OT: Hockeystreams vs Gamecenter

[Frank Drebin]

shot in the dark...anyone have an invite for hs?

 

[HavlatMach9]

i thought you were supposed to contact HS for an invite. I have no idea though.

https://www4.hockeystreams.com/register

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

I just signed up on the site and they emailed me an invite later that day or the next. Twice actually, didnt sign up the first time.

Kinda sucks if u want it to watch a game that day, but its pretty quick.

 

[Frank Drebin]

thx guys

 

[Benjamin]

Apparently GCL will be blocking VPN's.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

Apparently GCL will be blocking VPN's.

No way....

Like it even affects them, people still buying the service. Even though I barely use VPN's anymore, this may be the end of me and GCL.

 

[GuestageE]

I'm moving to Toronto in September and I was wondering what my best option would be to catch most of the Ottawa games without paying monthly cable fees. Few questions:

Will most of the games be blacked out on GCL because TSN5 will be carrying the games? Or would that just happen if I were still in Ottawa?

Is hockeystreams a good option? I've read all the posts here and I'm still on the fence.

Any other recommendations?

Thanks!

 

[ErikNorrisson]

Apparently GCL will be blocking VPN's.

Where did you hear this?

 

[LoneSteele]

I'm moving to Toronto in September and I was wondering what my best option would be to catch most of the Ottawa games without paying monthly cable fees. Few questions:

Will most of the games be blacked out on GCL because TSN5 will be carrying the games? Or would that just happen if I were still in Ottawa?

Is hockeystreams a good option? I've read all the posts here and I'm still on the fence.

Any other recommendations?

Thanks!

If you live in Toronto the only games that will be blacked out are:

Nationally broadcast games
If I understand it correctly, this includes any and all games that are on Sportsnet, Sportsnet1, Sportsnet360, CityTV, and CBC - basically anything that's part of the new 12 year Rogers deal.

Games involving the Toronto Maple Leafs
Who cares about that right? Well - if Ottawa is playing Toronto then you will not get this game on GCL - you'll need to watch it broadcast on TSN.

Sens games on TSN5 will still be region-specific to Ottawa so seeing as you'll be out of Ottawa, you won't be blacked out there. I've had GCL for a number of years as I haven't lived in Ottawa since 2006, and for the last 3 years I've had NHL Centre Ice. I'm thinking of making the switch back to GCL though because I can stream right to my Apple TV or Xbox or watch on my iPad or online - and the quality is FANTASTIC.

Hope that helps.

 

[Benjamin]

Where did you hear this?

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1723119

 

[Benjamin]

So im stuck with no ability to get cable and whatever internet is given to me at my college residence. So its either average or slow, not sure. Am I ****ed? GCL will be blacked out so I need a VPN that are now apparently blocked... so I was thinking of getting HS. Is it just gonna be low quality and laggy with my internet?

I cant live without hockey. Urgh.

 

[The Waffler]

So im stuck with no ability to get cable and whatever internet is given to me at my college residence. So its either average or slow, not sure. Am I ****ed? GCL will be blacked out so I need a VPN that are now apparently blocked... so I was thinking of getting HS. Is it just gonna be low quality and laggy with my internet?

I cant live without hockey. Urgh.

Trust me, you can live without hockey. Also, you'll find ways.

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

So im stuck with no ability to get cable and whatever internet is given to me at my college residence. So its either average or slow, not sure. Am I ****ed? GCL will be blacked out so I need a VPN that are now apparently blocked... so I was thinking of getting HS. Is it just gonna be low quality and laggy with my internet?

I cant live without hockey. Urgh.

Hard to say really without knowing the exact bandwidth you have access too. It should say on the website what quality you can get at various speeds. 720p is pretty good and you don't need a ridiculous connection to get it. Could probably get enough bandwidth through a decent data plan on your phone.

 

[ErikNorrisson]

So im stuck with no ability to get cable and whatever internet is given to me at my college residence. So its either average or slow, not sure. Am I ****ed? GCL will be blacked out so I need a VPN that are now apparently blocked... so I was thinking of getting HS. Is it just gonna be low quality and laggy with my internet?

I cant live without hockey. Urgh.

You may be overreacting based on the link you posted to me before. That forum post was PURE SPECULATION about banning of VPNs. To me, it doesn't make any sense whatsoever to ban VPNs. Businesspeople and those concerned about their privacy heavily rely on VPNs to use the internet.

