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DirectTV, NHL Center Ice and the Sports Package


BayAreaSabresFan

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Maybe Center Ice's slogan should be, "This is your home for all the NHL action you can handle. Well, except for the games owned by OLN, and distributed by TSN in Canada. Those games will reach a select few. But don't worry, we'll make sure all the marquee matches are available, like a re-match of the Eastern Conference Final, and a Stanley Cup banner-raising ceremony. Oh and by the way, we promise to bring you the most bizarre, non-sensical camera angles you've ever seen. We're certain that you won't know if you're watching a hockey game or an old episode of NYPD Blue."

 

BTW, I watched Sportsnet, TSN and The Score (all Canadian channels) and everyone of them mentioned what a terrific game the Sabres/Canes game was. One commentator, I think from TSN (who covered the Leaf game) even mentioned how incredibly fast the Sabre/Cane game looked compared to the Leaf/Sen game.

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Thanks - I knew about the MPEG4 technology, but I am not ready to jump to their DVR. Appreciate any updates you bring back here if you learn more. The RSN's via HD would probably be enough to make me jump. As it is, I'm basically waiting until they turn the switch to MPEG4 for all the additional national network feeds in HD, and possibly even Sunday Ticket games in HD. I could care less about my locals in HD since I have an OTA. However, after the recent software upgrade to 6.3a to my HD Tivo I could be persuaded to move more quickly....

 

You do realize that the Sunday Ticket games are all now available in HD, right? (ie all of the games that any network is broadcasting in HD are shown by Sunday Ticket in HD)? Of course, you have to pay an extra $99 for the superfan package, or whatever it's called, which is an annoying extra bit of gouging, but the HD is very sweet. You don't need the mpeg-4 equipment to get this -- I think any DirecTV HD box will do the job. Note that not all of the games are in HD, but so far all 4 bills games have been.

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Rabbit - get a slingbox and have someone in Buffalo set it up for you on their TV. You can then watch whatever they are watching on your computer, over the Internet from their home. As long as the person hosting the slingbox has broadband and is willing to let you use it (your family perhaps?), then you're good to go.

 

You can't use mine, dammit!

 

nFreeman - the Bills @ Bears will be in HD this week, too!

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You do realize that the Sunday Ticket games are all now available in HD, right? (ie all of the games that any network is broadcasting in HD are shown by Sunday Ticket in HD)? Of course, you have to pay an extra $99 for the superfan package, or whatever it's called, which is an annoying extra bit of gouging, but the HD is very sweet. You don't need the mpeg-4 equipment to get this -- I think any DirecTV HD box will do the job. Note that not all of the games are in HD, but so far all 4 bills games have been.

 

Oh, you know it! Bills are 5 for 5 so far in HD. What I was referring to is that they "might" switch their Sunday Ticket package next year from MPEG2 to MPEG4, which would obviously provide the incentive to get people to move from their Tivo HD receivers to the D* DVR.

 

If they only transmit locals in HD via MPEG4, there is absolutely no incentive for me to move off my Tivo HD, because I love it. Only when I start missing out on things that they start brodcasting in MPEG4 only, such as some good national networks, or NHL in HD via the RSN's, or most especially Sunday Ticket, will I even start considering making that move to their DVR. Which by the way, necessitates a new satellite dish, etc.

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Does anyone know when the Center Ice free preview is available? I know its usually within the first week, with a discount for ordering early, but the Center Ice InDemand website hasn't been updated - keeps saying "check back soon for the next season's schedule."

 

Just want to make sure that I am going to be able to see the Sabres break the Canes' hearts on opening night...

CI free preview is 10/4-10/10.

Sabs' were on Versus yesterday, so they weren't on CI, same with Av's/Stars. Toronto/Ottawa was on CI.

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Oh, you know it! Bills are 5 for 5 so far in HD. What I was referring to is that they "might" switch their Sunday Ticket package next year from MPEG2 to MPEG4, which would obviously provide the incentive to get people to move from their Tivo HD receivers to the D* DVR.

 

If they only transmit locals in HD via MPEG4, there is absolutely no incentive for me to move off my Tivo HD, because I love it. Only when I start missing out on things that they start brodcasting in MPEG4 only, such as some good national networks, or NHL in HD via the RSN's, or most especially Sunday Ticket, will I even start considering making that move to their DVR. Which by the way, necessitates a new satellite dish, etc.

 

I agree completely. Tivo works too well to consider a switch unless there is important programming in HD that is only available if you switch.

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CI free preview is 10/4-10/10.

Sabs' were on Versus yesterday, so they weren't on CI, same with Av's/Stars. Toronto/Ottawa was on CI.

Yeah, thanks for that timely response - what, 14 hours AFTER the game ended? ;)

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