Watching the Hawks on WGN(for folks not in the Chicago area)

[mikita's helmet]

I switched to Direct TV Saturday after having Comcast Cable for years. I live outside the Chicago area and don't get WGN. I added Center Ice (CI) to my Direct TV package, which also includes NHLN, Versus, CSNCHD and a 35 sports station package which includes all the Fox and Comcast HD stations, but If I can catch most of the WGN games on the visiting teams sports networks I'll most likely cancel CI.



Any opinions?



Anyone else already doing this?



Thanks in advance.

 

[bubbleheadchief]

Re: Watching the Hawks on WGN(for folks not in the Chicago a

The problem you run into with directv and the other satty network, if you dont have CI or extra innings, or what ever the football thing is, if it is a sporting event, you dont get it, unless it is being carried by a national broadcast or it is your "local" team.



In other words, I get every Nationals and Orioles game, all Cubs games on WGN, because it is considered a network, and anything shown on MLBN. Anything else SUN Sports, NESN, MSG, CSN, FSN carried game, I dont get. Even though I have the special sports package, because it is part of another package.



SO with that said, you wont get to see the Hawks unless they play your "local" team, or they are on Versus, or NHLN.

 

[mikita's helmet]

Re: Watching the Hawks on WGN(for folks not in the Chicago a

[quote name="bubbleheadchief"]Anything else SUN Sports, NESN, MSG, CSN, FSN carried game, I dont get. Even though I have the special sports package, because it is part of another package.[/quote]



If I understand you correctly, any game on Center Ice won't be shown on any of the 35 sports channels if CI offers it. So getting the Chicago CSN station outside of the Chicago area means all the Hawks games that are also on CI will be blocked out.



If so, that sucks.

 

[whiteevo]

Re: Watching the Hawks on WGN(for folks not in the Chicago a

no, i have directv, center ice pack and CSN chicago while living in michigan. the games show both on CSN or CSN+ and center ice all the time. the only thing i got blacked out from are wangs games on NHL network if the game is on fox sports detroit, but again i get that station so i'm covered. hockey on TV is serious business.



if i were you i'd keep the center ice package, there are literally tons of games during the season that you might wanna watch.

 

[LordKOTL]

Re: Watching the Hawks on WGN(for folks not in the Chicago a

I'm not sure about Center Ice, but from what I understand about Gamecenter (It's supposed to be Center ice but streamed over the I-net), You'll get every game *except* those on NHL network, or any game that is nationally broadcast (basically, VS or NBC).



As such, if it's on WGN it should be shown unless (A) you're in the blackout area, or (b) it's being nationally re-broadcast on VS or NHLN.



Personally, as someone who has a decent home internet connection, has his TV connected to an HTPC, and doesn't want to pay for 600+channels and still nothing to watch just for the priveledge of getting Center Ice, I prefer Gamecenter. I figure if it's NBC I can pull it in through terrestrial HD Broacast, if it's Vs. I'll be at my Dad's watching, and if it's NHL network I'll either be at BWW or Little Chicago watching, or pulling in an ATDHE feed.

 

[phranchk]

Re: Watching the Hawks on WGN(for folks not in the Chicago a

[quote name="Mikita's Helmet"]I switched to Direct TV Saturday after having Comcast Cable for years. I live outside the Chicago area and don't get WGN. I added Center Ice (CI) to my Direct TV package, which also includes NHLN, Versus, CSNCHD and a 35 sports station package which includes all the Fox and Comcast HD stations, but If I can catch most of the WGN games on the visiting teams sports networks I'll most likely cancel CI.



Any opinions?



Anyone else already doing this?



Thanks in advance. [/quote]

Are you outside of Illinois or still in Illinois? If you're still in Illinois you're screwed for WGN games. Center Ice won't show them. Anything in Illinois is considered local and it's blacked out. Most of Illinois doesn't get WGN Chicago. If you're outside of Illinois you should be fine.

 

[mikita's helmet]

Re: Watching the Hawks on WGN(for folks not in the Chicago a

[quote name="phranchk"]

Are you outside of Illinois or still in Illinois? If you're still in Illinois you're screwed for WGN games. Center Ice won't show them. Anything in Illinois is considered local and it's blacked out. Most of Illinois doesn't get WGN Chicago. If you're outside of Illinois you should be fine.[/quote]



I'm temporarily (next 6 to 12 months) in Toledo, Ohio. Already got tickets to two games at JLA (1/22/11 & 3/28/11) and one in Columbus (2/1/11).

