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NBA TV follows NFL Network to Comcast's digital classic tier

by Richard Lawler, posted Jun 4th 2009 at 10:56AM

It doesn't appear to be coming in time for everyone to enjoy C-Webb and The Glove's studio antics during the NBA Finals, but now that Comcast closed a deal to bring NFL Network to its many digital classic subscribers, working out an agreement to add NBA TV (home of the pioneering all-SkyCam broadcasts & silent game) as well was the only logical followup. No word on exactly when the switch will happen, but hoops fans should keep an eye on their (soon to change drastically) channel lineup with the long term deal slated to shift the channel off the sports tier and into mass availability ahead of the 2009-10 season, bringing along plenty of VOD and streaming content to Comcast.net. Unfortunately, NBA League Pass is still a pay add-on, but we guess that would be asking for just a bit too much, right?

DirecTV's ScoreGuide tool makes catching the quickest boxing matches even easier

by Richard Lawler, posted May 4th 2009 at 11:08PM


DirecTV subs may not notice the company has been spun off, but they might have peeped the new ScoreGuide, letting sports fans watch one channel while keeping scores and start times of live events posted on screen, then letting viewers switch to the appropriate channel easily. Accessed by tuning into any one of DirecTV's sports channels then punching the red button on your remote, it can collapse to show just one game or stay open to show all daily events. Want to avoid clicking over only to find the boxing match is already over two rounds in or you missed a great Kentucky Derby comeback, or yet another triple overtime thriller? We can see how this could be useful.

Fox VP details soccer HD plans

by Richard Lawler, posted Apr 17th 2009 at 1:51PM

Ever since FSN made it's 24/7 HD for 2009 proclamation futbol fans have wanted to know if that applies to them too, and the Goal soccer blog on the New York Times has the news on what to expect as the UEFA Champions League comes to Fox. Fox Sports International VP David Sternberg let it be known that Fox Soccer Channel isn't going to be high definition until the end of this year, so don't expect any FSC games in HD until February 2010. The good news? After the wait, we can expect broadcasts of proper HD feeds, rather than upconverted widescreen SD feeds seen sometimes on ESPN.They do plan 16 live games on FSN, plus the 2010 final on FX, while broadband viewers can expect streaming from Setanta, so if FSC isn't on your lineup yet, there can still be some HD of the Beautiful Game in your future.

NFL Network, Comcast slapfight could see channel yanked May 1

by Richard Lawler, posted Apr 9th 2009 at 4:31PM


This Hatfield & McCoy-like dispute has been going on for years now and it might be ready to come to a head. In case you haven't seen the ads, the NFL Network could leave Comcast altogether May 1. As always, the NFL wants to be on the basic tier in every subscriber's house alongside ESPN and, less popular, Comcast owned channels, and Comcast wants to keep it on the sports tier, where only those willing to shell out extra will see what it claims is the 4th most expensive channel it has. We like the NFL, but we also hate higher basic cable bills for stuff not everyone wants to watch. Of course, an 11th hour reprieve is always possible -- see Viacom, Big Ten Network and more, but next month Comcast subs may have to choose which large, greedy corporation they love more.

Read - NFL, not Comcast, is behind dispute over NFL Network
Read - I Want NFL Network

Check out a free preview of the MLB.tv HD player today and tomorrow

by Richard Lawler, posted Apr 3rd 2009 at 6:27PM


Want to get a look at the new MLB.tv, and don't want to spend any money to do it? Two spring training games tonight and three games tomorrow afternoon will be loosed on your Adobe Flash equipped PC, complete with the high definition video, Live Game DVR functionality, Multi-Game viewing, picture-in-picture and more. Go ahead, give it a shot and let us know if you're satisfied.

New York Mets' Citi Field set to be loaded with AQUOS HDTVs

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 24th 2009 at 5:33PM


It's still up in the air whether the New York Mets will have a solid 2009 season, but one thing is for certain: locals are stoked to see Citi Field open up on April 13th. Sharp has just pushed out a press release that gives baseball loving HD junkies even more reason to go check out a game in person, as we're told that over 800 AQUOS HDTVs will be littered about the new venue. There will also be a gigantic 108-inch Sharp LCD in Citi Field's main lobby, which ought to complement the 12,000 square-feet of Daktronics HD signage quite well. Man, stuff like this really makes us rethink the whole "stay home vs. see it live" debate. Full release is after the break.

Continue reading New York Mets' Citi Field set to be loaded with AQUOS HDTVs

U-verse TV subscribers score interactive college basketball app

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 18th 2009 at 6:58PM


Make no mistake -- legions of cube-dwellers will be tuning into March Madness On Demand this Thursday, but those lucky / unlucky enough to be sitting at home in front of their U-verse TV DVR can enjoy one other luxury: an interactive application. AT&T has partnered up with Yahoo! Sports in order to add in a free college basketball U-bar app that will give March Madness fans the ability to view tournament brackets, their personalized completed bracket, game summaries and box scores, and video clips of game analysis / commentary with a simple remote click. Nah, it's no DirecTV-like four-screens-in-one, but it's definitely better than anything offered up on cable. Check out a simple video demonstration here.

Microsoft's Silverlight to deliver NCAA March Madness on Demand in HD

by Darren Murph, posted Feb 17th 2009 at 8:21PM


Fantastic news, cube dwellers -- you can finally put that office T1 to use this year, as CBSSports.com has inked an agreement with Microsoft that will enable it to provide a 1.5 megabits per second stream of March Madness. In other words, you'll be able to watch the 64 most deserved teams scrap it out online in HD for that all important National Championship. Employers, hear this: just go ahead and give your folks a few days off. It's not like they'll be even remotely productive with MMoD coming at 'em in high-def.

