My Stream of Gamey
With about a half an hour to go until tonight's Monday Night Raw, the author wanted to watch some basketball. Milwaukee Bucks basketball, specifically. And there are two ways to be in Los Angeles and watch Milwaukee Bucks basketball (legally, at least) in our modern age: NBA League Pass on cable/satellite or NBA Game Time over the Internet.
And so, like Jamie Foxx in 1994, it seemed a good time to do a little Experiment. How easy is it to watch on cable/satellite? How easy is it to watch on the Internet?
Dish Network
Step 1: Power on the TV and satellite box. This can be done with one remote control. And the Dish guy sets the controller up so that it manages your TV's power and volume.
Step 2: Go to channel 561 and hit "Guide". Or go to the Guide and then hit "561". Either way, a standard program guide shows the SD (in case I need to save DVR space) and HD channels that broadcast the games.
Step 3: I'm in luck! Tonight there was no third step. The Bucks vs. Raptors game happens to be on the default NBA League Pass Channel. I am now watching my favorite team vs. my buddy Cherry's favorite team in stunning standard definition.
Apple TV
Step 1: Power the TV and Apple TV on. This takes two controllers, with an asterisk. Because by canceling your cable/satellite service you're going to save enough money to buy a Logitech Harmony One universal remote. Then you'll not only have both the TV and the Apple TV turned on with the press of a single button, but you'll skip step 2.
Step 2: Hit TV input four times, so that the input changes from my satellite box to my Apple TV. Again, this step is skipped once you program that nice new universal remote.
Step 3: Menu. (Now you're on the Apple TV main menu screen.)
Step 4: One down arrow and four right arrows. (Now you've navigated to the NBA Game Time app on the Apple TV main menu.)
Step 5: Today's Games.
Step 6: Mil/Tor.
Step 7: Raptors feed. (Even though there is no Bucks feed tonight, the NBA Game Time software forces me to still choose a feed before I can start live streaming.)
Step 8: Wait. (While the Apple TV tells you it's Accessing NBA.)
Now is a good time to discuss choice. Some people like a lot of choice. They like to have the option to select scores or archived games or other on demand functions that streaming apps like NBA Game Time support. Me? I dislike choice. Give me the live game feeds by default. Give me the home team's feed by default. Less menus are better and faster. Don't be afraid to be a dictator when you're designing your streaming app's interface.
Step 9: Wait some more.
Internet streaming should be working at this point. Usually it does work. But even if it does, it's more work than using a cable/satellite service. Plus the feed looks like a movie that's had about one out of every six frames removed. And flipping between games is a pain. Menu, Menu. Up/down arrows to a different game. Select the game. Select the home/away feed.
But tonight that's not happening. Something is wrong. Could be a password. Could be the Internet connection. Who knows? It's packet based. There is no dedicated line like there is with a cable/satellite television feed.
Step 10: Menu.
Now I'm back where I can select the feed.
Step 11: Menu. Menu. Menu.
Only four times hitting Menu to troubleshoot my app. So simple!
Step 12: Settings. (After six down arrows to navigate there.)
Checking my sign-in. With streaming apps, sometimes sign-ins get erased. Maybe the Apple TV downloaded some firmware or maybe it crashed or maybe it froze. It's basically a computer and computers do these things. My sign-in is still there.
Step 13: Hmmm.
My sign-in is there. The Bucks vs. Raptors is happening. (A quick TV input flip back to my Dish satellite box confirms that.) It should work.
Step 14: Menu. Right arrow. Settings.
Time to check the Apple TV's Internet connection. Streaming devices loose connectivity sometimes.
Step 15: General. Two down arrows. Network. Test Network.
At least streaming devices realize that they go down occasionally.
Step 16: Enter Apple ID and password.
Pain in the ass.
Step 17: Do I want to test connectivity? (Yes)
Isn't it obvious?
Step 18: What's my Internet speed? (Above 10 Mbps)
Should be fast enough.
Step 19: Done.
Great. The test worked. Let's try again.
Step 20: Menu -> NBA Game Time -> Today's Games -> Mil/Tor -> Raptors Feed.
Still "Accessing NBA".
Step 21: Try, try again.
Raw is about to start up and my patience is about to run out.
