Sportsmania

IanMcL · Post by **IanMcL** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 5:06 pm

I have read about folk raving about Sportsmania on here. Going on about Kodi and stuff. I am pleased to say I signed up for 6 months @ £26 this afternoon and watched it on my computer screen in HD. I do have a big screen!

Meant to add, it was a very good pic indeed.

Thanks

clarethomer · Post by **clarethomer** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 5:08 pm

Yep - flawless today for me also..

Autobahn · Post by **Autobahn** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 5:15 pm

It's brilliant.

steve_f · Post by **steve_f** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 5:17 pm

Apart from the result

MACCA · Post by **MACCA** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 5:18 pm

Mama hd on kodi / firestick was ok.

Still finding it hard to find decent links when it's against the poorer sides. ( not sure if it's coincidence or not )

JohnMac · Post by **JohnMac** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 5:21 pm

I had a little bit of buffering today on Sportmania, bloody scandalous!

Funkydrummer · Post by **Funkydrummer** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 5:22 pm

Spot on again today - if report from the other day is correct, then today is the last time you can
sign up. Renewals are not affected.

IanMcL · Post by **IanMcL** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 5:34 pm

Funkydrummer wrote:Spot on again today - if report from the other day is correct, then today is the last time you can
sign up. Renewals are not affected.

That's why I risked it!

Funkydrummer · Post by **Funkydrummer** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 5:35 pm

No risk there Ian, excellent service - glad you managed it in good time.

dushanbe · Post by **dushanbe** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 5:37 pm

I've got a sub, but I haven't seen anything about restricting new subscribers. Have they decided to limit it or something?

TheOriginalLongsider · Post by **TheOriginalLongsider** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 5:38 pm

No crap streams on Sportsmania. Some buffering occasionally but not too often - not like finding streams yourself on the internet. For £1 per week its amazing value. Its true about new subscriptions not being accepted after today. There is a sister service (Sports Nation?) which is not affected.

cutsy123 · Post by **cutsy123** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 6:01 pm

U need to create a log in for sportsmania by midnight today as they are closing for.new users due to demand. Id create a log in at least even if u dont plan to subscribe yet.

A couple of seasons back it happend for around 9 months where you couldnt subscribe as you had to be referred in as a user

clarethomer · Post by **clarethomer** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 6:05 pm

I will repeat again for those that missed the other thread.

Sportsmania is no longer accepting new signupds following today. HOWEVER you can still sign up for sportsnation or ultimatemania and get the same service as they are sister sites to sportsmania.

Its just a different add on you install but run by the same people.

It is my understanding that the reason sportsmania is stopping at present is because of the software that they are using to run the site which is not working as expected and they rely on 3rd parties to resolve some of the issues - if a load of people log in at the same time it can crash which is what has happened a couple of occasions recently. They assure us that they are not even anywhere near capacity from a server perspective.

Any buffering is almost usually down to the user end. Whether it be poor wifi quality, lack of RAM in a device or poor maintenance of the device.

Its well worth the £1 a week...even if there are slight hiccups every now and then.

If you miss out signing up today - you can still access their service through the above named sister sites.

Diesel · Post by **Diesel** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 6:08 pm

Any 'buffering' issues can only be laid at one man's door - Sean Dyche.

cutsy123 · Post by **cutsy123** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 6:10 pm

His chin has been buffered

mkmel · Post by **mkmel** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 6:23 pm

I signed up about 1 week ago for 6 months at £26 and very impressed with both the picture and sound quality.

Strongly advice anyone who hasn't subscribed yet to do so before midnight.

You won't regret it

aggi · Post by **aggi** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 7:35 pm

I wouldn't rave about Sportsmania as much as some. It's a decent service but not flawless. Apart from the problems of the past few weeks I've had a few matches with poor streams, excessive buffering or just not working (particularly for PPV events, popular matches, etc). Tried on a few machines/connections so not issues at my end. It also isn't particularly well optimised for poor connections (iplayer or similar copes much better).

However, compared to hunting around the internet for streams it's a far better option. Most of the time it's decent and will give you something far more watchable. It's worth a quid a week or whatever.

For those not aware it's very easy to get on an android phone as well. Install Kodi and then install the add-on as normal and it works just the same. I watched the last 25 minutes of today's game on the bus home on my mobile.

IanMcL · Post by **IanMcL** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 7:48 pm

Kodi? I have logged in on my computer, my Samsung Android phone and lady friend's laptop and just signed in. Why would anything called Kodi be needed?

StuffyClaret · Post by **StuffyClaret** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 7:57 pm

Mama HD link was fantastic on the Firestick today

clarethomer · Post by **clarethomer** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 7:59 pm

You can watch just through the website - no need for kodi.