[Via ZatzNotFunny]

Reminder: win Valentine's Day tickets for NBA All-Star Weekend in 3D!

by Darren Murph, posted Feb 9th 2009 at 11:58AM


Still undecided on Valentine's Day plans? Bad news, Fred -- because every event worth its salt is already booked up by now. Don't panic just yet, though, because we've got 25 pairs of tickets (courtesy of Cinedigm) for this weekend's NBA All-Star Weekend in 3D to giveaway. If you and your lover would love to go, hit up the read link for all the official details including a way to see if it's showing near you. If so, enter your name over there and cross your fingers for a Cupid miracle.

Valentine's Day Giveaway: tickets for NBA All-Star Weekend in 3D!

by Darren Murph, posted Feb 6th 2009 at 12:27PM


Remember when we told you that Cinedigm, Turner Sports and the NBA would be broadcasting TNT's coverage of NBA All-Star Saturday Night in 3D? Remember just how bad you wanted to go? We've excellent news -- for those still scrambling to firm up their Valentine's Day plans, we've got 25 pairs of tickets to this here showing in live 3D HD, and we're giving every last set to you readers. 80 digitally equipped theaters in 35 states will be showing the event (and giving away freebies!), which kicks off at 8:00PM ET on February 14th. Enter your ZIP code here for a list of cinemas in your area, and if one's nearby, feel free to drop a comment below to consider yourself entered. Your honey / manly man will love you for it.

Special thanks to Cinedigm for the tickets!

Gallery: Valentine's Day Giveaway: tickets for NBA All-Star Weekend in 3D



The rules:
  • Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, though we'd prefer to hear who you think will win this year's Slam Dunk contest.
  • You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)
  • If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine.
  • Contest is open to anyone in the 48 continental US States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
  • Winner will be chosen randomly. 25 winners will receive two (2) tickets to the Live 3D HD showing of the 2009 NBA All-Star Weekend in cinemas. Approximate value is $18 to $22 per ticket.
  • Entries can be submitted until Tuesday, February 10th, 11:59AM ET. Good luck!
  • Full rules can be found here.

Survey finds that HD Super Bowl could bring families together

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 28th 2009 at 3:53PM


We've seen some pretty outlandish survey results before, but this might just take top honors. A Samsung-commissioned poll has revealed that "an HDTV can entice your spouse to visit the in-laws, even for the Super Bowl, if it means viewing football in high-definition." Heard that? Your family could actually grow fonder of one another if your in-laws are showing the Super Bowl in high-def. The actual results were that 43 percent would make the trek to their in-laws if they could count on watching the big game in HD, with 50 percent of that subset being men and 34 percent being women. The survey also found that 81 percent felt image quality was more important than food, and we're left to wonder what on Earth those other 19 percent are drinking so heavily. Check the read link for even more laughs.

[Image courtesy of PBase]

Prepared for Super Bowl XLIII? Here's how.

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 22nd 2009 at 1:00PM


Believe it or not, Super Bowl XLIII is but days away. If you've been putting off that home theater expansion, the time to get serious is now. We've hosted up a handy guide to get your abode totally ready for hosting a rather monumental bash, so why not head over to Engadget Classic and check it out? We're not responsible for the condition of your wallet should you follow each and every recommendation, but we are guaranteeing that it's a darn good recipe for joviality.

DirecTV provides best HD view of Grand Slam tennis tournaments

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 16th 2009 at 9:37AM


We tell ya, DirecTV has the cable carriers at their mercy when it comes to these Mix Channels. For tennis enthusiasts in particular, you'll be hard pressed to find a viewing setup superior to this. Starting on January 18th with the Australian Open, the company will be integrating ESPN2 and Tennis Channel feeds into its six-screens-in-one Mix Channel, and for the first time ever, it will all be in high-definition. Viewers will be able to see the network channel and five court channels on a single screen, with each screen providing its own audio stream. Better still, DirecTV subscribers can expect the same kind of coverage for the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open tournaments later this year. And don't be shocked to hear of something similar for the upcoming golf season -- we get the feeling DirecTV is really going for the jugular here.

BBC won't air Formula 1 in HD this season

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 15th 2009 at 8:03PM


So, here's the good news. Auntie Beeb will be covering the 2009 season of Formula 1 racing. The bad news? It won't be in HD, at least not at launch. According to a reply by Roger Mosey, the director of BBC Sport, the network will not be making F1 racing available in high-def, though he does confess to "wanting to." Yeah, we'd love to say his "I'll keep you posted" remark gives us overwhelming hope, but sadly, we can't. Prove us wrong, BBC -- we dare you.

[Image courtesy of TheSun, via Digital Spy]

NHL Network to make 2009 All-Star event an HD affair

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 15th 2009 at 1:34PM


Hockey fans hanging on the edge of their seat to find out NHL Network's plans for the 2009 All-Star event can finally breathe a sigh of relief. The network has announced its intentions to provide 15 hours of live high-definition coverage surrounding the event, with the last few hours of those 15 containing the All-Star post-game highlights on January 25th. Oddly enough, it looks as if the full gamut of high-def coverage will only be available in the US, even though the game itself is scheduled to be played in Great White North. The full breakdown of coverage awaits you in the read link, and feel free to blow off some steam over region discrimination below.




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