for the streaming product. It also had the updated DIRECTV logo, so it wasn't an old spot simply lingering around the system.

Maybe there's a reason those addresses the article writer tried were able to get through the system? A new subdivision where the addresses aren't yet recognized? I'm just throwing darts here. At one point in the past, I was able to receive DIRECTV DNS channels for ABC by simply adjusting my service address number by one house down the road. (Our DMA didn't carry the affiliate in HD, my antenna reception was poor and I was eager to have the HD feed.)


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## NashGuy

compnurd said:


> Doesn't appear so. Just tried to sign up and it tells me I need satellite at my address
> 
> Did you read the article??
> 
> Just like last month's email, the most recent blast included the following disclaimer: "NFLSundayTicket.tv service is only available to non-DirecTV customers who live in select multi-dwelling unit buildings (apartments, condos, etc.) nationwide in the U.S. where DirecTV service is not available, live in select areas within various metropolitan cities, live in a residence that has been verified as unable to receive DirecTV satellite TV service due to obstructions blocking access to satellite signals, or are college students."


LOL. Yes, I read the article but apparently you didn't. The whole point of the article is that, despite the fact that the NFL is still using their boilerplate language you're quoting about NFLST.tv availability, the reality is quite different.

_But once again, within the NFLSundayTicket.tv signup portal, we tested a number of addresses of friends and family members residing in suburban family homes, all fully able to receive DirecTV, and were given the green light for service each and every time. _​


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## James Long

The truth is somewhere between the two statements.

"The NFL is now selling the standalone streaming version of NFL Sunday Ticket to anyone and everyone" is not a true statement as I (and compnurd) entered addresses that were appropriately rejected. DIRECTV's disclaimer has the "live in select areas within various metropolitan cities" exception. Apparently the friends and family addresses the author used were successful (despite not fitting the other exceptions.)

"I got it so it is available to everyone" isn't the truth. Perhaps entering a few hundred more addresses will establish a pattern?


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## compnurd

NashGuy said:


> LOL. Yes, I read the article but apparently you didn't. The whole point of the article is that, despite the fact that the NFL is still using their boilerplate language you're quoting about NFLST.tv availability, the reality is quite different.
> 
> _But once again, within the NFLSundayTicket.tv signup portal, we tested a number of addresses of friends and family members residing in suburban family homes, all fully able to receive DirecTV, and were given the green light for service each and every time. _​


Oh I read it and has been pointed out a couple of times here.. Whoever wrote it is a moron


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## B. Shoe

I've retitled and revived this thread for monitoring of the 2022 NFL+ and NFL Sunday Ticket streaming products through the preseason broadcasts and first couple of weeks of the NFL regular season. I'm locked in for both NFL Sunday Ticket and NFL+ Premium streaming services for 2022 and eager for the season to begin.

For background context, we're a streaming-only household on a 200MB fiber connection from a local ISP company. Hardware and currently subscribed TV/audio services are in my signature. This will be our fourth season subscribed solely to the NFL Sunday Ticket streaming service (have actively used the streaming app for the past five seasons, dating back to my DIRECTV days), and third with NFL+ (previously Game Pass.) We are a heavy NFL-viewing home during the regular season, and I'm a self-proclaimed NFL preseason nerd.

If you are an existing NFL Game Pass subscriber from 2021, NFL+ is currently active for you under your 2021 Game Pass subscription. Current content available includes the full replays and condensed replays (as available) from games dating back to 2009, along with some NFL Network programs (Hard Knocks, NFL 360, NFL Films content, etc.) Items like All-22 film and live home/away team audio should be available as the season begins.

For NFL Sunday Ticket streaming subs, the 2022 slate on the app has been updated and access into the platform will likely become available during Week 3 of the NFL Preseason (when streaming testing traditionally takes place.)


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## the2130

In the preseason, do you get a choice of which team's telecast you can watch?


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## B. Shoe

the2130 said:


> In the preseason, do you get a choice of which team's telecast you can watch?


Unfortunately, there hasn’t been a choice in previous seasons. That dates back to even the NFL Preseason Live days. As a Steelers fan who has become accustomed to watching the visiting broadcast in most preseason games, it’s a feature I’d love to see at some point.


