Columbus_Sabre_Fan Posted July 9, 2006 Report Share Posted July 9, 2006 I am a huge sabres fan from columbus and am considering getting the NHL center ice package next year. These questions are only for previous subscribers: how much was it last year? were you happy with it? any blackout rules apply? Did they show every sabre game & playoffs? On a side note, i was a long time subscriber to NFL sunday ticket, but since the bills are the worst team in the league and it costs almost $300 now, it is not worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffalOhio Posted July 9, 2006 Report Share Posted July 9, 2006 I've had it for years. Last year I paid in 4 installments of $32.25 each, so it cost me $129.00 for the season. That's the early bird price. Not sure what it costs for a new subscriber. Was it worth it? I saw all but 2 Sabres games last year. Phoenix and Atlanta, and that was only because neither team was broadcasting the game. The worst part is not getting Rick and Jim for every game. You get them for around 1/2 the games. You have to put up with the crappy announcers of other teams, but at least you get to see the Sabres kick their team's ass! My advice is that you make sure you have a DVR also, so you don't miss ANY games (except those that are not broadcast by either team). Get it. What are you waiting for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bmwolf21 Posted July 9, 2006 Report Share Posted July 9, 2006 I had it, so I'll try to remember all the particualrs: I think the package is around $150 for the full season. Usually there is a free preview week in the first couple weeks of the regualr season, and if you order then, they knock off like $20 or something. I think if you have DirecTV you can break your payments up over 3 billing cycles, but digital cable (at least here in Orlando) makes you pay the whole shebang on one bill. As for the schedule - I think we got all the Sabres games except 2 last year - there were a couple odd games where neither the Sabres nor their opponents (Atlanta, maybe?) had TV coverage that night. Blackout rules do apply, so if OLN or NBC had coverage, or the Sabres were playing the Lightning on TV down here, we would get that local feed rather than the Center Ice feed. Playoffs - you get the first two rounds of playoffs, all games that haven't been picked up nationally (OLN/NBC) so that's a nice feature. Personally I loved it and wouldn't hesitate to order it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetweenThePipes00 Posted July 9, 2006 Report Share Posted July 9, 2006 For the price, it is well worth it ... even if there were 10 Sabres games that you missed, and you didn't watch any other games on it, it's like $2 per Sabres game ... it's a no-brainer. Plus, if you have digital cable, the channels are the same as the baseball package and I got that for free through the end of the playoffs .. morons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfreeman Posted July 9, 2006 Report Share Posted July 9, 2006 It's absolutely worth it and you should absolutely get Tivo/DVR. Once you have it you can't live without it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopeleslyobvious Posted July 9, 2006 Report Share Posted July 9, 2006 Worth every penny, but you definately need a Tivo to get the most out of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mphs mike Posted July 9, 2006 Report Share Posted July 9, 2006 For the price, it is well worth it ... even if there were 10 Sabres games that you missed, and you didn't watch any other games on it, it's like $2 per Sabres game ... it's a no-brainer. Plus, if you have digital cable, the channels are the same as the baseball package and I got that for free through the end of the playoffs .. morons. I generally agree with BtP, however, for me there was a serious drawback this season. I had digital cable for the season (I had gotten mad at DirecTv) and for reasons noone could explain I could NOT get OLN. By the conference finals most of the games were on OLN so I couldn't watch. It caused me to make amends with DirecTv - once I found out I wasn't going to get MLB free after the NHL playoffs. I am considering not getting Center Ice because I now have XM radio in the house. It gives me ALL MLB and NHL games - meaing I have Rick & Batman doing every game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetweenThePipes00 Posted July 9, 2006 Report Share Posted July 9, 2006 Yeah having OLN is important ... luckily I had it ... Radio only would not do it for me, I am too spoiled .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corp000085 Posted July 9, 2006 Report Share Posted July 9, 2006 It's worth it. $130 seems like a lot of $$ for a tv program, but you're getting anywhere between 75 and 82 reg season games times 30 teams, plus the first two rounds of the playoffs. Regular blackout rules apply, so for instance, if the sabres were playing any team, the msg broadcast in the 600's (for directv) would be blacked out and the center ice feed in the 760s would be on... Unless they're playing a regional team, in my case the hurricanes... Then the center ice feed is balcked out and the local feed is available. There is one downside and that is the situation with watching the sabres broadcast. Last year the sabres were on an alternate msg, which meant that basically center ice had to use the other broadcast most of the time. However, if golisano were smart, he'd start his own sabres network, use HD technology, and split completely from msg. This might get center ice to show more sabres broadcasts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Columbus_Sabre_Fan Posted July 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2006 I do have a DVR and my cable provider is Time Warner in Columbus. We do have OLN too, which is nice. I was bummed when i could only watch about 4-5 first and second round playoff games. Thanks for the responses and i most likely will get the center ice package next year. Go Sabres 06-07!