NHL Center Ice is diff on dish then Directv ?

[SFBruins]

hey Guys

i got Dish net hookup @ my house and i got the NHL Center Ice package too

i notice that there is not much HD on the NHL Center Ice on Dish compare to Directv

My cousin has Directv @ his house and gets many more Hockey Games in HD
and NBA is like that too on some nights!

is there any reason to why this happening ?

 

[illusionescape]

Yes... Dish Network doesn't like sports.

 

[Mr Tony]

to elaborate since illusion gave a "oh so knowledge" answer

Dish only has X amount of HD space for all the RSN's so some games are not in HD on Dish due to sharing HD transponder space

 

[SpaethCo]

i notice that there is not much HD on the NHL Center Ice on Dish compare to Directv

As Iceberg mentioned there is going to be a bit of a difference because Dish uses HD for their regional sports networks on a gametime only basis, and due to capacity issues sometimes games get bumped from being broadcast in HD.

That said, there is still a lot of hockey being broadcast in standard definition at the source. The DirecTV guide can look better in some cases because they will show SD games on their HD channels because their RSNs are full-time. In some cases DirecTV will show games that Dish has to bump to SD due to capacity issues.

Neither Dish nor DirecTV will air in HD:
- Games on MSG/MSG+ due to a dispute between the NHL and the owners of CableVision who also own the NY Rangers.
- Most games played in Canada - there is limited HD production truck capability in the states, and it gets worse crossing the northern border. Outside of Hockey Night in Canada carried on the NHL Network, 99% of Canadian games are in SD for US viewers.

You can find the same complaints over lack of HD for Center Ice over in the DirecTV forum:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv-forum/191522-no-hd-center-ice-games-working.html
http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv...oticed-less-hd-broadcasts-year-than-last.html
http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv-forum/190459-nhl-center-ice-hd-canada-directv.html

Also, last season another user on this forum took the time to put together a spreadsheet to compare Dish vs Direct for number of HD games:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-network-forum/150009-center-ice-hd-9.html#post1591492

Heres is the latest through next Friday:
DirecTV: 153
Dish: 122
Cable: 50

So DirecTV did indeed have more HD games, but over the course of the season Dish will carry 80-85% of the number of HD games that DirecTV will. This year the numbers are actually a little higher in favor of Dish if you factor in DirecTV not carrying Versus.

 

[Juan]

Dish used to carry 2 feeds of a game (home and away) while d* carried just 1

 

[grb]

Dish used to carry 2 feeds of a game (home and away) while d* carried just 1

Yes, this is extremely frustrating.

Often there will be 2 SD and 2 HD broadcasts of 1 game and only 1 crummy SD broadcast of another. Sometimes there is only an SD available, but I suspect at times Dish is not picking up an HD broadcast for some games and picking up 2 HD broadcasts of others.

 

[SpaethCo]

Sometimes there is only an SD available, but I suspect at times Dish is not picking up an HD broadcast for some games and picking up 2 HD broadcasts of others.

I'm not sure how much of that is Dish. I have Center Ice on Dish, on StarChoice/Shaw Direct (Canadian Sat), and I have NHL GameCenter Live -- between all 3 options there are certain games that just have no HD feed available anywhere.

A couple weeks back I tried to watch a little bit of a Senators / Coyotes game -- the Sens had no TV broadcast, and the Coyotes broadcast on CI looked like they went to a local high school to borrow some AV equipment to air the game. The game audio was the AM radio station coverage of the game.

The only bizarre thing I've seen is where Dish will have the HD feed of one team uplinked to that market's RSN, but the HD feed won't be included in the Center Ice lineup. That's only happened a handful of times this year though.

 

[Islandguy43]

MY honest opinion of nhlci on TWC

As Iceberg mentioned there is going to be a bit of a difference because Dish uses HD for their regional sports networks on a gametime only basis, and due to capacity issues sometimes games get bumped from being broadcast in HD.

That said, there is still a lot of hockey being broadcast in standard definition at the source. The DirecTV guide can look better in some cases because they will show SD games on their HD channels because their RSNs are full-time. In some cases DirecTV will show games that Dish has to bump to SD due to capacity issues.

