Disgusted with the NHL and its Broadcasters.

[gillyguzzler]

Being from Ontario, I actually miss RDS, Pierre Houde and Marc Denis.

I dished out $200 for Rogers Gamecenter Live. I do have many options to watch GCL but none are as good as turning on my big TV, tuning into to RDS and listening to Pierre Houde in beautiful HD.

With GCL, sure I can watch it on my smartphone... but why would I want to compared to a big screen TV?

Sure I can watch in on a tablet... but compared to a big screen TV?
Sure I can watch in on my computer... but compared to a big screen TV?

I'm forced to watch it on my kids' xbox 360... decent quality, a bit of lag at times, I can pause but no pvr options like I do with Bell FibreOp.
Or I can watch it on my kids' PS4... terrible quality, choppy and limited pvr options. Press reverse and it goes back 2 minutes...forward is also two minutes.

I can get RDS through GCL on the computer or tablet... but not Xbox or PS4... I have to listen to Bartlet (not bad) but his sidekick is worse than Benoit Brunet.

I'm a newbie with GCL and maybe I'm not using the correct options but I really don't like how it works on the Xbox or PS4. I'd much rather just turn on my TV and watch the game on RDS as I have for many many years.

Just my beef for today!

 

[Fish on The Sand]

I actually cancelled cable as a result of this. Does Videotron or Bell honestly believe Quebecers are paying for SNET to watch their "amazing" analysis? No, I paid for those channels because I wanted to see games.

I won't be bullied into paying for center ice either. Went with hockeystreams.



Buddy, this isn't 1995 anymore. You can stream to your 55" TV, I do so with my 42" and 60" in HD.



I agree 100%, the blackouts are nothing more than greedyness, they want to basically make you pay for center ice if you don't like it. Well I don't pay for sports channels to have the very sports they air blacked out. I pay to see those sports. Unfortunately there are way too many people out there who are complacent in all of this and will just pay up. Personally to me it's a matter of principle. I ended up cancelling cable cause I can get all my shows online without ads in HD and I can get all hockey games off of hockeystreams or other free streaming sites. Like I said this isn't 1995, we have options and the more people who choose to use those options as a result of these blackouts the more likely they are to start rethinking it.

I told videotron straight up when I cancelled it's nothing against the customer service people, but I don't pay for channels to be told I cannot watch a game. If I pay for that channel I do feel entitled to watch games aired on it, otherwise the channel has no use for me. Rogers and the NHL have decided I'm not entitled and that's fine, but their 3rd party businesses will lose my money as a direct result of their actions. Think about it, you pay x$ a month for internet, you pay x$ a month for TV, in reality internet can do both if you're patient and know how to use google.

You have a very poor understanding of blackouts. Rogers does not black out those games. The National Hockey League blacks out those games. The very team that you cheer for, that you care so much about, is the one behind the blackout.

 

[Doc McKenna]

My dad and I cancelled our bell sat, Not paying for sportsnet and its not available in rural areas via cable. Also not going to cough up any more money to make sure its on GCL. Because you will still miss games unless you sub to rogers. F em. I have a pc and an HDMI, I have XBMC, I have options. Media companies paying out billion to the NHL only not realizing they can no longer control us. F them and the NHL.

 

[TravisF]

I was also very upset I got blacked out on that game. Since they showed the entire pre-game show! And the channel said the game was on. Then as soon as the game started it said it was blacked out!!!!!! I live in Ontario by the way. It was a disgusting thing to do.

 

[Vern]

I personally dont own a TV so it has been the bar for me for years. i cant handle all the pop ups and tricky adds when streaming.

Now it just so happens my girlfriend is a rogers cellphone customer. One day she says "you know instead of getting wasted every 2cnd night at the bar you could watch for free on your computer".

Ever since I've been enjoying the regional accents of the local guys calling the away games on CI. My favorite was the Dallas guy on foxsports "and the puck goes in the corneeeeeeeeeer".

The op might not appreciate rogers but my liver and wallet do!

