Best way for a cord-cutter to catch Sabres games?

[Dreakon13]

Hey guys.

I don't really have cable, I don't really want to get cable. What options are out there to catch Sabres games if I'm living in Western NY (other than going to them haha)?

GameCenter Live is kind of out of the question, with the blackouts. There are browser proxys and VPN's and janky stuff like that, which might work on the PC, but it wouldnt work with my Roku box or my television.

Free streams online are all well and good, but I pretty much live on the PC between my many hobbies and my job so any kind of "home entertainment" setup linking my PC with my television wouldn't really work. Unless I wanted to pick up a cheap netbook with an HDMI output or something to do the heavy lifting. Plus the quality/availability probably varies considerably.

I've heard of something called Hockeystreams, which seems to be perfect for me, but I'm not very comfortable with a service that is not actually affiliated with the NHL. Last thing I need is litigation against me just for watching my team... any of you guys use it and could vouch for it?

Any other options out there? Sorry to be a bother.

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[Beerz]

Hey guys.

I don't really have cable, I don't really want to get cable. What options are out there to catch Sabres games if I'm living in Western NY (other than going to them haha)?

GameCenter Live is kind of out of the question, with the blackouts. There are browser proxys and VPN's and janky stuff like that, which might work on the PC, but it wouldnt work with my Roku box or my television.

Free streams online are all well and good, but I pretty much live on the PC between my many hobbies and my job so any kind of "home entertainment" setup linking my PC with my television wouldn't really work. Unless I wanted to pick up a cheap netbook with an HDMI output or something to do the heavy lifting. Plus the quality/availability probably varies considerably.

I've heard of something called Hockeystreams, which seems to be perfect for me, but I'm not very comfortable with a service that is not actually affiliated with the NHL. Last thing I need is litigation against me just for watching my team... any of you guys use it and could vouch for it?

Any other options out there? Sorry to be a bother.

You can get Gamecenter using a VPN and stream it to your TV with Chromecast ($35)

 

[MayDay]

Sorry, you're stuck unless you want to resort to illegal streams.

I'm very happy with my Roku 3 + Gamecenter Live, but I am outside of WNY coverage area.

 

[Dreakon13]

You can get Gamecenter using a VPN and stream it to your TV with Chromecast ($35)

Really? Would I just need to register with a VPN and I'm good, or is it something I would need to use every time I want to watch a game?

 

[Beerz]

Really? Would I just need to register with a VPN and I'm good, or is it something I would need to use every time I want to watch a game?

Pretty sure you register the VPN once and just leave it on your computer but I'm sure others on here can tell you more about VPN's than me.

 

[Namejs]

I've heard of something called Hockeystreams, which seems to be perfect for me, but I'm not very comfortable with a service that is not actually affiliated with the NHL. Last thing I need is litigation against me just for watching my team... any of you guys use it and could vouch for it?

As far as I know, hockeystreams (the one based in the Netherlands) is technically illegal.

So if you're willing to go that way, it's possible to access the NHL Gamecenter Live stream for free and without any blackouts. But it's also technically illegal.

Also, if it's against the forum rules, I want to make it clear that I definitely don't encourage doing any illegal stuff. I also strongly advise against PMing me, if you wish to find out how to do it.

 

[fiend540]

I did gamecenter for 2 years, and decided to go with hockeystreams after using them for the playoffs last year. The big kicker for me was the blackouts on gamecenter suck, mainly not being able to watch any of the playoffs because of them all being on a national broadcast.The Sabres are on NBCSN frequently which sucks, but they also block out games that they run on NHL Network which is beyond Pejorative Slured.

I pay less, get equal quality service, have no blackout BS to deal with and can watch all the other leagues included which has been nice with how terrible the Sabres are.

 

[Presten]

Sorry, you're stuck unless you want to resort to illegal streams.

I'm very happy with my Roku 3 + Gamecenter Live, but I am outside of WNY coverage area.

Hockeystreams.com works well for me, nhl/ahl/juniors/WC in hd. If you have a smart tv you can use istream in the browser, same goes for Playstation 4.

 

[MayDay]

Hockeystreams.com works well for me, nhl/ahl/juniors/WC in hd. If you have a smart tv you can use istream in the browser, same goes for Playstation 4.

Yeah that's why I said he was probably stuck with illegal sites (like hockeystreams), which not everyone might want to do.

 

[Presten]

Yeah that's why I said he was probably stuck with illegal sites (like hockeystreams), which not everyone might want to do.

Yeah, but thats what I had to do to be able to chose between home/away brodcast In Norway after gamecenter was blocked two seasons ago (a scandinavian broadcasting company bought the rights and decided to double the price and use swedish commentators).

 

[couture23]

If hockeystreams is illegal, how come they haven't been taken down yet? I'm sure the NHL and Rogers are well aware that they exist.

 

[DeadGhost]

Hockeystreams is the best purchase I've made all year.

