2008 NHL Winter Classic on NBC - Penguins @ Sabres!

Ken H · 01-01-08, 12:54 PM

2008 NHL Winter Classic on NBC
Pittsburgh Penguins @ Buffalo Sabres
Live from Ralph Wilson Stadium, Buffalo, NY
January 1, 2008
1pm ET
1080i & DD5.1

The Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins will make NHL history on New Year’s Day, 2008, when they play in the AMP NHL Winter Classic, the League’s first regular-season outdoor game in the United States. The game features several of the game’s greatest young stars, including Penguins center Sidney Crosby and Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller, and will be played at Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills.

Attendance at the contest is expected to surpass the NHL single-game record, set Nov. 22, 2003 when the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers drew 57,167 to The Heritage Classic at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton. Ralph Wilson Stadium capacity exceeds 73,000.

Attendance may also pass the largest hockey event of all time, The Cold War, a hockey game played between college rivals Michigan State University Spartans and University of Michigan Wolverines. The game was held on Saturday October 6, 2001 at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, MI. With 74,544 watching, it set the world record for the largest crowd at an ice hockey game. The Spartans and the Wolverines skated to a 3-3 tie. Two 300-piece marching bands were present on field and the game was internationally televised.

Please post all related comments here, and include provider (OTA, Cable, DBS, FiOS, Sunday Ticket), and source (station call letters & city), thanks.

Ken H · 01-01-08, 12:57 PM

From our member SNF Mixer, on site:

Hi from Buffalo. As of now, flurries and low 30s. It's been quite a thrash to get set up. I'll try to look in later.

Happy New Year!

Wendel

Ken H · 01-01-08, 01:01 PM

It's up in HD on the NBC digital television network.

bgall · 01-01-08, 01:02 PM

woohoooo

Ken H · 01-01-08, 01:03 PM

I got to admit, this is very cool. Almost cold....

bierboy · 01-01-08, 01:04 PM

HD and DD5.1 in the Quad Cities (OTA)!!! ('cept we have weather advisories running periodically sending it back to SD...grrrr.....)

HOOT!

Mike4HDTV · 01-01-08, 01:05 PM

The weather looks great for a hockey game.

Watching via Comcast. The PQ looks good so far. Lets see if it stays that way when the game starts.

perryw · 01-01-08, 01:05 PM

WTHR NBC via Insight / Comcast has Montel on

I'm not a hockey fan but I was looking forward to it.

jefbal99 · 01-01-08, 01:06 PM

Just as cool as the Cold War a few years back at Spartan Stadium.

Love seeing them playing in the snow, Colby Armstrong just said hes gonna get his shovel.

Audio is great, love the crowd in the rear speakers.

Wendel yer doing a great job so far.

Commercials are louder than the game, much louder. Watching OTA WILX in Lansing, MI

bierboy · 01-01-08, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perryw

WTHR NBC via Insight / Comcast has Montel on

I'm not a hockey fan but I was looking forward to it.

You gotta be kidding. What a drag....

ji0005 · 01-01-08, 01:10 PM

Very cool... looks and sounds good on WMAQ HD on Comcast in chicago. Hopefully they show a segment on how they pulled this off.

jefbal99 · 01-01-08, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ji0005

Very cool... looks and sounds good on WMAQ HD on Comcast in chicago. Hopefully they show a segment on how they pulled this off.

NHL Network had a couple hours pregame with yesterdays practice and features on the construction

OggideM · 01-01-08, 01:12 PM

lots of great looking snow !

perryw · 01-01-08, 01:15 PM

Looks like WTHR is broadcasting it on their weather network. SD of course. What a let down. It's on 13.2 via OTA, but I don't have an antenna, don't know if it would be HD there?

jefbal99 · 01-01-08, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perryw

Looks like WTHR is broadcasting it on their weather network. SD of course. What a let down. It's on 13.2 via OTA, but I don't have an antenna, don't know if it would be HD there?

Very, very unlikely

Bars&Tone · 01-01-08, 01:17 PM

Considering that this is such an interesting and unique event, I'm really surprised that this isn't a primary program today for for all NBC affiliates. As has already been mentioned, some NBC affiliates are just airing the game on auxiliary digital channels and in SD only. Considering all of the work that's gone into preparing for this event, it's really a shame.

hoosierfan227 · 01-01-08, 01:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perryw

Looks like WTHR is broadcasting it on their weather network. SD of course. What a let down. It's on 13.2 via OTA, but I don't have an antenna, don't know if it would be HD there?

It's not. WTHR blew it.

jefbal99 · 01-01-08, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hoosierfan227

It's not. WTHR blew it.

I would be calling or going down to that station tomorrow and giving the station manager and programming manager a big piece of my mind. A montel rerun over a live pro sporting event?

