ESPN recently announced it's locked up the rights to televise all the college Bowl Championship Series games beginning in January 2011, but that's not making everyone happy. The National Association of Broadcasters is airing a beef on the side of those who prefer to experience major sporting events -- particularly those featuring publicly funded institutions -- via free OTA broadcasts, not to mention the potential for further delaying a playoff system. The upside for viewers of course is the sports giant's
commitment to high definition broadcasts and ability to deliver on multiple platforms, and playoff or no playoff, someone was going to grab those TV rights. Any OTA diehards planning to make the switch or say goodbye to the BCS in a couple of years?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
T-bone @ Nov 28th 2008 10:33AM
I will say adios to college football completely. They only show the top 10 + Notre Dame via OTA now anyway. I guess they don't want people recording these games in their HD glory as it is a little harder to record a cable HD channel and save it to a BD disc vs an OTA channel.
Plus, ESPN doesn't have that great of an HD picture anyway. (At least not last night during the Texas game...true it is a lot better than the blue-tinted pants that the NFL networks picture looks like, but still not as good as a CBS OTA feed).
Barry @ Nov 28th 2008 11:04AM
And why would people still be on OTA antenna in 2011 anyway? lol. Your behind now if you are on that, you should have cable or satt at least by now people come on, why is this news?
Lkr @ Nov 28th 2008 11:06AM
I don't like highly compressed pictures I am afraid
Paul @ Nov 28th 2008 11:49AM
Maybe some people don't want to pay a ton of money for channels they'll never watch.
EJB @ Nov 28th 2008 3:55PM
I say thank goodness. ESPN's HD broadcast is the only on that does sports any amount of justice.
Blaze @ Dec 17th 2008 5:22PM
It's obvious some of you guys haven't seen OTA television lately. It has advanced by miles in the background while no one was watching. It's starting to the be the hottest thing out there. The HD is the best available. I don't have it in my house yet but will shortly. My wife and I were at a resturaunt getting a to go order a few weeks ago and were watching a football game in HD from an OTA transmission. The picture was amazing!! The biggest thing with it is the compression. OTA uses about 4 times less than a cable or satellite. I really think people in metropolitan areas will start going to back to OTA television soon, like shortly after the required switch date. With the digital requirement one old station can now be four with the subchannels. The digital transmissions are crystal clear. Ghost images and static are gone and audio is transmitted in Dolby 5.1. A dish or cable doesn't even come close. Digital over the air television is now outstanding. It's only a matter of time before the general public finds out. Plus, don't forget the number one selling point for OTA, it's free...
Philip Bubel @ Nov 28th 2008 11:12AM
I think you guys are forgetting that ESPN and ABC are one in the same. The major games will be on ABC, and thus broadcast over the air. This is a non-issue.
Kimbo Slice @ Nov 28th 2008 2:33PM
Although ESPN and ABC are under the same ownership the games will NOT be on ABC. Only the Rose Bowl will continue to be on ABC (ABC has a separate contract for the Rose Bowl) The other BCS games will be moving from FOX to ESPN. It not as simple as being under the same ownership and moving it to another one of your networks (the reason why Monday Night Football isn't on ABC. That's why there is such an uproar by The National Association of Broadcasters. I hate ESPN hopefully the BCS gets disbanded before this deal takes effect.
gwins @ Nov 28th 2008 11:46AM
I quit watching football several years ago when they quit showing them on local channels, since then i cancelled my cable.
When the riaa started harrasing people, thats when i quit buying cds. now i buy them at yardsales and on ebay.(for a fraction of the cost i might add)
I listen to radio and watch tv on the net, so all they did was save me money.
Im switching over to linux as my only operating system instead of paying for a new one.(why not its just as easy to use as windows)
Also i might add i have no clue who is in football now or what new cds are released.
Ty have a nice day =)
AlbanyHDTV @ Nov 28th 2008 1:52PM
At least it wasn't the NFL Network that got the rights.
tony @ Nov 28th 2008 5:03PM
someone mentioned it earlier, i have a 42" Panny and i only watch OTA, why should pay over $55 for channels i won;t watch . . . the weekly ABC and CBS college football games, weekly basketball on ABC starting in Dec, up to 4 NFL games every weekend on FOX, CBS, and NBC, and all college basketball on CBS is fine for me . . . i have other places $55 a month can be used for . . . i know there are many like me . . . so yea i am pissed and wont be paying the $40 for cable plus the $15 for the HD box, i have called all my providers and $55 is the cheapest i can get it for, and no satellite isn't cheaper because it doesn't carry ABC
Cam @ Nov 28th 2008 5:50PM
I wouldn't call antenna owners "SOL" since the BCS sucks anyway. The worst part of this news is that the BcS is still gonna be around for a little while longer, which means no playoffs, which is sad for college football
LonnieDvD @ Nov 28th 2008 5:54PM
I can't believe anyone still has an Antenna TV.
Jon @ Nov 28th 2008 7:25PM
We've received 18 OTA broadcast channels regularly at our house in No. Va. There have been a few occasions when the reception was especially good (due to some kind of atmospheric conditions probably), I've seen broadcasts from a couple of stations about 70 miles away in York and Red Lion, PA.
If a network buys rights to broadcast events and makes it exclusive to some restricted group, like might be done to charge a premium, then the network will effectively reduce the potential viewers and supporters of those events. It would probably be in their best interest to support the fan base, at least with some of the events in standard definition.
Kyle @ Nov 29th 2008 12:58AM
Anyone who reads Engadget HD and pretends to be shocked that people are still watching OTA HD is playing dumb, trying to incite flaming, etc.
OTA HD is the best bargain in consumer media today.
And yeah, this kinda sucks, but you go over to a friends' house for those games. I don't think many people will, and I certainly won't, make the move to cable or satellite based on the availability of one, or even a handful of, non-repeating TV events. A handful of hours of television total. Not a huge deal.
Blaze @ Dec 17th 2008 5:36PM
Here's why more and more people will be going OTA in the future, myself inclused. Luckily I live in Dallas and the games are always sold out they get televised.
http://www.cnet.com/1990-7874_1-5108854-1.html