You can also watch through matrix tv app on ios devices..

You can watch through Xbox one/PS4 etc again without KODI

bartons baggage · Post by **bartons baggage** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 8:10 pm

IanMcL wrote:I have read about folk raving about Sportsmania on here. Going on about Kodi and stuff. I am pleased to say I signed up for 6 months @ £26 this afternoon and watched it on my computer screen in HD. I do have a big screen!

Meant to add, it was a very good pic indeed.

Thanks

Plug your pc into your tv via a hdmi cable,did it today good quality stream.

cutsy123 · Post by **cutsy123** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 8:17 pm

aggi wrote:I wouldn't rave about Sportsmania as much as some. It's a decent service but not flawless. Apart from the problems of the past few weeks I've had a few matches with poor streams, excessive buffering or just not working (particularly for PPV events, popular matches, etc). Tried on a few machines/connections so not issues at my end. It also isn't particularly well optimised for poor connections (iplayer or similar copes much better).

However, compared to hunting around the internet for streams it's a far better option. Most of the time it's decent and will give you something far more watchable. It's worth a quid a week or whatever.

For those not aware it's very easy to get on an android phone as well. Install Kodi and then install the add-on as normal and it works just the same. I watched the last 25 minutes of today's game on the bus home on my mobile.

Disagree. In all the time ive used it goin bk a few seasons now this service has been impecible and only major issues ive had wer for the sunderland game

You dont need kodi to subscribe. U can watch clear hd streams on your laptop

aggi · Post by **aggi** » Mon Jan 02, 2017 10:58 pm

cutsy123 wrote:Disagree. In all the time ive used it goin bk a few seasons now this service has been impecible and only major issues ive had wer for the sunderland game

You dont need kodi to subscribe. U can watch clear hd streams on your laptop

I can only speak of what I've experienced, I've been using it for upwards of a year now on a variety of machines (i7 laptop with 16GB of Ram, i5 desktop with 16GB of RAM and decent video card, Raspberry Pi all wired network on 150Gbps connection or Android mobile on ~ 40Gbps 4G connection). It's possibly that all my machines and my mobile suffer from a fault at the same time but that seems unlikely.

Yes, you can use the website but I far prefer the Kodi interface, easy to use with a remote (for my HTPCs) or touch (admittedly I've been using Kodi since it was XBMC and you installed it on a modded xbox).

WestMidsClaret · Post by **WestMidsClaret** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 8:26 am

Are some people getting commission or something!!

Let's be honest it's been pap for a couple of weeks! We've heard its everything from people's broadband, their devices to a new software. It's probably due to too many people using it. Hence why they've really stopped taking on new members. But saying that it was a decent service until whatever the problems were cropped up.

Squiff · Post by **Squiff** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 1:21 pm

I subscribe to Sports Nation HD, no problems at all. Watched all Burnley games, PPV events and Darts etc with no issues, best £26 I've ever spent, with the PPV alone, it's already paid for itself.

superdimitri · Post by **superdimitri** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 1:48 pm

Although cheap I struggle with the idea of paying for something illegal. What kind of quality streams can you expect? I know people mention HD but usually a "HD" stream is in fact not HD.

If the streams are buffer free and in 720p resolution with decent bitrates I may look into it more but does anyone have any details about the quality?

PaintYorkClaretnBlue · Post by **PaintYorkClaretnBlue** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 3:03 pm

I find that it's just like watching tv, excellent quality streams

Clarinetclaret · Post by **Clarinetclaret** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 3:11 pm

WestMidsClaret wrote:Are some people getting commission or something!!

Let's be honest it's been pap for a couple of weeks! We've heard its everything from people's broadband, their devices to a new software. It's probably due to too many people using it. Hence why they've really stopped taking on new members. But saying that it was a decent service until whatever the problems were cropped up.

No issues here and no commision. Each match has multiple streams so if one doesnt work then another will. Love the uploads in sports on demand as well. Due to work i miss matches so just pick one from their uploads.
Not had a major problem for months using this service. And yes the hd streams are 720p. And when compared to sky hd on our 55inch tv theres no difference, watching from around 8 foot away.
For the value its superb for sports fans.

Clarinetclaret · Post by **Clarinetclaret** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 3:13 pm

superdimitri wrote:Although cheap I struggle with the idea of paying for something illegal. What kind of quality streams can you expect? I know people mention HD but usually a "HD" stream is in fact not HD.

If the streams are buffer free and in 720p resolution with decent bitrates I may look into it more but does anyone have any details about the quality?

