Where's the HD Hockey??!!

[Gator5000e]

Other than the occasional HDNet game, which is generally a Mid-West or Western team, there has hardly been any hockey in HD even though most of the local carriers of the games broadcast in HD, like MSG and NESN. I sure hope they ramp it up for the playoffs.

This is where the loss of ESPN as the national broadcast of the NHL really hurts as you know ESPN would be showing a ton of games in HD on ESPNHD and ESPNHD2 and probably most of the playoffs in HD.

Come on D* get us some hockey in HD!!

 

[wolfman]

Other than the occasional HDNet game, which is generally a Mid-West or Western team, there has hardly been any hockey in HD even though most of the local carriers of the games broadcast in HD, like MSG and NESN. I sure hope they ramp it up for the playoffs.

This is where the loss of ESPN as the national broadcast of the NHL really hurts as you know ESPN would be showing a ton of games in HD on ESPNHD and ESPNHD2 and probably most of the playoffs in HD.

Come on D* get us some hockey in HD!!

I agree they seem to have enough basketball in HD.

 

[lou_do]

OLN had a few at the beginning of the season, also saw a few that were part of the Center Ice package, but not much lately. Maybe next year once D* gets the new birds flying and has more space. Sure hope so.

 

[Digital Dude]

Since Hockey is the only sport I follow besides college football it's chaffing me too.
Maybe since Dish ditched OLN DirecTV is feeling it can take us for granted? Maybe it's Gary Butt-man's crew and lack of attention to detail.

I'll go on a scouting mission to the analog side and see what's happening with cable companies.

 

[bgilga]

It has been bothering me all year. D* was showing the HD feed of OLN's Monday night game, but they have not shown it in a couple of weeks. I emailed D* and they told me the games I asked about were not broadcast in HD. I sent back a reply that said the games were listed as HD on OLN' s web site and the highlights were in HD on Sportscenter!!!!!!!!! I have not heard back from them.

 

[FlyingJ]

Guys, you can balme Hockey for the Lack of HD Hockey. Gator hit it right on the head. ESPN would have been showing a ton of HD hockey this year. Oh and by the way, its hockey, so who cares. Now MLB, that is anotherworld. But, lets just say that ESPN didn't have MLB anymore, there would be very little HD MLB on D*. But looking at the HD Sports schedule looks like a ton of HD MLB on ESPN and the Deuce!

 

[satjay]

FYI...HD Net does show games from time to time

 

[hiker]

Most every HD game is regional or HDnet. Some Sharks games are on FSN-HD-BA here on Comcast. OLN games are carried on InHD, cable only. Nothing on ESPNHD. And it looks like some playoff games will be HD on NBC. See schedule here .

 

[stone phillips420]

Guys, you can balme Hockey for the Lack of HD Hockey. Gator hit it right on the head. ESPN would have been showing a ton of HD hockey this year. Oh and by the way, its hockey, so who cares. Now MLB, that is anotherworld. But, lets just say that ESPN didn't have MLB anymore, there would be very little HD MLB on D*. But looking at the HD Sports schedule looks like a ton of HD MLB on ESPN and the Deuce!

espn hd is hd its junk those bars take up dfamn near the whole picture
f you espn glad your gone, get a haircut barry melrose
hdnet is tr
ue hd hockey
even tsn's hd hockey coverage is lacking they show hd hockey in 4x3 so bvasically its just a digital picture
oln take note from hdnet they show hd hockey as its intended

 

[Digital Dude]

I just sent Direc a message about hockey in HD. Here is the text...



As a long time Center Ice customer it concerns me that DirecTV hasn't shown any NHL game sin HD in two weeks. You showed the OLNHD game on Monday nights and several others in HD until recently. The channels in the 90's have been devoid of any HD Hockey, and it's crunch time for the playoffs.

Since HDNET has no contract for the playoffs, will you be bringing hockey back in HD before the Stanley Cup finals? If DirecTV is having a spat with OLN what about the myriad of regional networks (including other Murdoch properties such as Fox Sports Bay Area) that broadcast all their home games in High Definition?

I realize this may be my last chance to get a straight answer before the "pencil necks" follow Dish Network and Dell into the customer service abyss that is overseas outsourcing.

Thanks you,



I'll let you what reply I get.

 

[lou_do]

Guys, you can balme Hockey for the Lack of HD Hockey. Gator hit it right on the head. ESPN would have been showing a ton of HD hockey this year. Oh and by the way, its hockey, so who cares. Now MLB, that is anotherworld. But, lets just say that ESPN didn't have MLB anymore, there would be very little HD MLB on D*. But looking at the HD Sports schedule looks like a ton of HD MLB on ESPN and the Deuce!

I would rather watch hockey on ESPN, than that poker garbage they have on, or even that crappy college basketball. Now, I hardly ever watch ESPN anymore, I am about ready to block it from my menu, they have really gone down hill in their programing the last few years.

 

[FlyingJ]

lol....the funny part is that Poker was blowing away Hockey in the ratings on ESPN, that is why they didn't bid for it. It was their decision based strictly on the economics. Now, can you blame them for that?

 

[Gator5000e]

I thought they did bid on it, but with a lower proposal compared to their previous contract and that's when OLN outbid them. There was even some talk that ESPN would come back with a counter offer but something happened during that period of time and ESPN decided not to counter. I think the NHL was using OLN to get ESPN to increase its bid and it backfired. Of course this could be all wrong.

I hear the rating on OLN are pitiful compared to what they were on ESPN. ESPN would often show 2 games a night, like on Wednesday, one one ESPN and the other on The Duce. Now that those are both in HD, we are really missing out.

Funny how the commissioner never comments on TV ratings when he speaks about the growth of the game and increased fan support at the arenas.

BTW, how long is the OLN contract? Anyone know?

 

[Digital Dude]

Excerpted from Sports business Journal August 5, 2005

"The three-year, $207.5 million NHL contract has a clause under which the league will be paid $15 million if OLN signs another major sports property, according to a league official, a sort of bonus for helping OLN along in its metamorphosis.

There’s also a penalty clause if OLN does not make a sizable jump in its distribution, currently in 64 million out of 90 million U.S. cable homes."


Two more years of this, at least.

 

[Digital Dude]

DirecTV's lame response to my e-mail, and thay call me confused?

Thank you for writing. We apologize for any confusion regarding the HD games you may receive. You may get some NHL games in high definition (HD) on channels 90-99. For example, when Outdoor Life Network (OLN) broadcasts a game in HD, we may carry the HD feed on channel 96. NHL Center Ice does not include games in HD.

We do not control which games are broadcast in HD, this is determined by the various networks and leagues.

Please visit our web site at http://www.directvsports.com/Packages/NHLCenterIce/ for more information or to order NHL Center Ice.

Thanks again for writing.

Sincerely,

Karen
DIRECTV Customer Service

I'm not confused about the number of HD games being shown on DirecTV in the channels in the 90's.

 

[charper1]

Its not lame really; they pass along what they are told to based on market & broadcast rights; they do not make the rules and the market and rights rules are ridiculously stupid and non-user friendly. Complain to the rights holders, the leagues and the FCC.