SN NOW is Watered-down version of NHL Live

[Rich97]

Is there any surprise that Rogers would provide a watered-down version of NHL Live? And I have to pay a higher price to subscribe to it too.

- No longer can we choose which of the home or away broadcasts to watch. 

- The site is set up to make it easier to spoil the game if you don't want to know what happened before you watch it, since there are links to highlights on the same page.

- The stream quality is worse than on NHL Live as well.

Not impressed, but at least so far they haven't charged me twice this time and subsequently denied it.

I also can't find the Fanatics 25% discount offer anywhere.

*Added Labels*

[RogersMoin]

Hello, @Rich97.

We appreciate you taking out the time and providing us with your feedback. 

Poor stream quality can definitely hinder the game enjoying experience. Was it happening with a particular game? I usually watch on a desktop browser or the Sportsnet Android app and didn’t notice any quality issues.

We continuously monitor the feed quality; you can connect with us via Twitter @RogersHelps or on Facebook so we can troubleshoot live.

Cheers,

RogersMoin

[Rich97]

Should I switch to a laptop, smartphone, or tablet instead of my 54 inch TV? Is that what you're suggesting? 

The streams were 2.5 out of 5 for the rest of the games but the Rangers/Jets game was 0/5 on both Xbox app and android app. The feed was perfectly fine on NHL Centre Ice on television.,which is in free preview that ends tonight.

[jjjjy7]

I can't watch NHL games this year.  Those digital advertising boards give me a headache, literally.  They are distracting, the puck disappears, and when the play is moving fast everything is blurry. 

[RogersCorey]

Greetings @jjjjy7!

I have some experience with random bouts of eye strain/motion sickness and I've found that your TV settings can have a big impact. This goes a bit outside of our normal scope of support and is based on my personal experience. 

First, how far are you sitting from your display? Sitting closer or further away may help.

Please have a look at your TV settings and see whether or not you have Motion Smoothing turned on. Try playing with this setting to see if that helps alleviate your motion sickness. Motion Smoothing may also be called Judder Reduction, depending on your TV. I recommend turning these settings off as they can create the "Soap Opera Effect" and make your onscreen motion look too smooth.

Check your sharpness and contrast settings too. If you've got too sharp of an image or the contrast too high and you're in a dimly lit room, you may be straining your eyes. Check for Dynamic Contrast settings too as the variation in contrast may be straining your eyes. 

Also, make sure your backlight is set properly. Too bright or too dim can each cause strain. If your backlight is turned all the way up, try turning it down a notch or two.

Lastly, check to see if you can find out how much your display flickers. Most users won't notice it but may be sensitive to it nonetheless. Rtings has tested for this and you may find your TV/display there: Image Flicker Of TVs: Black Frame Insertion - RTINGS.com 

If you've got a display with a lot of flicker, you may want to consider upgrading your display.

Regards,

RogersCorey

[jjjjy7]

@RogersCorey   Thank you for taking the time to reply.  I did a quick Google search and have found there are many people complaining about these new advertising boards being distracting.   I guess I am not alone.

[RogersYasmine]

Hey @jjjjy7,

We definitely appreciate your feedback and will be happy to pass it along. Thanks for being a part of this community! 🙂

RogersYasmine

[Rich97]

At least three of the NHL feeds on Tuesday night, VGN/SJ, DET/NJ, BUF/SEA, were of poor quality, which we never experienced with NHL Live last year.

Through process of elimination, the issue cannot be my hardware (Xbox Series X) or wired internet connection, because if it was, I would have experienced the same issue with every feed, but that was not the case. I also verified the quality of the DET/NJ feed with another subscriber, who confirmed that it was of poor quality. I also tested the feeds using the app on my tablet, and experienced the same poor quality of feed on the tablet as well.

Is there not a tech that is monitoring the quality of the streams?

I just don't get how Rogers can pass this off as an acceptable product, especially relative to past years with NHL Live.