 

[InglewoodJack]

Disgusted? Get real. Stream it or pay up.

 

[JLP]

It is disgusting that it has been made so difficult for Canadians to watch their favourite hockey teams.

 

[Fish on The Sand]

I was also very upset I got blacked out on that game. Since they showed the entire pre-game show! And the channel said the game was on. Then as soon as the game started it said it was blacked out!!!!!! I live in Ontario by the way. It was a disgusting thing to do.

It was disgusting for them to give bonus coverage of something they normally wouldn't show?

 

[GoodKiwi]

You have a very poor understanding of blackouts. Rogers does not black out those games. The National Hockey League blacks out those games. The very team that you cheer for, that you care so much about, is the one behind the blackout.

Yes, that is exactly the case. Most people complain about blackouts without understanding the issue at hand. If you're going to be critical of something at least do the research to find out what it is you're complaining about.

 

[maci4life]

GCL + usaccess.ca = watching your favourite team with no blackouts.

for the extra win, purchasing GCL through russian proxy to make it 75 US for the year.

legally speaking, i have paid for the product, and smart dns and proxies are grey area at best.

 

[JLP]

GCL + usaccess.ca = watching your favourite team with no blackouts.

for the extra win, purchasing GCL through russian proxy to make it 75 US for the year.

legally speaking, i have paid for the product, and smart dns and proxies are grey area at best.

^ I do something like this -- then my computer to a video projector and voila nice big hockey. But it isn't possible otherwise for me to buy a broadcast package that enables me to watch all Habs games. I think that's what is irking many Canadians: the increasing difficulty of watching their favourite hockey team. It seems simple, too bad it's become so complicated.

 

[Garry Valk]

First off am I bitter, YES! After watching all the ceremonies for Mr Jean Beliveau, and all the news reports and sports commentaries explaining and describing what he was to hockey and to a country, I find it so disrespectful that the actual game was not televised. Living out west as per the new television agreement, the game was blacked out. If the NHL AND ITS FELLOW BROADCASTERS FOR ONCE DO THE RIGHT THING AND FLIP THE SWITCH TO LIFT THE BLACKOUT , it would have showed some class. But out west we were left with Calgary vs Toronto. In my opinion the NHL should be ashamed.

Completely agree. I have lost most interest this year, largely due to the quality and availability of the games. I get them, but finding them is such a hassle. And the online option never shows the pregame, etc. Just terrible.

Such a shame. We were so spoiled with CBC.

 

[GoodKiwi]

Completely agree. I have lost most interest this year, largely due to the quality and availability of the games. I get them, but finding them is such a hassle. And the online option never shows the pregame, etc. Just terrible.

Such a shame. We were so spoiled with CBC.

Really? How so?

 

[Habs]

There's this site called youtube, you can find all sorts of videos and things on there.

 

[ThaDevilGirl]

^ I do something like this -- then my computer to a video projector and voila nice big hockey. But it isn't possible otherwise for me to buy a broadcast package that enables me to watch all Habs games. I think that's what is irking many Canadienns fans: the increasing difficulty of watching their favourite hockey team. It seems simple, too bad it's become so complicated.

I had to fix your quote. I don't think the other fan bases complain as much since they always have been subjected to blackout restrictions. RDS was not and thus fans in BC had the possibility of watching the games in French. Now that RDS shares the french rights with TVA, games are subject to blackout restrictions.

 

[GoodKiwi]

I had to fix your quote. I don't think the other fan bases complain as much since they always have been subjected to blackout restrictions. RDS was not and thus fans in BC had the possibility of watching the games in French. Now that RDS shares the french rights with TVA, games are subject to blackout restrictions.

Again, this is correct. Us, Canadiens fans, had a loophole due to French language right being exclusive to RDS by default as no other French language sports networks were there. With TVA Sports in the picture the loophole has closed and we joined the rest of NHL fans across Canada in that regard.

 

[Habitant le colon]

there is a good list of stream out there if some people wish to know them message me !! As for it inconvenience of having tv package : it's all about a broadcasting deal don't complain but understand it !

