Anybody else get an email for a "Fanvision" device seemingly from the University?

Submitted by M-Wolverine on
Just got this-
CONGRATULATIONS! You have been selected to receive a complimentary FanVision unit to enhance your football experience. Michigan Athletics and FanVision have partnered to bring this new and unique experience to Michigan Stadium. The FanVision handheld device allows you to watch close-up views and replays of the action on the field. You will find information about how to use your device by clicking here. Please bring your FanVision handheld device to Michigan’s home games to take advantage of this enhanced experience. GO BLUE!!
Then a follow-up email saying they will email it to the address on file. I can't tell if it's a scam, or I should feel lucky. If the link doesn't work, it's this thing, whatever the hell it is: http://www.fanvision.com/files/NFL_StartGuide_4_v9.pdf
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steve sharik

September 2nd, 2010 at 3:44 PM ^

Talked to someone in the AD who said these were coming.  The technology is from UM alum and Dolphins' owner Stephen Ross, after whom the Business School is named.

Joined: 08/08/2009

MGoPoints: 13860

M-Wolverine

September 2nd, 2010 at 3:47 PM ^

Just after I read the email, and posted, there was a delivery. I just got it.  Wow, things are looking up. Now I just have to figure out how to use the damn thing. Good problem to have. And if it's from Ross, it must be quality.

Joined: 10/04/2009

MGoPoints: 42190

BlueCE

September 2nd, 2010 at 5:42 PM ^

What phone did you call? Would love to get one... Any idea how they selected the lucky winners?  I don't think I could be a winner as I have no idea how Fanvision would've gotten my home address.

Joined: 12/08/2009

MGoPoints: 2279

M-Wolverine

September 2nd, 2010 at 6:37 PM ^

1-866-704-1521. They run $259, but they're on promotional sale for $199. So, like, wow. And I don't have a clue. I asked my AD contacts, and they knew nothing about it. So I don't know if it's season ticket holder drawing (I'm just a regular old season ticket holder), or people who have wrote in about OSU...water...whatever....heck, I even wondered a survey I did with someone from LSA....don't have any idea. Email and device came almost at the exact same time, and that's all the notice there was. And the website is kinda thin at the moment. http://www.fanvision.com/

Joined: 10/04/2009

MGoPoints: 42190

Row26

September 2nd, 2010 at 3:50 PM ^

UPS delivered a box this afternoon that said "Enclosed is your new FanVision compliments of the University of Michigan Wolverines," and then about 20 minutes later I got the email explaining what it is. I'm excited to try it out at the game, but their planning seems pretty haphazard. Getting a strange box at the door, with no instructions inside, then a cryptic email, and having it all be 2 days before the first game seems amateurish. They even had to send out a follow-up email 15 minutes later explaining that these things would be delivered to your home. And no explanation of whether this is for season-ticket holders, Victors Club members or what.

Joined: 08/31/2009

MGoPoints: 33

M-Wolverine

September 2nd, 2010 at 3:51 PM ^

Do you know anyone in the Department? Did you write emails about OSU, water, or something else? Volunteer for LSA or anything? Is Brian selling our email addresses?  ;-)

I'm just kinda curious if there's a common theme in being chosen.  I never win anything.  

Joined: 10/04/2009

MGoPoints: 42190

Sambojangles

September 2nd, 2010 at 4:44 PM ^

I had the chance to meet Mr. Ross last year and he mentioned that he was working on this gadget for the Dolphins. Apparently he thought it would be a good deal to have here to. He mentioned that he bought some company that was unsuccessful because they didn't have any money and financed them to develop this. His grand vision was having it in every seat in every football (or any sport) stadium in the country. It's cool that we (you guys, they're probably not sending them to students) get a sneak peak at the future.

Could you take a picture of it, and tell us some of the features it says it has? I'm really intrigued.

Joined: 12/15/2008

MGoPoints: 10985

M-Wolverine

September 2nd, 2010 at 6:44 PM ^

It looks like it's available for 11 NFL teams, and Michigan.  Good to have rich graduates.