Just google it and look for reviews on youtube etc. Then you can decide for yourself whether its worth paying for.

wilks_bfc · Post by **wilks_bfc** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 3:17 pm

I subscribe to StarStreams and not had any issues this season either with the football or boxing/UFC that I've watched.
Usually watch 720 from laptop via hdmi cable to tv and never had any buffering or drop in quality.

Watched yesterday's game on firestick hat I got over weekend and there was a little delay in the sound.
Wasn't an issue though and no issues with the United game after or the darts later on so might just have been an issue at their end

cutsy123 · Post by **cutsy123** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 3:18 pm

The reason i share the info on this is because every week different people post the same topic of any links for today s game. If u got SM u wouldnt need to constantly search weekly for a watchable stream the game is always in HD on Sportsmania

wilks_bfc · Post by **wilks_bfc** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 3:22 pm

cutsy123 wrote:The reason i share the info on this is because every week different people post the same topic of any links for today s game. If u got SM u wouldnt need to constantly search weekly for a watchable stream the game is always in HD on Sportsmania

Agree. Think what most people are really asking tho are "any FREE streams".
Problem with free streams is the quality not guaranteed as usually only one server which everyone accesses (yes I know there has been issue with SM recently) but subscription service are usually restricted with number of users on multiple servers which maintains quality

WestMidsClaret · Post by **WestMidsClaret** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 3:34 pm

cutsy123 wrote:The reason i share the info on this is because every week different people post the same topic of any links for today s game. If u got SM u wouldnt need to constantly search weekly for a watchable stream the game is always in HD on Sportsmania

Except there were no streams for the Middlesbrough or Sunderland games against us on sportsmania. Infact as far as I'm aware and by looking on fb and their website chat nobody got any streams for the premier league matches on boxing day and new year's eve. I haven't got a problem with sportsmania I use it myself I was just adding a little perspective. I told a few people about it myself just before Christmas so it looked good when it went down for 2 matchdays on the trot!

moaninclaret · Post by **moaninclaret** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 3:34 pm

if you subscribe to sportsmania or you already are a subsciber i recommend you buy a amazon firebox and loadup on it. great devce and some stores have them on offer for around £65 good luck

ElectroClaret · Post by **ElectroClaret** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 3:43 pm

WestMids....Surprised to hear there were no streams on SM for the Sunderland game.

There were several on kodi, one particularly excellent one through Evolve,
no buffering at all. Though of course, that's not the same for every game.

TheOriginalLongsider · Post by **TheOriginalLongsider** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 4:04 pm

I watched Sunderland and Man City games on Sportsmania. There were issues on Boxing Day. But every other game has been excellent quality.

Craigyp01 · Post by **Craigyp01** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 4:12 pm

Sister station sportsnation gets my vote. Not had a single problem with any of our games which were all streamed in HD, bar a 10 second buffer during the City game.

In fact I watch through sportsnation instead of sky sports on virgin as I don't pay the extra forthe HD channels (will be cancelling sports on Virgin when the contract is up its that good).

SussexDon1inIreland · Post by **SussexDon1inIreland** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 4:14 pm

Didn't work for me on my iPhone in the hotel I am staying in vs Sunderland probably internet speeds.
Have had some issues for other games as well using it from my home where we have ultra fast speeds (south of Dublin).

UTC

WestMidsClaret · Post by **WestMidsClaret** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 4:31 pm

TheOriginalLongsider wrote:I watched Sunderland and Man City games on Sportsmania. There were issues on Boxing Day. But every other game has been excellent quality.

If you got the Sunderland the game you were very lucky because literally 100s of people were complaining about there being no streams up on any games. Man city was probably ok because I think they changed the software that had been causing problems on boxing day and new year's Eve after they'd started using a new software just before then supposedly. Anyway as far as I can tell it's back to normal now but don't quote me on that

Dublin7Claret · Post by **Dublin7Claret** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 4:33 pm

down on boxing day for me. was at Turf NYE so can't comment on that. Back to normal buffering free HD picture yesterday

claretdom · Post by **claretdom** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 4:34 pm

They put out a small statement it was down on Boxing day the next day and explained why.

durhamclaret · Post by **durhamclaret** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 4:52 pm

With all the comments on here I thought I better sign up
Like previous posters have said £26 for 6 months seems pretty good to me
Although I'll reserve judgement until the next match I can't attend to see how good (or bad) it is UTC!

KRBFC · Post by **KRBFC** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 5:30 pm

superdimitri wrote:Although cheap I struggle with the idea of paying for something illegal. What kind of quality streams can you expect? I know people mention HD but usually a "HD" stream is in fact not HD.