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bills_fan_in_raleigh Posted July 9, 2006 Report Share Posted July 9, 2006 I am a huge sabres fan from columbus and am considering getting the NHL center ice package next year. These questions are only for previous subscribers: how much was it last year? were you happy with it? any blackout rules apply? Did they show every sabre game & playoffs? On a side note, i was a long time subscriber to NFL sunday ticket, but since the bills are the worst team in the league and it costs almost $300 now, it is not worth it. sunday ticket doesnt cost 300$ renewel rate is like 200 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spandrel Posted July 10, 2006 Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 I'll make an even further endorsement for Center Ice. I am in Rochester and got every Sabres game, locally, on MSG, and I still loved having Center Ice just to watch any other big games going on each night. If you are out of town, get it for the Sabres games, keep it for the other games you get each night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrjsbu96 Posted July 10, 2006 Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 I do have a DVR and my cable provider is Time Warner in Columbus. We do have OLN too, which is nice. I was bummed when i could only watch about 4-5 first and second round playoff games. Thanks for the responses and i most likely will get the center ice package next year. Go Sabres 06-07!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Doens't sound like you need much more convincing. I am a big Center Ice fan and it is worth the money. Obviously, b/c of the Sabre games, but I also enjoyed it for Hockey Night in Canada and also the late-night, WestCoast games. Ideal after coming home from men's league hockey games! Big drawback and I can't believe I'm the first to say it, but there is a good chance you will have to endure NESN for at least 4 Sabre/Bruin games; this alone almost makes me cancel my subscription! :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffalOhio Posted July 10, 2006 Report Share Posted July 10, 2006 Big drawback and I can't believe I'm the first to say it, but there is a good chance you will have to endure NESN for at least 4 Sabre/Bruin games; this alone almost makes me cancel my subscription! :lol: I said it before you. On the first reply! The NESN part was implied: The worst part is not getting Rick and Jim for every game. You get them for around 1/2 the games. You have to put up with the crappy announcers of other teams, but at least you get to see the Sabres kick their team's ass! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePolishSabre Posted July 11, 2006 Report Share Posted July 11, 2006 I get Center Ice, not for the Sabres tho. In Rochester i get all the games on MSG. But i just love to watch hockey, so nothing beats Center Ice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duck Farcey Tucker Posted July 11, 2006 Report Share Posted July 11, 2006 With Center Ice, TIVO and a little bit of work and patience you can sync the DTV feed with the Rick and Jim radio stream. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Columbus_Sabre_Fan Posted July 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2006 With Center Ice, TIVO and a little bit of work and patience you can sync the DTV feed with the Rick and Jim radio stream. Good Idea. I should try that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corp000085 Posted July 11, 2006 Report Share Posted July 11, 2006 damn, i forgot about the NESN horrors... didn't the one guy call out briere for diving and endorse a hit on him? God, i loved the bruins getting absolutely killed by the sabres... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bmwolf21 Posted July 11, 2006 Report Share Posted July 11, 2006 I think he also endorsed throwing him out of the league, striking his name from the record books, and kicking Briere's dog, but I am a little fuzzy on all the particulars. Seriously - Brickley from NESN did a little in-the-glass/intermission work for OLN during the playoffs (I think Jack Edwards did too) and it was refreshing to hear them NOT sound like whiney be-otches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chileanseabass Posted July 11, 2006 Report Share Posted July 11, 2006 here's a random question about tivo/dvr... my roommate and i want to get the center ice pacakge, but if we want to watch different games at the same time and i don't feel like kicking his ass, can i dvr the sabres while watching another game? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corp000085 Posted July 11, 2006 Report Share Posted July 11, 2006 here's a random question about tivo/dvr... my roommate and i want to get the center ice pacakge, but if we want to watch different games at the same time and i don't feel like kicking his ass, can i dvr the sabres while watching another game? of course... But then again, you have to look at the man law: 1) who's account is the center ice under? Account holder gets first priority. Unless: 2) you share the cost of the entire cable/sat package completely equally. Then you must come up with a legitimate rule for sharing tv time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffalOhio Posted July 11, 2006 Report Share Posted July 11, 2006 Not sure how it works on cable, but on DirecTV you can do that. Why not just get another TV and watch 'em at the same time? If you want to do it your way, don't watch his game with him, because you might inadvertently see the Sabres score, which kind of ruins the whole thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawerchuk Posted July 11, 2006 Report Share Posted July 11, 2006 here's a random question about tivo/dvr... my roommate and i want to get the center ice pacakge, but if we want to watch different games at the same time and i don't feel like kicking his ass, can i dvr the sabres while watching another game? Only if you get the NEW TIVO. The original one only records one show at a time. However, a DVR from your cable company sometimes lets you record 2 at once. Or watch one record one. I've had it for years. Last year I paid in 4 installments of $32.25 each, so it cost me $129.00 for the season. That's the early bird price. Not sure what it costs for a new subscriber. Was it worth it? I saw all but 2 Sabres games last year. Phoenix and Atlanta, and that was only because neither team was broadcasting the game. The worst part is not getting Rick and Jim for every game. You get them for around 1/2 the games. You have to put up with the crappy announcers of other teams, but at least you get to see the Sabres kick their team's ass! My advice is that you make sure you have a DVR also, so you don't miss ANY games (except those that are not broadcast by either team). Get it. What are you waiting for? This is EXACTLY correct. $129 early bird. I watched 98% of Sabres games. You don't get Rick and Jim all the time - 60%. OLN will pick up the rest that Center Ice doesn't show (except for last year when they dropped the first PIT/BUF game! Super pissed!). I live in Vegas, so no blackout obviously. IT IS WORTH EVERY PENNY if you are a serious fan. Also get a DVR/TIVO = 'da bomb!! Have fun! ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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