What a mickey mouse station

rspetti · 01-01-08, 01:20 PM

Buffalo checking in here, watching on WGRZ 2-1.

I'd love to be able to hear it in 5.1 surround, but alas our NBC affiliate only broadcasts in 2.0. The city has been looking forward to this game for quite awhile.

ieko · 01-01-08, 01:21 PM

Getting pixelation with all that snow coming down and especially when the camera pans here with FIOS with KNBC-DT in Los Angeles.

Edit: Should probably mention that KNBC-DT has two sub-channels. So average bitrate is about 16mbps.

coyoteaz · 01-01-08, 01:21 PM

Lots of terrible looking snow on KPNX-DT in Phoenix. Every wide shot of the falling snow has some of the worst blocking I've ever seen on NBC, and that's saying a lot. The non-moving shots that don't have too much snow do look good, however. Wendel, the rear channels could use a boost. The C/L/R channels seem to be good and even with the commercials.

jefbal99 · 01-01-08, 01:23 PM

Overhead shot with the flags looked very cool.

Great audio of the crowd singing the Canadian anthem and god bless American in the rears. Could use a slight boost in the rears though.

Everything is great considering the conditions

Camera lens' need wipers

asterion · 01-01-08, 01:25 PM

I'm often not happy with the El Paso stations, but I do have to say that KTSM at least got it right in showing the game in HD. So that's OTA from El Paso on KTSM for me.

Just got a ton of glitching during God Bless America. Still happening. Very obvious in the audio, can see it a bit in the video as well.

I'd much rather watch this than any of the bowl games today. I think it's the only game on that has any snow.

Ken H · 01-01-08, 01:26 PM

Penguins score right out of the shoot, Crosby made the play, Armstrong gets the goal.

jefbal99 · 01-01-08, 01:27 PM

Heard the wind there during the first shift.

Hey Wendel, can you talk to the producer about getting the NBC logo to be opaque during the replays w/o the score bar?

Its in the 4x3 protected frame, lower right and very obtrusive.

asterion · 01-01-08, 01:27 PM

Now that the game is actually on, it's really hard for me to see the puck. Not sure if it's the conditions the game is being played in, the NBC equipment, my TV, or a combination of them all. (I haven't seen a single hockey game on this TV since I bought it before now, so I'm not sure I have the color settings right for hockey.)

Ken H · 01-01-08, 01:29 PM

Snow is really affecting how the game can be played; the puck is not moving.

ccotenj · 01-01-08, 01:29 PM

pq actually pretty good here, given the snow and the water on the cameras. no blocking, minimal pixelation, a little noise. decent color. a bit soft.

aq good. pretty balanced. don't know where you have the mikes wendel, but it gives a good "in the crowd feel". could be a "bit" louder on the surrounds i suppose.

comcast south jersey

ps. too bad they couldn't:

a) get roger doucette to sing the canadien national anthem (is he even still alive).

b) anyone american to sing "god bless america" (and not to mention, actually sing our national anthem, rather than that). geez, they could have done the kate smith recording and rolled out a stuffed kate doll (that one is for you e-a-g-l-e-s

)

Petteri · 01-01-08, 01:30 PM

The puck is getting a lot of snow stuck to it. On the close ups you can see that.

The crowd noise and stadium announcements from the rears are great!

jefbal99 · 01-01-08, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asterion

Now that the game is actually on, it's really hard for me to see the puck. Not sure if it's the conditions the game is being played in, the NBC equipment, my TV, or a combination of them all. (I haven't seen a single hockey game on this TV since I bought it before now, so I'm not sure I have the color settings right for hockey.)

Its the snow, watch when a player has the puck behind the net, there is a lot of snow on the ice

01-01-08, 12:54 PM	#1 \| Link	<a href='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adclick.php?n=a4ac4393' target='_blank'><img src='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adview.php?what=zone:30&n=a4ac4393' border='0' alt=''></a>
Ken H AVS HDTV Moderator AVS GOLD CLUB MEMBER Join Date: Nov 1999 Location: Metro Detroit Posts: 39,973	2008 NHL Winter Classic on NBC - Penguins @ Sabres! 2008 NHL Winter Classic on NBC Pittsburgh Penguins @ Buffalo Sabres Live from Ralph Wilson Stadium, Buffalo, NY January 1, 2008 1pm ET 1080i & DD5.1 The Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins will make NHL history on New Year’s Day, 2008, when they play in the AMP NHL Winter Classic, the League’s first regular-season outdoor game in the United States. The game features several of the game’s greatest young stars, including Penguins center Sidney Crosby and Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller, and will be played at Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. Attendance at the contest is expected to surpass the NHL single-game record, set Nov. 22, 2003 when the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers drew 57,167 to The Heritage Classic at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton. Ralph Wilson Stadium capacity exceeds 73,000. Attendance may also pass the largest hockey event of all time, The Cold War, a hockey game played between college rivals Michigan State University Spartans and University of Michigan Wolverines. The game was held on Saturday October 6, 2001 at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, MI. With 74,544 watching, it set the world record for the largest crowd at an ice hockey game. The Spartans and the Wolverines skated to a 3-3 tie. Two 300-piece marching bands were present on field and the game was internationally televised. Please post all related comments here, and include provider (OTA, Cable, DBS, FiOS, Sunday Ticket), and source (station call letters & city), thanks. __________________ 'Better Living Through Modern, Expensive, Electronic Devices' ™