Neither Dish nor DirecTV will air in HD:
- Games on MSG/MSG+ due to a dispute between the NHL and the owners of CableVision who also own the NY Rangers.
- Most games played in Canada - there is limited HD production truck capability in the states, and it gets worse crossing the northern border. Outside of Hockey Night in Canada carried on the NHL Network, 99% of Canadian games are in SD for US viewers.

You can find the same complaints over lack of HD for Center Ice over in the DirecTV forum:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv-forum/191522-no-hd-center-ice-games-working.html
http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv...oticed-less-hd-broadcasts-year-than-last.html
http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv-forum/190459-nhl-center-ice-hd-canada-directv.html

Also, last season another user on this forum took the time to put together a spreadsheet to compare Dish vs Direct for number of HD games:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/dish-network-forum/150009-center-ice-hd-9.html#post1591492



So DirecTV did indeed have more HD games, but over the course of the season Dish will carry 80-85% of the number of HD games that DirecTV will. This year the numbers are actually a little higher in favor of Dish if you factor in DirecTV not carrying Versus.

Surprisingly the TWC version of NHL CI is actually better than Dish, which I had for the last three years.

How so?

1. We get the MSG games in HD, not only the buffalo, but the rangers, devils and islanders, when the appear on the regular msg and msg+

2. We get a mosiac channel of 4 games on at the same time on one channel, and if the game is in sd, the quality has been actually quite good, compared to the overcompressed sd I had in the past.

3. We get replays, something that I never saw before on the dedicated nhlci channels. If I miss a game overnight; I can watch many of them later during the night or the following morning or afternoon.

4. We have been getting the rogersportsnet and tsn hd feeds at times on the one always dedicated hd nhlci channel. So that along with my msg hd channels, the nhl net and hnic in hd, and versus hd, I am quite pleased with my nhlci on TWC.

The biggest downfall is the TWC is no where in the same class as Dish.

 

[wolfjc]

Surprisingly the TWC version of NHL CI is actually better than Dish, which I had for the last three years.

How so?

1. We get the MSG games in HD, not only the buffalo, but the rangers, devils and islanders, when the appear on the regular msg and msg+

2. We get a mosiac channel of 4 games on at the same time on one channel, and if the game is in sd, the quality has been actually quite good, compared to the overcompressed sd I had in the past.

3. We get replays, something that I never saw before on the dedicated nhlci channels. If I miss a game overnight; I can watch many of them later during the night or the following morning or afternoon.

4. We have been getting the rogersportsnet and tsn hd feeds at times on the one always dedicated hd nhlci channel. So that along with my msg hd channels, the nhl net and hnic in hd, and versus hd, I am quite pleased with my nhlci on TWC.

The biggest downfall is the TWC is no where in the same class as Dish.

I think that the only reason that you can get MSG HD is that you live in NY therefor MSG is your RSN.
The rest of us who don't live in NY can NOT get any MSG HD in the CI apckage because the NHL and Comcast are in a pissing match and Comcast will NOT let CI carry MSG HD outside of NY.
This little problem is NOT the fault of any pay TV provider.
If you don't like this complain thothe NHL or comcast.

 

[SFBruins]

to elaborate since illusion gave a "oh so knowledge" answer

Dish only has X amount of HD space for all the RSN's so some games are not in HD on Dish due to sharing HD transponder space

are they going to get any more Space maybe a Launch of a new Sat ?

 

[Mr Tony]

They're working on it

 

[SpaethCo]

1. We get the MSG games in HD, not only the buffalo, but the rangers, devils and islanders, when the appear on the regular msg and msg+

CableVision sells access to the HD feed of MSG/MSG+ to other cable companies because franchise agreements prevent direct competition in CableVision markets. So Comcast and TimeWarner get access because they operate in separate market areas, but competing services like ATT U-Verse, Verizon FiOS TV, and Dish Network do not. DirecTV is in the half doghouse where they can provide the HD feeds for their local RSN, but they can't include the feed on CI.

4. We have been getting the rogersportsnet and tsn hd feeds at times on the one always dedicated hd nhlci channel. So that along with my msg hd channels, the nhl net and hnic in hd, and versus hd, I am quite pleased with my nhlci on TWC.

