NBA League Pass Broadband worth a look
Taking advantage of its free preview week, I test drove NBA League Pass Broadband last night, and I was pretty impressed.
My cable company (Time Warner) offers the NBA League Pass, and access to the Broadband package is included. Unfortunately, Time Warner does not offer the package in my area in HD, so the picture is pretty crummy. After using Broadband, I think I may instead watch NBA action on my computer.
The interface is intuitive and powerful. There is a list of games at the bottom, and users can pick up to three games to watch at once. One game is bigger (on the left) while the other two games are on the right. Audio can be instantly switched by clicking on the game. Tired of watching a game? No problem. Any of the three windows can be swapped out by clicking on a game in the list below. Want to watch one of the games full screen? No problem. It’s just a click of the mouse. Want to see a replay? No problem. Each game has DVR functionality, so you can pause, rewind and fast forward, just like you would on a TiVo.
Fantasy hoopsters can easily check the stats of a game by clicking a button. There’s also a function (“My Players”) that allows users to track the stats of up to 12 players, which makes it easy to check the status of a fantasy team.
The picture quality leaves a lot to be desired, but with all the motion in basketball, it’s going to be tough to get clear, clean picture without going full HD. But the picture isn’t much worse than the standard video feed that I get from Time Warner, so no harm, no foul.
Another downside is that the nationally televised games (and local games) are blacked out on Broadband, so if there’s a game on TNT, ESPN or ABC, users won’t be able to watch it on their computers. This was a little inconvenient last night, since I wanted to catch some of the Hornets/Spurs game. I had to run into the kitchen to do so. Radio broadcasts of the blacked out games are available, however.
There are only two games on tonight, and they’re both on TNT, so if you want to check out Broadband, give it a test drive tomorrow (Friday), when there are 13 games on the docket. It’s worth a look.
The free preview lasts through Nov. 3.
I have a great wireless connection but all I’ve ever gotten from LP is a stuttering picture show. All their attempts to troubleshoot have led nowhere until I’m just told to try connecting on a landline. I’ve been able to successfully watch 2 games during my subscription due to their low quality streams and am seriously considering contacting the BBB.
Okay everybody. This is my review on NBA LEague Pass On Demand. This product is inches from greatness. However, there are several MASSIVE problems which is why I rate the program 2/10. Yes, a low rating of 2/10. First off, I purchased the package to watch my NBA Blazers. I live in Portland Oregon. I bought the NBA League pass to watch every game of theirs. I also selected 6 other teams which I did. Currently, every Blazer game has been BLACKEDOUT because I live in Portland Oregon. THEY DO NOT WANT YOU TO SEE YOUR LOCAL TEAM. This is their way of saying ‘go out and see them in person’ it is complete BS. Not to mention the stream quality can sometimes be choppy and impossible to watch. I also should mention I have great internet. During half time and full timeouts there is the same commericals (NBA promoting their programs) and can get really annoying. NBA League pass is inches from greatness but I give it 2/10 with some of the major problems such as… I CAN’T WATCH MY TEAM. My advice, only, ONLY get this program if you are going to buy ‘EVERY TEAM’ for 200 bucks. Otherwise, its NOT worth it. Lucky I asked for a refund and they only charged me for 1 month pay (22 bucks).
Dont buy NBA League Pass. It is a piece of crap.
@Tiki: The blackout rules apply even if you get all the teams. The point is that the local cable company has the rights to televise the local games, so the NBA can’t put them on this service. But if you have cable, you can probably get a channel that will televise all the Blazers’ games for a lot less than LP anyway.
LP and Roku are great! I now see how the NBA is going to make up for a short season by sailing a poor product. Thanks LP
NBA season pass broadband is poorly supported – there is no live technical support – chat agents are listed as “not available” after long waits – there is no way to solve the many problems that occur. Don’t waste your money on this.
They had me on auto subscribe which was obviously hidden somewhere when I made my purchase. I’ve requested my refund since the 2nd of Feb. 10th of Feb. Still haven’t gotten my refund. Contacted them 5 times. If I don’t get my money back – I am going straight to paypal/credit card company. Also – I got this for my dad who told me never to get it again cause it was complete garbage. Can’t even see his favorite team play.
DO NOT BUY. HORRIBLE SERVICE.