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

[Golden_Jet]

Lately (in recent weeks), audio & video have been out-of-sync for me in NHL.tv broadcasts, in various streams for various teams. Video is ahead of audio by half a second, perhaps even a full second. (I use the NHL.tv app on iPads.)

Of course, it would be an utter nightmare if it was the other way round: audio ahead of video, because that would make a broadcast full of spoilers and downright unwatchable, but audio lagging behind video is really annoying, too.

Anyone else having these issues?

I sent a complaint to NHL customer support, awaiting their response.

I also hate that a few weeks ago, they shortened all goal highlights in the NHL app to just 9 to 10 seconds. WTF ??!! The extensive goal highlights were the best part of the NHL app – including goal celebrations, replays, announcers'/analysts' comments, etc. It's been like that for years. Now all of that is gone! There's nothing I hate more than when service providers, instead of improving their service, make it worse over the years, cancelling long-established features, etc.

Hope you get a response,
That sucks for the app, that’s why I always question sometimes first if I want an update, in case something like that happens.
Is it possible to see those features via the web site?

 

[JRinNYC]

Did ESPN+ take away the Picture-in-Picture on desktop browser (Firefox). I'm not seeing the button to enable it.

 

[DutchHockeyGuy]

Lately (in recent weeks), audio & video have been out-of-sync for me in NHL.tv broadcasts, in various streams for various teams. Video is ahead of audio by half a second, perhaps even a full second. (I use the NHL.tv app on iPads.)

Of course, it would be an utter nightmare if it was the other way round: audio ahead of video, because that would make a broadcast full of spoilers and downright unwatchable, but audio lagging behind video is really annoying, too.

Anyone else having these issues?

I sent a complaint to NHL customer support, awaiting their response.

I also hate that a few weeks ago, they shortened all goal highlights in the NHL app to just 9 to 10 seconds. WTF ??!! The extensive goal highlights were the best part of the NHL app – including goal celebrations, replays, announcers'/analysts' comments, etc. It's been like that for years. Now all of that is gone! There's nothing I hate more than when service providers, instead of improving their service, make it worse over the years, cancelling long-established features, etc.

Yes I noticed the delay in the two most recent Leafs games too. Hopefully it will be fixed soon.

 

[Faterson]

Hope you get a response,

Yes I noticed the delay in the two most recent Leafs games too. Hopefully it will be fixed soon.

I got an almost instant response, and from a live person. However, it included such a long list of troubleshooting steps that I was supposed to do before we can proceed further, that I just had no time for it, and, just like @DutchHockeyGuy , for now, I must simply hope that they will fix it soon.

This makes no sense. Their loooooooooooong list of troubleshooting steps suggests as if the issue was at my end. I mean, everything worked fine for me for the first 3-4 months of the season, but suddenly, sound is behind the picture by a second or so, and I am supposed to do troubleshooting?

It seems obvious that the issue is at their end.

The sad thing is, when I launched the same game stream from a pirate site, everything was 100% flawless, sound and picture in perfect sync.

So here I am, a paying subscriber, and I'm receiving a worse service than someone who doesn't bother to pay anything at all.

I'm a Kings fan, and the next Kings game is on Saturday, so if the issue still persists then, I guess I will need to get to that gigantic list of troubleshooting steps I'm supposed to perform.

That sucks for the app, that’s why I always question sometimes first if I want an update, in case something like that happens.
Is it possible to see those features via the web site?

I presume you're referring to the goal highlights here.

I never upgraded anything. The same app, no update. But suddenly, all goal highlights were cut short to 9-10 seconds. You could barely see the puck landing in the net, and the goal highlight was already cut off. Sometimes, the announcer didn't even manage to call the name of the player who scored the goal, and they already cut him off. For all games. It was quite obviously an intentional (mis)step on the NHL's part.

I don't know if goal highlights on the webpage, rather than in the app, behaved in the same way, but I presume they did.

