OT: Watching Michigan Football when you pulled the plug on cable
Pulled the plug after last years football season, intended to reup for the season since there was no legit way of watching BTN online, but with BTN2Go it looks like it may be possible to watch all my football without cable combining ESPN 3 and BTN2Go, anyone have any experiance with this? Am I setting myself up for disapointment or will these 2 services be reliable enough to cover me for the season (I can justify a TV upgrade to the other half if thats the case lmao)
August 8th, 2011 at 10:40 AM ^
I think you have to have the big ten network on your tv package to be able to watch BTN2GO.
August 8th, 2011 at 11:50 AM ^
This is fact. BTN2Go is only available to those that have BTN in thier TV subscriptions.
August 8th, 2011 at 10:40 AM ^
I don't know much about this BTN2go thing but is it available in Canada? I can't watch the BTN there website so I am guess it isn't. It is always an adventure trying to get UM games here for shit sake!
As far as I know, Shaw Cable is the only major cable provider in Canada that has BTN. Shaw bought out our cable company two years ago, so I've been able to get it ever since.
Not sure about BTN2go in Canada though - I'd have to try it.
August 8th, 2011 at 10:41 AM ^
What?
August 8th, 2011 at 10:44 AM ^
looks hot! If that's your gf, well done. If that's you, I could get over the name "Booger" pretty quickly.
August 9th, 2011 at 10:23 AM ^
August 8th, 2011 at 10:41 AM ^
I moved this past summer and opted to not get cable/internet (the building has a business room with internet; my office has internet) until just before the big ten seasons (football and basketball). The few hours a day I'm home, I watch netflix and other BRD or dvds.
I'm wondering if I can get away with watching Michigan sports by going to a friend's place (from undergrad days) and to Michigan bars whenever he's not in town.
The clock is ticking and I gotta make a decision. Sorry I don't have any experience you can use to resolve your issues, but I thought you should know you're not alone in opting to forgo cable/internet.
I wish cable would just package channels a la carte. That way I could pay less for just CNN and all the channels that show Michigan sports. Rant.
August 8th, 2011 at 10:44 AM ^
How do you live without cable?!?! Couldn't do it... although my life might be more productive.
August 8th, 2011 at 10:49 AM ^
well hoping they handel BTN like they do espn3, espn3 I get with my cable interenet package thru charter, and btn2go is partnerd with charter, so hoping its the same there, if not i'll just validate it using my dads Directtv since he won't use the interenet side anyway lol.
just don't watch tv enough to justify paying 60 a month for TV. between HULU, Netflix and the rest of the Web my Home theater PC more than covers anything I want to watch, sports being live has always been the one hangup and while I messed with espn3 a bit last year I never relied on it for a big game, I'm having a Party at my place for the ND vs Michigan game and damn that would be egg on my face if it failed.
August 8th, 2011 at 10:58 AM ^
Unfortunately, if you don't get BTN through your cable TV provider, it appears you won't be able to access BTN2Go. From a BTN FAQ page:
Do I need to receive BTN at home to get BTN2Go?
Yes.
This differs from the way ESPN3 works. You don't have to get ESPN through your cable package to access ESPN3.
August 8th, 2011 at 11:42 AM ^
However, ESPN3 (which was called ESPN360.com) restricts against certain providers just as BTN2Go is (they only allow you to stream if your provider is on the affiliated list and pays them fees).
August 9th, 2011 at 10:25 AM ^
August 8th, 2011 at 11:05 AM ^
Recently relocated to Columbus....I know, it blows....but love is a bitch and this is where my fiance lives/works! We have boycotted cable/direct tv and bottom line is I dont want to buck up for it. I prefer watching games at UM bars will fellow fans anyways. Does anyone know of a UM bar in the Columbus area? Any help/info would be greatly appreciated!
*Would have posted new thread about this, but I dont have enough points.*
August 8th, 2011 at 11:09 AM ^
cool...thanks for the info
August 8th, 2011 at 11:14 AM ^
Should have found a new fiance....I kid I kid
The wife loves to root against Michigan..like literally will root for Eastern Michigan...WTF am I doing with her?
