NHL Center Ice

[Rangers4me]

I got approval to put a dish up on my apartment complex's roof. I currently have TWC and they are about the same price as Dish Network.

The only reason I would switch is if I will get more HD hockey with NHL Center Ice.

How many games were in HD last year? Any idea if it supposed to be more this year?

Also, any word on if/when MSGHD will be added? I know it is uplinked, but the VOOM stuff has put it on hold.

 

[Islandguy43]

Also, any word on if/when MSGHD will be added? I know it is uplinked, but the VOOM stuff has put it on hold.

I don't recall seeing MSGHD uplinked?

 

[edpkp81]

I don't recall seeing MSGHD uplinked?

MSG HD and MSG Plus HD were uplinked a few months back (Ch 5412 and 5413) but I haven't seen any more info on when/if they will be made available.

 

[Islandguy43]

MSG HD and MSG Plus HD were uplinked a few months back (Ch 5412 and 5413) but I haven't seen any more info on when/if they will be made available.

Maybe there is hope yet for the hockey season in hd.

 

[NoCenterIceNoDishNetwork]

yeah they were uplinked a whiiiile back.(well not that longa go but more than a few months i know for sure) maybe we will see MSGHD-AVAILABLE for the new national hd channels that we dont know of yet? anybody know when and or if these channels will be available. ever?

 

[grb]

yeah they were uplinked a whiiiile back.(well not that longa go but more than a few months i know for sure) maybe we will see MSGHD-AVAILABLE for the new national hd channels that we dont know of yet? anybody know when and or if these channels will be available. ever?

No. Nobody at Dish knows (probably not even Charlie and he's the one that has been negotiating forever with MSG for HD).

That's why I cancelled CI for 2008/09 when they recently billed me for the first installment of $53. Hopefully, they will have the first week free preview like in the past and we will have a chance to see the level of HD content. I am reluctant to pay $10 more than last season if there isn't more HD. Many of the SD broadcasts have horrible PQ.

 

[Islandguy43]

No. Nobody at Dish knows (probably not even Charlie and he's the one that has been negotiating forever with MSG for HD).

That's why I cancelled CI for 2008/09 when they recently billed me for the first installment of $53. Hopefully, they will have the first week free preview like in the past and we will have a chance to see the level of HD content. I am reluctant to pay $10 more than last season if there isn't more HD. Many of the SD broadcasts have horrible PQ.

I haven't got billed for it yet and hope I don't. That way I will really check out the pq of the games, before if I decide to once and for all make that move to Directv to get the buffalo games in hd.

 

[grb]

I haven't got billed for it yet and hope I don't. That way I will really check out the pq of the games, before if I decide to once and for all make that move to Directv to get the buffalo games in hd.

I'm a Sabre fan, too and it hasn't been fun watching all their games in SD over the past 2 years.

 

[Islandguy43]

I'm a Sabre fan, too and it hasn't been fun watching all their games in SD over the past 2 years.

One advantage you would have is that, if you sub to the nhl ci package, since you live out of the buffalo area, you could watch the other teams feed of the game if it was in hd. I can't do that, even though I sub to center ice, I am forced to watch the overcompressed sd version, unless dish steps up to the plate this year and gets msg-hd feed.

 

[grb]

One advantage you would have is that, if you sub to the nhl ci package, since you live out of the buffalo area, you could watch the other teams feed of the game if it was in hd. I can't do that, even though I sub to center ice, I am forced to watch the overcompressed sd version, unless dish steps up to the plate this year and gets msg-hd feed.

That sucks how they black out CI broadcasts to protect the tv rights of the RSN for your area. They should have protection ONLY if they broadcast in HD. Viewers shouldn't be relagated to SD broadcasts if their RSN offers an inferior product. The NHL needs to change the current archaic protection rules and make the RSN's anti up to provide HD broadcasts. This is needed for the promotion of hockey as well as the enjoyment of hockey fans (which is really the same thing).

However, as a Sabres fan with the choice of RSN feeds, I could count the number of Sabres games that were in HD on the alternate feed on one or two hands all of last season on the Dish CI broadcasts. The only mainstream teams with home HD broadcasts were Detroit, Dallas, Pittsburgh and Colorado. All the others in HD were RSN's that Charlie probably got a deal with because hockey isn't as big a deal in those areas (Florida, Carolina, Columbus, Phoenix, etc.). The New York, New Jersey, Boston and all the Canadian teams were all SD broadcasts.

So I didn't see many Sabres games in HD last year either...

 

[crimpshrine]

Thanks for the cheap shot about Carolina!

 

[grb]

Thanks for the cheap shot about Carolina!

Sorry -- didn't mean it as a cheap shot. I just meant that hockey is not as popular in some areas (including the Carolinas) as others and Charlie was probably able to get HD rights cheaply.

However, I am impressed that the RSN's in these areas broadcast their games in HD!

