MST Television Programming (Phoenix: motel, live, versus) - Arizona (AZ) - City-Data Forum

BlueCat1105 · 03-28-2014, 09:20 AM

Forgive me if this has been discussed, but I didn't find much on it, so here goes. Is it hard to keep TV program schedules straight in a state where time doesn't change for DST? How does it work? Are you on Central Time schedules for all programming, or does it switch to something else with the time changes? I'm confused!

pbenjamin · 03-28-2014, 09:36 AM

Prime time and late night network programming is on the same schedule as Central Time, i.e. when they same "8, 7 Central" we get 7. The exception is live sporting events which will be 3 hours from Eastern in the summer and 2 hours in the winter. Award shows may or may not be live, figure it out in advance and stay away from social media if it is not live.

Cable programming in the summer will vary depending upon the satellite. If there is a west coast satellite we will get whatever time they say for Eastern and Pacific. If not, we get it 3 hours earlier. (Adjust by an hour in the winter.) It can get even more confusing if they have a west coast satellite for SD but not for HD. The Food Channel, for example, has a 3 hour difference between their SD and HD channels, at least on Cox.

Personally, we use the DVR for most of what we watch and are not all that aware of when things are on, other than baseball games.

sandy6879 · 03-28-2014, 09:41 AM

It's annoying when it's cable shows. Anything on cable networks changes an hour when the clocks change. Network programming stays the same time (i.e. an 8PM show on CBS will be at 8PM all year). The rest of it irritates the heck out of me.

BlueCat1105 · 03-28-2014, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pbenjamin

Prime time and late night network programming is on the same schedule as Central Time, i.e. when they same "8, 7 Central" we get 7. The exception is live sporting events which will be 3 hours from Eastern in the summer and 2 hours in the winter. Award shows may or may not be live, figure it out in advance and stay away from social media if it is not live.

Cable programming in the summer will vary depending upon the satellite. If there is a west coast satellite we will get whatever time they say for Eastern and Pacific. If not, we get it 3 hours earlier. (Adjust by an hour in the winter.) It can get even more confusing if they have a west coast satellite for SD but not for HD. The Food Channel, for example, has a 3 hour difference between their SD and HD channels, at least on Cox.

Personally, we use the DVR for most of what we watch and am not all that aware of when things are on, other that baseball games.

Good heavens! That's about as clear as mud!

I mean, your explanation is fine, but the times are CRAZY! MST'ers sound like the red-headed stepchild in the minds of networks.

KurtAZ · 03-28-2014, 10:37 AM

Never had a problem with it...but then we DVR the limited amount of shows we do watch. Otherwise...consult your online guide for whatever service you have.

pbenjamin · 03-28-2014, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueCat1105

Good heavens! That's about as clear as mud!

I mean, your explanation is fine, but the times are CRAZY! MST'ers sound like the red-headed stepchild in the minds of networks.

It is more confusing here than the rest of the time zone because of Arizona not observing daylight savings time.

At least the network affiliates have recording capabilities so that they can align prime time with some sort of uniform logic. I remember stopping at a motel in Gallup, New Mexico in the 70s, turning on the TV and finding Johnny Carson on at 9:30 as they apparently had to show the east coast network feed live.

observer53 · 03-28-2014, 10:53 AM

For some channels/shows, it seems we are on the East Coast "feed", for others the West Coast. It does get a bit confusing. I use the onscreen channel guides and scarcely pay attention to what time a promo says something is going to be on.

azjack · 03-28-2014, 11:16 AM

Other than a couple live events, I do not think that I have watched anything but DVR-recorded programs since I obtained DVR service. One satellite timing benefit (Dish Network for me) is the original airing of the big cable shows (e.g. AMC) (often Sunday nights) on the Eastern time zone feed. So, for something like the AMC Breaking Bad finale (or any episode) last year, I would be able to watch it an hour or two before other Phoenix-area locals with cable. I am pretty certain that is still the case with the Cox cable versus satellite.

Probably not a big deal to wait an extra couple hours, but the AMC, FX, and HBO programming is pretty much the only television I watch other than a bit of national news and a DVR full of Jeopardy and Cash Cab.

BlueCat1105 · 03-28-2014, 11:24 AM

How do you know which "feed" is applicable? Just by experience? I'm not a TV addict, but I like to know if someone says that a new show is starting on XYZ channel at 8 PM EST what time I should turn on the TV. I DVR a lot of stuff, but not everything.

observer53 · 03-28-2014, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueCat1105

How do you know which "feed" is applicable? Just by experience? I'm not a TV addict, but I like to know if someone says that a new show is starting on XYZ channel at 8 PM EST what time I should turn on the TV. I DVR a lot of stuff, but not everything.

You check your online channel guide, which always knows.