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## the2130

B. Shoe said:


> Unfortunately, there hasn’t been a choice in previous seasons. That dates back to even the NFL Preseason Live days. As a Steelers fan who has become accustomed to watching the visiting broadcast in most preseason games, it’s a feature I’d love to see at some point.


Thanks, I've always just watched the preseason replays on NFL network, but I'm considering the yearly subscription to NFL+ for this season. As a Rams fan, it would be nice to get the LA telecast with Andrew Siciliano and the rest of that crew. Any idea what determines which telecast they use?

Another question pertaining to the live preseason telecasts - what DVR controls are available? Can you start at the beginning while the game is in progress, and is there a 30-second skip? And is there a 30-second skip on the regular-season replays?


----------



## B. Shoe

the2130 said:


> Thanks, I've always just watched the preseason replays on NFL network, but I'm considering the yearly subscription to NFL+ for this season. As a Rams fan, it would be nice to get the LA telecast with Andrew Siciliano and the rest of that crew. Any idea what determines which telecast they use?
> 
> Another question pertaining to the live preseason telecasts - what DVR controls are available? Can you start at the beginning while the game is in progress, and is there a 30-second skip? And is there a 30-second skip on the regular-season replays?


I’m going to try and answer everything with I’m fairly certain has been the norm:

I _think_ the standard protocol is to use the home team’s broadcast crew for live preseason broadcasts. I have seen the other side of the broadcast used on later replays.

I do not recall a means to start at the beginning if a game is in progress. Full game replays are available 10 minutes after the broadcast concludes. The condensed 30-minute replays are available 2-4 hours afterwards.

I cannot answer the 30-second skips. I just don’t utilize DVR stuff as much as a lot of other people on this board. If I miss it, I’ll just watch a replay later on with the condensed replay, so it’s not as much of a priority. It’s got normal pause/rewind capabilities, but I’m not sure about a 30-second specific jump.


----------



## the2130

Thanks for the reply, B. Shoe. I use 30-second skip even when I'm watching ad-free recordings of games, because there are still dead spots in the telecasts, like when the teams are lining up for a kickoff between possessions. When the preseason starts I'm probably going to take the 7-day free trial to see how it works.

Are the preseason games archived or do you have to watch them live?


----------



## B. Shoe

the2130 said:


> Are the preseason games archived or do you have to watch them live?


Preseason games are archived for replay. 

Users from last season might need to re-install the NFL app on your connected TV devices. Mine currently pushes to Game Pass, whereas the NFL+ function has been updated on my iPhone and iPad apps. I'm sure that's just a fix with an update, but something to keep an eye on as we're approaching the Hall of Fame Game.


----------



## the2130

Glad to hear the preseason games are archived, since they often conflict with baseball games this time of year. I don't mind watching preseason games after they are over, but there have been times when I've had to wait as long as 2 days for a replay of a Rams game on NFL Network.

There doesn't seem to be an NFL app on my Samsung TV - just the Sunday Ticket app. The NFL app on my Roku still has GamePass on the menu, but there is an item in the Trending section that says NFL+ is coming soon to connected TVs - it says just in time for the preseason, so maybe it will be available this week. I could try removing and reinstalling the app on the Roku, but it's a hassle to enter login credentials with the remote, so I think I'll wait a few days and check again. Thanks for the info, B. Shoe.


----------



## the2130

The NFL app has now been updated on Roku to show NFL+. I see last night's preseason game is available with both a full-game and condensed-game replay for subscribers. How long do the replays remain available for the preseason games?


----------



## B. Shoe

the2130 said:


> The NFL app has now been updated on Roku to show NFL+. I see last night's preseason game is available with both a full-game and condensed-game replay for subscribers. How long do the replays remain available for the preseason games?


Sorry for the delayed reply, I haven't been on the forums all weekend. The preseason replays should remain up there all season and beyond. You can still pull up preseason games from 2019 and 2021. They shouldn't disappear anytime soon.


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## the2130

Thanks, B. Shoe. I think I'm going to sign up for the 7-day trial before this weekend's games.