Oh, and you can see it for yourself, now.

http://www.fanvision.com/

http://www.fanvision.com/files/NFL_StartGuide_4_v9.pdf

Though even looking at that, I still can't figure out exactly what it does. Highlights. Game. Stats.  Probably be able to figure out more when it loads.

But for the terminally lazy-

 

http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/66225
Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross late last year purchased Montreal-based mobile video outfit Kangaroo TV, has since renamed it FanVision, and will distribute about 20,000 wireless handheld units to Dolphins season-ticket holders that will play live video and audio, replays, highlights from other NFL games, statistics, personalized fantasy team tracking, and other content. The units are being provided free to the club’s season-ticket holders on a one-unit-for-every-two-seats basis, and then are due to be returned after the season. Ross has offered FanVision units to the other 31 NFL clubs, and would like to see the device used in every Super Bowl, as it was in February at Super Bowl XLIV in Sun Life Stadium. The effort seeks to dramatically expand upon Kangaroo’s prior, more limited profile in golf and motorsports events that used a device rental model, and much smaller deployments last year with the Dolphins and several NFL teams before that. Ross’ push is also fully in keeping with a broader initiative spearheaded by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to improve and promote the in-stadium experience, as he, like many, is well aware of how football’s highly rated and increasingly immersive TV experience threatens the vitality of attending live games.

Joined: 10/04/2009

MGoPoints: 42190

HartAttack20

September 2nd, 2010 at 4:46 PM ^

I'm officially jealous. If my dad doesn't get one of those, I'd be slightly upset. Whoever came up with and made those is a smart (wo)man. That seems like something they would sell, though, and not just give away to people. Not that I'm complaining.

Joined: 06/08/2009

MGoPoints: 1964

Bando Calrissian

September 2nd, 2010 at 5:39 PM ^

I just got a phone call from a family friend, a UM graduate from the 50's (if you catch my drift), who got one of these on his porch and was totally confused as to what he was supposed to do with it.  We're Victors Club members, too, and we didn't get one, so...  I guess not everyone gets one?

Sounds cool, I guess.

Joined: 07/02/2008

MGoPoints: 68120

jdugas1000

September 2nd, 2010 at 6:56 PM ^

Just got home and there was a box outside my front door from Insight Technologies.  The Fanvision device looks cool!  I hope we get to keep it without being charged some misc fee in the future for it.  I'm an alumnus season ticket holder of 2 years, Blue donation level,

Joined: 01/19/2010

MGoPoints: 1

M-Wolverine

September 2nd, 2010 at 7:44 PM ^

Says something about the first year being free, then some subscriber fee. But it seems very "beta" and they're testing out what they're doing. I'll just be happy if it works (says it needs no activation at this time). That, and they don't expect you to buy a new one every year, like the radios.

Joined: 10/04/2009

MGoPoints: 42190

JD_UofM_90

September 2nd, 2010 at 7:21 PM ^

but I did get an email from this rich prince in Nigeria, who is going to give me a whole bunch of money to help him get into the U.S..... so I have that going for me.... I just have to give him my SS#, bank account #, my first born and a hand job when he shows up in the U.S.  So, that shouldn't be too much of a problem.  I have lots of other children......which is nice...I am going into work tomorrow to tell everybody to go suck an egg.  Even though I am rich now, I still don't think I have enough money to buy a bottle water at a game this year though.  Oh well, you can't have it all......

Joined: 11/09/2009

MGoPoints: 5145

cbook

September 2nd, 2010 at 10:29 PM ^

I found the golden ticket.  My wife deleted the email, so I have no idea how to use it, but i will bring it on Saturday.  Can't wait to see the first replay of Denard smoking into the endzone, dreads on fire.  Go Blue!!!!!

Joined: 05/07/2010

MGoPoints: 178

M-Wolverine

September 5th, 2010 at 2:18 AM ^

Just noticed they showed it on the broadcast (as I'm rewatching the game). Looks better in Heather Cox's hands than mine.

