Streaming Hockey TV Broadcasts (legal links only)

[nino33]

Apparently GameCenter Live is $50

I've picked up GameCenter (first time for me); the $50 price is what did it for me!
I'm looking forward to better familiarizing myself with more teams/players, and watching "what I want/when I want" instead of just what's on regular TV

[Danny]

App for Xbox released, and apparently it's pretty good. PS3 app might take one more week.

[archibalduk]

So apparently people in the UK will be blacked out because of that naff Sky Sports channel that owns the TV right for the UK

This is so frustrating. I checked Premier Sports' website and it explains that the UK will be blacked out on GCL for all of the 15 games Premier Sports shows each week. The blackout applies for 48 hours after the game finished. This is a real pain. I had hoped to watch the Flyers v Pens game live tomorrow but that's not happening now. The other big pain is that the games only remain at the higher bit rate/quality for about 24 hours - after that time they're only available at the naff 1,600kbps (unless they have also upped it this season).

To be honest, I'll try using a proxy like so:

Any free proxy will work. I use http://www.stealthy.co plug-in for Chrome or Firefox.

I know, you're thinking to yourself, "a proxy is going to be extremely slow for streaming near-HD video." Well, allow me to explain.

You don't have to stream the whole video through the proxy. The location check is only done on starting the video, so what I do is:

1) Sign in to GCL (not through the proxy though, as that would be insecure).

2) Enable the proxy, ensuring you get one somewhere where there are no viewing restrictions (e.g. the UK)

3) Start the stream you want to view. After a few seconds, just disable the proxy and you'll be streaming directly to your machine at the full speed of your connection.

Obviously, this will work with any free VPN solution as well, regardless of bandwidth, if that is your preference.

[grazza]

I really don't get how they don't put at least one game on free to air tv or at least a more widely subscribed pay per view service. 90% of people who watch NHL on Premier Sports are existing NHL fans. Channel 5 used to put on matches until about 4 or 5 years ago and so could get new people into the NHL. The NFL and NBA at least have a strong presence on tv wheras the NHL is tucked away on a channel most people don't even know exists. The NHL clearly have no interest in gaining more fans and presence in UK.

[batdad]

WHy? Ratings, and sponsorship....or rather lack there of...that is why.

[Manimal]

Here in Sweden, the company that owns the NHL rights, Viasat, shows a couple games a month on a free channel. So I get to watch the Philthy Cry-ers and the Pissburgh No-flying-birds tonight.

[m0fownz0r]

Quick update, apparently there's going to be an additional option as far as picture quality is concerned (4500 kbps), only confirmed for
0PC/Mac though, not for external apps

bummer... I was so excited after I read this only to find there is no such option on the GCL UI..

[archibalduk]

WHy? Ratings, and sponsorship....or rather lack there of...that is why.

Long before the time of the Internet, the only way to watch the NHL was on a free-to-air channel known as Channel 5. They used to broadcast one or two games per week (and a few more during the playoffs). I used to have my own special 4hr VHS which I used to record the games on so I could watch them after school.

However, Channel 5 couldn't afford to buy the rights and it eventually ended up going to ESPN (both as a channel and via their streaming site). Two years ago ESPN lost the rights (I think because they chose not to renew them). That's why the NHL opened up GCL to the UK. But about a year ago, a subscription channel in the UK bought the rights. As part of the agreement GCL has to blackout the games it shows. It sounds like they've spent a lot of money on their rights as they've got a 4 year deal. Seeing as the NHL on UK TV has a history of being too expensive and not drawing in enough viewers, I don't see why the same won't sooner or later happen to this new channel.

The NFL and NBA have both been far better marketed in the UK. They come over to play games every year and the main sports channel shows a lot of their games. The NHL doesn't get this treatment and it doesn't really make any effort to make itself better known (but then there's probably no time seeing as they have to repair relations with NA fans after each lockout). I don't think it helps that the UK isn't really a winter sport country either.

[Danny]

Proxies worked flawlessly until last season, I doubt that has changed. They only check for the IP once when you're logging in. You can then turn off the proxy and use your whole bandwidth for the stream.

[archibalduk]

Proxies worked flawlessly until last season, I doubt that has changed. They only check for the IP once when you're logging in. You can then turn off the proxy and use your whole bandwidth for the stream.

So you turn on the proxy -> log in -> turn off the proxy?

The instructions I saw were to turn on the proxy after you log in and when you first load the stream (and then you turn it off once it is loaded). If turning it on before logging in worked for you last season then that's what I'll try.