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## spidey

what is nflsundayticket.tv? I tried this today and got an error code. I was looking into doretcv streaming for new house so I dont have to wait for the dish however I was told Sunday Ticket is only available on the dish subscription not the streaming. Since I need HOA approval and may take time to install dish my thought was to just pay for one receiver even though it wont be hooked up and use the directv app to cast to appletv or fire sticks for other TV in my house casting from iPads. I looked for DIrectv app on appletv and only one in app store is the streaming version.


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## B. Shoe

spidey said:


> what is nflsundayticket.tv? I tried this today and got an error code. I was looking into doretcv streaming for new house so I dont have to wait for the dish however I was told Sunday Ticket is only available on the dish subscription not the streaming. Since I need HOA approval and may take time to install dish my thought was to just pay for one receiver even though it wont be hooked up and use the directv app to cast to appletv or fire sticks for other TV in my house casting from iPads. I looked for DIrectv app on appletv and only one in app store is the streaming version.


NFL Sunday Ticket.tv is the standalone streaming product for NFL Sunday Ticket. It's still owned/operated by DIRECTV, but it's not part of any satellite subscription service. If you tried to subscribe through it, you likely got the error that you don't qualify for that product since your address is listed as eligible for regular DIRECTV service.

I won't pretend to know if you can get a receiver and package access through DIRECTV, without a prior satellite setup and activation. @MysteryMan is very knowledgeable about a lot of DIRECTV services, maybe he can help answer if that is even a possibility. What I would tell you, if that WAS successful, is that you'd still utilize the NFL Sunday Ticket standalone app (available on Apple TV boxes and Fire Sticks) to access Sunday Ticket games, via your DIRECTV account credentials. You wouldn't need a means to cast via a phone/tablet to your television.


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## B. Shoe

Little to report from the Week 1, Night 1 of the NFL preseason. Both games streamed without issue within the NFL+ section of the app, and switching between home/away radio broadcasts, and back to the televised broadcast, was an easy one.

Maybe this will change throughout the preseason, but were no commercials during the Ravens-Titans broadcast (Live on NFL+, not NFL Network.) Last season included national spots and a constant flood of NFL Sunday Ticket.tv promos for the non-national broadcasts.

Like last season, those with YTTV should notice that alternate NFL Network channel feeds are available, but the games outside of the main national broadcast are blacked out. Five games on the slate for Friday, settle in for a fun weekend of preseason football!


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## B. Shoe

Week 1 of the NFL preseason is complete. There are some subtle notes to acknowledge:

In condensed replays, transitions from play to play are done with a subtle crossfade. Last year, condensed replays were simply hard cuts from play to play that made viewing sometimes a little coarse to the ears. This is an improvement for those that watch a lot of condensed replays.
Commercials seem to be hit or miss, depending on the location. The Jacksonville-Cleveland game and others included commercial spots, while other games did not.
Biggest improvement from last year to this year: If NFL Network left a game early to make the start of a next one (Ex: NFL Net left Steelers-Seahawks for the late game of Rams-Chargers), the stream stayed with the game in the fourth quarter/late stages. In 2021, the stream for the Steelers-Seahawks would also leave early to follow the NFL Network broadcast.


----------



## the2130

B. Shoe said:


> Week 1 of the NFL preseason is complete. There are some subtle notes to acknowledge:
> 
> In condensed replays, transitions from play to play are done with a subtle crossfade. Last year, condensed replays were simply hard cuts from play to play that made viewing sometimes a little coarse to the ears. This is an improvement for those that watch a lot of condensed replays.
> Commercials seem to be hit or miss, depending on the location. The Jacksonville-Cleveland game and others included commercial spots, while other games did not.
> Biggest improvement from last year to this year: If NFL Network left a game early to make the start of a next one (Ex: NFL Net left Steelers-Seahawks for the late game of Rams-Chargers), the stream stayed with the game in the fourth quarter/late stages. In 2021, the stream for the Steelers-Seahawks would also leave early to follow the NFL Network broadcast.


How long are the condensed replays, and do they vary in length?


----------



## B. Shoe

the2130 said:


> How long are the condensed replays, and do they vary in length?