 

[mikita's helmet]

Re: Watching the Hawks on WGN(for folks not in the Chicago a

[quote name="whiteevo"]no, i have directv, center ice pack and CSN chicago while living in michigan. the games show both on CSN or CSN+ and center ice all the time. the only thing i got blacked out from are wangs games on NHL network if the game is on fox sports detroit, but again i get that station so i'm covered. hockey on TV is serious business.



if i were you i'd keep the center ice package, there are literally tons of games during the season that you might wanna watch.[/quote]



So I take it you have the sports package with the 35 stations, but there are plenty of games, probably when a Canadian team plays another Canadian team, that I'll be able to see on Center Ice, but not otherwise. Thanks for the info.

 

[FlaHawkFan]

Re: Watching the Hawks on WGN(for folks not in the Chicago a

[quote name="Mikita's Helmet"]



So I take it you have the sports package with the 35 stations, but there are plenty of games, probably when a Canadian team plays another Canadian team, that I'll be able to see on Center Ice, but not otherwise. Thanks for the info.[/quote]



Exactly. If you have both CI and the sports package (ours has WAY more than 35 stations), you can watch hockey on either the CI channel or the "local" channel. But if you don't have CI, they block the local feed for NHL games even if you have the sports package.



I love Center Ice -- we watch all kinds of games that way. Weirdly, though, apart from HNIC, sometimes when two Canadian teams are playing, there won't be any feed, or you'll end up with the Montreal feed in French!

 

[mikita's helmet]

Re: Watching the Hawks on WGN(for folks not in the Chicago a

[quote name="FlaHawkFan"]



Exactly. If you have both CI and the sports package (ours has WAY more than 35 stations), you can watch hockey on either the CI channel or the "local" channel. But if you don't have CI, they block the local feed for NHL games even if you have the sports package.



I love Center Ice -- we watch all kinds of games that way. Weirdly, though, apart from HNIC, sometimes when two Canadian teams are playing, there won't be any feed, or you'll end up with the Montreal feed in French![/quote]



sacre bleu! (sic?)



I know that some Canadian teams offer packages of some of their TV games that you must pay to see which may be why you don't see 'em on CI either.

 

[whiteevo]

Re: Watching the Hawks on WGN(for folks not in the Chicago a

yeah some of those fuckin canadians have their own deal once in a while (canucks TV) that dont get shown, but its rare. NHL network in the US picks up some of the leafs TV stuff. all in all, there are very few games that you can't watch on the tube.

 

[bubbleheadchief]

Re: Watching the Hawks on WGN(for folks not in the Chicago a

[quote name="whiteevo"]no, i have directv, center ice pack and CSN chicago while living in michigan. the games show both on CSN or CSN+ and center ice all the time. the only thing i got blacked out from are wangs games on NHL network if the game is on fox sports detroit, but again i get that station so i'm covered. hockey on TV is serious business.



if i were you i'd keep the center ice package, there are literally tons of games during the season that you might wanna watch.[/quote]

If you dont have center Ice you wont get the games on your other stations. Nevermind the flahawk said what i was trying to say.

 

[winos5]

Re: Watching the Hawks on WGN(for folks not in the Chicago a

I live in South Texas. Center Ice with Versus and NHLN on cable/DTV/DISH is the bomb. Only 3 or 4 Hawks games were blacked out the entire season. Best bet at watching the games if you live outside Illinois. Add all the other hockey games into the picture and center ice really is the best bet.



NHL archives online is a great deal as well. $15 a month and you can watch unlimited archived hockey games dating back to the 60s.

 

[LordKOTL]

Re: Watching the Hawks on WGN(for folks not in the Chicago a

[quote name="winos5"]I live in South Texas. Center Ice with Versus and NHLN on cable/DTV/DISH is the bomb. Only 3 or 4 Hawks games were blacked out the entire season. Best bet at watching the games if you live outside Illinois. Add all the other hockey games into the picture and center ice really is the best bet.



NHL archives online is a great deal as well. $15 a month and you can watch unlimited archived hockey games dating back to the 60s.[/quote]

The NHL Vault? yeah...I get that as part of Gamecenter...



The travesty is that they do not have footage of the '61 cup. But other than that, they do have the last game played at the Madhouse.