MLB.com/ESPN360

[dmm219]

I've noticed MLB.com is a provider in itunes, and it says you play live games. Why do I have a bad feeling, come spring time, you won't be able to play live games on Apple TV?

Is this possible? Or another glaring hole in the ATV...if you are going to offer MLB.com...at least do it right...

 

[ipedro]

Thanks for noticing that and bringing it to the attention of this forum. Unfortunately, where it says "Click here to watch games live", it takes you the MLB.com subscriptions page. There's no indication whatsoever that you can watch the game on iTunes. Also, the games won't be free: you have to subscribe.

Nonetheless, this is the direction that tv has to go to enable it to become mainstream. Live TV is not necessary most of the time; iTunes' à la carte model works brilliantly to replace the live broadcast + DVR model, but it misses out on what needs to be live: sports and news.

This could be easily solved by having streaming live video of sports, using MLB.com as a good example. Buy your game or a season and when the game is about to begin, tv could remind you. You can tune in immediately or watch it in deferred live (start when you want, even before the game ends).

It would be great to see SteveJobs announce this next step in the tv "hobby" at MacWorld in the next few weeks.

 

[ipedro]

... to add to this train of thought:

YouTUBE is adding live streaming so it's possible that we'll see that on the YouTUBE module in tv.

If CNN were to offer a subscription on iTunes for live CNN via tv, I would be all over it. They could make a direct sale to the consumer and bypass cable companies. They'd make a killing!

 

[crotalus99]

MLB.com on my aTV? Now that I would pay for. I had a subscription to MLB.com this past session, but it was such a pain to watch on the computer I did it as a last resort.
For a BoSox fan living outside NYC it's the only way to get the games.

 

[Billy Boo Bob]

MLB.com would be a perfect example of what the TV "can" do. Bringing games up on the computer is OK, except that I lose use of the computer during the game since I need to make it full screen for Dad to watch. Ol' Pops would be all over it if TV had it.

I also think they could run a free, ad supported version, since you have the same inning and pitching breaks in a live game that a TV broadcast does. However, their current subscription model may very well make them more money than they could get from advertisers.

 

[drichards]

Have you tried SafariHD (now couchsurfer) on your Apple TV? Requires patchstick and ssh install. Download at awkwardtv.org.