European Soccer in HD on Dish

[kstuart]

Three different ways:

1 - Yesterday, the contracts were finally signed on the deal :

ESPN has acquired the TV rights to two of the weekly Premier League slots on US television for the 2009-2010 season. Beginning on August 15, 2009, each week ESPN will feature the 7:45am ET Saturday game and the 3pm ET Monday game.

and 12 hours later to everyone's surprise, the first match was shown in full HD on ESPN2-HD this morning.

So, look for two English Premier League matches every week (except for off weeks) in High Definition on ESPN2 (although, as usual, they have not made any particular commitment to HD).

( Most Premier League matches are available on Dish in SD on Fox Soccer Channel and Setanta Sports USA. )

2 - Tuesday, Fox debuts their coverage of the top professional soccer league in the world, The UEFA Champions League, with HD broadcasts on HD Regional Sports Network Channels, on every Tuesday of weeks in which the tournament is scheduled. Dish will be showing the match in HD on HD Alternate Sports Channel 9514 (mapped down to 444), and the match is not subject to blackouts, and should be viewable to everyone who subscribes to a package that includes any RSN and HD. The matches are also viewable on most SD RSNs. The first HD match this Tuesday is Arsenal at Celtic.

( Most UEFA Champions League matches will be available on Dish in SD on Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Sports Espanol and Setanta Sports USA. )

3 - In January, Fox Soccer Channel launches their HD channel, and will be showing 3 Premier League matches per week in HD, and 4 Italian Serie A matches per week in HD.

To paraphrase Monty Python " No, 4, 4 Different Ways "

4 - ESPN has licensed half of the US rights to Spain's La Liga (featuring top teams Real Madrid and Barcelona), and has weekly matches scheduled for ESPN Deportes, and 20 matches this season on ESPN2. Given today's HD broadcast on ESPN2-HD of the Premier League, it now seems more likely that these ESPN2 matches will also be shown in HD on ESPN2-HD.

PS This Fall, even ABC daytime soap operas are going HD, so it looks like we are getting close to a point where all new programming will be in HD.

 

[julesism]

w0rd... I needed someone to pinch me this morning to make sure I wasn't dreaming footie coverage has come along way in the last decade:up I remember fox sports world in it's humble beginnings and having to pay $200-300 (I forget exactly how much it was) for the EPL PPV season package which only had 2 games a week! Kudos to ESPN and looking fwd to FSC-HD! :beer:

 

[tfultz]

The electronic programming guide didn't show the early match either on Setanta or on ESPN2 and the DVR didn't record them in the slots

But I am overjoyed to see it being available in HD

Come on Celtic on Tuesday. Hopefully Arsenal tired themselves out scoring 6 against Everton today

 

[kstuart]

Note that the match on Tuesday starts at 2:45pm ET and the program starts at 2:30pm ET. There is also a pre-game show at 2:00pm ET that is available, but some channels will instead choose to show Paid infomercials instead for that half hour.

So, do not panic if there is infomercials until 2:30pm ET or so, and there may not be HD until the actual start of the match at 2:45pm ET.

 

[janko]

ok ok ok...slow down.How can we find out,when and witch game is available on HDALT? I dont want to miss it and if not this thread,i would never know about it, and about tomorrow's game.Is there any schedule or something like that?
Another thing is,we all know that FSC is going HD on 1/10 but is it for sure that Dish is going to carry HD feed from the beginning?There is too many questions and its all very exciding.I dont wanna miss a thing...

 

[nlk10010]

OK, so as I read kstuart's post, there should be a match on ESPN2-HD today, right about now, but I don't see it. Is this an off-week or am I misinterpreting the post?

Thanks for any info.

 

[janko]

This is all i know for now:EPL on ESPN2 schedule
Sat., 7:40 a.m. Chelsea vs. Hull City
Sat., Aug. 22, 9:55 a.m., Wigan Athletic vs. Manchester United
Mon., Aug. 24, 2:55 p.m. , Liverpool vs. Aston Villa
Sat., Aug. 29, 7:40 a.m., Chelsea vs. Burnley
Sat., Sept. 12, 9:55 a.m., Liverpool vs. Burnley
Sat., Sept. 1, 7:40 a.m, Burnley vs. Sunderland
Sat., Sept. 26, 7:40 a.m., Portsmouth vs. Everton
Mon., Sept. 28, 2:55 p.m., Manchester City vs. West Ham

 

[TravelFan1]

Three different ways:


2 - Tuesday, Fox debuts their coverage of the top professional soccer league in the world, The UEFA Champions League, with HD broadcasts on HD Regional Sports Network Channels, on every Tuesday of weeks in which the tournament is scheduled. Dish will be showing the match in HD on HD Alternate Sports Channel 9514 (mapped down to 444), and the match is not subject to blackouts, and should be viewable to everyone who subscribes to a package that includes any RSN and HD. The matches are also viewable on most SD RSNs. The first HD match this Tuesday is Arsenal at Celtic.

( Most UEFA Champions League matches will be available on Dish in SD on Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Sports Espanol and Setanta Sports USA. )
...

