NHL.TV / Center Ice / ESPN+ Discussion - Part IV [See the warning in OP]

[HogtownSabresfan]

Anybody else get laggy horrible product from ESPN + games as part of centre ice package. That's what happens in Canada. It's horrible.

 

[jkrdevil]

So ESPN+ should show Flames games all rounds (I live in Minnesota)?

Worst case I’ll ‘illegally stream’

Been pleased with the Espn+ coverage this year.

Depends on the game and whether you have ESPN or ESPN2 through cable.

All games will air on either ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT or TBS. I think only the ABC a games will be available on ESPN+ without a cable authentication. Obviously games on TNT/TBS won’t be on ESPN+.

Whether a game is on ESPN/2 or the Turner channels will depend on what day it is.

 

[jkrdevil]

Roxy Bernstien is doing the Florida game tonight. Is the Leah Hextall experiment over?

She has called some games recently, but it seems like they have demoted her and Buccigross. Their top 3 play callers at this point seem to be:

1. McDonough
2. Wischusen
3. Levy

My guess Buccigross does a few first round game as the number 4 person. It seems like Mike Monaco and Roxy Bernstein would get the remaining stay games that need to be covered.

 

[wolfgaze]

Does anyone know how long ESPN+ subscribers will have to wait until playoff games are viewable? 24 or 48 hours?

 

[jkrdevil]

Does anyone know how long ESPN+ subscribers will have to wait until playoff games are viewable? 24 or 48 hours?

Depends on who broadcast it. ESPN games may be available as soon as they are done. Turner games you will likely have to wait 48 hours.

 

[timorous me]

Depends on who broadcast it. ESPN games may be available as soon as they are done. Turner games you will likely have to wait 48 hours.

If there's no option for replay streams of TNT games anywhere soon after they end, that's going to be pretty frustrating. I like a lot about what Turner has done this season, but it feels like a strange blind spot that you can stream the live feed of the game but then can't access the replay itself on their own app or website.

 

[Nasti]

If there's no option for replay streams of TNT games anywhere soon after they end, that's going to be pretty frustrating. I like a lot about what Turner has done this season, but it feels like a strange blind spot that you can stream the live feed of the game but then can't access the replay itself on their own app or website.

I know they mentioned HBO Max as a future streamer for games when the deal was signed. But that wouldn’t take effect this year. Hopefully next season. They’re all under the Warner Bros Discovery umbrella.

 

[SirJW]

Will the local broadcasts be available to DirecTV Center Ice subscribers for the first two rounds like in the past?

 

[Dotter]

After a season of ESPN+ i'd say it is a let down. I watch games on my laptop and the game starts midstream, but NHL.tv would let me change the settings to start from the beginning.

Also haven't figured out how to watch games on a smart tv. Not sure if there's an app for ESPN+.

Oh well, at least I got to watch hockey even tho it is a clunky system that regressed from older apps such as hockeystreams and NHL.tv. It's 2022 why isn't it better?

 

[Nasti]

After a season of ESPN+ i'd say it is a let down. I watch games on my laptop and the game starts midstream, but NHL.tv would let me change the settings to start from the beginning.

Also haven't figured out how to watch games on a smart tv. Not sure if there's an app for ESPN+.

Oh well, at least I got to watch hockey even tho it is a clunky system that regressed from older apps such as hockeystreams and NHL.tv. It's 2022 why isn't it better?

I have the Hulu, Disney+, ESPN+ bundle and the Hulu app on my LG is linked to ESPN so I watch all the games there.

 

[Dotter]

I have the Hulu, Disney+, ESPN+ bundle and the Hulu app on my LG is linked to ESPN so I watch all the games there.

I don't pay for hulu or Disney+

I just subscribe to ESPN+ and watch on my laptop. I am not sure if there's ESPN+ app on the tv

 

[Nasti]

I don't pay for hulu or Disney+

I just subscribe to ESPN+ and watch on my laptop. I am not sure if there's ESPN+ app on the tv

Another way, depending on your TV’s capabilities, is to use something like Apple AirPlay to send the feed from your device to the TV. Assuming your TV has that functionality.

 

[jkrdevil]

There is an espn+ app for smart TVs.

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

Long-term support for apps can be spotty for built-in platforms.

My suggestion is to buy a cheap Roku.

 

[PocketNines]

I don't pay for hulu or Disney+

I just subscribe to ESPN+ and watch on my laptop. I am not sure if there's ESPN+ app on the tv

There is, and there's a multi-cast feature to watch 2, 3, or 4 games simultaneously.

It's crazy that a paid subscription to ESPN+ is not enough to get access to the first round which is on ESPN and ESPN2

 

[Nasti]

It depends on your TV. The app is currently not available on LG so you would either have to use your Hulu account or stream via Apple AirPlay.

