Boxee gets live NHL: Time to Ditch Cable?

[KTrain]

http://mashable.com/2010/04/19/boxee-nhl-gamecenter/

Boxee is releasing a new version of its software to users today that adds some performance and usability enhancements, plus a new content partner, the NHL. The NHL joins the Internet media center’s sports offerings, including the recently updated MLB.TV app.

With NHL GameCenter Live, fans can watch their favorite hockey games and greatest moments in HD right inside Boxee. NHL access requires a subscription to the GameCenter Live service for either $19.99 a month or $79.99 a year. However, if you are a subscriber, you’ll get access to live games and archived games for 48 hours after they air, plus access to highlights. Boxee says it plans to add new features throughout the 2010 – 2011 season.

[MickMcGeough]

That's awesome.

If they got NFL Sunday Ticket I'd cancel my shaw today.

[FanIn80]

Need:

NHL Package
NFL Package
NBA Package
CFL Package

...then I can /cancel my Star Choice.

[tripin_billie]

Well, I will probably buy this and drop my Comcast NHL Center Ice next year. Comcast still refuses to provide HD broadcasts, and the current Game Center Live broadcasts are even better quality than what I get on TV.

Since I can't get satellite, I'm glad I will finally have another option. FU Comcast!

[silentsim]

" NHL access requires a subscription to the GameCenter Live service for either $19.99 a month or $79.99 a year"

That a misprice? Isn't it 200 a season?

[Russic]

Oh my god oh my god ... I've been waiting for something like this.

Originally Posted by silentsim

" NHL access requires a subscription to the GameCenter Live service for either $19.99 a month or $79.99 a year"

That a misprice? Isn't it 200 a season?

Actually I think the online version is cheaper. TV is $200, online is $80.

[silentsim]

Originally Posted by Russic

Oh my god oh my god ... I've been waiting for something like this.



Actually I think the online version is cheaper. TV is $200, online is $80.

Hmm, i tried signing up for gamecenter Live at the beginning of the season and the price said 200$ US

[silentsim]

Yeah, Gamecenter Live was 79$ for a "near end of season" promotion that went up to and including 2nd round of playoffs. That started March 24th.
Full season was 200ish

[Russic]

i see. I know if you get atv flash you can add functionality to your Apple TV and Boxee is among the programs it offers. I wonder if it would work? I'm also hoping as it mentions mlb.tv that the NHL follows suit and gets an iPad app. The MLB iPad app is over-the-top awesome, but baseball is really not my thing. If I could get hockey games on an iPad I'd probably lose my mind.

[Azure]

I think MLB.tv is doing something like this as well.

Pretty cool.

[sclitheroe]

Before you get too excited, keep in mind that many games on Gamecenter Live are blacked out in the local and/or Canadian market. If the game is on a local cable channel you won’t be able to watch it in Calgary, on the computer.

I know there are proxies out there, but it was my understanding that many of these are now blacklisted as well.

That said, Gamecenter Live itself is excellent, and I happily pay for it each year.

[Jayems]

Yep, GameCenter is rad... except when you want to watch a game that's on TV, and you have no access to TV (ie: at work).

[Flamesguy_SJ]

My main beef with Gamecenter Live is the fact that you couldn't choose which feed you got. I mainly used it for Flames games, and even on nights when I knew for a fact that SNetW was airing it, I got saddled with FSN. About the only one that I didn't mind was the Hurricanes broadcast -- it was exceptional, really.

I suppose that it's just the luck of the draw with that type of service and is the nature of the beast, so to speak. But still, I would love to have the option to pick which broadcast I get to watch, or even have the option to listen to the different radio broadcasts (which I understand you were able to do on Centre Ice Online, before it became Gamecentre).

EDIT: Also, because I'm in such an isolated area with no local team (I think the nearest would be Boston or Montreal, which are both over 500km away), I don't really get blacked out, except when a game is on national TV like CBC or TSN, or for Senators games on SNetE.

[Pastiche]

Damn I hope there's a port for this to XBMC, would all over this.

[Azure]

mlbtv allows you to pick home or away, but you have to buy the premium service.

[Thor]

So how do you connect Boxee to your TV, hdmi from laptop to TV? And what remotes can yo use, they aren't very clear on their website, says any IR remote, that mean PS3 remote or controllers?

Just not sure why they don't do it like TVersity which uses wireless to PS3 for viewing media on my TV, unless I'm missing something here.

[MickMcGeough]

Originally Posted by Thor

So how do you connect Boxee to your TV, hdmi from laptop to TV? And what remotes can yo use, they aren't very clear on their website, says any IR remote, that mean PS3 remote or controllers?

Just not sure why they don't do it like TVersity which uses wireless to PS3 for viewing media on my TV, unless I'm missing something here.

Hehe cause there's nothing that says "try our free software" like making a $300 peripheral a requirement.

TVs have any combination of HDMI, DVI, and S-VGA inputs and most laptops have at least one of those outputs.

As for remotes - it will be a like any HTPC software I'm guessing. If you have an IR receiver - great, any Logitech Harmony remote or probably even most MCE remotes would work. If not - Air Mouse already has a built-in custom Boxee profile so that would work.

[RedHot25]

I have MLB.TV - premium subscription - if anyone wants to know about that.

My question is boxee - is it any good? what is it exactly? MLB.TV has it this year - well is really emphasizing it just lately. Not, I think, because it was originally designed to be like that, but because their original set up has been horrid. Absolutely horrid; nightmare level issues - i.e. feeds not starting, randomly blacking out people when they shouldn't be, DVR (for premium subscribers, like myself) functions not working (I would LOVE to check out slo-mo for a game - haha spare me the slo-mo/baseball jokes - or pause it for a bit) but it is a pain to even get started, let alone working.

Which leaves me to a related question in all of this - does anyone know much about NextDef? It has been the bane of many people's existence at MLB.TV if you go by their support forum (as well as for me).

[Flames0910]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

Before you get too excited, keep in mind that many games on Gamecenter Live are blacked out in the local and/or Canadian market. If the game is on a local cable channel you won’t be able to watch it in Calgary, on the computer.

I had dreams of all the money I was going to save next year and you stomped all over them.

Probably a good thing that you did though seeing as I would have been left hung out to dry.

This is lame. Not a huge issue right now, but it could be very shortly. I don't need cable. All I need is the Internet to watch my favourite tv shows. If I really want to I am savvy enough to get them from the computer to the TV.

Who do we need to sue to make this change?

[Azure]

I don't see why the NHL doesn't allow local online viewership. Just stream the local stream. The networks make more money from advertising anyways.