TV Answer Man, I’ve been unable to watch NESN in 4K since it started on DIRECTV. It keeps saying the game is blacked out, but I have Extra Innings. Shouldn’t I be able to watch the game on the 4K channel? — Mark, Marina Del Rey, California.
Mark, the short answer is yes. You should. But several readers have contacted me over the last 24 hours to say they are unable to watch NESN in 4K either via Extra Innings or the DIRECTV 4K channel in the Boston area. (DIRECTV yesterday added NESN’s 4K broadcasts of home Boston Red Sox and Bruins games, the second TV provider to do so. Verizon added NESN in 4K last week.)
When they tune in the DIRECTV 4K channel carrying NESN, they are met with a message saying the game is blacked out. I asked DIRECTV’s PR department today for an explanation and they said they see no issues on their end. They add that NESN subscribers in the Boston market should be able to see the channel in 4K, and MLB Extra Innings subscribers outside the Boston market should be able to as well. (Assuming they have a 4K TV and 4K-enabled DIRECTV receivers attached to a Mini Genie.)
So what can you do if you can’t watch the Sox in 4K? Two things:
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1. Reset your receiver.
The NESN 4K broadcasts are new so it’s possible that your receiver needs to be reset to receive them. That may sound crazy, but receivers are authorized to receive certain information and your receiver may need a reset to be approved for NESN in 4K. For instance, receivers sometimes need to be refreshed when you subscribe to a premium channel such as HBO or Showtime.
2. Call DIRECTV
If that doesn’t work, call DIRECTV’s customer service and tell them your account number and phone number. The company can then send a refresh signal to your receiver which hopefully will eliminate any glitch that’s preventing you from tuning in the 4K channel when a NESN game is playing.
Mark, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman
“DUCETV is having trouble”
YEP…THAT sums it up PERFECTLY…
Isn’t it AMAZING that a what USED to be multi BILLION dollar company is THIS INCOMPETENT !!
10 days later and DirecTV is still issuing a blackout (727) to MLB EI subscribers for the 4K channel. NESN on 628 in HD is normal. Called DIrecTV again and was given the standard “We don’t set the blackout rules”…BS! Signal refresh and receiver restart did nothing!
I get a 771 error when I try to watch Red Sox games no matter what channel they are broadcast upon. Directv says it is our dish problem, which is on top of my condo building 36 stories high. Never had this problem in 5 previous years of MLB Package.
Have Directv send a refresh signal to your box.
NESN 360 annual subscription was my answer.