In case anyone cares to make their own appropriate Big Stink:
Emailed the following today to Ken Mather (216-566-4622, MAC Assistant Commissioner for Media & Public Relations,
kmather@mac-sports.com) after I spoke with him today.
Ken,
Following on to our telecon of a few minutes ago:
I used..uh, tried to...the MAC-Access internet video streaming to watch OHIO UNIVERSITY BOBCAT (CAN YA TELL THAT I'M A PROUD ALUM?!) FOOTBALL vs Wofford on 9/4/10 and vs. BGSU on 10/9. Paid $7.95 each time--which justice should have credited back to me.
I can't remember now the exact problems with the Wofford 'cast. I do know that the picture was choppy and very watery, as if I was viewing through a screen underneath which drops of water were moving back and forth. I think that there were periods of lost reception.
The BG game did not have much of the wateryness but the action was choppy (kind of as if you did one of those old mini-comics which you thumbed through swiftly). And, there was no reception at all for all of the third quarter and the first part of the fourth quarter.
Also, when I try to sign on to the 'casts I am asked for my email address and password. Apparently I don't know my password....which gets me in a crazed circle in which no help is given even though there is a 'don't know your password then click here' link. I don't know the MAC-Access ID and password which I first set up. But I know that I can't sign in to the 'casts without these--even though I am first only asked for my email address and password. I may not be describing the process/events in signing in well but suffice it to say that it's more Barrier than Access. On 10/9, I gave up; I created a new account so that I could gain access.
How do others view MAC-Access? Look at bobcatattack.com. Try the threads that are begun on game days. People ask each other for ways to view the BOBCAT game vidcasts. Which always lead to rather scathing reviews of MAC-Access. As I've posted there, jr. high schools must have better 'net packages. It's as if there's intent to prevent people from viewing the vidcasts.
In our telecon you stated--and I could hear the excitement in your voice--that the deal with the current vendor runs out after this year so, obviously, the MAC will look for a vendor which offers service of at least, say, 2002 era quality. As I stated to you, the current service is so bad that I'm sure it gives grounds to break the contract at any point (uh, like during any of the last few offseasons) for non-fulfillment of quality terms.
Thanks for your help, Monroe Slavin