As a Flames fan in SW Ontario, I've been using CI for years, and GCL since it came out. Since Rogers has taken over, I have never been more disappointed. I know Rogers can't take all the blame for everything that app has wrong with it, but they can take their fair share.
- Firstly, the blackouts are annoying as hell. For what we have to pay for games, you should get every game. It's silly we still deal with this in 2016, and companies like Rogers are the reason this is a thing. Stop it.
- 'Commercial Break in Progress' or whatever the message is is beyond annoying. Again, a joint NHL problem, but stop it. I don't pine for commercials, but I also don't crave silence with slow rolling fog. Play the damn commercials, and quit trying to scalp your advertisers for every last dime. At least let the cameras roll as cannon7 pointed out. Put a camera outside the arena and let that roll. Do something. Is it too much to ask to be entertained?
- Sync your damn audio. We've been teasing SN about this for years, but it's now gotten to absurd that they haven't fixed it.
- Hire a new director. You have 9240582 (terrible) cameras in the arena. Surely you have a camera pointed at something interesting. I can't tell you how many times you can see a scrum on the edge of the screen, but no one mentions it.
- Make the games interesting. I get more storylines in the GDT threads on CP than I do from SN. That's embarrassing. It's not even worth tuning into the pre-game at all.
- Once you fix that, show pre and post game on GCL. They cut to and away from the game so quickly. How has $200/year not allowed me that privilege? Normally their cuts miss the intro to the game and the brief post-game recap. It's hilarious they are so cheap with sharing content. It's hockey and I paid to watch the hockey game.
- I don't care about the Oilers. I care about what's happening in the NHL, sure. But I don't need to be advertised to about the upcoming Oilers games. I don't get the mindset there. They don't advertise Minnesota vs. Arizona games, so clearly they must be advertising Alberta games in Alberta. It's a Flames feed with the Flames playing. I don't get why they think Flames fans are interested in the next Oilers games. The occasional ad on what's coming up on SN is fine, I totally get that. But the details they go into on some upcoming Oilers game really implies they think that target audience is watching.
Ball, Hrudy and Leah are great. Some of the graphics are neat (they need a new design language, however). But everything else is a major step back. Rogers taking over has been nothing but downhill in almost every aspect. It's remarkable really.
Last edited by Split98; 03-31-2016 at 02:33 PM.
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Have we gotten used to a new standard? Yes, we have, and I wouldn't call that spoiled. High definition isn't exactly the new norm any more, it's the standard.
Viewers in the 80s wouldn't accept upscale black and white, we shouldn't accept substandard HD.
You're totally right. Go on a website like Twitch.tv (for those that don't know, it's mostly people streaming themselves playing video games) and watch people broadcasting crisp, clear 60 fps 1080p content from their bedrooms. It's not rocket science in 2016.
Surely you have a camera pointed at something interesting. I can't tell you how many times you can see a scrum on the edge of the screen, but no one mentions it.
Or worse... the PBP crew are talking about the altercation after the whistle while the camera is focused on a guy on the bench adjusting his equipment or drinking some water.
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SNET does make very little effort to make the game exciting it seems. Or they just don't have a formula that's catered to the fan and drawing them in. They need to come up with a new game plan/method and aesthetic for their broadcasts, honestly.
It comes across like a chore more than an exciting professional level game. I used to hate Rhudey because he used to be the TV version of Eric Francis in that he came across so anti-Flames prior to the rebuild. But that's because he constantly pushing for a tear down. Now that he's on board with what the team is doing you can tell he is passionate about the team and seeing the young players flourish. He puts in excellent colour commentary each game. Same as mentioned above though, you never see the drama between players or the scrums up close unless it's a fight because they ALWAYS cut away to advertising or anything not game related. Rhudey may start talking about something he's noticed, but they cameras don't follow and so whatever point he was making gets overlooked, because they treat it like the only thing that's cared about is while the clock is active.
I used to watch the panels and hotstove etc, because they gave opinions I wasn't expecting, and I often learned some fact I didn't know, because those guys were in the know. And they had more inside knowledge than I did. Now listening to those panelists, I'm pretty sure the average CP user is a step ahead of them on knowledge of the situation and the team. I gain nothing from it, therefore there is no reason to tune in. They go on about meaningless things and often not even the most pressing issue at hand. So instead I come here at intermissions.
The HD is abysmal. Just look at the comparisons between SNET and NBC. And as mentioned the crowds often sound non existent. It's hard to get into that when your team is down by a couple on the score board. Production value is a huge part of game excitement, it's true.
need to show the same arena...some rinks look way better than others on TV. Anaheim is always dark...not saying SNET has good quality or anything
I've posted this example before but here is the difference between Sportsnet and Fox Sports. This is what I deal with all the time when making my videos. There's a reason I use the other team's broadcast footage as much as possible but swap in the Flames broadcast audio.
The contrast is better, the colours are more vibrant, the picture is sharper (look at the actual netting in the goal for example). Unfortunately I have to crop the ticker out of the Fox broadcast since they keep it on the whole game usually.
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SNET does make very little effort to make the game exciting it seems. Or they just don't have a formula that's catered to the fan and drawing them in. They need to come up with a new game plan/method and aesthetic for their broadcasts, honestly.
It comes across like a chore more than an exciting professional level game. I used to hate Rhudey because he used to be the TV version of Eric Francis in that he came across so anti-Flames prior to the rebuild. But that's because he constantly pushing for a tear down. Now that he's on board with what the team is doing you can tell he is passionate about the team and seeing the young players flourish. He puts in excellent colour commentary each game. Same as mentioned above though, you never see the drama between players or the scrums up close unless it's a fight because they ALWAYS cut away to advertising or anything not game related. Rhudey may start talking about something he's noticed, but they cameras don't follow and so whatever point he was making gets overlooked, because they treat it like the only thing that's cared about is while the clock is active.