That's the problem I have with cable Center Ice. InDemand provides 2 HD feeds total for Center Ice, and most providers only pick up 1 of those channels. That's completely unacceptable when the package is the same price as it is on Dish or DirecTV.

I'm glad cable works for you, but I think for die hard hockey fans (CI's target market) it tends to be an unacceptable alternative. For me personally I have to use 2 different services to get my fix, Dish for the US broadcasts (with up to 8 live HD feeds per night) + NHL Network + Versus and Shaw Direct to get the Rogers SportsNet, TSN, RDS, CBC, and the Flames PPV / Oilers PPV / Canucks PPV feeds in HD.

 

[SFBruins]

They're working on it

this might sound a bit stupid but here goes

what u mean there working on it ?

New sat or other .....

 

[Islandguy43]

I'm glad cable works for you, but I think for die hard hockey fans (CI's target market) it tends to be an unacceptable alternative. For me personally I have to use 2 different services to get my fix, Dish for the US broadcasts (with up to 8 live HD feeds per night) + NHL Network + Versus and Shaw Direct to get the Rogers SportsNet, TSN, RDS, CBC, and the Flames PPV / Oilers PPV / Canucks PPV feeds in HD.

You buying the ppv for the canadian teams?

Actually, I wouldn't buy the nhci package if my wife wasn't canadian and a leafs fan. Right here we get cbc on cable or ota, so I grew up with hnic. With Vs, nbc, nhl net, and cbc coverage, along with my local msg-buffalo coverage, I could get away without the extra expense of nhlci, but my wife won't go for that.

 

[Mr Tony]

this might sound a bit stupid but here goes

what u mean there working on it ?

New sat or other .....

new satellite will be launched in the next couple months

 

[Mr Tony]

A couple weeks back I tried to watch a little bit of a Senators / Coyotes game -- the Sens had no TV broadcast, and the Coyotes broadcast on CI looked like they went to a local high school to borrow some AV equipment to air the game. The game audio was the AM radio station coverage of the game.

That was the in house feed like the scoreboard would see. I remember that game and saw hilites on Sportscentre (TSN) and was like "holy crap that looks bad"

 

[eddieras]

yesterday CI on dish had both bruin broadcasts - HD and SD and no MSG broadcast! this was the second time in about a week that they didn't carry the MSG feed (SD). pisses me off! i love sam

 

[Digital Dude]

Dish disses west coast teams regularly. I kept a log of Sharks games in HD on DirecTV that were only SD on Dish and DirecTV does about 3x to 4x the HD feeds for west coast teams. It's a real pisser. After 7 years with DirecTV their CI pissed me off to the point of switching to Dish, not the shoe's on the other foot, Dish has broadcast CSNCalifornia HD feed exactly once in the past 3 weeks.

Once the free preview of Center Ice is over Dish drastically cuts HD feeds for Hockey, third year now. If their new sat doesn't fix the problem we'll go back to DirecTV this summer.

 

[SpaethCo]

You buying the ppv for the canadian teams?

Not directly. If you buy Center Ice in the Toronto region it gets you access to the PPV games from the Canucks, Flames, Senators, and Oilers. Those games are only PPV for each teams respective home market.

Technically for the Leafs they have their exclusive programming on LeafsTV, but this year all the exclusive games are away games that I get via Dish Center Ice anyway.

 

[Islandguy43]

Not directly. If you buy Center Ice in the Toronto region it gets you access to the PPV games from the Canucks, Flames, Senators, and Oilers. Those games are only PPV for each teams respective home market.

Technically for the Leafs they have their exclusive programming on LeafsTV, but this year all the exclusive games are away games that I get via Dish Center Ice anyway.

We get those ppv games on the CI package also. It is really amazing what subs are paying in the those cities to get those games.

I was at the sabres/leafs game Friday night. Considering I got the tickets at a season ticket holders cost; ($60), parking ($15), gift for the grandson at Sabres Store ($25), refreshments at at the game ($30) - Total of $130. The Center Ice Package of $160 for the year is a bargain.