 

[DyerMaker66*]

**** the NHL. I can't even watch games in a language I don't understand anymore.

Hey NHL: Guess who didn't watch your product tonight? This guy.

 

[groovejuice]

**** the NHL. I can't even watch games in a language I don't understand anymore.

Hey NHL: Guess who didn't watch your product tonight? This guy.

I'm assuming because you're venting here, you're talking about the Habs.

Which language do you mean, and where do you live?

 

[groovejuice]

It is disgusting that it has been made so difficult for Canadians to watch their favourite hockey teams.

It's not difficult at all. It's only more expensive.

 

[Doc McKenna]

It's not difficult at all. It's only more expensive.

Not for where I live, I can get center ice pay 200 and still miss 1 of 4 habs games because of blackout rules, and we can't even get the french channels at all on Cogeco. My dads sat bill was 60 a month to watch the habs he wasn't paying an extra 12 per month to get rogers crapnet and TVA, not when he only had sat to watch the habs for the most part. SO now we stream for free. Everyone loses, good job NHL/rogers.

 

[bentheprop]

I pay $65 a month for unlimited internet, $109 a year for hockey streams and bought 2 chromecasts for about $75 for my 2 tvs. I watch way more hockey now than I ever did before and pay way less than I did for cable tv.

 

[groovejuice]

Not for where I live, I can get center ice pay 200 and still miss 1 of 4 habs games because of blackout rules, and we can't even get the french channels at all on Cogeco. My dads sat bill was 60 a month to watch the habs he wasn't paying an extra 12 per month to get rogers crapnet and TVA, not when he only had sat to watch the habs for the most part. SO now we stream for free. Everyone loses, good job NHL/rogers.

The way I look at it, is that the basic channels, CBC, City are included in generic cable. Sportsnet is included in the basic sports package. Pretty cheap so far. For that you see all the Nationally televised games in English. That's about 50%.

So in addition to that, for the same price as a good seat, plus a beer and parking at ONE live game, I also get all the out of region games, and about 1000 other NHL games, in HD, by subscribing to CI.

That's a good value. I'm not suggesting it's cheap. I had CBC and RDS in Alberta last year and it cost virtually nothing.

That loophole is closed. So now you find free streams and steal the games. Good for you.

I enjoy this really great bread at my local bakery. But they want $4.95 a loaf. That's too much, even for the huge pleasure I get from eating it. So I'll steal it instead.

 

[DyerMaker66*]

I'm assuming because you're venting here, you're talking about the Habs.

Which language do you mean, and where do you live?

I can't watch Habs games on RDS now because they black them out. I don't totally understand French but I can grasp what's going on.

I'm from Hamilton.

 

[No fan fiction]

Honestly, I'm tired of people complaining about blackouts. They have been around for a long time now and they aren't going anywhere any time soon. Whether you see them as evil or you don't - we all have to learn to deal with the situation.

I'm tired of reading this mentioned not because it doesn't affect me - it does (just for a different sport/team), but because spending around $200 extra dollars over the course of 6 months to watch your favorite team isn't much no matter how you slice it. You are fan enough to post here - there should be no reason for you not to be able to muster up the money.

And please don't bring Mr. Beliveau into this - he's not a soap box I feel you can stand on.


P.S. The ceremony & the opening montage was available to everyone across Canada.

Can't disagree more. Blackouts are not the TV equivalent of weather. They are anti-competitive practices. Here is the evidence: http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs...ly-votes-to-sack-the-nfl-sports-blackout-rule

The settlements are coming regarding the NFL blackouts, which are orders of magnitude more expensive and important than the NHL. Once that shakes out, the NHL, especially Toronto, will be forced to lose its dinosaur blackout policy or face the FCC in the US. It won't take much to get rid of the rest.


PS the ceremony wasn't on live. James Duthie and Bob Mackenzie were rambling about something on TSN. Unless you have the extended digital so RDS on 616, you saw none of it via Rogers in a GTA locale...