The Off Topic Topic

[Valmy]

I have always been of the opinion that the massive media contracts that are driving sports in the USA and Europe, are just not sustainable in the long run. This article seems to confirm that:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/12/28/disney-has-a-money-problem-that-even-star-wars-cant-fix/?hpid=hp_regional-hp-cards_no-name%3Ahomepage%2Fcard

Yeah the Cable TV craze that was going on in Sports just a few years ago I thought was crazy. Yes lets rely on old technology that is quickly going out of date for our funding model. But Disney is all about outdated thinking, that is why they keep their empire going by buying up innovative companies and turning them into mediocre cash cows.

[Grey Fox]

It's a perfect match made in destitute heaven. Old giant telcos with money is looking to bring eyeballs to sit down at a precise time with giant monopolistic leagues that have set schedule years after years.

[Barrister]

It's fucking annoying though.

The NHL (for example) has got a very nice online streaming system for it's games.  It's a little pricey, but I don't mind paying it - it only works out to $2 or $3 per Jets game.

BUT...

that's only for "regional" games.  Any time the Jets play in Alberta, or on Saturday or Wednesday night, I can no longer use the NHL's online streaming.  I can still stream the games, but I have to use Sportsnet's streaming system - and to use THAT I have to prove that I am a subscriber to the right channels.

[Valmy]

Yeah it is fucking stupid. I should be able to just pay annual subscriptions for my favorite teams or leagues and be done with it. But noooo can't do that. The NFL is especially bad about that with their antiquated regional system that has remained basically unchanged for fifty years.

[Liep]

The NFL streams all games live, at least in Denmark.

[Syt]

The NFL streams all games live, at least in Denmark.

In the U.S., games can be subject to blackout restrictions in certain areas.

[Barrister]

The NFL streams all games live, at least in Denmark.

In the U.S., games can be subject to blackout restrictions in certain areas.

For this year the blackout rules have been lifted.

But that's not what is frustrating for Americans.  What is is that there may be some fantastic game going on, but if you're in Cleveland you're shown the Browns game no matter what on your local station.  In order to get every game you have to get NFL Sunday Ticket, which is an exclusive to Direct TV satellite.

[Grey Fox]

It's because the leagues are letting the cable co handle their streaming services. In Canada, for the NHL, that means Rogers.

I wish I could just pay 200$ to the NHL & get the French Habs games

[Barrister]

It's because the leagues are letting the cable co handle their streaming services. In Canada, for the NHL, that means Rogers.

I wish I could just pay 200$ to the NHL & get the French Habs games

But they aren't is the crazy thing.  I still use the exact same Apps to watch streaming games as before.  It just has a "Powered by Rogers" on the splash screen.

[Liep]

I bought a Mi Band on a Chinese website in December (that had a decent Trustpilot score), so far the only activity I've heard or seen from them is that they've drawn the 19 dollars from my Paypal account. Was it foolish of me to think it might actually arrive?

[mongers]

I bought a Mi Band on a Chinese website in December (that had a decent Trustpilot score), so far the only activity I've heard or seen from them is that they've drawn the 19 dollars from my Paypal account. Was it foolish of me to think it might actually arrive?

Not saying for sure, but it's quite common for Chinese traders to not bother much about notifications and emails.

Small parcel shipping from China seems to have gotten faster recently, in the past I'd figure on around 3 weeks, but now often small items arrrive within two weeks. But given the recent holiday period delays there could still a chance it's in someones delivery/mail system?

[Josquius]

It's fucking annoying though.

The NHL (for example) has got a very nice online streaming system for it's games.  It's a little pricey, but I don't mind paying it - it only works out to $2 or $3 per Jets game.

BUT...

that's only for "regional" games.  Any time the Jets play in Alberta, or on Saturday or Wednesday night, I can no longer use the NHL's online streaming.  I can still stream the games, but I have to use Sportsnet's streaming system - and to use THAT I have to prove that I am a subscriber to the right channels.

If you're paying their subscription anyway then surely you can view it as perfectly fine and moral to watch a dodgy stream of the game you want?

[Syt]

In random news: over 12 billion German Marks (over 6 billion Euro) in cash are, according to German Federal Bank's accounting, still "out there," not converted to EUR.

[Zanza]

In random news: over 12 billion German Marks (over 6 billion Euro) in cash are, according to German Federal Bank's accounting, still "out there," not converted to EUR.

That's about 0.1% of the monetary wealth of the German population. And probably even less as the DM was also used abroad (in Eastern Europe) a lot.

[Valmy]

I think I have a couple German Marks in my desk drawer.

One of them is from 1914 though:



So probably no longer legal tender.