MLB TV Picture Quality

Question

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

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Answer 1

Best reply

iBlastme

Level 1

8 points

Aug 24, 2012 9:20 PM in response to caa100

Anyone who's thinking of buying MLB TV for Apple TV : One word, DON't !!!

I have had numerous call to support at Apple TV, my Internet provider and MLB TV. MLB TV DOES NOT HAVE THE BANDWIDYH TO PROPERLY STREAM GAMES ACCORDING TO DEMAND. PERIOD. It's a bad service and I live in LA hwere I have premium Internet.

The reset process for doesn't work albeit did for about a week. The outsourced customer service persons.

I am so frustrated with the lack of broadcast quality i get way better service on my iPad and iPhone on 4G than on 22000 mbps internet speed..

Like many, the fact that I cancelled normal season cable broadcast for this sh$t service that is a total rip off is a crime and disgrace to major league baseball. Your selling an inferior product and Apple, you should set higher standards for broadcasting partners. Never had an issues with any of the other streaming services.

Trouble shoot "This" MLB, we want our money back...

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Answer 2

caa100 Author

Level 1

11 points

Mar 10, 2011 9:52 AM in response to caa100

According to an Admin on the MLB forums:

* ForumAdmin
* ForumAdmin Posted by host
* Posts:1330

The feeds that we receive during Spring Training are not as high quality as those that we receive during the Regular Season. The games will look much better during the Regular Season.

http://www.forums.mlb.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?webtag=ml-help01&nav=messages&msg=645 4.2

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Answer 3

Mar 12, 2011 10:49 AM in response to caa100

I just bought an AppleTV specifically to watch the baseball games on my tv instead of on my computer. I have had mlb.tv for about 5 years. SO far, the quality on the AppleTV is better than what I have had on my computer in past years. Detail is fine for me, and frame rate seems to be fine to me as well. My downstream maxes out at 6Mbps, but I doubt it ever reaches that. Either our standards are different, or something is wrong with your stream.

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Answer 4

jiminoz

Level 1

0 points

Mar 22, 2011 8:31 PM in response to caa100

I have had mlb.com for the past four years. This year I bought an Apple TV and the quality is quite impressive; not as good as a broadcast HD channel, but very good for an internet stream with no stuttering.

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Answer 5

Hadsus

Level 1

0 points

Mar 29, 2011 10:49 AM in response to jiminoz

I just hooked up Apple TV and have a subscription to MLBTV, but not a paid one....yet. So I get to watch spring training games. Like today, Tigers/Yankees. I have a very fast Internet connection through Charter (more than 20 MBps) and the Apple box is hardwired. PQ today was excellent as far as detail was concerned. I would say that is is 720p. What was not excellent was frame rate. There was no lag at all but something that I can only describe as a strobing effect. As if the number of frames presented in segment of time was truncated. I hope this is just spring training because I can't live with that. You don't notice it so much with talking heads sitting there in front of the camera but with action, definitely, yes.

Message was edited by: Hadsus

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Answer 6

Hadsus

Level 1

0 points

Mar 29, 2011 11:26 AM in response to Hadsus

Quick follow-up....called up MLBTV customer support and they told me that this isn't a case of a poor picture source due to spring training as this is a true HD feed. But the problem might be that my computer was on and there might have been some programs pinging the internet. I did have iTunes up and running. Hopefully I'll be able to test other HD games soon.

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Answer 7

caa100 Author

Level 1

11 points

Mar 30, 2011 8:18 AM in response to Hadsus

Hadsus wrote:
Quick follow-up....called up MLBTV customer support and they told me that this isn't a case of a poor picture source due to spring training as this is a true HD feed. But the problem might be that my computer was on and there might have been some programs pinging the internet. I did have iTunes up and running. Hopefully I'll be able to test other HD games soon.

You got a stock reply from MLB's firstline support, which was BS.

If you have a 20mbps connection as you said in your prior post, you should be able to have multiple computers in your house watching MLB.TV, Netflix, and other bandwidth intensive services simultaneously.

The techs on the MLB.TV support forums are a bit more helpful. In a recent post, one mentioned that the maximum bitrate for spring training games is 2200kbps. Regular season games will be available at 3000kbps. Let's hope that's a big enough increase to improve the motion quality.