 

[Tanic]

Will the local broadcasts be available to DirecTV Center Ice subscribers for the first two rounds like in the past?

I have NHLCI thru Cox and there were no local games today.

 

[Westlander]

For those having to use the ESPN player internationally, the TB-Toronto game from last night is still not archived (I always get up early to watch replays because if the time difference) I had to give up and just watch the 9 min condensed version on the NHL app

 

[Sparky206]

For those having to use the ESPN player internationally, the TB-Toronto game from last night is still not archived (I always get up early to watch replays because if the time difference) I had to give up and just watch the 9 min condensed version on the NHL app

This is a massive issue Internationally, In Australia I have every ESPN channel along with the web streaming. The LA-EDM was not available on any channel or streaming service.

 

[Westlander]

This is a massive issue Internationally, In Australia I have every ESPN channel along with the web streaming. The LA-EDM was not available on any channel or streaming service.

I hadn’t realised this was such an issue, I’ve been happy enough with the ESPN player this season and only encountered this problem once or twice before.
TB-Tor is still not playable where I am, btw

 

[SirJW]

In Los Angeles, no Center Ice on DirecTV. All games were on ESPN and ESPN2 including the Kings which also aired the local Bally's feed.

 

[3074326]

There is, and there's a multi-cast feature to watch 2, 3, or 4 games simultaneously.

It's crazy that a paid subscription to ESPN+ is not enough to get access to the first round which is on ESPN and ESPN2

This is how TV deals work. Same exact problem with NHL.TV. And every other sports streaming app that has ever existed. Frustrating though, yes.

After a season of ESPN+ i'd say it is a let down. I watch games on my laptop and the game starts midstream, but NHL.tv would let me change the settings to start from the beginning.

Also haven't figured out how to watch games on a smart tv. Not sure if there's an app for ESPN+.

Oh well, at least I got to watch hockey even tho it is a clunky system that regressed from older apps such as hockeystreams and NHL.tv. It's 2022 why isn't it better?

There is 100% a smart TV app.

I'm shocked that people look back at NHL.TV fondly. What the f***? It was ungodly expensive and had literally all the same issues that are being explained about ESPN+. Aside from not being able to go back and restart the game, which is pretty dumb admittedly.

There's an ESPN+, Disney+, Hulu bundle that is awesome value. That alone makes it 400 bazillion times better than NHL.TV imo.

But, different strokes.

 

[PocketNines]

This is how TV deals work. Same exact problem with NHL.TV. And every other sports streaming app that has ever existed. Frustrating though, yes.

My issue is not with the streaming app. My issue is that ESPN has the games and I pay ESPN a monthly subscription fee and have for three years and for the first time all season at the most important times I don't have the games on TV. I have to watch streams on a laptop. Is this better than the 1970s & 1980s? Infinitely, I possess perspective.

 

[wolfgaze]

I used the ESPN+ app/service to watch every NYR game during the regular season (except for one) - and all season long my feeds were in HD, no issues.

Last night I went to view the NYR game and my feed was poor quality (blurry during fast motion). About 18 minutes into the broadcast I went outside for a smoke and when I returned, all of a sudden the stream was now in HD (and remained so).

Went to watch another series last night, back to poor quality streaming. Currently watching the Caps/Panthers game from the other night with the same poor resolution issue.

Anyone know why this is happening? Is ESPN having bandwidth issues? There's no reason why, in 2022, we can't have access to HD quality streams on a service we pay for.

 

[timorous me]

This is how TV deals work. Same exact problem with NHL.TV. And every other sports streaming app that has ever existed. Frustrating though, yes.



There is 100% a smart TV app.

I'm shocked that people look back at NHL.TV fondly. What the f***? It was ungodly expensive and had literally all the same issues that are being explained about ESPN+. Aside from not being able to go back and restart the game, which is pretty dumb admittedly.

There's an ESPN+, Disney+, Hulu bundle that is awesome value. That alone makes it 400 bazillion times better than NHL.TV imo.

But, different strokes.

Not all smart TVs have the app. LG TVs don't. I've always had Rokus, though, which I think work better typically than smart TV apps anyway, though.

NHL.tv was certainly more expensive, but ungodly is a bit hyperbolic. There have been a number of days where I'd be happy to pay the few dollars extra a month for what we used to get with NHL.tv. Having the option to start live games from the beginning is pretty massive, as were some of the fast-forwarding options, like jumping ahead by period (this is on Roku; the website/iPad app had some issues).

ESPN+ also has some small little issues that tend to serve as spoilers for replays, such as time of game on the scroll bar and images of teams that won in their highlight show thumbnails. It definitely feels like we've gone backwards this year, imo, except in price. But who knows--the MLB.tv app has regressed the past couple years, so maybe the NHL's would have, too.