Hockey without Center Ice?

[SideFx]

I'm a Leafs fan living in Florida and was wondering what would be the chances of seeing any Leafs games without the CI package?

I don't currently have satellite, but with the huge addition of HD to satellite providers compared to cable I have thought about switching.

I know the Leafs are playing the Rangers tomorrow and was wondering if I had Directv service would I get the game/HD?

 

[REDANDBLACK]

Only Hd NHL games would be on VS or NBC later in the season.Check their schedules

You get a HD game if the Leafs played the local team in your area in Florida and the rsn had the game in HD.

 

[311Man]

I'm a Leafs fan living in Florida and was wondering what would be the chances of seeing any Leafs games without the CI package?

I don't currently have satellite, but with the huge addition of HD to satellite providers compared to cable I have thought about switching.

I know the Leafs are playing the Rangers tomorrow and was wondering if I had Directv service would I get the game/HD?

Yes you would get the Leafs game but not necessarily in HD. D* has started to place "select" games in HD on the NHLCI package. For example on Thursday they had 4 games in HD (according to D* website). Saturday they will have two games but the Leafs game is not slated to be in HD. Tuesdays game against Washington is slated to be in HD.

Not sure of your location in Florida but for example if you were in the Miami area Florida Panther games would be blacked out on NHLCI. Those games would have to be viewed on your Regional Sportsnetwork.

 

[Jimbo]

Only Hd NHL games would be on VS or NBC later in the season.Check their schedules

You get a HD game if the Leafs played the local team in your area in Florida and the rsn had the game in HD.

Add HD Net to your list for HD hockey

Jimbo

 

[SideFx]

Would I get them not in HD or is it only if they are facing a local team mainly?

 

[angiodan]

Sidefx, if you want to see every Leaf game, and close to 70 of them in HD, you can get Bell Expressvu. If you are south of Tampa, you will not get about 30-40% of the other channels you would subscribe to since we fall out of the satellite footprint.

But if its just the Leafs you care about, you can get CBC HD, TSN HD, Leafs TV HD, and Sportsnet 2 HD. More pricey than Center Ice, the minimum cost would be about $50 a month, but the thing I like best is the pre game and post game stuff that you wouldn't see on Center Ice.

You could also put your account on vacation hold in the summer for 4 months to save a few bucks.

 

[FavreJL04]

I'm a Leafs fan living in Florida and was wondering what would be the chances of seeing any Leafs games without the CI package?

I don't currently have satellite, but with the huge addition of HD to satellite providers compared to cable I have thought about switching.

I know the Leafs are playing the Rangers tomorrow and was wondering if I had Directv service would I get the game/HD?

You would be able to get any games that are broadcast nationally in SD. Right now the only place to get national games is on VS and the NHL Network when it kicks off on DirecTV. Later in the season NBC will get a bunch of Sunday games which will also be available nationwide. If your local NHL team is playing the Leafs on the local RSN you will be able to see it there as well.

If you have high def you will get all VS, NBC, and the NHL Network games. You will get your Leafs in high def on your local RSN ONLY if your local team is playing a home game against the Leafs AND your local RSN is available in high def.

Hope that helps.

 

[Jimbo]

You would be able to get any games that are broadcast nationally in SD. Right now the only place to get national games is on VS and the NHL Network when it kicks off on DirecTV. Later in the season NBC will get a bunch of Sunday games which will also be available nationwide. If your local NHL team is playing the Leafs on the local RSN you will be able to see it there as well.

If you have high def you will get all VS, NBC, and the NHL Network games. You will get your Leafs in high def on your local RSN ONLY if your local team is playing a home game against the Leafs AND your local RSN is available in high def.

Hope that helps.

NBC has a bunch of games ????
Hardly , only if they have changed their ways from the past several years, they normally start sometime in Febuary and show a game a week, from what I recall.
Until the playoffs.

Jimbo

 

[mechman]

Sidefx, if you want to see every Leaf game, and close to 70 of them in HD, you can get Bell Expressvu. If you are south of Tampa, you will not get about 30-40% of the other channels you would subscribe to since we fall out of the satellite footprint.

But if its just the Leafs you care about, you can get CBC HD, TSN HD, Leafs TV HD, and Sportsnet 2 HD. More pricey than Center Ice, the minimum cost would be about $50 a month, but the thing I like best is the pre game and post game stuff that you wouldn't see on Center Ice.

You could also put your account on vacation hold in the summer for 4 months to save a few bucks.

Can you actually get Bell Expressvu in the US? I didn't know that... I would've taken them over DirecTV for the last three years! Hockey-wise anyways...

mechman

 

[angiodan]

Can you actually get Bell Expressvu in the US? I didn't know that... I would've taken them over DirecTV for the last three years! Hockey-wise anyways...

mechman

Yes you can, although because of the old weak birds they borrowed from Direct, those of us in the deep south of Florida, Texas and California cannot get all the channels. But anywhere else in the US, you can get them no problem.

Now, legally, you can't subscribe to them, so you would have to use a broker, or, if you have a friend or relative, use their address and have them make the calls to sign up for service.

Starchoice is available throughout the US, but right now they don't offer LeafsTV HD or the alternate Sportsnet HD channel. However, they are a lot more friendly about calls from the US.

 

[FavreJL04]

NBC has a bunch of games ????
Hardly , only if they have changed their ways from the past several years, they normally start sometime in Febuary and show a game a week, from what I recall.
Until the playoffs.

Jimbo

You are right. Maybe the word "bunch" was not the best choice there. It is one game a week, so probably about 10 or so total games.