It's a relatively new technology. Things will get better. And some day soon cable/satellite providers may lift their embargo on streaming services. But for the time being, a WWE Network from Dish Network would have been an easy "Yes". Instead it's a definite "Maybe".
And so, like Jamie Foxx in 1994, it seemed a good time to do a little Experiment. How easy is it to watch on cable/satellite? How easy is it to watch on the Internet?
Dish Network
Step 1: Power on the TV and satellite box. This can be done with one remote control. And the Dish guy sets the controller up so that it manages your TV's power and volume.
Step 2: Go to channel 561 and hit "Guide". Or go to the Guide and then hit "561". Either way, a standard program guide shows the SD (in case I need to save DVR space) and HD channels that broadcast the games.
Step 3: I'm in luck! Tonight there was no third step. The Bucks vs. Raptors game happens to be on the default NBA League Pass Channel. I am now watching my favorite team vs. my buddy Cherry's favorite team in stunning standard definition.
Apple TV
Step 1: Power the TV and Apple TV on. This takes two controllers, with an asterisk. Because by canceling your cable/satellite service you're going to save enough money to buy a Logitech Harmony One universal remote. Then you'll not only have both the TV and the Apple TV turned on with the press of a single button, but you'll skip step 2.
Step 2: Hit TV input four times, so that the input changes from my satellite box to my Apple TV. Again, this step is skipped once you program that nice new universal remote.
Step 3: Menu. (Now you're on the Apple TV main menu screen.)
Step 4: One down arrow and four right arrows. (Now you've navigated to the NBA Game Time app on the Apple TV main menu.)
Step 5: Today's Games.
Step 6: Mil/Tor.
Step 7: Raptors feed. (Even though there is no Bucks feed tonight, the NBA Game Time software forces me to still choose a feed before I can start live streaming.)
Step 8: Wait. (While the Apple TV tells you it's Accessing NBA.)
Now is a good time to discuss choice. Some people like a lot of choice. They like to have the option to select scores or archived games or other on demand functions that streaming apps like NBA Game Time support. Me? I dislike choice. Give me the live game feeds by default. Give me the home team's feed by default. Less menus are better and faster. Don't be afraid to be a dictator when you're designing your streaming app's interface.
Step 9: Wait some more.
Internet streaming should be working at this point. Usually it does work. But even if it does, it's more work than using a cable/satellite service. Plus the feed looks like a movie that's had about one out of every six frames removed. And flipping between games is a pain. Menu, Menu. Up/down arrows to a different game. Select the game. Select the home/away feed.
But tonight that's not happening. Something is wrong. Could be a password. Could be the Internet connection. Who knows? It's packet based. There is no dedicated line like there is with a cable/satellite television feed.
Step 10: Menu.
Now I'm back where I can select the feed.
Step 11: Menu. Menu. Menu.
Only four times hitting Menu to troubleshoot my app. So simple!
Step 12: Settings. (After six down arrows to navigate there.)
Checking my sign-in. With streaming apps, sometimes sign-ins get erased. Maybe the Apple TV downloaded some firmware or maybe it crashed or maybe it froze. It's basically a computer and computers do these things. My sign-in is still there.
Step 13: Hmmm.
My sign-in is there. The Bucks vs. Raptors is happening. (A quick TV input flip back to my Dish satellite box confirms that.) It should work.
Step 14: Menu. Right arrow. Settings.
Time to check the Apple TV's Internet connection. Streaming devices loose connectivity sometimes.
Step 15: General. Two down arrows. Network. Test Network.
At least streaming devices realize that they go down occasionally.
Step 16: Enter Apple ID and password.
Pain in the ass.
Step 17: Do I want to test connectivity? (Yes)
Isn't it obvious?
Step 18: What's my Internet speed? (Above 10 Mbps)
Should be fast enough.
Step 19: Done.
Great. The test worked. Let's try again.
Step 20: Menu -> NBA Game Time -> Today's Games -> Mil/Tor -> Raptors Feed.
Still "Accessing NBA".
Step 21: Try, try again.
Raw is about to start up and my patience is about to run out.
It's a relatively new technology. Things will get better. And some day soon cable/satellite providers may lift their embargo on streaming services. But for the time being, a WWE Network from Dish Network would have been an easy "Yes". Instead it's a definite "Maybe".
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