They vary in length, simply dependent upon the number of plays in a game. From Week 1, Giants-Patriots is 41 minutes, Titans-Ravens is 36 minutes, Steelers-Seahawks is 39 minutes. You'll still get each play of the game in, with a quick transition to the next play without replays and extra commentary.


----------



## harsh

B. Shoe said:


> They vary in length, simply dependent upon the number of plays in a game. From Week 1, Giants-Patriots is 41 minutes, Titans-Ravens is 36 minutes, Steelers-Seahawks is 39 minutes. You'll still get each play of the game in, with a quick transition to the next play without replays and extra commentary.


It is hard to imagine that out of a three+ hour event, there's a 60 minute clock and only 40 minutes of something noteworthy. I suppose the Red Hat referee (the one that calls the ad breaks) and the halftime get maybe 1.25 hours of that.


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## b4pjoe

I'm shocked there was 40 minutes of plays worth showing. I'm thinking they show every play in their condensed game like 2nd down that nets 0 or 1 yard. I prefer the condensed games that only shows significant plays and you can go through the whole game in less than 10 minutes.


----------



## B. Shoe

b4pjoe said:


> I'm shocked there was 40 minutes of plays worth showing. I'm thinking they show every play in their condensed game like 2nd down that nets 0 or 1 yard. I prefer the condensed games that only shows significant plays and you can go through the whole game in less than 10 minutes.


I correct myself on my prior statement, as it appears that maybe there's an updated version of the Condensed Replay available now. I just spent some time during lunch watching Steelers-Seahawks again. They are now some added replay moments for bigger plays. That probably adds a few more minutes to the Condensed Replay broadcast. And yes, every play gets added in the NFL+ Condensed Replays.

Short Cuts (via NFL Sunday Ticket) still keeps everything within 30 minutes or less, and will eliminate some of those more non-influential plays. I'm a fan of either option to catch up on games I didn't get to watch much during the week. (And we don't need a DVR!) 



harsh said:


> It is hard to imagine that out of a three+ hour event, there's a 60 minute clock and only 40 minutes of something noteworthy. I suppose the Red Hat referee (the one that calls the ad breaks) and the halftime get maybe 1.25 hours of that.


There's a decent article from FiveThirtyEight that breaks down some NFL broadcasts and the commercials vs game play time. (Along with other sports, in comparison.)


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## harsh

Given that the absense of streaming DVRs that can be programmed for specific clock times and/or minute durations, I don't suppose it matters how long the replays go.


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## B. Shoe

Week 2 of the preseason is underway. Tonight we got our first glimpse of NFL+ streaming a national broadcast outside of the NFL Network bubble, with the ESPN feed. No issues off or on wi-fi networks. Home and away radio feeds worked as normal.

Based on advertisements on-air last night; condensed replays are being pitched as "45-minute replays."


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## B. Shoe

Well gang, we're wrapped up with the NFL preseason. There were never any real issues to report from all of the preseason action I watched (sadly, that's more than I care to admit.) But my synopsis is that the NFL+ product is off to a good start. What would I like to see from NFL+ in the future?

*On-field warmup cameras:* ESPN offers what they call "Layup Lines" streams for their national NBA broadcasts. They essentially show players warming up on the court, people filing in to the arena, etc. NBA League Pass does this for select games, also. Arena audio included. This is a draw for those who don't care to watch a bunch of pre-game show content on FOX/CBS/NFLNet.
*Post-game press conferences:* Again, something ESPN regularly streams for several big event broadcasts.
I'm sure there's more I could think of, but work calls me back to the desk.


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## BigJ52

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1580869316328636416


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## harsh

I'm not sure this is all that unusual. The NFL is now courting companies that are used to throwing their weight around.


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## the2130

After what we've seen with Amazon's Thursday night telecasts, I hope Apple gets Sunday Ticket. At least there is a chance we'll get something close to what we have now as far as DVR capabilities. The Amazon telecasts are downright pathetic.


