Nhl center ice -fox dispute?

[SpaethCo]

Last year, Dish's idiotic way of "sharing the love" for their limited HD capacity was to broadcast several games with 2 HD and 2 SD (home and away) versions each, while other games had only 2 SD (home and away) versions each. In most cases there were HD broadcasts available for the games Dish chose to show only in SD.

The regional sports networks are 24x7 in SD on Dish, and then they pick the games that will fit into the 8-10 slots they have for HD games. The decision over which games to broadcast in HD is made on a market by market basis, presumably based on expected ratings or some other kind of selection system.

The bottom line is they pick which markets will get to see their game in HD, and then from there the games make it into the NHL Center Ice package, which is why you get games where both the home and away feed are in HD while other games are SD only. When there isn't a programming dispute, there is nothing special uplinked for Center Ice, they just instruct the receivers to map to the existing regional sports networks for the game. That's why you typically see the commercials from whatever market is airing the game.

If CI continues in it's current format of one broadcast per game (home only), that should free up a lot of bandwidth for more HD broadcasts this year. But based on their broadcasts last year, I don't know if Dish can figure this out...

The limited feeds for CI so far is due to the FOX Programming dispute. The NHL provides SD feeds of every game to providers offering the Center Ice package, but the NHL only provides 1 feed per game.

Dish and DirecTV generally skip using the NHL SD feed and simply authorize the receivers of Center Ice subscribers to show the out-of-market RSN broadcast for the duration of the game. Dish is at a disadvantage right now because they don't have the FOX feeds, so they can only air the CSN / PrimeTicket games in HD, or they have to fall back on the SD feed they get from the league.

So far on DirecTV about 95% of the games have had both home and away coverage in HD on Center Ice.

 

[Claude Greiner]

If the NBA Full court package, and NHL Center Ice are not affected, then if Dish really wanted to screw with Fox just give everyone this package for Free and then who needs Fox Sports until Baseball season rolls around next April.

 

[SpaethCo]

Unfortunately, those are out-of-market packages only, so it would only work for people who want to watch any team except their local team.

 

[DodgerKing]

The regional sports networks are 24x7 in SD on Dish, and then they pick the games that will fit into the 8-10 slots they have for HD games. The decision over which games to broadcast in HD is made on a market by market basis, presumably based on expected ratings or some other kind of selection system.

The bottom line is they pick which markets will get to see their game in HD, and then from there the games make it into the NHL Center Ice package, which is why you get games where both the home and away feed are in HD while other games are SD only. When there isn't a programming dispute, there is nothing special uplinked for Center Ice, they just instruct the receivers to map to the existing regional sports networks for the game. That's why you typically see the commercials from whatever market is airing the game.

The limited feeds for CI so far is due to the FOX Programming dispute. The NHL provides SD feeds of every game to providers offering the Center Ice package, but the NHL only provides 1 feed per game.

Dish and DirecTV generally skip using the NHL SD feed and simply authorize the receivers of Center Ice subscribers to show the out-of-market RSN broadcast for the duration of the game. Dish is at a disadvantage right now because they don't have the FOX feeds, so they can only air the CSN / PrimeTicket games in HD, or they have to fall back on the SD feed they get from the league.

So far on DirecTV about 95% of the games have had both home and away coverage in HD on Center Ice.

Primeticket is one of the channels in dispute.

Second, Dish's disadvantage is not so much the Fox feeds as it is their limit to the amount of HD feeds they carry at one time because of the fact that they do not have their HD RSNs up 24/7 (limit the bandwidth). Direct carries pretty much every RSN in HD full time so the bandwidth is already there

 

[grb]

So far on DirecTV about 95% of the games have had both home and away coverage in HD on Center Ice.

Wow! If this is true, DirecTV hs a good chance of getting my business real soon. I assume the 5% not in HD are the Canadian broadcasts (CBC, Rogers, TSN, etc.).

I have stayed with Dish through the MSG SD only period, but now with no MSG and the Fox fiasco, it may be time to make a move. And I would like to get the MLB channel which Dish will never offer...

 

[eddieras]

Wow! If this is true, DirecTV hs a good chance of getting my business real soon. I assume the 5% not in HD are the Canadian broadcasts (CBC, Rogers, TSN, etc.).

I have stayed with Dish through the MSG SD only period, but now with no MSG and the Fox fiasco, it may be time to make a move. And I would like to get the MLB channel which Dish will never offer...

i'm prepping for a move to directv too. i cancelled my centre ice on dish before the season so i didn't loose my $170 if i switched and i'm watching the free preview, which ends 10/24. if no resolution then i'll switch by the end of the month. i want to see what the next 2 weeks bring. could msg hd be part of the negotiations?? if so, i'll stay.....

 

[Yespage]

Wow! If this is true, DirecTV hs a good chance of getting my business real soon. I assume the 5% not in HD are the Canadian broadcasts (CBC, Rogers, TSN, etc.).

I have stayed with Dish through the MSG SD only period, but now with no MSG and the Fox fiasco, it may be time to make a move. And I would like to get the MLB channel which Dish will never offer...

I don't get the CBC feed not being in HD for Center Ice. Aren't the NHL Network CBC games in HD? But when I saw the feed for Montreal v Toronto on CBC for the free preview of NHL Center Ice, it was SD.