Fortunately, for this particular issue, I'm happy to report that goal highlights are now back to what they used to be for many years. Well, at least this morning, everything was fine again: a typical goal highlight was around 50 seconds, which allows for a couple of replays, analysts' comments, goal celebrations, etc.

Hopefully, they will keep goal highlights this way from now on. Their extended nature has always been one of the best features of NHL.com/the NHL app.

 

[Big Muddy]

Fellow ESPN+ users, am i missing it or is there no way to watch a full game replay from your team, or any team,from say a month ago?

in my ESPN+ app I see 'NHL Power Play on Demand' section with each teams most recent game. I noticed that those games will go away after a day or two and be replaced by the teams next most recent game after they play another one.

but it seems like there's no way to watch replays of games earlier than that say if i missed a game from a couple weeks, month, 2 months ago etc. and want to watch it...?

I have not found an archive feature on ESPN + either. If the game was played maybe a day before, you could probably find it. But, you can't go back further in time.

NHLTV had a good archive feature and a good user interface to select a game. It was calendar based. You picked the date, the a list of games (text based) appeared for the various games on that date. You selected the one you wanted, and sat back and watched the game. But, NHLTV lost the necessary broadcast rights for the U.S. I guess, and now its ESPN + for streaming NHL hockey games.

I think the professional team sport leagues are really fracturing coverage of the games to too many different services/companies now. Good for the league, not so good for the consumer/fan.

 

[Big Muddy]

I think you need to specifically search your team. The user interface has never been good, and when they shifted the NHL.TV from NHL to ESPN+, the UI got worse.

Ya, I preferred the user interface for NHLTV as well especially for archived games. NHLTV used a calendar which was logical and worked well as the first step to finding a game that was played in the past that you wanted to watch. I don't need a picture to select the game I want which is what ESPN+ uses. Just list the teams playing the games and I can scoot through them faster to select the game I want.

 

[jaro]

i have to say this year it work very good .. i will pay also next year .. thank you nhltv

 

[Faterson]

i have to say this year it work very good ..

Except for all the issues reported in this thread, eh?

I'm happy to report, though, that the "audio lagging behind video by a second or so" issue "resolved itself" after a couple of weeks, and it's back to normal now. So, no need to perform all those extended troubleshooting tips as suggested to me by NHL.tv support. The issue was obviously at their end, and they've now resolved it. Good.

In order for me to be as happy a customer as Jaro appears to be, both pre-game & post-game shows would have to be part of each and every hockey broadcast. Both live and on-demand. I consider pre-game and post-game shows integral parts of a hockey broadcast. NHL.tv doesn't carry them, so I consider NHL.tv a bare-bones product. Worth the subscription, but far from making me a truly happy customer, until pre-game and post-game shows are offered in full, both live and on-demand.

 

[SJSharksfan39]

Is anyone having issues accessing ESPN+ on the Apple TV. I click into a game and nothing happens. It's been like that for the last hour or so. Everything else seems to work though.

 

[JoeGarelli]

I have not found an archive feature on ESPN + either. If the game was played maybe a day before, you could probably find it. But, you can't go back further in time.

NHLTV had a good archive feature and a good user interface to select a game. It was calendar based. You picked the date, the a list of games (text based) appeared for the various games on that date. You selected the one you wanted, and sat back and watched the game. But, NHLTV lost the necessary broadcast rights for the U.S. I guess, and now its ESPN + for streaming NHL hockey games.

I think the professional team sport leagues are really fracturing coverage of the games to too many different services/companies now. Good for the league, not so good for the consumer/fan.

Hello, the lack of on demand is very frustrating. I can not find a way to play games more than 2 days old on my ps4..

BUT... on my desktop pc, i go to espn plus on my web browser. On the top of the screen it has four logos, ESPN+, ESPNBETS, and "Watch", "fantasy".. These are drop down links..Select "Watch" about 4 rows down and select "schedule and replays" Anyway, i can see the calendar for the entire season. No way to do this with app on PS4..

Very pissed off. Beyond stupid..