The quote from the NHL.com e-mail was

Second, the privacy policy contains additional information about the types of information we collect when you use our services. This may include information about your location, and if you log in through a social network service, information that you allow us to receive from that service.

 

[Benjamin]

You may be overreacting based on the link you posted to me before. That forum post was PURE SPECULATION about banning of VPNs. To me, it doesn't make any sense whatsoever to ban VPNs. Businesspeople and those concerned about their privacy heavily rely on VPNs to use the internet.

The quote from the NHL.com e-mail was

Im not saying its gaurunteed but im not spending 150+ to have the chance Sens games are blacked out.

 

[BonkTastic]

Gamecenter is still the clear best option for overseas viewers.

I love it.

 

[Back in Black]

Gamecenter is still the clear best option for overseas viewers.

Unfortunately, It's no good if you live in Ottawa, which most of us do.

 

[ErikNorrisson]

Im not saying its gaurunteed but im not spending 150+ to have the chance Sens games are blacked out.

Understood. Closer to the season, I think we'll have a better idea as to how the service will operate. You can decide after the first few games of the season.

If GCL doesn't pan out, then check out hockeystreams. I had it last year and it's pretty good for the price. They did have some server issues maximum 5/82 games but that's to be understood with a service like that. Their tech support is usually quite great. They stream at a few bitrates so no matter your connection, you'll at least be able to watch it (in different qualities albeit).

My point is don't stress. You won't miss much hockey. There are tons of ways to watch the game. In my experience, college/university networks are quite fast. The only issue would be a download cap. I know my old university capped us at 20 GB a week.

Where are you headed for school, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[HavlatMach9]

benny just get HS for a short time and see if you like it, and at the same time you can see how the GCL experience is this year for people who get it

 

[Benjamin]

Understood. Closer to the season, I think we'll have a better idea as to how the service will operate. You can decide after the first few games of the season.

If GCL doesn't pan out, then check out hockeystreams. I had it last year and it's pretty good for the price. They did have some server issues maximum 5/82 games but that's to be understood with a service like that. Their tech support is usually quite great. They stream at a few bitrates so no matter your connection, you'll at least be able to watch it (in different qualities albeit).

My point is don't stress. You won't miss much hockey. There are tons of ways to watch the game. In my experience, college/university networks are quite fast. The only issue would be a download cap. I know my old university capped us at 20 GB a week.

Where are you headed for school, if you don't mind me asking?

Forgot about the cap! :stress:

Its tough to decide which to go with. Ive been reading through lots of threads about the 2 services and everyones opinion/experience is so different for both. Having the ability to watch CHL + Bingo is a big sell for me.

Im going to St. Lawrence in Kingston.

benny just get HS for a short time and see if you like it, and at the same time you can see how the GCL experience is this year for people who get it

Yeah. My plan right now is to get a month or so of HS to try it out.

 

[BonkTastic]

Unfortunately, It's no good if you live in Ottawa, which most of us do.

Yeah, I get that.

There are a small number of international Sens fans who post here though, so hopefully my experiences with the product can help them.

 

[GuestageE]

If you live in Toronto the only games that will be blacked out are:

Nationally broadcast games
If I understand it correctly, this includes any and all games that are on Sportsnet, Sportsnet1, Sportsnet360, CityTV, and CBC - basically anything that's part of the new 12 year Rogers deal.

Games involving the Toronto Maple Leafs
Who cares about that right? Well - if Ottawa is playing Toronto then you will not get this game on GCL - you'll need to watch it broadcast on TSN.

Sens games on TSN5 will still be region-specific to Ottawa so seeing as you'll be out of Ottawa, you won't be blacked out there. I've had GCL for a number of years as I haven't lived in Ottawa since 2006, and for the last 3 years I've had NHL Centre Ice. I'm thinking of making the switch back to GCL though because I can stream right to my Apple TV or Xbox or watch on my iPad or online - and the quality is FANTASTIC.

Hope that helps.

Amazing. Thanks!

 

[Benjamin]

Is it possible to sign up on HS as a regular account and in a few weeks buy premium on the same account? Or would I have to get another invite?

 

[Tremblay31]

Gamecenter is still the clear best option for overseas viewers.

I love it.

Exactly this !

 

[aef1400]

Hey guys, from Ottawa but living in the US, thinking about getting either HS or GC for this upcoming year. From the people who have experienced both, what is the better buy?