PS dont tell her I said that or I will have to sleep on the couch
August 8th, 2011 at 11:14 AM ^
I am in the same boat. Paying for cable is just not worth it to me - I watch all my tv and movies on my computer. Plus the way cable providers structure their contracts is just too much for me to stomach. In my opinion they egregiously exert their power over the consumer. ESPN3 is great. And BTN2Go would be a great addition, but, like others said, you have to have BTN on cable to get BTN2Go. Its a shame, because I would pay to get it online, but my guess is that BTN's agreements with cable providers eliminate that option. My plan is to use ESPN3 and go to local bars (I live in AA) when I can't get the game there. Plus it forces you out of your cave, and its fun.
August 8th, 2011 at 11:21 AM ^
yeah thats what I'm thinking as well. I'll try to get BTN2go working but if that fails, sports bar I go, anyone know a good michigan friendly one in kzoo?
August 8th, 2011 at 11:22 AM ^
I have Time Warner Cable, they require you to have cable TV service to access ESPN3 online! I can only afford internet, not cable. This means I have to watch sports through various other means.
Time Warner Cable = King of Greedy Dick Moves
August 8th, 2011 at 11:34 AM ^
August 8th, 2011 at 11:38 AM ^
I found out a little trick to watch ESPN3. Just go on ESPN3.com and say that your provider is AT&T, then make a free AT&T account and use it to log on and watch ESPN3. Works great for me.
August 9th, 2011 at 11:01 PM ^
I just wanted to say thank you for posting that about the workaround w/ att and ESPN3. I have time warner road runner for internet and was getting the stiff arm about not having their video service to use ESPN3. I used your suggestiona and Bingo! ESPN3 is working. That was the last piece to the puzzle after cutting off Directv. I was very worried that I was going to miss games that I couldn't get OTA (I live in North Carolina). I haven't found your suggestion anywhere else, so thanks again.
August 8th, 2011 at 11:24 AM ^
It fixes all of life's problems.
August 8th, 2011 at 11:25 AM ^
Does the BTN even offer the packages where you can watch online any longer? I don't see it on their site.
August 8th, 2011 at 11:58 AM ^
I believe the the BTN2Go deal is wrapped into your TV provider.
However, they will still provide streams to other games via BTN.com
see: http://www.bigtennetwork.com/generic/video/BTN2Go
EDIT: BTN.com will only stream non-televised content. SOL for televised games.
August 8th, 2011 at 11:38 AM ^
I have never paid for cable myself. I've done ESPN3 a few times but mostly I just got to someone's house, to a bar, or to the game.
If you go the ESPN3 route, make sure you have good badwidth. I have (what should be) more than enough, but the fluctuation between highend speeds and lowend speeds gives you HD half the time and 56k videos the other half of the time.
August 8th, 2011 at 11:47 AM ^
anyone remember from last year, did they ever blackout a game on espn3 if it was on say ABC? or was it basically if the game was on ABC or ESPN it was on espn3. I vaugly remember something about espnU stuff not being on espn though, but hopefully there is enough buzz with the team this year we won't get that treatment
August 8th, 2011 at 12:17 PM ^
August 8th, 2011 at 11:47 AM ^
Most of the time someone will post up a link to a stream right before the game. Via some Justin.tv channel or some other source. If there is a LiveBlog they'll normally list streaming links in the status box at the bottom.
For BigTen2Go, I think you can appear to "have" the network by getting a friend/family with cable to register. My parents for example are BigTen2Go customers and they don't even know it.
August 8th, 2011 at 12:38 PM ^
August 8th, 2011 at 12:50 PM ^
Im still happy i dont have to spend $100 on College Gameday anymore..
Watching unsanctioned BTN links can be a chore, so good luck. If the game's on ESPN, you can pick it up on ESPN3.
Don't have cable and haven't had any since I graduated college, not hard to roll without cable. Besides, Denard Robinson doesn't have cable either. :p
August 9th, 2011 at 10:30 AM ^