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## NashGuy

Given what NFL Sunday Ticket is -- an expensive package of CBS and Fox live simulcasts only available to those American viewers who would generally be least interested in those games, i.e. the ones who live outside the two markets of the teams playing -- and given the crazy price that the NFL wants for it, I just have a hard time seeing how this deal could make sense for Apple. They'd definitely lose money on it. The package would be separate from Apple TV+ and probably wouldn't do a lot to boost that service. Would the marketing cachet of being the home of NFLST be worth the money they'd lose on it?

It makes sense for Apple (and Amazon and probably Netflix) to make additional moves into sports. But it seems to me that there are better bangs for Apple's sports bucks than to buy NFLST. Why not approach Fox about a deal to be the exclusive live streaming source for all their in-market NFC Sunday afternoon plus playoff games? Fox's new 10-year NFL broadcast contract includes streaming rights but they're not using them. The Apple feed could feature their own on-screen graphics/branding as opposed to Fox's. (Or perhaps a similar opportunity might present itself in a few years with CBS games should Paramount+ fail to survive.) Another option would be to buy the portion of NFL Media that the NFL wants to sell on the stipulation that it give Apple TV+ exclusive rights (or at least exclusive live streaming simulcast rights) to the regular and pre-season games currently aired on NFL Network (along with some other stuff, like maybe landing Inside the NFL plus replays of classic games, etc.).

Or they could just pass on the NFL and use the cash to buy up rights for national NBA games, currently held by Disney and WBD (Turner), which expire with the 2024-25 season. That's the last major piece of prime US sports real estate that will be hitting the market any time soon now that Big 10 college football has sealed their new deals. Disney just struck a 3-year extension of their deal to cover Formula 1 racing which goes through the end of 2025, so that might be a nice little pick-up for Apple in a few years. WNBA rights may be coming up soon? Just not much else out there on the horizon unless Apple wants to try to wade into the RSN waters currently roiled by a flailing Sinclair/Bally Sports...


----------



## harsh

the2130 said:


> At least there is a chance we'll get something close to what we have now as far as DVR capabilities.


What DVR capabilities does Apple offer across their various apps?


----------



## b4pjoe

the2130 said:


> After what we've seen with Amazon's Thursday night telecasts, I hope Apple gets Sunday Ticket. At least there is a chance we'll get something close to what we have now as far as DVR capabilities. The Amazon telecasts are downright pathetic.


Amazon has DVR. How is it pathetic?


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## the2130

harsh said:


> What DVR capabilities does Apple offer across their various apps?


I don't own any Apple devices and I don't subscribe to Apple TV+, so I really can't answer that. There was a recent online article about this:









Apple Is Adding a Feature to Its TV App that's Huge for Sports Fans


The latest iOS update is giving Apple TV a leg up on the competition when it comes to sports content. According to Apple’s release notes for iOS 15.6, the TV app now gives viewers the option to restart a live …




thestreamable.com





We don't know at this time what functionality Apple would offer with Sunday Ticket, but we do know what Amazon is offering with the Thursday night telecasts and it is pathetic.


----------



## the2130

b4pjoe said:


> Amazon has DVR. How is it pathetic?


It has 10-second skip instead of 30 seconds, which is cumbersome and renders that feature almost useless for sports events. The fast-forward doesn't show you what's on the screen, so you don't know where to stop. And if you exit and go back later, you start over at the beginning of the telecast. Pathetic excuse for DVR functionality. Looks like it was programmed by newbies who don't watch sports.


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## b4pjoe

OK I just pointed out it has DVR and not how good it was. My second question was referring to your comment "The Amazon telecasts are downright pathetic." But I think the live telecast is fine. Plenty of room for improvments on the DVR end of it.


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## harsh

the2130 said:


> We don't know at this time what functionality Apple would offer with Sunday Ticket


I don't think it is reasonable to expect that it will be significantly different than the DVR product that Amazon offers if you record the games. For Amazon's part, it sounds like there's a difference between the live streamed product and the product that comes when you formally record the game.

Of course the big difference here is that Apple is promising rather than delivering on all supported platforms. When it becomes available, it may be an iOS exclusive for a time.

In the NFL, 30 second skip is long enough but in NCAA play, it is often too long.


