AV Adviser

MLB and TV

As a fan of baseball I've been frustrated that my AT&T U-verse U200 package didn't contain the MLB channel.  I'd hear friends talk about it being included with Time Warner's standard membership here in Cleveland and was jealous. 

I finally got around to investigating an upgrade to the U-verse U300 deal.  As it turns out they have a promotion going on.  Upgrading entitles you to a $50 AT&T gift card which I'll spend on movie rentals and free Showtime for a few months. 

Here's the no-brainer part though.  The upgrade will cost about $15 a month but allows for one free secondary room receiver box.  I'd been paying $7 a month for that box.  So that cuts the new monthly increase to just $8. 

There's over one hundred new channels but, quite frankly, not many that interest me except for MLB.  Still, the 50 bucks, free Showtime and free second room box convinced me to pull the trigger. 

On the subject of baseball, my iPad/iPhone MLB At Bat app is great.  I've gushed about it here in the past.  There's a glitch though.  Everyday the app offers one free game to be viewed and not just listened to.  The picture looks terrific on my iPad but when I try and send the stream to my Apple TV and big screen TV via Airplay it doesn't work.  All I get is the spinning, loading icon.  I'm doing some investigating and if I come across a solution I'll let you know. 

If you have a question or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com

John Hannibal

Opening night of baseball is a home theater occasion

I'm a huge baseball fan so I look forward to this day with excitement every year.  Here's hoping the best for my Cleveland Indians as they open their season at home tomorrow.  Baseball starts tonight, though, with the world champion St. Louis Cardinals traveling to the new home of the newly named, complete with new logo, team the Miami Marlins. 

It's this new ballpark that has me excited about watching the game on my home theater set up.  Well, that and Jose Reyes (another new aspect of the team) is on my fantasy team.  Everything I've heard about Marlins Park (I love when there's no corporate name to a facility) makes it sound like a magical place to watch baseball. 

They have a fountain that features pink flamingos and leaping dolphins that's supposed to become animated when the Marlins hit a home run.  They've already played in the new park but they're saving the debut of the fountain for the start of regular season tonight.  The fountain would look out of place anywhere else other than Miami with it's wild color scheme.  I can't wait for it to erupt.  

Marlins Park fountain during construction

I take in most of my baseball action on radio/internet rather than TV so I'm not stuck on the couch being unproductive.  But events like this are special and tailor-made for a good home theater.

If you have any questions or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com

John Hannibal 

My distributed audio system as baseball central

It's 6:15 in the morning here in Cleveland, Ohio and I'm listening to a baseball game.  It seems quite strange.  It is quite strange. 

The Major League Baseball (MLB) season got underway at 6am east coast time with the Oakland A's taking on the Seattle Mariners at the Tokyo Dome in Japan.  And my fantasy draft isn't until Sunday, but that's another story. 

I'm a big baseball fan.  It's my favorite sport.  So I'm feeling good as I listen to this game right now.  I posted on Twitter that I'm listening to the game and people are asking how I'm doing that.  I've promoted the MLB At Bat smart phone app in the past.  Not surprisingly it's my favorite app.  For the price of $15 you can listen to every single baseball game in the 2012 campaign.  Better yet you can choose which team's announcers you want to hear. 

If my AT&T U-verse package had the MLB channel I might be watching this game but probably not.  I prefer baseball on the radio.  Not only is it fun to listen to the announcers paint a picture but you can be productive while still enjoying the game. 

I can hear the game anywhere in my house by plugging my iPhone into an input on the receiver of my home distributed audio system.  All you need is a mini to RCA patch cord.  Well, that and a distributed audio system, meaning speakers in various rooms of the house.  And with the trend in baseball of more day games there's more hours of baseball to hear throughout the day. 

Well, it's time for my morning workout in the basement.  Of course I have speakers down there.

If you have a question or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com

John Hannibal

The comfort of listening to sports

I was perched on a barstool last Saturday afternoon enjoying a cool one and conversation with a friend when the topic of sporting events came up.  He said that there's something very comforting about a live sporting event.  "Exactly", I exclaimed. 

It wasn't until I got my iPhone a few years ago that this idea of live sports as comfort formed in my mind.  Being that I'm such a fan of radio, I often prefer listening to sports rather than watching them on TV.  This is especially true of baseball which is a great backdrop to washing the car, gardening or grilling. 

My friend and I agreed that the comfort comes in the fact that somewhere in this world, at the time of the sporting event, there's a large group of people with a passionate interest in something, coming together as one.  The joy of the overall event outweighs the fact that someone has to lose.  That joie de vie is infectious and, yes, comforting. 

