Level 1

11 points

MLB TV Picture Quality

After yesterday's announcement, I excitedly ordered MLB.TV to watch on my AppleTV 2nd Gen.

Picture quality was a disappointment. Watched 2 spring training games. Detail was very poor, even on a game that was widescreen (presumably HD?). Motion is very stuttery, as if the frame rate is low.

My downstream bandwidth exceeds 17Mbps, and Netflix and Apple rentals work fine.

Anyone else tried it yet?

BTW: MLB.TV says it can be cancelled "at any time", but the fine print says you can only get a refund in the first 5 days!

Posted on Mar 10, 2011 6:30 AM

Top-ranking reply

theroys88

Level 1

0 points

Posted on Apr 2, 2011 7:11 PM

The reason the quality of the picture is not comparable to Sat or cable is that those services stream those games with a bitrate ranges from 16-91mpbs/second. MLBTV maximum bitrate which is stated on their website is 3mpbs/second. With those low bit rates you will see a highly compressed signal. I am having similiar video and audio issue with choppy audio and video. This atop the compression artifacts that jump at you with any fast motion. These streams have 5 to 6 times the compression as a sat or cable HD feed. **** a standard dvd has a bit rate of 6-8mpbs. Have called MLBTV and the level 2 tech agreed and told me that the current bit rates were designed for computer streaming and not large screen HDTV sets. Received a email from MLBTV stating they are currently working on raising bit rates for streaming devices. I would encourage everyone who is not happy with the servicce to call MLBTV and complain about the low bit rates. State my numbers to them. I have called several times and no tech has argued that I was wrong. They all agreed and apologized. I can tell you that the audio and video choppyness that I am experiencing is a MLBTV app PS3 issue. I can stream MLBTV through Playon and the stream is clean. Only 480p and still full of compression artifacts but no audio or video stuttering.

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187 replies

Macaby

Level 3

923 points

Apr 13, 2011 3:52 PM in response to aarond0083

aarond0083 wrote:
I use a Samsung TV with the built in app in another room and quality is great so it's not my internet connection.

What do you mean by "built in app" for your Samsung TV? Yes, my '10 Samsung delivers a great picture of "Extra Innings" from an app called DirecTV. 🙂 It also delivers a reasonable picture of near HD performance via ATV and MLB.tv. My Samsung had 4 built-in internet feeds, but as far as I can tell, no way to access MLB.tv without either a feed from my MBP or DTV2.

Apr 15, 2011 6:16 PM in response to George_T

back to lots of freezing...pixelation...same garbage...trying to watch Jays vs RedSOX away broadcast...come on Apple...wake up and fix this garbage...you're losing credibility here....either a firmware upgrade is needed for the Apple TV, or you need to kick MLB's butt to fix this!

Atavist

Level 1

5 points

Apr 23, 2011 11:28 AM in response to caa100

I've been away from home from April 6-25, and meanwhile watched on my MacBook without any problem. Before I departed, the ATV2 MLB reception was nearly flawless in the few games I watched. Since my return, the reception has been near flawless, except for the Dodgers-Cubs today which froze twice within about 10 minutes, although the reception of the other games are very good..

I'm assuming from the substantial drop-off of comments posted here that most are receiving adequate picture quality, and my experience is indicative of same.

Apr 23, 2011 11:46 AM in response to Atavist

I've been using my Macbook Pro exclusively since I posted a few days ago because the ATV picture was worthless. The Macbook Pro has always been excellent. I'll give the ATV another shot today and report back.

Atavist

Level 1

5 points

Apr 23, 2011 12:07 PM in response to postmechanical

postmechanical wrote:

I think the drop off in coments is due to people simply giving up and accepting the fact that MLB.TV on Apple TV is terrible.

I feel it could be as well one or the other we don't know actaully if most non-commenting are satisfied or dissatisfied, and cannot infer either.

