Hockey Streaming Websites: How to watch the Leafs Online
HockeyStreams.com apparently streams every NHL game throughout the year as well as the draft, trade deadline, preseason, all star game, playoffs and NHL awards for a subscription fee. And I'm debating getting that over the LeafsTV online service, as it was quite unreliable last year. Does anyone know anything about this site and it's credibility, video quality and reliability? Any insight would be appreciated. The site sounds almost to good to be true, but if the video quality is the same and it is more reliable as Leafs TV interactive, I think it's a no brainer!
I am also very interested in the validity of this site. I had Leafs TV Interactive last year, and while I loved that I got all the TSN & Sportsnet games as well as Leafs TV games, they have some serious issues to be worked out before I give them any more money; Up & down constantly and the quality was garbage at times. Plus a lot of the features they talked up didn't work for the entire season or damn close.
But yea, the HockeyStreams site does seem a little too good to be true...
edit: They claim that some of their pre-season games will be broadcast free, so maybe I'll try one out to see how quality is. But I'd still love to hear some input on how this could be legal.
I am also very interested in the validity of this site. I had Leafs TV Interactive last year, and while I loved that I got all the TSN & Sportsnet games as well as Leafs TV games, they have some serious issues to be worked out before I give them any more money; Up & down constantly and the quality was garbage at times. Plus a lot of the features they talked up didn't work for the entire season or damn close.
But yea, the HockeyStreams site does seem a little too good to be true...
edit: They claim that some of their pre-season games will be broadcast free, so maybe I'll try one out to see how quality is. But I'd still love to hear some input on how this could be legal.
Yeah, I don't see how they get around the legal implications of this. Maybe they have a loophole similar to P2P programs and bit torrent sites. Either way, If i end up paying $50 for a service that gets cancelled due to legal issues, I won't be very happy. If not, this is a really great deal as they compare their video quality with ******* and NHL.tv streaming and its the best out of the 3, plus with more games.
Doesn't seem legal to me either, I'd be surprised if it was. Gotta kill this on that assumption. I'll ask the honchos, reopen if it's legal, but I doubt it is.
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In light of todays developments here on HF (that development being that we can now post links to any streaming site that we please), this guy is re-opened.
I am also very interested in the validity of this site. I had Leafs TV Interactive last year, and while I loved that I got all the TSN & Sportsnet games as well as Leafs TV games, they have some serious issues to be worked out before I give them any more money; Up & down constantly and the quality was garbage at times. Plus a lot of the features they talked up didn't work for the entire season or damn close.
But yea, the HockeyStreams site does seem a little too good to be true...
edit: They claim that some of their pre-season games will be broadcast free, so maybe I'll try one out to see how quality is. But I'd still love to hear some input on how this could be legal.
Giving it away for free will get you a slap on the hand like justin.tv and sopcast but reselling it will bring the NHL?Stations down on you hard.
In light of todays developments here on HF (that development being that we can now post links to any streaming site that we please), this guy is re-opened.
Yeah? I'm assuming 'legal' site, not illegal ones? Or any site?
Their package, legal or not is clearly better value (more games) and quality (so they say), the only thing holding me back from purchasing it is the fact that it could get shut off mid season if the NHL network decides to lay the law down on them. Then I would be forced into trying to fight for my money back and it was be a huge hassle and not worth it. So I've emailed them to see what answer they have to this question and I'll post it if anyone's interested.
Their package, legal or not is clearly better value (more games) and quality (so they say), the only thing holding me back from purchasing it is the fact that it could get shut off mid season if the NHL network decides to lay the law down on them. Then I would be forced into trying to fight for my money back and it was be a huge hassle and not worth it. So I've emailed them to see what answer they have to this question and I'll post it if anyone's interested.
Honestly go the free route and click on the persons ads every time you leave, especially the PPC ads. The more money they make the more they'll pour back into the website.
For some of the links you need the program sopcast, some of the links use Windows Media, some use justin TV, etc. It's basically a big online TV guide for sports related things, and I know it's very popular around here, but figured it should be posted just in case there are those that don't yet know about it. So for those very few that haven't used it, just click the "live sports" tab at the top, select "icehockey" (not the regular hockey one), then pick the game you want to watch. It'll give you several options (usually) and will show a bitrate beside each one. Select the one that uses a program that you're comfortable with (i.e. Windows Media Player) but try and choose the one with the highest bitrate, since that will give you a better chance at a good picture.
