NHL Center Ice. More Games in HD through Dish or Directv?

[therascaldude]

Hey everyone. So, I've decided to make the switch back to Satellite, however I'm still not sure if I should go through Dish or Direct. Basically, the main reason I'm switching back to satellite is because I'm a huge hockey buff, and I'm SICK of getting ONE HD game per night with Time Warner through their center ice package. Now, I know that Directv broadcasts just about every single game in HD. However, I'm not sure how it is with Dish. So, for you Center Ice Dish guys out there, how many HD NHL games are available to you per any given night? (with the package of course). If its anywhere near Directv, I'll go with Dish, since I really prefer their service. However if, like cable, they only show a couple HD games per night out of like 6 or 7 games, I'll have no choice but to go with Direct.

Please let me know!

 

[Islandguy43]

Hey everyone. So, I've decided to make the switch back to Satellite, however I'm still not sure if I should go through Dish or Direct. Basically, the main reason I'm switching back to satellite is because I'm a huge hockey buff, and I'm SICK of getting ONE HD game per night with Time Warner through their center ice package. Now, I know that Directv broadcasts just about every single game in HD. However, I'm not sure how it is with Dish. So, for you Center Ice Dish guys out there, how many HD NHL games are available to you per any given night? (with the package of course). If its anywhere near Directv, I'll go with Dish, since I really prefer their service. However if, like cable, they only show a couple HD games per night out of like 6 or 7 games, I'll have no choice but to go with Direct.

Please let me know!

Probably close to 40-50% of the games were available in HD, but that is due to the fact they use the RSN for the NHLCI Package and unfortunately Dish does not have an agreement with Cablevision so anything on the MSG Banner of Channels (Rangers, Islanders, Devils and Buffalo Sabres), are not available in HD. Thats the negative side.

On the positive side; they offered many dual and sometime triple feeds (when the Habs played on RDS in French), so you could pick which version you wanted, home or away.

None of the games on Rogers sportsnet or TSN were carried in HD; however the Hockey Night in Canada games carried on the NHL Network generally were in HD.

Did TWC offer that NHL Mosiac Channel (mixture of games on one screen) the INdemand website brags about?

I have a similiar problem like you. Being a Sabres Fan, I am tired of watching my team in SD. I prefer Dish's Equipment and DVR, however if I want the Sabres games in HD for this season, I must either switch back to cable (TWC) or move over to Directv.

 

[JohnL]

Hey everyone. So, I've decided to make the switch back to Satellite, however I'm still not sure if I should go through Dish or Direct. Basically, the main reason I'm switching back to satellite is because I'm a huge hockey buff, and I'm SICK of getting ONE HD game per night with Time Warner through their center ice package. Now, I know that Directv broadcasts just about every single game in HD. However, I'm not sure how it is with Dish. So, for you Center Ice Dish guys out there, how many HD NHL games are available to you per any given night? (with the package of course). If its anywhere near Directv, I'll go with Dish, since I really prefer their service. However if, like cable, they only show a couple HD games per night out of like 6 or 7 games, I'll have no choice but to go with Direct.

Please let me know!

Therascaldude,

First off MSG has been holding their HD games back from both DirecTV and Dish for their Center Ice Subscribers. Neither Dish nor DirecTV have any HD games for Center Ice Subs from the NY Rangers, NJ Devils, NY Islanders, Buffalo Sabres.

I can't say how many HD games DirecTV had, but as a Dish Subscriber we had up 6-7 HD games on any given Day, although some days we have NO HD games. It depended on what feeds were available as well as how many Games were to be carried on the NBA Pass.

Be aware Dish does not currently have a HD carriage agreement with MSG so No local HD games from NY Rangers, NJ Devils, NY Islanders, and Buffalo Sabres. DirecTV does carry these teams in HD but only for In Market subscribers.

John

 

[Curtis0620]

For Sports programming you only have 1 choice: DIRECTV

 

[Hemi 6.1]

I'll have to agree with Curtis,
If your even thinking about Satellite TV because of Sports.
Directv is the only stop for you.
And I'm A Dish Network Subscriber.