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## the2130

b4pjoe said:


> OK I just pointed out it has DVR and not how good it was. My second question was referring to your comment "The Amazon telecasts are downright pathetic." But I think the live telecast is fine. Plenty of room for improvments on the DVR end of it.


Yes, the telecasts are fine if you are watching live.


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## the2130

harsh said:


> I don't think it is reasonable to expect that it will be significantly different than the DVR product that Amazon offers if you record the games. For Amazon's part, it sounds like there's a difference between the live streamed product and the product that comes when you formally record the game.
> 
> Of course the big difference here is that Apple is promising rather than delivering on all supported platforms. When it becomes available, it may be an iOS exclusive for a time.
> 
> In the NFL, 30 second skip is long enough but in NCAA play, it is often too long.


Yes, Apple's promises could be vaporware. There is no way to know at this point what they will deliver if they get Sunday Ticket. Amazon was promising great things when they got the Thursday Night Football package and they didn't deliver. If they get the Sunday Ticket package and offer a similar product, viewers will pretty much be limited to watching one live game in each time slot. And we know from comments in this forum that there are a lot of football fans who don't watch that way.


----------



## mjwagner

the2130 said:


> It has 10-second skip instead of 30 seconds, which is cumbersome and renders that feature almost useless for sports events. The fast-forward doesn't show you what's on the screen, so you don't know where to stop. And if you exit and go back later, you start over at the beginning of the telecast. Pathetic excuse for DVR functionality. Looks like it was programmed by newbies who don't watch sports.


The lack of video preview when FFing is a major miss on their part. IMO that is pretty much “jacks or better to open” functionality that all cloud DVR’s must have. All the providers that offer cloud DVR have that capability AFAIK which would indicate that it’s well known technology that is not difficult to implement.


----------



## harsh

mjwagner said:


> All the providers that offer cloud DVR have that capability AFAIK which would indicate that it’s well known technology that is not difficult to implement.


The thumbnail is often app-dependent where it is available so I'm not convinced that it is a standard feature yet.


----------



## mjwagner

harsh said:


> The thumbnail is often app-dependent where it is available so I'm not convinced that it is a standard feature yet.


It is sometimes platform dependent but I can’t think of any of the major OTT mvpd’s that don’t have a video view (either thumbnail or full screen) when FFing in their DVR content on the major streaming device platforms they support. I personally haven’t tried them all so certainly could be wrong. I personally would never subscribe to a provider that didn’t offer it. Like I said, IMO it is simply a must have capability for any cloud DVR.


----------



## the2130

The combination of no video preview while FFing, the 10-second skip, and having to start at the beginning if you exit makes the DVR functionality all but unusable. It makes me cringe to think they could offer Sunday Ticket with this kind of lame functionality.


----------



## James Long

mjwagner said:


> It is sometimes platform dependent but I can’t think of any of the major OTT mvpd’s that don’t have a video view (either thumbnail or full screen) when FFing in their DVR content on the major streaming device platforms they support.


I believe fast forward/rewind has no video preview on Peacock using the Xfinity Flex client box. But it has been about a year since I watched anything on Peacock. I remember it being an "issue" when trying to find a scene in a show. It isn't "DVR content" specifically since all recordings are on demand and subscribers don't set their own timers for the live stream content. (I like the way Peacock presents linear style themed channels as well as on demand content.)


----------



## mjwagner

James Long said:


> I believe fast forward/rewind has no video preview on Peacock using the Xfinity Flex client box. But it has been about a year since I watched anything on Peacock. I remember it being an "issue" when trying to find a scene in a show. It isn't "DVR content" specifically since all recordings are on demand and subscribers don't set their own timers for the live stream content. (I like the way Peacock presents linear style themed channels as well as on demand content.)


Is Peacock considered a mvpd?


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## harsh

mjwagner said:


> Is Peacock considered a mvpd?


It is not, but that's not the question. The question is thumbnail previews during FF on streaming content and Peacock delivers streaming content (both "live" and pre-recorded).

Peacock Premium on the Xfinity Flex device (and most other apps) does indeed provide thumbnails now (on non-"live" content). There's a thumbnail for every ten seconds or so of content.