If the streams are buffer free and in 720p resolution with decent bitrates I may look into it more but does anyone have any details about the quality?

They are effectively charging you to watch free streams that are available on the internet free of charge.

clarethomer · Post by **clarethomer** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 8:02 pm

KRBFC wrote:They are effectively charging you to watch free streams that are available on the internet free of charge.

Yes you can get the same content but they are not charging you to just show you a cricfree type stream. They justify the cost and add value by giving you access to the streams through their servers at a better quality. You therefore pay for a better quality stream and bitrate than the free ones too.

However no IPTV provider can guarantee buffer free streaming - I get buffering at times on netflix/amazon prime. Anyone who promotes 100% buffer free guarantee is talking BS as it cannot be offered.

In terms of the free streams, they still need to make money, which is why they have loads of ads ladened across the front of it, that is what pays for the site.. The free sites are not charitable institutions either. So yes if you dont want to pay the £1 a week and are happy to put up with the lower quality streams, great. If you get annoyed by the ads and the quality then there is a way to get these...

Whilst not exactly the same....Take Clarets Mad... you could pay £20 a year to have an environment where you were not annoyed by those dreadful Ads, or you could view the content for free but be at the mercy of the ads.

Whilst there were ways around it with adblockers etc, unfortunately for ClaretsMad, the people that provided the decent content of the site decided enough was enough.. There was no reason to stick around or pay the £20.

KRBFC · Post by **KRBFC** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 8:15 pm

clarethomer wrote:Yes you can get the same content but they are not charging you to just show you a cricfree type stream. They justify the cost and add value by giving you access to the streams through their servers at a better quality. You therefore pay for a better quality stream and bitrate than the free ones too.

However no IPTV provider can guarantee buffer free streaming - I get buffering at times on netflix/amazon prime. Anyone who promotes 100% buffer free guarantee is talking BS as it cannot be offered.

In terms of the free streams, they still need to make money, which is why they have loads of ads ladened across the front of it, that is what pays for the site.. The free sites are not charitable institutions either. So yes if you dont want to pay the £1 a week and are happy to put up with the lower quality streams, great. If you get annoyed by the ads and the quality then there is a way to get these...

Whilst not exactly the same....Take Clarets Mad... you could pay £20 a year to have an environment where you were not annoyed by those dreadful Ads, or you could view the content for free but be at the mercy of the ads.

Whilst there were ways around it with adblockers etc, unfortunately for ClaretsMad, the people that provided the decent content of the site decided enough was enough.. There was no reason to stick around or pay the £20.

While I understand what you're saying, you are still paying for a stream that is free to watch elsewhere. Like you said, adblocker removes adverts.

TheOriginalLongsider · Post by **TheOriginalLongsider** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 8:18 pm

It also has a very easy menu. Just select premier league games and Burnley will be listed. Select it and they will show the best stream in HD.

It's not just football either.

minnieclaret · Post by **minnieclaret** » Tue Jan 03, 2017 8:52 pm

A newbie to all this but currently watching Ballmouth v Arsenal on MamaHD through the Zem video addon, it's excellent.

The Sunderland match was listed for Bein9 but on the day they showed Chelsea on Bein 1 & 9 and we missed out.

superdimitri · Post by **superdimitri** » Wed Jan 04, 2017 1:31 pm

Do they actually own their own streams though or is this just the same as getting IPTV through something like VLC or alike.

cutsy123 · Post by **cutsy123** » Wed Jan 04, 2017 6:49 pm

WestMidsClaret wrote:Except there were no streams for the Middlesbrough or Sunderland games against us on sportsmania. Infact as far as I'm aware and by looking on fb and their website chat nobody got any streams for the premier league matches on boxing day and new year's eve. I haven't got a problem with sportsmania I use it myself I was just adding a little perspective. I told a few people about it myself just before Christmas so it looked good when it went down for 2 matchdays on the trot!

Dont kno wher u wer lookin but ive had 1 issue in 3 years for half of the sunderland game. Rest have been perfect

Clarinetclaret · Post by **Clarinetclaret** » Wed Jan 04, 2017 7:26 pm

WestMidsClaret wrote:Except there were no streams for the Middlesbrough or Sunderland games against us on sportsmania. Infact as far as I'm aware and by looking on fb and their website chat nobody got any streams for the premier league matches on boxing day and new year's eve. I haven't got a problem with sportsmania I use it myself I was just adding a little perspective. I told a few people about it myself just before Christmas so it looked good when it went down for 2 matchdays on the trot!

Weird i watched both games through sm. If the epl links arent working i just go on the calendar where theres about 6 links per match. Cant remember if i had to use them.