Not too tough really, and at least for me (sadly) it's as reliable as Leafs TV Interactive was last year (which I paid for, then spent many a game watching off of this site).
edit: and this site is free, unlike the one being discussed above. It may not make a huge difference to some people, but I just don't like paying for something that is illegal.
For some of the links you need the program sopcast, some of the links use Windows Media, some use justin TV, etc. It's basically a big online TV guide for sports related things, and I know it's very popular around here, but figured it should be posted just in case there are those that don't yet know about it. So for those very few that haven't used it, just click the "live sports" tab at the top, select "icehockey" (not the regular hockey one), then pick the game you want to watch. It'll give you several options (usually) and will show a bitrate beside each one. Select the one that uses a program that you're comfortable with (i.e. Windows Media Player) but try and choose the one with the highest bitrate, since that will give you a better chance at a good picture.
Not too tough really, and at least for me (sadly) it's as reliable as Leafs TV Interactive was last year (which I paid for, then spent many a game watching off of this site).
edit: and this site is free, unlike the one being discussed above. It may not make a huge difference to some people, but I just don't like paying for something that is illegal.
I have tried the route of P2P, SopCast is incredibly laggy and unreliable I found, and I want a sure thing. Video quality is probably the biggest factor for me, reliability being a close second. This site seems to have the other methods beaten on quality, but the reliability is a question mark, as it seems to be illegal.
I wouldn't pay for it if I were you. As mentioned, these guys will probably get shut down. The TVUPlayer got in trouble for broadcasting NHL games (and that was for free), so I can't imagine this will last long. It's usually not a great idea to pay for illegal service.
Their package, legal or not is clearly better value (more games) and quality (so they say), the only thing holding me back from purchasing it is the fact that it could get shut off mid season if the NHL network decides to lay the law down on them. Then I would be forced into trying to fight for my money back and it was be a huge hassle and not worth it. So I've emailed them to see what answer they have to this question and I'll post it if anyone's interested.
The reply will likely appear in your junk-mail.
The group is from the Netherlands, and, as people who use torrents know, p2p laws seem loose over there.
Having been shut out of many a leaf game for the last 4 years living in the UK I can now report that for all of you looking to watch the leafs from abroad, ESPN360 is now available in the UK.
They will stream something like 1200 live games this year and should cover almost all leaf games. A full year subscription cost me £69 so I don't think the "i don't want to pay" argument comes in here... £69 and you get legit coverage at 720k! They also do "game in an hour" and all games (incl blacked out live games) are available in the archive the day after.
For those of you in USA or Canada, why not just subscribe to the online version of NHL Centre Ice? Again, the price isn't bad, and as long as you can find an address/credit card that is registered outside of Toronto broadcast region you won't have any blacked out leaf games.
For those of you in USA or Canada, why not just subscribe to the online version of NHL Centre Ice? Again, the price isn't bad, and as long as you can find an address/credit card that is registered outside of Toronto broadcast region you won't have any blacked out leaf games.
last year i signed up for centre ice on-line for japan (definitely with a few hiccups), and then i tried to renew today and it wouldn't work. then the number that popped up on the screen for tech help turned out to be a number for the help service they used LAST year but they don't this year. here i am, a guy willing to pay for product and they can't make the technology work. pretty disappointing.
Tried the LeafsTv Interactive last night and it was garbage. The game feed didn't work other than for a short time in the 2nd period and for most of the 3rd in a postage stamp where I couldn't make out the players. The ISO feed worked in the first half of 1st period then didn't work for the rest of the game. They are missing a great opportunity here. I don't have Sportsnet or LeafsTV and I'd certainly be tempted to pay only $60 for the opportunity to see 41 Leafs games I wouldn't see otherwise.
As for a dodgy probably illegal site: I'm not paying money to some criminal enterprise that wouldn't pay taxes or the people who own the feeds and simply take 100% of the profits for themselves.
