Extreme Satellite TV – The Cutting Edge of Extreme Sports
Fast-paced, danger-filled, adrenaline-inducing, and endlessly exhilarating, extreme sports have developed into a vast field of activities, drawing in ever increasing numbers of participants and spectators alike. There is no hard and fast definition of what qualifies as an extreme sport, but we all know one when we see one. They take place in some of the most rugged and spectacular places on Earth – the massive waves off the shores of Hawaii, remote mountain peaks in the Himalayas, or in the skies thousands of feet overhead. Given the inaccessibility of their locations, the only way to see these sports is on satellite TV.
The origins of the concept of extreme sport were born in the context of extreme counter-culture, with the rise of surfing and, especially, skateboarding, in the 1970s. For a little history check out some of the great movies on satellite TV that have been made about these extreme pioneers; on skateboarding there is the documentary Dogtown and Z-boys, or another fictional retelling of the same story in Lords of Dogtown; for surfing, be sure to see the epic documentary, Riding Giants.
While on the one hand it seems that extreme sports have developed as far as possible from things like technology, flat screens, and HD, the truth is that the growing popularity of these sports owes a great debt to television. Because extreme sports tend to be more solitary, more individual, and take place far away from where the general public could ever get a glimpse – skydiving, rock climbing, kite surfing, for example – they never could have reached a wider audience if some very extreme cameramen hadn’t been following them through every adventure, capturing their wild stunts on film. The sports were transported from the cutting edge to the average living room.
Another great boon to the field of extreme sports is the annual X Games. Again, this is proof of how much extreme sports owe to television; the X Games are actually the creation of ESPN. TV has elevated some of the most thrilling sports from the margins of legitimacy into a major event, with both annual Summer and Winter Games. They broadcast the jaw-dropping action in high definition, and draw in millions of fans. The media presence at these events certainly affects their image, but ESPN has made an effort to keep this image consistent with the young, counter-culture, nature-loving aura already embodied by many of the athletes and fans. They have made successful “green” campaigns, encouraging recycling and smart waste management. At this rate, maybe satellite TV will save the world after all!
If you can’t actually be on a tropical beach carving waves and hanging ten, at least you can feel like you are practically there with HD and a big screen. Check out the X Games – usually in August for the summer games or January for the winter games. They have grown to broadcast on three channels, and have some exquisite high definition shots. The rest of the year, tune into satellite TV to see the fastest and most furious in extreme sports.
Sports Broadcasting Blackouts
What are blackouts when it comes to satellite television? Are they a technical glitch or caused by some other factor? Sports blackouts are a common problem in every distribution service, including cable networks, network TV stations as well as satellite providers. Blackouts are not a technical glitch; rather, some networks are legally required to blackout their viewers because another network has exclusive broadcasting rights in a certain area. Therefore, DirecTV never intentionally causes blackouts, nor does it suffer from poor communication. Rather, the provider has to follow certain restrictions as ordered by various sports leagues or other copyright holders such as the ESPN Channel and TNT Network.
How can you better understand the phrase blackout? It has more to do with copyright law than anything else. If a national broadcasting service has national rights to broadcast a game from a major league such as the NBA, NFL, NHL or MLB. However, this does not mean that you will have to miss the game entirely. There’s not much sense in having a sports package if you can’t watch live games! The situation may merely call for you to channel flip between your sports package channel and another channel that has exclusive broadcasting rights. (With satellite TV you get all of the channels available) Thus, all you have to do is find the broadcasting network, whether it is a cable station like ESPN or ESPN2 or a network like CBS.
Nevertheless, most customers report positive experiences with satellite TV regarding game coverage and only a minimal amount of blackouts. Even if there is a problem with viewing a game, DirecTV offers a backup plan. For example: say a local off-air broadcast channel has the rights to broadcast a game in a specific region; that means customers in the area would not be able to receive the game feed through a satellite TV subscription. However, if a regional sports network DirecTV carries has these broadcasting rights those customers can view the game through a Choice or Sports Pack special subscription.
Some sports packages that might be affected by blackouts include NFL Sunday Ticket, NBA League Pass, NHL Center Ice, ESPN Gameplan, ESPN Full Court, MLB Extra Innings, MLS Direct Kick, Mega March Madness and Setanta Sports. Another reason why some games might be blacked out (though a very rare one) is in the event that the home team fails to sell out the stadium at least 72 hours in advance. Blackouts are sometimes ordered in attempt to protect the home game attendance and assure the entertainment value of a full stadium. In this event, it is likely that the provider will be denied distribution.
However, most sports fans never seem to mind blackouts, either because they rarely deny the viewer access to the game. It’s mainly just a formality of switching over to a station that has the right to broadcast a live event. Blackouts are not technical-in fact, satellite TV statistically performs better than cable television when it comes to clear reception and uninterrupted service.
The Direct TV DVR Saves Sports Fans From Missing the Game
If you have ever missed out on your favorite program simply because you forgot it was on, then the Direct TV DVR may be the solution to your problems.