The problem with streaming is that the FF speeds can be relatively high and the reaction time may not be all that great depending on the device and app.


----------



## mjwagner

harsh said:


> It is not, but that's not the question. The question is thumbnail previews during FF on streaming content and Peacock delivers streaming content (both "live" and pre-recorded).
> 
> Peacock Premium on the Xfinity Flex device (and most other apps) does indeed provide thumbnails now (on non-"live" content). There's a thumbnail for every ten seconds or so of content.
> 
> The problem with streaming is that the FF speeds can be relatively high and the reaction time may not be all that great depending on the device and app.


I was not referring to the question. I was referring to my post, and I was talking about “major OTT mvpd’s”.


----------



## James Long

mjwagner said:


> I was not referring to the question. I was referring to my post, and I was talking about “major OTT mvpd’s”.


Your prior post suggesting everyone should have that feature was not specific to mvpds. Since the complaint is about Amazon non-mvpds are valid.


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## NashGuy

I tried using "DVR features" in Peacock last night during live Sunday Night Football on my Apple TV 4K. While the left/right click feature to jump back/forward 10 seconds or so worked perfectly (and that feature, along with pause/play, is mostly all I ever do), doing full-on rewind and FF didn't work so great.

First off, there's no thumbnail preview in Peacock (at least in live events) as you scrub through the timeline, so you just have to stop, hit play, and see where you're at. Not great. But beyond that, playback was glitchy, at least for me last night. (I feel like I tested this at least once or twice during the Olympics and it worked OK.) What I found was that I could rewind a few hours, back before the start of the game and into some sort of pre-game talk show, which would play fine. And in between that and the game was a stretch of the timeline that just showed a hold screen saying something like "This event has not yet started". But the weird thing is that that message extended up until the start of the 2nd quarter. Oh, and even though I'm on the Premium tier that includes forced ads in on-demand content, there was no attempt to force me to watch ads in the live SNF stream; I could rewind and FF right over ad breaks.

When I tuned in live, it was during the 3rd quarter. So I could rewind and start watching from the start of the 2nd, and could also watch some or all of the pre-game stuff, but there was no way at that point for me to watch the 1st quarter. Weird. Also, the playback point didn't seem to move at a predictable speed when rewinding or FFing, so it was a bit challenging to get it to just the point I wanted. But there was a "Jump to Live" button that, when clicked, did reliably take me to the right edge of the timeline and show me the live feed.


----------



## the2130

Yes, the Peacock streaming app is very crude. It is poorly organized and its functionality is primitive whether you are watching live sports or on-demand programming. If you are using a Roku, you are likely to have issues with the closed- captions. It has an auto-play feature that can't be disabled and will even launch a different show or movie if you aren't quick enough to cancel. And worst of all, it has a ton of ad-supported programming on the supposedly ad-free tier. And on many of these programs with unskippable ads, the only way to know is to launch the program and check for ad breaks, after which it will stay on your "Continue Watching" section with no way to remove it until it disappears after a few weeks. It's a mess, to put it mildly.


----------



## harsh

NashGuy said:


> I tried using "DVR features" in Peacock last night during live Sunday Night Football on my Apple TV 4K.


The Peacock app doesn't effectively handle live content. It does work fairly well for recorded content.


----------



## mjwagner

James Long said:


> Your prior post suggesting everyone should have that feature was not specific to mvpds. Since the complaint is about Amazon non-mvpds are valid.


Then you should have responded to that post instead of the one in which I specified major OTT mvpd’s. My mind reading capabilities ain’t what they used to be…😄


----------



## NashGuy

harsh said:


> The Peacock app doesn't effectively handle live content. It does work fairly well for recorded content.


I don't really have any problems with it for on-demand/pre-recorded content. Even though they don't use the native Apple UI/controls for playback in their Apple TV app (the way that HBO Max, Netflix, Hulu, and Paramount+ all do), the Peacock controls work similarly enough and well enough that I'm OK with them. I wish _all_ apps would adopt the Apple controls but oh well. 

Just seems like Peacock has some work to do on performance during live events. (That said, playback controls in the Peacock app for Android TV are still awful all-around. Don't know about their app for Roku or Fire TV.)