Even when reviewing the Games On Demand, the above feeds are of poor quality. 

[RogersCorey]

Greetings @Rich97!

I am sorry to hear of these poor quality streams. Did you reach out to us while this was occurring? 

I would recommend that you reach out to us when you see a poor quality stream so that we can take action upon it right away.

Regards,

RogersCorey

[Rich97]

You "won't take action on it right away," you will act as if the issue is with my internet connection.

This is why I requested and was granted a refund. I urge everyone else experiencing the same issues to request a refund as well.

[Pros007]

I agree, unwatchable. I will be calling for a refund. I am using the FireStick SN Now app and it looks as if I am watching the Fox Puck Tracker from the 90's. The only screen that the puck doesn't have a tail on is my Samsung S21 Phone. Unacceptable.

[Pros007]

The Colorado Avalanche/Carolina Hurricanes game is so awful to watch. Can't believe I spent money on this. Puck disappears every 3 seconds. Using a hardwired Firestick on a brand new TV.

[Rich97]

I am subscribing to NHL Centre Ice on Optik TV now. We get both home and away feeds; I just checked the quality of both feeds of the Colorado/Carolina game and they are perfect.
The only feeds that are of subpar quality are the ESPN+ feeds; likely something to do with the fact that they are normally only available through ESPN's streaming service and are not on regular TV.

[magnet55]

Agreed 100%..

Had Nhl game center for years and it was perfect.... This is an embarrassment for Rogers to charge their customers for this!
Ive seen games in 96 with better quality.high end interest and a $3000.00 TV...
Better off watching it illegally than on this paid service!

[magnet55]

I cancelled Sportsnet Now for a prorated refund from my annual subscription!!

Had Game Center Live for about 5 years.. Not a hitch, no early cancellations.. Always renewed!

Sportsnet Now doesn't hold a candle to Game Center Live in regards to Quality and Functionality... I'll NEVER drop another dime on this service... Have already found an alternative way to watch games and put money in my own bank account!!
Let me know when you get Game Center Live back!!!

[Kevyh]

Watching BOS vs MTL tonight and the video quality is terrible. I was an NHL Game Center subscriber for years watching via 1080p projector on a 135" screen. Internet is wired. SN Now video quality is so poor that I'm embarrassed to have people over to watch the games. It's comparable to non HD, maybe worse. I can't even ready the names on the back of the jerseys; the score bar is not sharp or clear. But.... The commercials video quality is actually quite good.

[57]

I assume you're talking about SN streaming via an app, and not via an IgniteTV set top box.  There have been numerous complaints about SN & TSN video quality via streaming.  On IgniteTV the TSN and SN channels are excellent in HD and superb in 4K.

Here's a thread over on Digital Home on this topic.

https://www.digitalhome.ca/threads/tsn-and-sportsnet-hd-video-quality.294481/

[JasonMoreira]

NHL should follow MLS and go to Apple TV or something similar.

MLS on Apple TV has no blackouts!

Using Sportsnet Now in Canada has no option for Home and Away broadcast feeds so I'm stuck watching whatever they use for example I was watching Boston Bruins vs NYR and they used the NESN feed so I immediately turned it off.


Rogers Sportsnet and Bell TSN charges us $34.99 per month for Sportsnet Now Premium and TSN+ I believe is $19.99 or $24.99 per month.
Also no option to choose from Home and Away broadcast feeds if you are a fan of an American team.

[KGill67]

Agreed 100%.  My reason for subscribing to NHL Live was to watch the San Jose broadcast of Sharks games, and they did a fantastic job.  I could choose the 'home' or 'away' broadcast for almost every game. But SportsNet Now only offers one broadcast, and it is usually the opposing team's broadcast crew.  I end up watching the game on SportsNet Now, but listening to the Sharks radio broadcast.  Next season, I'm saving my money, and will just listen to the games.