Joined: 10/04/2009

MGoPoints: 42190

Waxing Gibbous

September 5th, 2010 at 1:23 PM ^

there usually isn't enough time between plays to really look at it for replays, get stats, etc. Watching the action on the field directly >>> watching it on a little handheld TV.

Best thing about it was being able to listen to Beckmann and Brandstatter without having to buy one of those $20 radios that won't work next season. It'll be cool to be able to see other games that are on at the same time when they have some meaning to either our season or just something huge nationally.

Joined: 08/05/2010

MGoPoints: 359

InterM

September 5th, 2010 at 2:58 PM ^

Maybe I'll get better at hitting the right buttons as the season goes on, but by the time I got a replay up on the screen, the next play was starting on the field (damn that Rodriguez/Denard hurry-up offense!).  Also, I couldn't find a way to replay anything other than the immediately preceding play (other than through a highlight package that was available later in the game).  Probably the biggest advantage was a personal, up-close view of the videos being shown on the scoreboard -- I remember when that "new" scoreboard seemed big enough to block out the sun, but now the video portion of it seems hopelessly outdated and tiny.  All in all, this box is definitely worth the price (i.e., free!), but I'm not sure how much I'd be willing to pay for it.

Joined: 01/16/2009

MGoPoints: 2257

M-Wolverine

September 5th, 2010 at 4:34 PM ^

There was just enough of a time delay, that after a tackle, you could flip it up and see the end of the play, in instant replay. But yeah, the hurry up offense is not conducive to it.

I did like to use the scoreboard part a lot. The device did show how outdated the boards are...because the device is letterbox, but the screens are old school square! So you see more on the box than the screen. (And, sorry, but without all that poorly down closed-captioning).

I liked the stats too, because our board is pretty poor with that too.  Just watching Denard's stats go up...and up...and up....

But before game, halftime, and commercials, it was a good time killer.

Joined: 10/04/2009

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M-Wolverine

September 19th, 2010 at 11:20 AM ^

If you hit the "back" button it will automatically take you back to the replay, so you can one button quickly see the replay of what just happened. I think it takes you to the last angle you used, rather than "best" (though I'm not positive), but it's a lot faster than scrolling through.

Joined: 10/04/2009

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M-Wolverine

September 5th, 2010 at 4:30 PM ^

This weekend kinda sucked, but there have been many a time another great game is on at the same time as a home game, and while I've never had any second thoughts about seeing the U-Mass's of the world over say, Ohio State and Texas or some great game, it'll be nice (if they're ABC game, I'm guessing) to be able to have that on and check out the games in down times.  Won't miss it for a snoozer of a Michigan game.

Joined: 10/04/2009

MGoPoints: 42190

Synful

September 5th, 2010 at 10:02 PM ^

if not on the tadge weighty side.

Was the only one in my immediate area (mid-tier S19) that had one of these beauties.  Considering the diversity of people who've received one in this post, I'm rather figuring they had a select number to send out and used the account #s to match up the winners - esp as they say they use the address on file so you had to have gotten season tickets this season (me - this is my 18th yr with them, 2 as student the rest as alum).  I'm guessing maybe 1000 of these things?  Don't have a real good feel for the number but I only saw a couple other people with one when checking out the new concourses.

The replays, yeah I'd kinda hoped you could flip back through various plays but seems otherwise.  The neat part really is the ability to watch other games while there...  so you can keep abreast of developments during the down times at the stadium.  Even better - with a full charge, if you're there early for the tailgating, as long as you're somewhat close (Crisler, northern section of the golf course, section of AA-Pioneer near the corner of Stadium/Main) you can receive the signal outside and have like College Gameday on.

Gotta say - way cool and great surprise.  Go Blue!!  Beat the Irish!!

Joined: 09/05/2010

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M-Wolverine

September 30th, 2010 at 12:48 PM ^

The sound on the game field shots is playing the radio broadcast.  I brought the earbuds this time to listen to some College Gameday before the game.

Joined: 10/04/2009

MGoPoints: 42190