The fight between MSG and Time Warner Cable—the latter of which blocked channels from the former on January 1—continues unabated and fans are now coming up with interesting ways to get their Knicks-fix. Like, actually buying tickets to the games. Meanwhile, Time Warner Cable is rolling out fancy toys as a way to keep its customers placated (Fred Wilson, are you happy now?).
MSG, for its part, has been trying to keep customers on its side in the nasty cable carriage fight by hosting viewing parties with free food and guest appearances at local (DirecTV owning) bars. But that isn't quite cutting it for some fans, who are already upset about the shortened basketball season. So, rather than root for the Nets, the Times says a number of them are just going to the games. "We don’t have the opportunity to say 'I told you so' to the TV every time Carmelo throws up a brick," explained one Denver native who bought tickets. Um, doesn't this guy realize the ticket money goes back to Cablevision, which owns the Knicks?
Meanwhile, Time Warner Cable this month has gone and added two features to its lineup in the hopes of keeping miffed subscribers (and less miffed ones). First up, they released an iPhone version of their existing iPad TV App, which allows users with TWC cable and internet to watch live TV (though not local channels like WABC or WNBC) on their phones. In theory nearly 200 channels are available on the service, but when we tested it out lots of things were missing—for instance, we only received NY1 in Spanish not in English. It also doesn't work when you are away from your home network, which blows.
But that's not all! In addition to its own app TWC finally caved and made a deal with former corporate sibling HBO to host that channel's HBOgo service. What's that? Well, let's just say 'It's not Netflix, it's HBOgo.' Hosting the popular premium channel's television series and movie lineup, the service has lots of good video to kill a day or three with. And unlike TWC's offering, it works from wherever.