 

[eddieras]

I don't get the CBC feed not being in HD for Center Ice. Aren't the NHL Network CBC games in HD? But when I saw the feed for Montreal v Toronto on CBC for the free preview of NHL Center Ice, it was SD.

last year they were in HD

 

[wolfjc]

I don't get the CBC feed not being in HD for Center Ice. Aren't the NHL Network CBC games in HD? But when I saw the feed for Montreal v Toronto on CBC for the free preview of NHL Center Ice, it was SD.[/QUOTE

The Montreal game was NOT on the NHL Network since the Red Wings were.
I don't think that the NHL Network has the Hockey Night in Canada feed any more.
Also I have NEVER seen any North of the boarder HD other when it is on NHL Network.

 

[murrays]

The Canadian games on Center Ice last year were mostly in SD very few were in HD. I have a Bell account so I can get games in HD. I have a cottage in Prince Edward Island.

 

[SpaethCo]

The Montreal game was NOT on the NHL Network since the Red Wings were.
I don't think that the NHL Network has the Hockey Night in Canada feed any more.
Also I have NEVER seen any North of the boarder HD other when it is on NHL Network.

The NHL Network still has Hockey Night in Canada, but only the early game. After that they cut to a US broadcast, and the HNIC late game and After Hours are shown as a tape-delay broadcast on Sunday.

 

[The Meal]

I had the package last year and the year before. I saw 95% of the Red Wings games in HD with Center Ice.

This is accurate. The ANA game originally had a (DET) feed listed in HD (when I set up my recording), but when I went to watch the game, that feed was gone. Fortunately I only missed the first minute of ice time before before finding the game on low-def.

If this is going to be how it goes, I may end up cancelling my CI subscription for the first time in four years.

[edit:]Also, thanks espaeth for the simple, factual responses.

 

[SpaethCo]

The ANA game originally had a (DET) feed listed in HD (when I set up my recording), but when I went to watch the game, that feed was gone. Fortunately I only missed the first minute of ice time before before finding the game on low-def.

Again, there aren't going to be any HD FOX Sports feeds with Dish on Center Ice while Dish is still in dispute with FOX.

You can still see the games, because the NHL provides a feed of every game to Dish, but those feeds are only sent to Dish in standard def.

Eventually when the dispute is resolved you'll see more games in HD on Dish, but given that the majority of teams are broadcasting all of their games in HD this year and Dish doesn't have capacity for full-time HD RSNs, the difference of HD games on Dish vs DirecTV will be greater this year than at any time in the past. (probably a 40% difference in the number of HD games on CI this year)

 

[DAVEGTESTR]

Again, there aren't going to be any HD FOX Sports feeds with Dish on Center Ice while Dish is still in dispute with FOX.

You can still see the games, because the NHL provides a feed of every game to Dish, but those feeds are only sent to Dish in standard def.

Eventually when the dispute is resolved you'll see more games in HD on Dish, but given that the majority of teams are broadcasting all of their games in HD this year and Dish doesn't have capacity for full-time HD RSNs, the difference of HD games on Dish vs DirecTV will be greater this year than at any time in the past. (probably a 40% difference in the number of HD games on CI this year)

I have been lucky so far with NHL-CI with 1 out of 1 game in HD from CSN Chicago. However, if I am missing a lot of HD games with my CI, the continuing baseball scenario, continued disputes, I will switch this month (for CI) or else by April for D* MLB-EI. And I have a large collection of EHD Recordings. I am sure D* will pay for my first 2 installments of CI.... (The only thing holding me back is D*'s pathetic HBO/CIN HD offerings...) I pay Prime for NHL-CI !!!

 

[Yespage]

The NHL Network still has Hockey Night in Canada, but only the early game. After that they cut to a US broadcast, and the HNIC late game and After Hours are shown as a tape-delay broadcast on Sunday.

And the NHL Network had the game in HD. So I'm confused as to why it isn't in HD, for the Center Ice package.

 

[SpaethCo]

And the NHL Network had the game in HD. So I'm confused as to why it isn't in HD, for the Center Ice package.

It's a different channel. The NHL Network takes the HD feed from CBC and simulcasts the programming on their channel. Dish carries the NHL Network in HD 24x7, so you get to see these games in HD.

For games from CBC / Rogers SportsNet on Center Ice, Dish doesn't have an agreement to get these feeds in HD from those networks directly, and the league only supplies the Center Ice feeds in SD.

 

[rickmyers]

Help please...................are you blacked out from viewing your "home" team on CI? Even if your home team is carried on a FSN? Thanks.

 

[SpaethCo]

Help please...................are you blacked out from viewing your "home" team on CI? Even if your home team is carried on a FSN?

Yes, you are blacked out from viewing any game that includes the team in your home market on CI.

Center Ice is for out-of-market games only.

 

[rickmyers]

Yes, you are blacked out from viewing any game that includes the team in your home market on CI.

Center Ice is for out-of-market games only.

Bummer....thanks.

So Fox pulls my local FSN off of Dish, but I think I can watch them anyway on CI, but they're still blacked out.................wow, it's gettin' harder to be a fan...........

 

[DodgerKing]

Yes, you are blacked out from viewing any game that includes the team in your home market on CI.

Center Ice is for out-of-market games only.

That is not true for Direct. You are still able to watch your local feed on CI. The only blackout is of the visiting team