 

[wolfjc]

I'll have to agree with Curtis,
If your even thinking about Satellite TV because of Sports.
Directv is the only stop for you.
.

This is true for football and baseball but for hockey watch out for Direct.
I was following the Direct troubles with their handling of CI over on the other board.
Some of the problems have been not carrying the hockey night in Canada for the full time pre game, between game, and after game broadcasts.Of course since HNIC is being carried by NHL network I do believe that this has gone away.
But there are other problems they seem to have problems with carrying the Flayers games
and they have had problems with cutting away from games after the allotted time even though the game is still on like in over time ect.
These things may be fixed but the posters on that board still seem to be unhappy.
They seem to be just as unhappy with D*'s handling of HD as the folks over here are unhappy with E*'s handling of HD.

 

[Islandguy43]

They seem to be just as unhappy with D*'s handling of HD as the folks over here are unhappy with E*'s handling of HD.

If you are a Sabres, Rangers, Devils, or Islanders Fan and live in one of the MSG RSN designated areas, you will be disappointed by the fact, if you have Dish you will be watching SD

 

[wolfjc]

If you are a Sabres, Rangers, Devils, or Islanders Fan and live in one of the MSG RSN designated areas, you will be disappointed by the fact, if you have Dish you will be watching SD

This is not E*'s fault it is a pissing match between the NHL and MSG.
The only reason you can get the Sabers in HD is because you live in their home range,because no one else can get them in HD via CI which if you don't live in their home range is the only way SD or HD that you can see them.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

This is not E*'s fault it is a pissing match between the NHL and MSG.
The only reason you can get the Sabers in HD is because you live in their home range,because no one else can get them in HD via CI which if you don't live in their home range is the only way SD or HD that you can see them.

It is E* fault!
They don't Carry MSG or MSG+ in HD. Got nothing to do with NHL. I guess if you lived in the NY DMA you might know what your talking about.

 

[Islandguy43]

This is not E*'s fault it is a pissing match between the NHL and MSG.
The only reason you can get the Sabers in HD is because you live in their home range,because no one else can get them in HD via CI which if you don't live in their home range is the only way SD or HD that you can see them.

If it is a pissing match it is between MSG and Dishnetwork, because in my own backyard (Western NY), if I sub to Digitial TWC or Directv, I will receive the Buffalo Sabres Games on MSG-Buffalo in HD. Subscribe to Dishnetwork or FIOS and you will recieve MSG-Buffalo in SD only.

Furthermore, if I sub to Digitial TWC I will receive not only MSG-Buffalo-HD, but aslo MSG-HD and MSG+-HD, however the live broadcast of those hockey games on the those stations will be blacked out due to territorial rights of the Buffalo Sabres. The rebroadcast of those games at the overnight hours and/or the following day, will be available in HD, to TWC Digitial Cable Subs.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

If it is a pissing match it is between MSG and Dishnetwork, because in my own backyard (Western NY), if I sub to Digitial TWC or Directv, I will receive the Buffalo Sabres Games on MSG-Buffalo in HD. Subscribe to Dishnetwork or FIOS and you will recieve MSG-Buffalo in SD only.

.

MSG and MSG + don't have an HD channel on E* .Thats why its only SD.
D* has both of these in HD

 

[SpaethCo]

MSG HD and MSG+ HD are also not available on ATT U-verse and Verizon FiOS TV. Basically Cablevision withholds the channel from any company who can't enter a quid pro quo agreement.

Time Warner has all the turner broadcasting channels as leverage, Comcast has the HD feeds of Comcast SportsNet or channels like Versus.


With regards to DirecTV vs Dish, I think Dish carried about 75-80% of the games in HD that DirecTV did. On most nights last season I had at least 3-4 HD feeds to choose from, with 5-6 available on some nights. I think it really comes down to which package you would plan on signing up with.

