I had atrocious problems with mlb.tv last year while viewing through the Roku. I know this is not uncommon. Last year, I let it go for the post part because I could watch on my computer and dual monitored the picture to my tv screen. However, I moved and this is no longer possible with my new room arrangement/setup.

Is the general consensus that you can fix this problem by getting faster internet? In my case, I'm pretty sure this is caused because it insists on playing the HD broadcast, even when there are slower times in the internet speed. So, it constantly reloads. If I had faster internet would that fix it? I actually have the fastest available in my area already. Or, is there an option to not watch the HD broadcast? I read about someone setting their router to only let the Roku stream at certain internet speeds and it fixed the problem. I'd prefer to have a different "fix" because that would mean no HD for the rest of the things I use the Roku for.

I've searched the forums, but thought I'd ask one more time -- does anyone else have a fix for this reloading issue?

I definitely don't want to buy the TV package from a cable company or a dish company. I don't have a TV package now and it would mean adding $80 a month to my service (for a basic package and the mlb extra innings package) just to watch baseball. I don't see paying $480 for six months of baseball if there's a fix for the service on the Roku.

Personally. I'd wait and see if MLB gets it's act together with it's streams. We aren't seeing pages and pages of complaints from hockey fans, so apparently it can be done.

What if I got a laptop with an hdmi out? I could just not use roku at all, and some laptops probably don't even cost as much as Extra Innings would end up costing me...

1. the laptop would still need enough processing ability to handle the video.

2. This would not help if the problem is with your broadband speed.

3. This would also not help if the problem is the wireless router link in the chain.

I have a high speed cable broadband and an ethernet connection to my router. I had a consistent HD picture. I never had the types of problems some others were having... so I'm guessing that the Roku player is not the problem.

I have the highest speed available -- up to 20mbps (in my area). The roku lets me play HD from all other channels (including Netflix). I also have my modem directly wired into the Roku player.

Well, while I can't guarantee anything about this coming season I can say that I subscribed to MLB 2010 on the Roku and I went ahead and signed up for the 2011 season already. My experience last year was that it was pretty hit or miss for at least the first half of the season- variable quality streaming, rebuffering, etc, etc. Somewhere around that time (sorry I forget now exactly when) they released an update and I had a pretty solid experience for the remainder of the season. High quality (near HD) video, no or very rare rebuffering. As much as the experience aggravated me for the first half of the season it ended up being a great experience being able to watch all the games for $100. I'll also say that while at the time it was frustrating, it did seem that "they" were working on it non-stop and I remember there being a few updates with incremental improvements with each release. Hope that helps.

I think you'd be nuts to buy it further out than the refund policy will let you dump it if it doesn't work. (E.g., if MLB gives you 30 days, certainly don't buy it more than 30 days before you see if it's going to work for you.) Given that it's electronic and there's no shipping or anything, I probably wouldn't buy it more than a couple of days before the season actually starts (or preseason, if that's going to streamed on roku).

YanksFan, what I would gather from the call is that the op in general likes Samsung and has a player. People are hardwired to have brand loyalty even though it doesn't really mean much anymore.

The agent was making it clear to me (without explicitly stating, but repeating the name Samsung each time I mentioned ROKU) that he would not recommend ROKU to stream MLB.TV. I guess it could have been perceived as preference on his part but I really thought he was steering me away from ROKU. As a tech. support agent for the MLB.TV service I was hoping he would have reassured me that ROKU has been tested and will be good to go. I got no such assurance. In fact I got the opposite with each question I asked.

I found the PS3 to be the best platform for me to watch the mlb.tv package last year although towards the end of the season the Roku device did perform as well as the PS3 but PS3 allowed access to more features.

I have already paid for the mlb.tv package for 2011 but only you can choose if it's for you.

Peace

brett

I was actually going to say PS3 as well. The Roku does the type of streaming well now as shown with Hulu. However it had issues with UFC that were never really addressed (as far as I know, I don't subscribe to it.) I think they got MLB working fine but honestly I never paid for or used it on the Roku. I helped beta test some other software and use the current "live" wealth TV feed. The Roku seems to be very capable as long as the ap is written well and there is plenty of bandwidth on each side.

If you have a Roku and a PS3 you are set I'm sure. I wish I could give specifics but I really don't know.

Since MLB has that stupid "local team" blackout policy I can't watch the team I want. Does anyone know if I VPN into my company (the server is in a different part of the country) using my laptop and my local ISP and then connect to the Roku, if I can fool MLB's software so that I can watch my local team? Might MLB think that I am located somewhere other than here? Thanks!

Scottheb wrote:

Since MLB has that stupid "local team" blackout policy I can't watch the team I want. Does anyone know if I VPN into my company (the server is in a different part of the country) using my laptop and my local ISP and then connect to the Roku, if I can fool MLB's software so that I can watch my local team? Might MLB think that I am located somewhere other than here? Thanks!

Yes, VPN's work to get around the blackouts of local "live" games on a computer but not the Roku or PS3 (blacked out local games can be viewed about 90 minutes after game ends) but be aware that in the mlb.tv TOS there is something that says if they catch you doing this they will cancel your sub and not refund your money.


Peace

brett

VPN's may work, but based on personal experience they slow your bandwidth significantly. The end result might lead to constant buffering.