NHL Package Comparisons

October 9, 2011

This past week, I've raised my two middle fingers to Time Warner Cable, and it feels good.

Now, before I go any further, I realize that Time Warner is a long-time sponsor of the Milwaukee Admirals. I do not intend to tarnish that relationship. I am in no way connected with the team, and the opinions expressed in this piece belong to me. The facts, however, are well, the facts.

For the last few years, I've subscribed to the NHL Center Ice package with Time Warner Cable. For about $170, the package allows you to watch every out-of-market NHL game throughout the season. As a native of western Pennsylvania, I grew up a Pittsburgh Penguins fan. Several years ago, I added the Nashville Predators as my co-favorite team as their partnership with the Admirals has developed since 1998.

While I have watched the games on Time Warner's version of the NHL Center Ice package, my brother has paid the exact same price to watch the DirecTV version. We've compared notes, and I've watched games at his place. Hands down, DirecTV blows away what Time Warner provides.

	Time Warner	DirecTV
Games in HD?	Usually 2 games per night in HD, the rest in 4:3 standard definition	Every game in HD (when originally broadcast in HD), 4:3 standard def also available
Home and away broadcasts?	Sometimes both, often only one	Both home and away for almost every game
Onscreen guide	TW's channel guide does not indicate whether a channel is showing the home or away feed	DirecTV's channel guide clearly indicates which feed each channel is showing

One note - my brother reports that CBC games are not being provided in HD on DirecTV this year. Contract issue?

Unfortunately for me, I do not have a southern exposure at my home thanks to my property line being next to a patch of woods. Therefore a dish is not an option until technology improves or I move.

I told myself after last season that I was not going to pay Time Warner for the Center Ice package until they either provide the same content as DirecTV or lower the price to match their inferior version of the product. I stuck to my word.

Instead, I've subscribed to NHL Gamecenter Live for $160. It is an online streaming package of all out-of-market games available from the NHL web site. After the first three days of the season, I can declare victory with that decision.

The Pros:

• Live HD video quality is much better than I anticipated. Even in full-screen, the video detail is nearly flawless. (If your internet connection is substandard or your computer is not very powerful, you will experience less desirable results.)
• It offers the choice of home or away broadcasts.
• If I miss a game live, no big deal. I can watch an archived copy of any game from earlier in the season, as well as any game from the last few years.
• Watching archived games are available in a condensed format (no commercials)
• While watching a game (live or archived), I can hop around to other parts of the game at a click of the mouse. Goals and highlights are indicated along the video progress bar as a reference.
• Various viewing options - full screen, a large view (most of my screen), large view with a small picture-in-picture of another game, or a quad-screen to follow four games at once.
• It provides the option to listen to the home or away radio broadcast while watching the game. Montreal has two radio feeds - English and French.
• While the game is live, photos and highlight clips from the game become available as the game progresses.
• The video features DVR-like controls for rewinding, pausing, slow motion, and 10-second fast forward jumps.
• The top of the screen shows live scores from around the league - a feature that can also be hidden.
• If I'm away from home, I can log-in and watch from any computer.
• Not an option I'll use, but it can be accessed by various mobile devices.
• Can be paid in 8 monthly payments. (Center Ice offers a four payment option.)

The Cons:

• Archives of nationally broadcast games (Versus, NBC, NHL Network) are not available until 48 hours after the game ends.
• Archives of other games not available until the next day (Center Ice offers continuous replays within an hour of the game's completion)
• Live games are almost a minute behind the Center Ice package games. My brother will see a play, have time to grab his phone, call me up, and describe the play before it appears on my screen.

As I mentioned at the beginning, it felt good to switch my package from Time Warner. In addition to offering a poor version of Center Ice, their prices are out of control and their customer service is shoddy. It won't be long before I drop their TV service. I'd like to put up a nice rooftop antenna and entertain myself with internet streams. If only I can find a better option than Time Warner's internet service.

The funniest thing about all of this... the AHL's online streaming of every game is currently on sale for $350 (normally $400). More than double the price of the impressive NHL Gamecenter Live, but with sub-standard definition jumbotron feeds with radio play-by-play.