The smart phone has allowed me to listen to some sort of live sporting event nearly anytime I desire.  That's mostly while in bed at the end of the day.  But I can get up early in the morning and listen live to, of all things, cricket matches happening in Australia.  I've even taken to reading up on the sport on wikipedia. 

I've talked about my love of the Major League Baseball app that runs about $15 per season and allows you to listen to any ballgame.  Better yet, you can choose which teams announcers you'd rather hear.  There's nothing more soothing than listening to Vin Scully call a Dodgers game as I drift to sleep. 

If it's an afternoon sporting event, and I'm working at home, I simply plug my iPhone into my distributed audio system and let it play throughout the house.  Maybe it's a soccer match in Europe or, soon enough, a spring season baseball game from Arizona. 

It had taken some searching steps in order to find out what I could listen to at any given time.  I'd open the ESPN app and see what games were going on in various sports.  Then I'd google search what radio station carried the team's broadcast.  Finally I'd open a radio tuner app and search for that station. Sometimes the station's radio stream is shut off during a sporting event.  The NBA works at locking down their games.  The same goes for the NFL.

Recently I realized that my Tune In radio app makes it much simpler to find live sports action.  You simply select sports from the categories and it will show you what games are able to be heard right now.  It displays all the different sports as you drill down to specific games. 

I'd said that some of the leagues try and block broadcast of their games online.  Tune In does a good job of finding that small station on a franchises network that may be streaming the game anyway.  Sometimes it'll lead to a dead end and sometimes the stream isn't very robust and buffers too much.  But if you're not picky about what game you listen to it's easy to find something, somewhere.  And then bliss sets in.

If you have any questions or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com

John Hannibal

Watching the Super Bowl on the big screen

I've expressed my reservations on a projector and screen as your main viewing television.  It kind of takes over a room.  If you do have the space to integrate a ceiling hung projector and either a fixed or retractable screen and it doesn't ruin your interior design, well then, I'm on board. Especially if you're planning a Super Bowl party.

I get invited to a Super Bowl party every year but not once has the host had the "big screen" treatment.  I'm not complaining.  I don't have such a set up but I do have a 55" HD television.  It may be a good idea to ask the host what sort of TV and surround set up they have before you accept the invitation.  If it isn't 50 plus inches, high def, and more than a home theater in a box audio system you may just tell them you have other plans. 

Of course I'm kidding...somewhat.  To me, unless the Cleveland Browns get in one day (hear me Lord), the Super Bowl is about getting together with friends and eating delicious but unhealthy food.  And, of course, watching the commercials.  The game is the least important aspect of the day unless you're gambling or it's a close affair.  But seriously, a decent sized TV and surround set up should be a prerequisite to throw a Super Bowl party. 

One such writer for the Washington Times talks about how important her home theater is to the Super Bowl party, Super Bowl XLVI: Watch it on TV or in a home theater?

If you have a question or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com

John Hannibal

 

Major League Baseball Smart Phone App...How I Love Thee

I didn't bother buying the Major League Baseball app last summer since I didn't purchase an iPhone until early August.  Well, that was just stupid. 

This year I sprung for the app called At Bat 2010.  It runs about $15 and is actually available for other smart phones as well.  The way people gush about the app seemed a bit much until I began living with it myself. 

Is it the best app ever?  For a baseball fan it quite possibly could be.  Here's the deal.  It gives you news, scores, stats and schedules.  It has plenty of video clips of highlights from the previous days games.  It even allows you to watch one game live on your phone each day.  They choose the game and it's subject to blackout restrictions but it's pretty cool to watch a live ballgame on your phone.  By the way, live TV will be quite common place on your phone by years end.  

I haven't stated the main reason I've fallen in love with At Bat 2010.  It allows you to listen to any and every baseball game during the season.  That's right.  For $15 pick a game then choose which team's radio broadcast you want to listen to.  As a fan of radio in general, since I was a little tike, it's a thrill to be able to lie in bed and listen to someone like Vin Scully calling the Dodgers game on the west coast. 

Scan the scoreboard and determine which game is close and "tune in"to that one.  Maybe an announcer says that C.C. is pitching a no hitter in NYC tonight.  Time to tune in that game.  It's truly magical.  Sure, my allegiance is to the Cleveland Indians but let's face it, they are playing some boring ball. 

I have always found that listening to the radio broadcast of a baseball game can be therapeutic.  It calms me down.  It's escapism.  Simply plug in your iPhone to your distributed audio system and enjoy these ballgames anywhere in your house.  Or listen to a Cubs day game while making the sales rounds in your car. 

You see?  You, too, may be touting At Bat 2010 as the best app ever.

If you have a question or if I may be of service call me at 440.724.0558 or drop me an email at radiohannibal@gmail.com

John Hannibal