I can't link to it since you have to Log On to MLB.TV to view their support form. So here is a cut-and-paste:

To:Mattes84
Feb-27
6156.8
Reply to 6156.6
ForumModerator5
ForumModerator5 Posted by host
Posts:433

Today's Yankee game is being streamed at 2200kbps (highest quality).

Report Violation
To:ForumModerator5
Feb-27
6156.9
Reply to 6156.8
Mattes84
Mattes84
Posts:52

Ok so I guess, when Regular Season starts, the streams will be 3000k, right?

To:Mattes84
Feb-27
6156.11
Reply to 6156.9
ForumModerator5
ForumModerator5 Posted by host
Posts:433

Mattes84: Correct. That will be the maximum stream quality once the regular season starts.

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Answer 8

Hadsus

Level 1

0 points

Mar 30, 2011 4:06 PM in response to caa100

Thanks for that info!

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Answer 9

MSax

Level 1

0 points

Mar 31, 2011 11:15 AM in response to Hadsus

How does the quality compare to the typical cable company's baseball package like Extra Innings?

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Answer 10

Hadsus

Level 1

0 points

Mar 31, 2011 12:00 PM in response to MSax

Took a peek at MLBTV's feed to my iPad at noon of NY/Det. I am not encouraged. Saw pixelation and continuation of the motion issues. But this is the iPad...however they have been nice enough to give a free preview of the regular season while such a free preview is not offered when you stream to the PC or Apple TV.

I might go ahead a subscribe because I think you can unsubscribe within 5 days for a refund. Will double check.

It's possible that these problems I'm having might just be me. For example, I am unable to watch DLP technology because that gives me a headache too. I own plasma and LCD HDTVs with no issues.

Regarding Extra Innings, it gives you a flawless picture. All they are doing is forwarding to you the local feeds on the Fox and other local sports networks that would normally be blacked out. I can only speak for DirecTV....I don't know what the cable companies do.

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Answer 11

caa100 Author

Level 1

11 points

Mar 31, 2011 12:41 PM in response to MSax

MSaxatilus wrote:
How does the quality compare to the typical cable company's baseball package like Extra Innings?

On my cable system, (Cox) MLB Extra Innings is mostly standard def feeds, with only 1 game a day in hi def. However, the standard def feeds suffer no motion/stuttering issues.

The SD spring training games via AppleTV were very poor quality compared to what you would see on MLB Extra innings. I personally also found the HD games unwatchable, due to the very high compression/poor framerate.

The strobing did not bother all members of my family, though they could see it when I pointed it out.

MLB Support has indicated that quality will be better in regular season (that's today!) but I have not gotten a chance to watch something yet.

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Answer 12

caa100 Author

Level 1

11 points

Mar 31, 2011 12:56 PM in response to caa100

Just ran up to watch a few minutes of the Yankees on the AppleTV.

Picture quality is better now that the season has started. Much sharper, better detail. Especially for relatively stationary images.

However, you can still see serious compression artifacts during motion(like camera swings or players swinging/running).

This is to be expected, since MLB says they limit the bitrate to 3000kbps.

I can live with the compression artifacts, esp. since the alternative (MLB Extra Innings on Cable) is mostly Standard Def.

However, sorry to say that fast motion also exhibits a visible jitter - that is to say motion is not smooth. This is very clear to me. I asked my son to look at it, he thought it was fine until I pointed it out.

So: probably OK if you are not a videophile. If, on the other hand, you have an account on the AVSForums, then you probably will not like it.

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Answer 13

Hadsus

Level 1

0 points

Mar 31, 2011 1:06 PM in response to caa100

LOL....yes I have an account. Nice to see someone verifying what I was seeing. And as I figured, it will be nothing to some people and to others something much more than nothing.

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Answer 14

Mar 31, 2011 1:32 PM in response to Hadsus

Will I be able to watch my local team's games? If I'm in MN, can I stream the Twins games via MLB.tv on Apple Tv?

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Answer 15

Mar 31, 2011 3:16 PM in response to caa100

im disappointed i canceled extra innings on directv for mlb on my apple tv and quality is not there. it looks 1000 times better on my laptop then thru apple tv why is that when its same bandwidth? hope it improves but not holding my breath...any suggestions?

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