NBA League Pass Mobile ($19.99)
Version – 1.2.1
REVIEW – “Take the NBA with you on the road!”
After Major League Baseball released their iPhone app that featured live game audio and the option to pay for video many looked to the NBA to do the same and they delivered. NBA League Pass Mobile is an
iPhone app that will allow you to view live NBA games on your iPhone and/or iPod Touch! It also offers real-time stats, standings and even the ability to view a game that has already been finished for 48 hours after it s over.
The app loads up fairly quickly and starts you out on the “Live” menu tab. From this screen you will see a list of all the games that will be on for the current day. Unfortunately the NBA has blackout restrictions and so if the game is listed as being on ESPN or if one of the teams playing is in your local area it will be “blacked out” and you will not be able to watch it live or after the game is over. If the game has already been played you can touch it to view stats. If the game
is in progress already then touching it will load up a live stream of the game right on your device. It’s that simple!
Once you’ve loaded up a live stream you have several things you can do while you watch. Touching the screen anywhere brings up your menu of options. At the bottom of the screen you will see buttons that allow you to share what you’re watching with your friends Facebook, Twitter and email. There is also a button in that same bar that will allow you to see the top five players in the current game based on their stats that night.
Something that I’m sure all of you are wondering is what the video quality is like. I’m happy to report that this app does an excellent job of changing its
stream quality to match your connection. I tested it in several different environments. I used my WiFi at home and at work as well as moving between WiFi 3G and EDGE connections. What I found is that if you have a solid WiFi connection the quality is amazing! The best part is that while it is not quite as crystal clear on 3G and EDGE I experienced very few interruptions when moving between connection types. It was noticeable when the app would degrade/increase the quality but it rarely interrupted video playback.
The rest of the app offers some basic options such as a screen to view the upcoming and past schedules, a “highlights” page with daily video highlights and a screen with the current league standings.
It is fairly obvious though that this app was primarily designed to deliver the live game video and not to look up things like stats on your favorite players/teams.
This app is simply a dream come true for the hardcore NBA fan. It’s only major issue is the league imposed “Blackouts.” While this product is packaged in such a way that it is both easy to use and very high quality, I think that it going to be hard for many big fans of the NBA to shell out even $20 for an app that doesn’t allow them to see video of their favorite home team! On the flip side, if you are not in the blackout zone for your favorite team this app could very well be a godsend!
Before you decide either way though I would encourage you to head to the App Store and check out the “Lite” version of the app first. If you grab it right away it will have full video capability through January 24th which will allow you to make a clear judgment on whether or not it’s worth it. So what are you waiting for? Download yours today!
- David H.
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Developer – MobiTV, Inc.
URL: http://mobitv.com/index2.php
DEVELOPERS NOTES
Are you a Celtics fan in Florida? Or a Lakers fan living in the San Francisco Bay Area? Or just a basketball junkie who can’t get enough hoops action? NBA LEAGUE PASS MOBILE, the official app from the NBA, is the perfect app for the true fan. Watch LIVE NBA games on your phone and follow the NBA from anywhere on a Wi-Fi or 3G connection. This is your ticket to the most LIVE NBA basketball action available – 7 days a week throughout the 2009-10 regular season.
NBA LEAGUE PASS MOBILE is the perfect app for fans who don’t want to miss a game all season long!
- WATCH over 40 LIVE NBA games a week that you’ll never see on local or national TV
- Full game replays of every game shown on League Pass for up to 48 hours after the game
- LIVE real-time player statistics for every NBA game
- LIVE real-time scores for every NBA game
- GAME ALERTS – Send game and stats updates to friends through Email, Facebook and Twitter
- GAME REMINDERS – receive alerts when your favorite team’s game goes live
- STANDINGS – View division and conference standings
- SCHEDULE – View the entire 2009 – 10 season
Notes about Mobile Video:
- ALL LIVE AND REPLAY GAMES ARE ONLY AVAILABLE WITHIN THE UNITED STATES
- ALL LIVE AND REPLAY GAMES ARE SUBJECT TO LOCAL MARKET, NATIONAL BLACKOUT AND OTHER RESTRICTIONS*
- LEAGUE PASS COVERAGE ALLOWS YOU TO WATCH REGULAR SEASON GAMES THAT ARE NOT IN YOUR LOCAL CITY OR ON A NATIONAL TV NETWORK
- All live, replay and highlight videos are available on both WI-FI and 3G networks. Video quality varies with your connection speed.
* BLACKOUT RESTRICTIONS: Local and national market blackout rules apply based on your location at the time of viewing.
No matter what you’re looking for – LIVE games, the latest scores, or a chance to watch a game you missed – you’ve never had this much access to LIVE NBA action on your phone.
What’s new
We appreciate your feedback. The latest release addresses the following issues:
- Overall improvement to the quality and reliability of live video performance
- Improvements that help resolve audio/video synchronization issues
- Insufficient network coverage/audio only feed issue resolved
- New Feature! Browse and switch to other games without leaving the LIVE game you’re watching!
- “Remind Me” feature update now available and functioning properly.
Download FREE VERSION Now!
Download FULL VERSION Now! ($19.99)
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