I'll check later on tonight from home, but I'd like to validate the meaning of "any RSN in HD" - whether it actually means "any Fox Sports Net in HD" - 'cause, you know, I am in Dolanland here in NYC metro, so no FSN NY in HD on Dish(or on Fios and U-Verse)...

 

[kstuart]

I'll check later on tonight from home, but I'd like to validate the meaning of "any RSN in HD" - whether it actually means "any Fox Sports Net in HD" - 'cause, you know, I am in Dolanland here in NYC metro, so no FSN NY in HD on Dish(or on Fios and U-Verse)...

The match is not subject to blackout, so if you subscribe to an RSN on Dish Network, and you receive HD on Dish Network, you should be able to receive it in theory (but I do not know exactly what exclusions have actually been placed by the Engineering guys who set up the event in the Listings).

For example, in the Guide on 9514 later today is "Brewers at Pirates". If I click on that, it tells me "the program is not available for viewing in your area".

If you can click on the UEFA Champions League listing for Tuesday, and set a timer, you should be "good to go".

PS MSG-HD is showing the match, in case that is of any help. But remember that Dish is showing it on 9514, so they do not have to repeat the same match on 20 HD RSNs.

 

[nlk10010]

This is all i know for now:EPL on ESPN2 schedule
Sat., 7:40 a.m. Chelsea vs. Hull City
Sat., Aug. 22, 9:55 a.m., Wigan Athletic vs. Manchester United
Mon., Aug. 24, 2:55 p.m. , Liverpool vs. Aston Villa
Sat., Aug. 29, 7:40 a.m., Chelsea vs. Burnley
Sat., Sept. 12, 9:55 a.m., Liverpool vs. Burnley
Sat., Sept. 1, 7:40 a.m, Burnley vs. Sunderland
Sat., Sept. 26, 7:40 a.m., Portsmouth vs. Everton
Mon., Sept. 28, 2:55 p.m., Manchester City vs. West Ham

Oh, OK, thanks much.

So today is an "off day", that's fine. Can't get greedy now, can we?

 

[TravelFan1]

....

If you can click on the UEFA Champions League listing for Tuesday, and set a timer, you should be "good to go".

.

Yep, DVR already set for the match - thanks!!!

 

[kstuart]

Ok, for those who seem to be unable to read an entire post, here is the currently relevant portion:

2 - Tuesday, Fox debuts their coverage of the top professional soccer league in the world, The UEFA Champions League, with HD broadcasts on HD Regional Sports Network Channels, on every Tuesday of weeks in which the tournament is scheduled. Dish will be showing the match in HD on HD Alternate Sports Channel 9514 (mapped down to 444), and the match is not subject to blackouts, and should be viewable to everyone who subscribes to a package that includes any RSN and HD. The matches are also viewable on most SD RSNs. The first HD match this Tuesday is Arsenal at Celtic.

( Most UEFA Champions League matches will be available on Dish in SD on Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Sports Espanol and Setanta Sports USA. )

 

[jmw194]

my guide for 8/24 during the AV match says LIttle League Baseball. Are they going to show the match on an alternate channel. kstuart's post says something about channel 9514. I have a friend who has TWC and he is also showing Little League Baseball on the Deuce on 8/24. Any thoughts? Sorry if I missed something.

 

[TravelFan1]

my guide for 8/24 during the AV match says LIttle League Baseball. Are they going to show the match on an alternate channel. kstuart's post says something about channel 9514. I have a friend who has TWC and he is also showing Little League Baseball on the Deuce on 8/24. Any thoughts? Sorry if I missed something.

UCL are now carried by Fox Soccer Channels and your local, I believe, Fox sports-affiliated RSN. ESPN lost the UCL rights starting this season.

 

[hardhead]

UCL are now carried by Fox Soccer Channels and your local, I believe, Fox sports-affiliated RSN. ESPN lost the UCL rights starting this season.

8/24 is next Monday, when ESPN2HD is airing the Liverpool EPL match according to their website. Dish's guide hasn't updated with either the Saturday morning or Monday afternoon match, yet.

 

[TravelFan1]

8/24 is next Monday, when ESPN2HD is airing the Liverpool EPL match according to their website. Dish's guide hasn't updated with either the Saturday morning or Monday afternoon match, yet.

my bad - sorry.

 

[kstuart]

Celtic-Arsenal live in HD NOW on Dish Network on:

Comcast Bay Area HD (5419 and HD version of 419)
Comcast Bay Area SD (419)
Channel 9514
Channel 444 in HD
Channel 444 in SD

and other Fox Sports and Comcast Sports RSNs and MSG-HD in HD and SD.

 

[nlk10010]

Yup, recording it now. I took a peek and to me it doesn't look quite HD (or at least not the best quality HD) but I will defer to the experts.

Glad to have it regardless.

 

[kblee]

ok ok ok...slow down.How can we find out,when and witch game is available on HDALT? I dont want to miss it and if not this thread,i would never know about it, and about tomorrow's game.Is there any schedule or something like that?
Another thing is,we all know that FSC is going HD on 1/10 but is it for sure that Dish is going to carry HD feed from the beginning?There is too many questions and its all very exciding.I dont wanna miss a thing...

I don't see where this has been answered. Has something been announced?

 

[Ilya]

Thanks for the headsup, kstuart! :up