If you're happy with the channels in the TurboHD Gold package it would be cheaper to go with Dish. I pay $59.99 for TurboHD Gold (DVR fee and Locals included), $4.99 for the multisport pack (gotta get my college hockey as well!), and $159/season for Center Ice. To get the same channels I want on D* would require signing up for Choice Xtra + HD DVR $75.99 + Multisport Pack $12.99 + $159/season Center Ice. If you were planning on going with a Classic + HD package with Dish, then I would probably lean more towards signing up with DirecTV instead.

Neither DirecTV nor Dish carry the Canadian feeds in HD, so you'd need to make alternate plans if you want to get those games in HD and really significantly boost your HD game count.

 

[grb]

After all is said and done, the answer to your question is that Direct offers more HD broadcasts than Dish, although Dish usually has 3 or 4 in HD when there are 9 or 10 broadcasts for that day, depending on which teams are playing and where. Away games are seldom in HD for any RSN, and when they are, often there are games shown in HD on two different feeds, with no HD feed on other games.

Kind of frustrating...

 

[SpaethCo]

After all is said and done, the answer to your question is that Direct offers more HD broadcasts than Dish, although Dish usually has 3 or 4 in HD when there are 9 or 10 broadcasts for that day, depending on which teams are playing and where

One of my friends has D* and the discrepancy was never that great. The biggest advantage he had for a while was in the east coast when MSG/MSG+ were still available to D* Center Ice customers in HD.

There were a number of teams that simply had no HD feed of the game. For instance, the LA Kings had 65 games on FSN West but only 10 were in HD last season. Fox Sports North didn't do too much better than that with MN Wild games.

All the games from Rogers SportsNet, TSN/CBC, or RDS were shown in SD on both DirecTV and Dish.

My swag at the numbers would be something like:

Cable: 5%-10% of total games available in HD shown in HD
Dish: 70-80% of total games available in HD shown in HD
Direct: 95-100% of total games available in HD shown in HD

These numbers exclude the MSG-HD feeds and Canadian feeds which nobody outside of those particular DMAs will get in HD.

 

[therascaldude]

Hey everyone, I can't tell you how much I appreciate your responses. Thank you so much. One more quick thing to narrow it down a bit. Since I'm not that keen on any teams that are shown on MSG, those games aren't that big a deal to me. But, if you guys could, how often would you catch Wings games in HD? (as this is the team that primarily matters to me )

 

[Adkeith]

From what I remember most of the Wings games was in HD except when they played in Canada they were usually SD. Dish does provide dual feeds most of the time so you could listen to which announcers you prefer. Here is the link for last years schedule and I counted 69 games in HD. I still think the ones listed on TSN HD we didn't get but my memory is not that good.



http://redwings.nhl.com/team/app?service=page&page=TeamSchedule&season=20082009

 

[therascaldude]

Okay awesome. Just two more quick questions and I swear I'm done. Does NHL Network come free with Center Ice or do I have to do the platinum HD package as well.

Also, if I do the Turbo HD pack and get Center Ice, will I still see SD center ice games? Or will those all be blacked out?

Thanks guys!!

 

[SpaethCo]

NHL Network comes with your CI subscription. I think DirecTV shuts that off when the season is over, but Dish has historically left it on in between renewal periods. So if you sign up for Center Ice and keep renewing, you should never lose access to NHL Network. (Unless Dish changes policy)

TurboHD will still get SD feeds of everything you get in HD. 100% of the games will be available to you in SD, and then some mix will also be available in HD. Detroit wasn't a team I normally followed last year, but I seem to recall every game I watched on FSDetroit was in HD.

 

[Curtis0620]

Okay awesome. Just two more quick questions and I swear I'm done. Does NHL Network come free with Center Ice or do I have to do the platinum HD package as well.

Also, if I do the Turbo HD pack and get Center Ice, will I still see SD center ice games? Or will those all be blacked out?

Thanks guys!!

NHL Network comes with your basic package with Directv. Along with NFL Network, MLB Network, and soon NBATV.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

NHL HD and NBA HD only comes with Platinum Pack, and Maybe the Multi sports pack with HD( Not 100% on that)
NFL HD is in the the Top 100 or 200 (not 100% sure anymore) and above.
But when the platinum pack dies, who knows then.