[Danny]

I didn't have to use it myself last season, we don't get any blackouts luckily (yet ). I've used proxies to log into GCL when we didn't officially have it over here in Europe a couple of years ago, friend of mine got an GCL account for free with his Center Ice subscription so I was using his GC account. But I've read many comments this method was still working last season, which means they didn't change their IP checking method for ages.
I can't remember anymore if I waited for the stream to load or not. I'd probably recommend that. Just keep in mind that's against their terms of service. I can't imagine they're really looking for people circumventing blackouts though.

[archibalduk]

I can't remember anymore if I waited for the stream to load or not. I'd probably recommend that. Just keep in mind that's against their terms of service. I can't imagine they're really looking for people circumventing blackouts though.

Thanks.

I don't think I really have any choice but to try circumventing it. The blackouts pretty much render my subscription obsolete - particularly when it comes to the Playoffs.

[archibalduk]

GCL has been a total let down so far. I loaded up the Jets and Flyers games and both were extremely choppy. Neither the XBox nor iPad apps are able to connect.

[Danny]

Yeah it's been the expected day one disaster. Unannounced blackouts for all of Europe, choppy streams, GCL dying every couple of minutes etc.
At least the Philly stream works smoothly. On a more positive note, the old proxy log in trick still working, Hawks game blacked out here, just used some random free proxy to load up the stream and it worked

[archibalduk]

What source of proxies do you use? Maybe it is because the site is so slow, but I've been struggling to get anywhere with any of them (apart from my initial success in getting into the Flyers game).

With all of these blackouts, hockeystreams.com is very tempting indeed (the framerate is twice that of the 300kbps GCL framerate and it really shows).

Just typing this and I finally managed to get into the Jets game with a decent-ish framerate (there's still a slight stutter). I think I'll cut my losses with the Pens game and accept just watching the Jets game. It's taken me 2 hours to get this far...

[Danny]

I don't have a particular fav site for proxies, I just type free proxies into google and the sort by country and speed.
Problem with hockeystreams for me is I don't know enough about their PS3 app support, and the preview HQ stream sort of looks like GCL on 1600 kbps, it's ok-ish but not worth 60 $

[nino33]

So far I'm really enjoying GameCenter!
While I've always had a good handful of games on every week on "regular TV" here in western Canada, I'm enjoying flipping through games I typically don't get any coverage of...right now watching bits of Bruins/Rangers, Islanders/Devils, and Lightning/Capitals on GameCenter with Leafs/Habs on regular TV

[m0fownz0r]

yeah.. GCL is awesome just like last season although DRW made (or rather didn't do) everything within their power to spoil the start of the seasong for me :S. That Tarasenko kid looks mighty fine.

While I've always had a good handful of games on every week on "regular TV" here in western Canada, I'm enjoying flipping through games I typically don't get any coverage of...right now watching bits of Bruins/Rangers, Islanders/Devils, and Lightning/Capitals on GameCenter with Leafs/Habs on regular TV

How did you manage the multi-game view? Whenever I try to select the 2nd game it just open another tab with preview and stuff.

[nino33]

How did you manage the multi-game view? Whenever I try to select the 2nd game it just open another tab with preview and stuff.

I too haven't figured out how to get multi-game view!...I've been opening up multiple games in seperate windows (and I mute all but one game)

[Danny]

How did you manage the multi-game view? Whenever I try to select the 2nd game it just open another tab with preview and stuff.

I too haven't figured out how to get multi-game view!...I've been opening up multiple games in seperate windows (and I mute all but one game)

I've read a comment from customer service somewhere that it's not working properly yet

[m0fownz0r]

How did you manage the multi-game view? Whenever I try to select the 2nd game it just open another tab with preview and stuff.

I too haven't figured out how to get multi-game view!...I've been opening up multiple games in seperate windows (and I mute all but one game)

I've read a comment from customer service somewhere that it's not working properly yet

Yeah. I guess they'll fix it soon enough. It's not anything major, like nino said one can still watch multiple games just not as convenient.

[grazza]

Anyone know what is up with NHL vault I went in to watch some of the action from the weekend and the most recent game is the stanley cup final of last year, whats going on?

[m0fownz0r]

I think it takes about 48hrs for the games to end up in the vault/archive.

[grazza]

Weird I used to get some games on the same day they were shown or the day after, never had anything like this before. Does it take that long if you subscribe to full game centre and miss the game live?

[grazza]

Decided in the end to go with gamecentre. $50 for the season prob works out about the same I pay for vault if I get it in the off season too. Looks very pretty I must say hopefully the blackouts won't be too bad come play off time.