ESPN America (Part 2)

Support · 06/09/10 - 22:14

richiebabee wrote: »

If they're not going to broadcast in HD could they at least broadcast in widescreen? The last year that channel 5 had the NFL was just unwatchable - with horrible stretched pictures. It's not too much to ask is it?

Admin Notice: This thread is a continuation of: http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=982617

jeffersbnl · 06/09/10 - 22:19

Problem is there are two feeds for Sunset & Vine (producing the coverage for C4) to choose:

HD feed 16:9
SD feed 4:3

If they've got the budget in the coverage to cover the costs of downlinking the HD feed, hiring an HD capable studio, feeding the signal to it and then onto Red Bee (who handle transmission for C4) then we'll get HD coverage. I'd suspect it probably isn't, so theres a very good chance it'll be 4:3 (sadly).

Paul1511 · 07/09/10 - 00:53

Elixir

Blokee · 07/09/10 - 02:01

Must say I think the picture on HD for Boise State v Va Tech is brilliant. Maybe its just me and my TV but its fantastic quality and when Brent n Kirk introduced the game they were looking very crisp.

[Deleted User] · 07/09/10 - 02:07

thanks Blokee

glad mike is back he is the best there is plus back on 4 just hope they dont make a bad job of it like they did wwe back in the day

[Deleted User] · 07/09/10 - 07:36

Blokee wrote: »

Must say I think the picture on HD for Boise State v Va Tech is brilliant. Maybe its just me and my TV but its fantastic quality and when Brent n Kirk introduced the game they were looking very crisp.

Yes it was but one of the better ones but again medium distance and longer shots showed terrible blurring on the field. The lighting really helped that game especially when compared to the michigan game at the weekend. The problem varied by contrast and colour. I watched it from 15 feet back and it helps but once I was back to my regular distance no - look at 14:56 in the first quarter camera is behind the quarterback and the field is a shimmering mess (and gets worse the further it goes). The camera then goes back to the sidelines and it looks super.

[Deleted User] · 07/09/10 - 07:49

NitaJez wrote: »

Yes it was but one of the better ones but again medium distance and longer shots showed terrible blurring on the field. The lighting really helped that game especially when compared to the michigan game at the weekend. The problem varied by contrast and colour. I watched it from 15 feet back and it helps but once I was back to my regular distance no - look at 14:56 in the first quarter camera is behind the quarterback and the field is a shimmering mess (and gets worse the further it goes). The camera then goes back to the sidelines and it looks super.

I agree with you NitaJez. Was one of the better ones but still issues with field. Lovely colour though and lighting helped.

This weekend we get some really big College games and with the NFL and MLB... nice.

Delenn · 07/09/10 - 07:53

wolf99000 wrote: »

thanks Blokee

glad mike is back he is the best there is plus back on 4 just hope they dont make a bad job of it like they did wwe back in the day

I am quite hopeful knowing Sunset and Vine are involved. They have done a decent job for five.

Blokee · 07/09/10 - 10:42

Delenn wrote: »

I am quite hopeful knowing Sunset and Vine are involved. They have done a decent job for five.

They are. Same production team as Five.

[Deleted User] · 07/09/10 - 17:57

Well I promised but.............
I recorded the Michigan game on SD today and it showed none of the HD issues coming through which proves 2 things-
First the SD picture is fine
Two the HD problem is UK based and is in the uplink as SD picture would be taken from the HD feed from the US so the HD problem is in the uplink or encoding.
That is all I am saying. ESPNA you know where to find the problem. I say cheekily! Maybe Sky are causing it.

packerbully · 07/09/10 - 19:30

Cheers for that Yvonne.

Well I just watched PTI on ESPN and again I am pleased with the diversification of sports they are covering. Still think the table is out of place but very promising. Well watchable.

Wonder if they would do a UK ATH?

One thing I would like is for ESPN to have a pseudo fixed schedule. Maybe a bit early for that.

[Deleted User] · 07/09/10 - 20:07

Has anyone seen the awful picture on ESPN HD now for Germany game. Worse than anything on ESPNA I think. I had to respond to someone on the Sky HD board explaining that ESPN know of the problem. There are so many complaints the last week or two on DS and other boards that ESPN and ESPNA really need to pull their finger out and sort it. It is not giving them a good name.

packerbully · 07/09/10 - 20:39

jeffersbnl wrote: »

Problem is there are two feeds for Sunset & Vine (producing the coverage for C4) to choose:

HD feed 16:9
SD feed 4:3

If they've got the budget in the coverage to cover the costs of downlinking the HD feed, hiring an HD capable studio, feeding the signal to it and then onto Red Bee (who handle transmission for C4) then we'll get HD coverage. I'd suspect it probably isn't, so theres a very good chance it'll be 4:3 (sadly).

Dont think it will be HD going by what I have seen written and noted on tv guides. We can hope that Ch4 get it and truthfully in this day and age it should be HD.

packerbully · 07/09/10 - 21:05

Should we all stop complaining about the picture quality on ESPNA and ESPN HD channels? ...for the rest of the week and then start again next week although I am sure it will be fixed by then!! ESPNA are probably fed up reading our comments when they are doing everything they can to fix the issue on both channels.

If anyone gets an update from ESPN then fine, but otherwise lets just talk about the good bits and the news.

(we can post on other threads though - HA HA!)

How many on the board are doing fantasy football this year. I never did it last but just done week one on the NFL site. If any are then great. We could post our weekly scores and have a laugh at how poor I did.