 

[AdamGott]

That sucks how they black out CI broadcasts to protect the tv rights of the RSN for your area. They should have protection ONLY if they broadcast in HD. Viewers shouldn't be relagated to SD broadcasts if their RSN offers an inferior product. The NHL needs to change the current archaic protection rules and make the RSN's anti up to provide HD broadcasts. This is needed for the promotion of hockey as well as the enjoyment of hockey fans (which is really the same thing).

However, as a Sabres fan with the choice of RSN feeds, I could count the number of Sabres games that were in HD on the alternate feed on one or two hands all of last season on the Dish CI broadcasts. The only mainstream teams with home HD broadcasts were Detroit, Dallas, Pittsburgh and Colorado. All the others in HD were RSN's that Charlie probably got a deal with because hockey isn't as big a deal in those areas (Florida, Carolina, Columbus, Phoenix, etc.). The New York, New Jersey, Boston and all the Canadian teams were all SD broadcasts.

So I didn't see many Sabres games in HD last year either...

They do blackout CI games in the RSN area? Well hell! I was going to get center ice this year just to get the Avalanche games (because Dish won't let me sub to my RSN's with HD Absolute package). Guess I wont' bother now....

 

[grb]

They do blackout CI games in the RSN area? Well hell! I was going to get center ice this year just to get the Avalanche games (because Dish won't let me sub to my RSN's with HD Absolute package). Guess I wont' bother now....

I'm in the same boat -- I can't get Kings and Ducks games (home or away) on CI.

However, HD Absolute will disappear on 2/1/09, so I will be forced to get a "turbo" package. The gold has the RSN's included at $10 more than Absolute. For another $10 you can get the platinum and have what you have now with Absolute (plus RSN) for $20 more than Absolute...

 

[hockeynut5150]

The New York, New Jersey, Boston and all the Canadian teams were all SD broadcasts.

So I didn't see many Sabres games in HD last year either...

NESN HD is now on Dish, so you'll probably get the bruins-sabres games in HD.. that is if Dish makes them available. I remember a bunch of games that were broadcast in HD on the RSNs but not on CI

 

[grb]

I remember a bunch of games that were broadcast in HD on the RSNs but not on CI

That's the other half of the problem. Even though Dish has now negotiated rights for an RSN's HD broadcasts, it is questionable whether Dish will broadcast the HD versions on CI. The free preview (assuming they have one) for the first week of CI may give us a better idea...

 

[AdamGott]

Does anyone have the link handy to see which pro sports teams are in my region? I 'moved' last year and want to verify which teams are/are not in my region. I know I have seen it posted here before but I can't find it now.

 

[hockeynut5150]

That's the other half of the problem. Even though Dish has now negotiated rights for an RSN's HD broadcasts, it is questionable whether Dish will broadcast the HD versions on CI. The free preview (assuming they have one) for the first week of CI may give us a better idea...

They always have the free preview during the first week of the season, but we won't know how many HD games they'll carry on CI until NBA season. They carried all available HD games on CI until NBA season started last year, then it was hit or miss

 

[grb]

They always have the free preview during the first week of the season, but we won't know how many HD games they'll carry on CI until NBA season. They carried all available HD games on CI until NBA season started last year, then it was hit or miss

Good point!

I didn't notice a reduction in HD games once the NBA had started over the past 2 seasons, but it makes sense if Dish has limited HD capacity that the NBA games could reduce the HD availability for CI. So I guess the main thing the free preview will tell us is whether they even intend to provide HD coverage for some of the teams that wasn't available in the past (Buffalo, NY Rangers, Boston, etc.) If I felt that there was a good chance of getting at least half of these games in HD throughout the season, I would be more likely to consider paying the increased CI charge for the new season.

Actually, I think Charlie should reduce the CI price for this season, seeing as how he has saved "us" all this money by not paying for HD rights for some of the RSN's over the past 2 years. I wonder what he's done with all the savings...

 

[dishcomm]

That sucks how they black out CI broadcasts to protect the tv rights of the RSN for your area. They should have protection ONLY if they broadcast in HD. Viewers shouldn't be relagated to SD broadcasts if their RSN offers an inferior product. The NHL needs to change the current archaic protection rules and make the RSN's anti up to provide HD broadcasts. This is needed for the promotion of hockey as well as the enjoyment of hockey fans (which is really the same thing).

However, as a Sabres fan with the choice of RSN feeds, I could count the number of Sabres games that were in HD on the alternate feed on one or two hands all of last season on the Dish CI broadcasts. The only mainstream teams with home HD broadcasts were Detroit, Dallas, Pittsburgh and Colorado. All the others in HD were RSN's that Charlie probably got a deal with because hockey isn't as big a deal in those areas (Florida, Carolina, Columbus, Phoenix, etc.). The New York, New Jersey, Boston and all the Canadian teams were all SD broadcasts.

So I didn't see many Sabres games in HD last year either...

Yeah well you know what they say ..You can wish in one hand and poop in other and see what you get first.
My take on this is the idea of territorial restrcitions and blackouts is a result of a 1950's attitude in a 21st century world.
My thinking is that if we are willing to pay , we should be able to view what we wish. JMO.....of course then there's the wish and the poop.