So far today my first freezing (long freeze on Dodgers/Cub, short on Indians/Twins, but none on Rays/Jays or D-Backs/Mets)

Atavist

Level 1

5 points

Apr 24, 2011 1:16 PM in response to caa100

Now Sunday morning (PDT) whatched several games: Rox.Fish, Rays/Jays, Yanks/Birds - all good reception, until bottom 8th of the Yanks/Birds at the point that Rivera appeared it all turned to crap - regular freez and pixiliation -ruined the great Gardner catch, not to mention the entire experience of enjoying a "seamless" broadcast. Come-on this is not rocket surgery, we're a century beyond crystal set reception. Shame on all involved. Get this right or at least have the courage to step up and explain the casue of the overriding inconcistency be it in individual broadcast or over time.

We expect reliability comparable out other digital devices and netcast production.

Atavist

Level 1

5 points

May 1, 2011 2:35 PM in response to Atavist

Atavist wrote:

Hmm? . . . Very quiet here. . . . I've been enjoy games for a week - all flawless, very watchable.

I suppose that problems for most have been solved (or else everyone has become dumbstruck)?

Have to reply to myself here. Right after I posted the above after watching 6 innings of Fish/Reds, the game started freezing frequently and to today's game as well. Today, it also froze and reset its self to the the main ATV menu. Obviously there are still need for debugging. (Note to that ;ast weekend after a week of good transmissions, there wer freeze problem on Saturday games, like this week.)

Apr 12, 2012 1:53 AM in response to Atavist

yeah, if it is something wrong with the system it's only related to streaming mlb.

that is either a backend mlb or apple problem. as i said everything else streams just fine. every other device i have streams just fine.

mlb streams via the ps3 just fine, macbook just fine etc..

Macaby

Level 3

923 points

Apr 30, 2012 10:59 PM in response to AllAboutHomeElectronics

I would certainly agree that ethernet cabling is the way to go. However, I'm guessing this avenue is not open to most people due to their routers being in other rooms that are not handy to cabling from the router to a TV room with an ATV.

ccress23

Level 1

0 points

Sep 13, 2013 5:24 PM in response to BigFella99

Mine just started randomly getting blurry after being perfect all season. Right now its ok, but not HD quality at all. 30 seconds ago it was blurry as can be.

Doesn't happen on my iphone, ipad or macbook.

Tried resetting the Atv, didnt work.

I take it its an ATV issue based on what I'm seeing? How frustrating with the playoff races heating up!

blueeos

Level 1

87 points

Sep 13, 2013 6:28 PM in response to ccress23

7th inning 4-4 Yankees Redsox. I'm watching on my iPad with the MLB app. Picture is very sharp (HD quality IMHO).

Too lazy to find out, but wonder how the picture would be if I "air played" it via my Apple TV?

Since I'm using the MLB App, the data stream has to be different than using the MLB input on my ATV.

Atavist

Level 1

5 points

Sep 17, 2013 8:40 PM in response to caa100

I can appreciate the complaints, asI've experienced some pixelating occassionally; however, for most of the past two seasons I've had very little to complain. I'd estimate that 95% of the time my picture has been as nearly good as ExInnings, albiet I haven't seen ExInnings in for three years. Thispast week I've had occassinl pixilating that has re-focused itself. I havenot any clue as to the casue of the problem.

I don't wish to negagte the complaints. I just wonder why some knowledgable has not submitted as an authoritative rational explanantion. They don't know? They don't care. It seems ot me that the cable providers have a conflict in providing an adequate feed for the competitng MLB.TV. This thread seems like blindman's bluff. Is it just that the complaints are outliers - deviants from the norm? Indeed, there are not very many.

Apr 3, 2011 2:26 PM in response to Atavist

Same here--dramatic improvement over the past two days. Very occasional pixellation, and I saw it freeze twice, but only for maybe a half-second/second each time, and then it resumed smoothly.

Apr 23, 2011 1:36 PM in response to jsimone

I've been watching the Dodgers and Cubs this afternoon on ATV2 and it has been flawless. The first watchable game since the regular season started, however.

Aug 28, 2012 4:26 AM in response to iBlastme

I got the $10 offer covering the last 30 or so games of the season, a $115 value. The games look foggy on my ATV2/wireless and 1080 55" screen.

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MLB TV Picture Quality