[Deleted User] · 07/09/10 - 23:11

Yes we should stop. I will therefore say one more thing. I do not think it is an uplink issue as the US sport on ESPN HD is nearly perfect and is good enough Say 95% right. LSU game on ESPN HD at the weekend was a lot better than the EPL SPL Bundesliga Intl football is ever on the same channel. It is therefore something within ESPN. So ESPN send all signals the same way as US sport on ESPN HD.
Now be quiet me for 5 days.

NFL fantasy football. I have 2 teams. One I do with my best team and the other I do with no top price players. Strange hey! So yes I;ll post my scores. Bet I beat you.

[Deleted User] · 07/09/10 - 23:13

Delenn wrote: »

I am quite hopeful knowing Sunset and Vine are involved. They have done a decent job for five.

S&V are good outfit/ Should be good. Also hope for HD too.

packerbully · 08/09/10 - 23:25

21 November 2002.... my first post on the NASN as it was form.

Just been having a good look at the first 2 months posts - god the excitement at the time. Look where we are now.
The first post was stating it was £9.99 a month. Cheaper today!

Racket · 09/09/10 - 00:07

packerbully wrote: »

21 November 2002.... my first post on the NASN as it was form.

Just been having a good look at the first 2 months posts - god the excitement at the time. Look where we are now.
The first post was stating it was £9.99 a month. Cheaper today!

Always wished I could have had NASN but was too young and the family wouldn't pay for such a niche thing etc.

But that's all in the past now, looking forward to seeing the Sunday Countdown, so many hours of NFL on Sunday. Hopefully will get tomorrow nights game watched before 4pm Sunday as I'm off to London midway through the opening game.

Probably too much to hope that the well discussed problem with the certain something on certain versions of the ESPN/A channels could be fixed by the time I get back? Fingers crossed, be brilliant to watch either way.

packerbully · 09/09/10 - 08:03

LIVE basketball - USA .v. Russia on ESPN this afternoon..

alwaysabear · 09/09/10 - 11:35

Racket wrote: »

Always wished I could have had NASN but was too young and the family wouldn't pay for such a niche thing etc.

But that's all in the past now, looking forward to seeing the Sunday Countdown, so many hours of NFL on Sunday. Hopefully will get tomorrow nights game watched before 4pm Sunday as I'm off to London midway through the opening game.

Probably too much to hope that the well discussed problem with the certain something on certain versions of the ESPN/A channels could be fixed by the time I get back? Fingers crossed, be brilliant to watch either way.

It was good to see College football on NASN, but at times the picture quality was awful 4;3 and pixels .
We have moved on a lot since ESPNA took over, we now have wide screen and some have HD which is just great.
I wish Virgin would get there finger out so that I can see college football,ice hockey etc in HD.:(

alwaysabear · 09/09/10 - 11:36

packerbully wrote: »

Should we all stop complaining about the picture quality on ESPNA and ESPN HD channels? ...for the rest of the week and then start again next week although I am sure it will be fixed by then!! ESPNA are probably fed up reading our comments when they are doing everything they can to fix the issue on both channels.

If anyone gets an update from ESPN then fine, but otherwise lets just talk about the good bits and the news.

(we can post on other threads though - HA HA!)

How many on the board are doing fantasy football this year. I never did it last but just done week one on the NFL site. If any are then great. We could post our weekly scores and have a laugh at how poor I did.

I am doing fantasy football on NFLUK again this year it is simple to do. You can even do mini leagues this year.:)

Limee · 09/09/10 - 12:36

packerbully wrote: »

21 November 2002.... my first post on the NASN as it was form.

Just been having a good look at the first 2 months posts - god the excitement at the time. Look where we are now.
The first post was stating it was £9.99 a month. Cheaper today!

I can still remember the first time I saw an advert for it, my brain couldn't quite believe what my eyes were seeing. :eek:

:eek:

Great lineup of college games this weekend.

scurry · 09/09/10 - 12:59

I remember catching a freeview of NASN back in the day and they had some American Football on. Being only 15 or so at the time I did not even know College Football existed. I was hooked from that moment.

Delenn · 09/09/10 - 13:27

packerbully wrote: »

21 November 2002.... my first post on the NASN as it was form.

Just been having a good look at the first 2 months posts - god the excitement at the time. Look where we are now.
The first post was stating it was £9.99 a month. Cheaper today!

I still get a tingle when I hear the original NASN music, in fact, I put it on my phone as my ringtone just after the Tour de France finished. I am on page 3 of the original thread. Said I would subscribe to December and January, and then see. Turns out I never unsubscribed!

Sure the pictures on NASN sometimes weren't great, but it got me into College Football, and the opening line-up of sports has only been equalled again in 2010. NASN will always have a big place in my heart, no matter how great ESPNA becomes (and it has advanced massively in the last 12 months).

[Deleted User] · 09/09/10 - 14:29

Given that way back in 2002 I'd be paying Pontel £10 for a crappy VHS copy of a college football game almost a week after it happened, NASN seemed too good to be true when it was announced.

I honestly wasn't sure it would survive, but I think for the most part it has worked because they've always tried to pack the schedules the best they could within reason. Also I always felt one key for dedicated US sports fans was US only coverage without the Brit & Yank in the broom cupboard talking through the commercial breaks.

The last year has been fantastic. ESPN have really made a difference. I had some reservations about the tailored 30 min version of Sportscenter, but it is really well done and is a must watch every breakfast. Just need it at weekends now!

[Deleted User] · 09/09/10 - 14:42

[
Great lineup of college games this weekend.[/QUOTE]

Eurosport 2 also showing Michigan @ Notre Dame

Hey there!

Quick Links

ESPN America (Part 2)

Comments