 

[MayDay]

If hockeystreams is illegal, how come they haven't been taken down yet? I'm sure the NHL and Rogers are well aware that they exist.

It's definitely not legal. Hockeystreams pays the NHL nothing for the right to broadcast NHL games, ergo they don't have the right to do so, ergo they do so illegally.

And it's especially not legal for them to broadcast games to viewers in the US and Canada, where a number of other companies HAVE paid lots of money for the rights to broadcast those games, both on television and digitally.

The fact that they haven't been shut down yet doesn't mean it's legal. It just means they are located overseas in a country where it is hard for the NHL to go after them through legal avenues.

 

[couture23]

It's definitely not legal. Hockeystreams pays the NHL nothing for the right to broadcast NHL games, ergo they don't have the right to do so, ergo they do so illegally.

And it's especially not legal for them to broadcast games to viewers in the US and Canada, where a number of other companies HAVE paid lots of money for the rights to broadcast those games, both on television and digitally.

The fact that they haven't been shut down yet doesn't mean it's legal. It just means they are located overseas in a country where it is hard for the NHL to go after them through legal avenues.

That's what I thought. Thanks.

 

[Paxon]

I'd recommend Hockey Streams if you are willing to pay for a service. You get NHL, AHL, QMJHL, WHL, and OHL games as well as some special events and tournaments. Options are similar to GameCenter live in terms of devices, and you can watch on your computer through VLC I believe in addition to the web-based service.

If you want to be able to access the GameCenter Live streams for free on your computer via VLC with no blackouts, shoot me a PM for help.

 

[tehinternet]

wiziwig.tv Don't install any apps or plugins if you can avoid it. Stick to the flash only streams. I think I did Sopcast, but that's as far as I'd go with installing things.

 

[CrookedCrook]

Can you actually get any punishment by watching a stream that is not accepted by NHL? Any examples?
As for alternatives, if you don't want to pay anything and watch only NHL streams, there is this VLC script, you can get up to 5000kbps stream that way. It takes a while to understand how to set it up thought. PM if need for any more hints.
Not that I use it, nor suggest it. It is illegal after all.

 

[Rolli]

You dont happen to have a gaming console available? Im pretty sure they have a GameCenter Live app, atleast the Xbox systems.

 

[Paxon]

You dont happen to have a gaming console available? Im pretty sure they have a GameCenter Live app, atleast the Xbox systems.

His problem is that he lives in the Sabres broadcast zone, so games would be blacked out on GameCenter Live. One solution is to use a VPN to get around that. Another is to go with Hockey Streams which has no blackouts. The third is to access the GameCenter feeds without paying which you can play in the VLC media player.

 

[Rolli]

His problem is that he lives in the Sabres broadcast zone, so games would be blacked out on GameCenter Live. One solution is to use a VPN to get around that. Another is to go with Hockey Streams which has no blackouts. The third is to access the GameCenter feeds without paying which you can play in the VLC media player.

Oh sorry. I see now I read his original post too fast and assumed the problem was restricted to the computer. My mistake.

 

[fing0rz]

Use a service which masks where your connection is located and buy game center.

Not a vpn, which will re-route all your traffic, but a service that masks just the part that tells your location.

There are services that can be configured at the router level also, so the roku box should work with it too.

 

[vcv]

Use a service which masks where your connection is located and buy game center.

Not a vpn, which will re-route all your traffic, but a service that masks just the part that tells your location.

There are services that can be configured at the router level also, so the roku box should work with it too.

Eh... not sure what you're getting at here.

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If you go the route of gamecenter, you can setup a free proxy if you're technical enough.

http://nimrodflores.com/web-design-and-development/create-private-proxy-amazon-ec2-putty-windows/

Using it ONLY for sabres games and you should easily stay within the free tier.

 

[LaFontaineToMogilny]

I got tired of always having to hunt down decent but terrible flash streams, VLC hacks, SOPCasts etc so I finally paid for hockeystreams.

I've owned it for less than 24 hours but it is clearly the best purchase I ever have and ever will make

 

[SackTastic]

Use a service which masks where your connection is located and buy game center.

Not a vpn, which will re-route all your traffic, but a service that masks just the part that tells your location.

There are services that can be configured at the router level also, so the roku box should work with it too.

Um....what? That's not how IPv4 geolocation works.

 

[fing0rz]

Eh... not sure what you're getting at here.

---

If you go the route of gamecenter, you can setup a free proxy if you're technical enough.

http://nimrodflores.com/web-design-and-development/create-private-proxy-amazon-ec2-putty-windows/

Using it ONLY for sabres games and you should easily stay within the free tier.

You can mask your location without having all traffic go through a vpn/proxy.

Use your normal Internet to get the content at the speed you are used too.

It works for a large array of products. I used to last year to get NFL games for free since some countries got NFL game pass for free.