01-01-08, 12:57 PM	#2 \| Link
Ken H AVS HDTV Moderator AVS GOLD CLUB MEMBER Join Date: Nov 1999 Location: Metro Detroit Posts: 39,973	From our member SNF Mixer, on site: Hi from Buffalo. As of now, flurries and low 30s. It's been quite a thrash to get set up. I'll try to look in later. Happy New Year! Wendel __________________ 'Better Living Through Modern, Expensive, Electronic Devices' ™

01-01-08, 01:01 PM	#3 \| Link
Ken H AVS HDTV Moderator AVS GOLD CLUB MEMBER Join Date: Nov 1999 Location: Metro Detroit Posts: 39,973	It's up in HD on the NBC digital television network. __________________ 'Better Living Through Modern, Expensive, Electronic Devices' ™

01-01-08, 01:03 PM	#5 \| Link	<a href='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adclick.php?n=a591f81a' target='_blank'><img src='http://rev.avsforum.com/phpAdsNew/adview.php?what=zone:36&n=a591f81a' border='0' alt=''></a>
Ken H AVS HDTV Moderator AVS GOLD CLUB MEMBER Join Date: Nov 1999 Location: Metro Detroit Posts: 39,973	I got to admit, this is very cool. Almost cold.... __________________ 'Better Living Through Modern, Expensive, Electronic Devices' ™

01-01-08, 01:06 PM	#9 \| Link
jefbal99 AVS Special Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Lansing, MI Posts: 3,060	Just as cool as the Cold War a few years back at Spartan Stadium. Love seeing them playing in the snow, Colby Armstrong just said hes gonna get his shovel. Audio is great, love the crowd in the rear speakers. Wendel yer doing a great job so far. Commercials are louder than the game, much louder. Watching OTA WILX in Lansing, MI __________________ It's time to give props to WLNS for the HD crawl generator!!! Now we need WHTV to go HD and Lansing's CW to get a separate transmitter so it isn't a digital sub. Last edited by jefbal99; 01-01-08 at 01:18 PM..

01-01-08, 01:02 PM	#4 \| Link
bgall AVS Special Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Orlando Posts: 4,705	woohoooo

01-01-08, 01:04 PM	#6 \| Link
bierboy Rouser of rabbles Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Quad-Cities (East Moline, Ill.) Posts: 2,048	HD and DD5.1 in the Quad Cities (OTA)!!! ('cept we have weather advisories running periodically sending it back to SD...grrrr.....) HOOT!

01-01-08, 01:05 PM	#7 \| Link
Mike4HDTV AVS Special Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: South Florida Posts: 2,423	The weather looks great for a hockey game. Watching via Comcast. The PQ looks good so far. Lets see if it stays that way when the game starts.

01-01-08, 01:05 PM	#8 \| Link
perryw Confused Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Fishers, IN Posts: 184	WTHR NBC via Insight / Comcast has Montel on I'm not a hockey fan but I was looking forward to it.

01-01-08, 01:10 PM	#11 \| Link
ji0005 Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 162	Very cool... looks and sounds good on WMAQ HD on Comcast in chicago. Hopefully they show a segment on how they pulled this off. __________________ - john

01-01-08, 01:12 PM	#13 \| Link
OggideM quasi-noob Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 867	lots of great looking snow ! __________________ Quit failing to flip the switch

01-01-08, 01:15 PM	#14 \| Link
perryw Confused Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Fishers, IN Posts: 184	Looks like WTHR is broadcasting it on their weather network. SD of course. What a let down. It's on 13.2 via OTA, but I don't have an antenna, don't know if it would be HD there?

01-01-08, 01:17 PM	#16 \| Link
Bars&Tone Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 32	Considering that this is such an interesting and unique event, I'm really surprised that this isn't a primary program today for for all NBC affiliates. As has already been mentioned, some NBC affiliates are just airing the game on auxiliary digital channels and in SD only. Considering all of the work that's gone into preparing for this event, it's really a shame. __________________ BARS & TONE FORUM Television Master Control & Broadcast Operations Message Board

01-01-08, 01:20 PM	#19 \| Link
rspetti Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Tonawanda, NY Posts: 22	Buffalo checking in here, watching on WGRZ 2-1. I'd love to be able to hear it in 5.1 surround, but alas our NBC affiliate only broadcasts in 2.0. The city has been looking forward to this game for quite awhile.