----------



## NashGuy

the2130 said:


> after which it will stay on your "Continue Watching" section with no way to remove it until it disappears after a few weeks. It's a mess, to put it mildly.


Ugh. This is one thing I definitely hate about Peacock. No way that I can see to remove anything from your Continue Watching queue, not even via their website, unless you FF to near the end and then let it play out. Stupid.


----------



## the2130

NashGuy said:


> Ugh. This is one thing I definitely hate about Peacock. No way that I can see to remove anything from your Continue Watching queue, not even via their website, unless you FF to near the end and then let it play out. Stupid.


And if a show has ads, which you won't know until you play it, you can't get to the end without watching all of the unskippable ads. And as I mentioned previously, even the supposed ad-free tier has a ton of movies and shows with ads.


----------



## NashGuy

the2130 said:


> And if a show has ads, which you won't know until you play it, you can't get to the end without watching all of the unskippable ads. And as I mentioned previously, even the supposed ad-free tier has a ton of movies and shows with ads.


Hmm, when I had the ad-free tier, I didn't notice any ads. Only upgraded to the ad-free tier once, when it was offered free for three months. For me, the ad breaks are so short (typically 30-60 seconds), and since I don't watch a ton of stuff on Peacock, it's not worth paying $5 a month for the upgrade versus getting the regular premium tier for free as a Comcast customer.


----------



## harsh

the2130 said:


> And as I mentioned previously, even the supposed ad-free tier has a ton of movies and shows with ads.


I'm not sure I'd classify the amount as "a ton". The website uses the phrase "a small amount". The text of the disclaimer is this:


Peacock Premium Plus footnote said:


> *Due to streaming rights, a small amount of programming will still contain ads (Peacock channels, events and a few shows and movies).


I have Peacock Premium as a freebie with my broadband service and I can't recall that I've seen a movie that was _interrupted_ by ads.


----------



## the2130

harsh said:


> I'm not sure I'd classify the amount as "a ton". The website uses the phrase "a small amount". The text of the disclaimer is this:
> I have Peacock Premium as a freebie with my broadband service and I can't recall that I've seen a movie that was _interrupted_ by ads.


I have the ad-free tier and I can assure you there is more than "a small amount" of programming with ads, including movies. In fact, anything that is listed as "free with ads" will have ads for everyone, including those who are paying for the ad-free tier. Much of it isnt labeled that way, however, and the only way to know is to play the program and look for ad breaks. Last spring, when the weekly NBC shows were still running on both Hulu and Peacock, I decided to try watching an episode of "This is Us" on Peacock. The show had unskippable ads on Peacock, while running ad-free on Hulu.

Peacock is the only streaming service I'm aware of that sells an "ad-free" tier that has unskippable ad breaks in the middle of scripted programming. Their claim that only "a small number" of shows have ads is blatantly misleading.


----------



## harsh

the2130 said:


> Much of it isnt labeled that way, however, and the only way to know is to play the program and look for ad breaks.


With Peacock Premium on my GoogleTV, the Comcast Flex box and the web browser interface, ad intervals show up as orange dots in the program's timeline once the program starts. If I allow a program to play from the start to finish and rewind it, it may stutter at the ad points but it typically doesn't replay them.

We've all had to get creative in avoiding ads.


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## the2130

harsh said:


> We've all had to get creative in avoiding ads.


Yes, there are always ways to get around get around ads, even the unskippable ones on streaming services. If there is a show I really want to watch that is only available with ads, I just record the episodes to my Plex server and then skip the ads when I watch it. I prefer paying for ad-free programming, but I won't sit through unskippable ads.


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## harsh

Plex can't directly record Peacock Premium or similar so I'm not sure how this is an alternative unless you're speaking only of currently aired broadcast programming.


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## the2130

harsh said:


> Plex can't directly record Peacock Premium or similar so I'm not sure how this is an alternative unless you're speaking only of currently aired broadcast programming.


I said I record to my Plex server, not that i record WITH Plex.


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## harsh

the2130 said:


> I said I record to my Plex server, not that i record WITH Plex.


I missed that subtle but important detail.


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