***I want to watch rangers/isles stadium series game.. I thought if i started to play on pc, maybe it would be an option to continue to play on ps4.. But no.. If I can only watch games live/ or day or 2 after, it is not worth 10 bucks a month. ***

Ok an EDIT, after about a 10 minute delay, or maybe restarting ps4.. The game now appears on the continue to play list.. Really backward ass way of watching replays older than 2 days

 

[JoeGarelli]

Okay, I hate to keep complaining about espn plus, but i have only had it for a week so far this season..

I get that games on nhl network are blacked out.. I think it kinda an embarrassment that you can not watch Chris chelios jersey retirement game.

Also what the f*** is up with the espn break screen, damn that music will drive someone insane.

 

[yada]

Okay, I hate to keep complaining about espn plus, but i have only had it for a week so far this season..

I get that games on nhl network are blacked out.. I think it kinda an embarrassment that you can not watch Chris chelios jersey retirement game.

Also what the f*** is up with the espn break screen, damn that music will drive someone insane.

Chelios retirement was on youtube. Nationally carrier games are available to watch 24 hours after the completion of the game, its annoying but at least its only 1 day.

I never get any breaks. Wait 1 hour 15 mins and you will be able to skip intermissions and all commercial breaks.

 

[JoeGarelli]

Yes that's how I watched the Chelios tape myself..

It is not available on ESPN plus. Still. so not sure what you are talking about.

 

[SJSharksfan39]

ESPN+ continues to be a joke. I like watching multiple games at once and they have the multi-cast feature. It doesn't work well. All the time now I get the "Live Feed Closing" message and countdown. One would think this being the third year of this deal ESPN would try to improve ESPN+ and make it better. Hell, they raise prices. Well, it still sucks and I think it's gotten worse. This "TV Deal" might be the worst sports TV deal I've ever seen. f*** the NHL and f*** Gary Bettmen for this. For all the talk about Growing the game, this TV deal doesn't grow the game.

 

[Folignos Helmet]

Glad to see they finally have an nhl.tv Apple TV app.
Welcome to the 21st century NHL.

 

[DutchHockeyGuy]

That is great news. Watching it now.

 

[JoeGarelli]

no rangers game on espn plus tonight.. not because it is on another network, just not available.. why does this happen?

 

[Golden_Jet]

no rangers game on espn plus tonight.. not because it is on another network, just not available.. why does this happen?

On MSG and Sportsnet

 

[JoeGarelli]

On MSG and Sportsnet

What does that have to do with ESPN plus? usually games on nhl network and max are unavailable on ESPN..

I think every ranger game is on MSG. Sportsnet is Canada.

Am I missing something?

 

[Golden_Jet]

What does that have to do with ESPN plus? usually games on nhl network and max are unavailable on ESPN..

I think every ranger game is on MSG. Sportsnet is Canada.

Am I missing something?

ESPN + wasn’t carrying that game, that was the point, had to be watched on MSG.
ESPN doesn’t carry all the games.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

An interview with Jack Hughes? You almost never see that.

 

[JoeGarelli]

Super glitchy tonight, anymore else having this? seems to jump back 5-6 seconds every few minutes

 

[Faterson]

Not that, but static insert screens instead of pregame, intermission, and postgame content during TNT broadcasts via NHL.tv is stupid and annoying as f***. They really make sure to punish their paying subscribers and to make watching the games as disagreeable for them as possible.

 

[JoeGarelli]

col and dallas is espn game of the night.. but you cant watch on espn plus.. am i getting this right? how stupid.

 

[Dotter]

I want to watch all NHL games. I have been a subscriber with NHL.tv and now ESPN+.

ESPN+ is sucking hard. They are taking games off without notice. They don't archive games past 30 days. I am noticing that they are making me chase networks to watch my team in another state. This is becoming more and more common. GREED.

That being said, is there a provider that televises all games besides ESPN+? I am willing to buy satellite or cable, but I don't want to subscribe to multiple providers to watch games anymore. Any suggestions?