01-01-08, 01:21 PM	#20 \| Link
ieko Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 204	Getting pixelation with all that snow coming down and especially when the camera pans here with FIOS with KNBC-DT in Los Angeles. Edit: Should probably mention that KNBC-DT has two sub-channels. So average bitrate is about 16mbps. Last edited by ieko; 01-01-08 at 01:23 PM.. Reason: Forgot to mention sub-channels.

01-01-08, 01:21 PM	#21 \| Link
coyoteaz AVS Special Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: DFW Posts: 2,965	Lots of terrible looking snow on KPNX-DT in Phoenix. Every wide shot of the falling snow has some of the worst blocking I've ever seen on NBC, and that's saying a lot. The non-moving shots that don't have too much snow do look good, however. Wendel, the rear channels could use a boost. The C/L/R channels seem to be good and even with the commercials.

01-01-08, 01:23 PM	#22 \| Link
jefbal99 AVS Special Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Lansing, MI Posts: 3,060	Overhead shot with the flags looked very cool. Great audio of the crowd singing the Canadian anthem and god bless American in the rears. Could use a slight boost in the rears though. Everything is great considering the conditions Camera lens' need wipers __________________ It's time to give props to WLNS for the HD crawl generator!!! Now we need WHTV to go HD and Lansing's CW to get a separate transmitter so it isn't a digital sub.

01-01-08, 01:25 PM	#23 \| Link
asterion Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Guilderland, NY Posts: 110	I'm often not happy with the El Paso stations, but I do have to say that KTSM at least got it right in showing the game in HD. So that's OTA from El Paso on KTSM for me. Just got a ton of glitching during God Bless America. Still happening. Very obvious in the audio, can see it a bit in the video as well. I'd much rather watch this than any of the bowl games today. I think it's the only game on that has any snow.

01-01-08, 01:26 PM	#24 \| Link
Ken H AVS HDTV Moderator AVS GOLD CLUB MEMBER Join Date: Nov 1999 Location: Metro Detroit Posts: 39,973	Penguins score right out of the shoot, Crosby made the play, Armstrong gets the goal. __________________ 'Better Living Through Modern, Expensive, Electronic Devices' ™

01-01-08, 01:27 PM	#25 \| Link
jefbal99 AVS Special Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Lansing, MI Posts: 3,060	Heard the wind there during the first shift. Hey Wendel, can you talk to the producer about getting the NBC logo to be opaque during the replays w/o the score bar? Its in the 4x3 protected frame, lower right and very obtrusive. __________________ It's time to give props to WLNS for the HD crawl generator!!! Now we need WHTV to go HD and Lansing's CW to get a separate transmitter so it isn't a digital sub.

01-01-08, 01:27 PM	#26 \| Link
asterion Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Guilderland, NY Posts: 110	Now that the game is actually on, it's really hard for me to see the puck. Not sure if it's the conditions the game is being played in, the NBC equipment, my TV, or a combination of them all. (I haven't seen a single hockey game on this TV since I bought it before now, so I'm not sure I have the color settings right for hockey.)

01-01-08, 01:29 PM	#27 \| Link
Ken H AVS HDTV Moderator AVS GOLD CLUB MEMBER Join Date: Nov 1999 Location: Metro Detroit Posts: 39,973	Snow is really affecting how the game can be played; the puck is not moving. __________________ 'Better Living Through Modern, Expensive, Electronic Devices' ™

01-01-08, 01:29 PM	#28 \| Link
ccotenj AVS Special Member AVS CLUB MEMBER Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: the toxic waste dumps of new jersey Posts: 7,110 Classified Rating: 100% (15)	pq actually pretty good here, given the snow and the water on the cameras. no blocking, minimal pixelation, a little noise. decent color. a bit soft. aq good. pretty balanced. don't know where you have the mikes wendel, but it gives a good "in the crowd feel". could be a "bit" louder on the surrounds i suppose. comcast south jersey ps. too bad they couldn't: a) get roger doucette to sing the canadien national anthem (is he even still alive). b) anyone american to sing "god bless america" (and not to mention, actually sing our national anthem, rather than that). geez, they could have done the kate smith recording and rolled out a stuffed kate doll (that one is for you e-a-g-l-e-s )

01-01-08, 01:30 PM	#29 \| Link
Petteri Advanced Member AVS CLUB MEMBER Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33317 Posts: 613	The puck is getting a lot of snow stuck to it. On the close ups you can see that. The crowd noise and stadium announcements from the rears are great! __________________ Petteri Leone "all the boys upstairs want to see how much you'll pay for what you used to get for free" - tom petty, the last dj