I used to watch the panels and hotstove etc, because they gave opinions I wasn't expecting, and I often learned some fact I didn't know, because those guys were in the know. And they had more inside knowledge than I did. Now listening to those panelists, I'm pretty sure the average CP user is a step ahead of them on knowledge of the situation and the team. I gain nothing from it, therefore there is no reason to tune in. They go on about meaningless things and often not even the most pressing issue at hand. So instead I come here at intermissions.
The HD is abysmal. Just look at the comparisons between SNET and NBC. And as mentioned the crowds often sound non existent. It's hard to get into that when your team is down by a couple on the score board. Production value is a huge part of game excitement, it's true.
A. Why are you writing Rhudey?
B. He was never a Flames basher as far as I can recall. In fact, he always seemed pro-Flames over the years (he was a huge Kipper supporter in particular). He was an Edmonton basher if anything.
I will say on average the Sportsnet broadcast has improved. The most recent game in Arizona for example had the same quality as the Fox broadcast, however it didn't look great either.
Same goes for the TSN feed in Toronto. The Sportsnet broadcast looked identical (even a little brighter), but both were what I would consider blurry HD.
It may be a bit redneck and old boys club of me, but give me Ron McLean over skin tight suited, earring and clunky beaded bracelet wearing, awkwardly touching people all the time, is easily 40 but desperately trying to be a trendy twenty-something, George Strombolopolous ANY FREAKING DAY!
I honestly can't watch HNIC anymore, the guy creeps me out that much. It's such a crime, McLean is still such a good host but he's stuck on the short bus road tour of Canada all winter that nobody really cares about.
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I think the biggest difference in broadcast quality right now is the sound actually.
It's sad how much better the USA broadcast of the few Flames/Canucks games in the playoffs was than the HNIC ones.
Here's the same goal from both broadcasts, listen to the difference in sound quality. Especially in the crowd. The USA broadcast makes you feel like you're in the arena, HNIC sounds like you have the game on in another room.
Interesting that this is such a polarizing topic! Worth a poll? The reason why I suggest a poll is that I had thought it was just the same small group of people complaining about SN but I could be very wrong given the responses in this thread.
For me it boils down to quantity over quality. I agree SN production quality isn't up to snuff but I am happy to trade that for the quantity of games I get to see on TV that they have provided since their new TV contract.
I also wonder if the huge amount of games hasn't lead to over saturation in the Canadian market for some? Or maybe its just that Canadian teams have sucked this last year?
In fairness, it is a game that I am able to watch in HD, have we become so spoiled that these "issues" are impacting your enjoyment of the game? Seems like more whining about trivialities that legitimate concerns.
I pay for my cable, just as people in other provinces do - should I not expect the same standards? The Calgary games are visibly worse - like instant recognition - production quality than every other broadcast I have watched, including TSN, other Sportsnet bradcasts, and everything I've seen from the states. The Calgary braodcasts are horrendous.
How is it whining to say so? Name anything that you pay for, where you quietly accept a sub-standard product.
Sportnet's Flames and other hockey coverage is junk. Ive reduced the amount of hockey I watch because of it and will often pick games to watch based on the network doing coverage.
I can see Sportsnet trying to modify the deal with the NHL to be able to sell some more regional rights to TSN or others. Ten years is a long time for then to weather this especially with no Canadian teams in the playoffs so early in the deal.
It may be a bit redneck and old boys club of me, but give me Ron McLean over skin tight suited, earring and clunky beaded bracelet wearing, awkwardly touching people all the time, is easily 40 but desperately trying to be a trendy twenty-something, George Strombolopolous ANY FREAKING DAY!
I honestly can't watch HNIC anymore, the guy creeps me out that much. It's such a crime, McLean is still such a good host but he's stuck on the short bus road tour of Canada all winter that nobody really cares about.
I'm getting really tired of people listing these petty reasons as why they don't like George. Same goes for the people that mistake the enthusiasm and energy he brings to HNIC as simple fan boydom. The man does his homework and is quite good at what he does, and will only get better with time as Ron Mclean did. I would go so far as to say he's probably one of the best personalities HNIC has at the moment.
You also need to realize that Mclean (who replaced a very popular Dave Hodge mid season) faced many of the exact same criticisms Stroumboulopoulos is facing now when he took over as host of HNIC.
Even with all that stated, the biggest factor working against George may be that HNIC is nowhere near the same quality of show as it was when Mclean got the host job in nearly every way. George also does not have anywhere near the same caliber of personalities to work with that Mclean did.
The show maybe be bad, but it's definitely not because of George Stroumboulopoulos.
Last edited by Grimbl420; 03-31-2016 at 04:48 PM.
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I think the biggest difference in broadcast quality right now is the sound actually.
It's sad how much better the USA broadcast of the few Flames/Canucks games in the playoffs was than the HNIC ones.
Here's the same goal from both broadcasts, listen to the difference in sound quality. Especially in the crowd. The USA broadcast makes you feel like you're in the arena, HNIC sounds like you have the game on in another room.
I can see Sportsnet trying to modify the deal with the NHL to be able to sell some more regional rights to TSN or others. Ten years is a long time for then to weather this especially with no Canadian teams in the playoffs so early in the deal.
The 12 year national deal that Rogers made with the NHL has little to do with the regional deals they have with each club. Those deals are made directly between the teams and Rogers. They will up be up for renewal well before the national deal expires. I can see TSN stepping up in a big way ($$$ )when that happens - much like they did with Ottawa last year.
