NFL RedZone HD - Page 8

After reading that article I think I understand those $49.99 prices from Verizon and RCN. If the channel is placed on a tier with a expected number of subs then the carrier will get the channel for the $.25 per sub or what ever it costs. If it's a stand alone offering by the carrier, meaning there could be only 10 subs, or there might be 100,000 subs, then the NFL wants a considerably larger amount per sub, a sort of ala carte offering. That's my take on it anyway.

i'm excited to see it tomorrow!

Yes, but you can bet the cable companies are going to be saying, "here is our version of NFL Sunday Ticket!" (although they surely will not use those exact words). So of course they will charge a premium for it.

No games are played concurrently during the playoffs.

Right, I didn't have my thinking cap on, it's 17 weeks only, which makes it quite a bit of money for those with Verizon and/or RCN.

Yep. As a FiOS sub, I won't be subscribing. To even consider it, the cost would have to come down to the $20 range, and even that's probably too much.

Not really. The largest cableco, Comcast, is including it in their Sports & Entertainment Package, which includes (in my area) 16 other channels. If you're an NFL fan, you already subbed to this package to get NFL Network, so it doesn't cost you anything more.

I thought the NFLN was no longer on the sports package on Comcast?

Actually it is an either/or. Those who get Digital Classic but NOT SnE now get NFL.

Those who get SnE but NOT Classic still get NFL and now NFL Red Zone.

It doesn't look like I'm going to have a chance to purchase the HD version of this channel in Evanston, IL. Oh well, Comcast missed a chance to take a little more of my money.

Very suprising to see so many Comcast markets not have this in HD. I figured it would be system wide but i see Baltimore has it. Very frustrating.

Comcast Tallahassee has the NFL RedZone Channel ready to roll on Channel 741 in the Sports Tier. No sign of the HD version anywhere.

Good, maybe demand will be low and it will be added into packages that already receive NFL Network at no additional cost!

This "statement" does not compute.

I am a Dish subscriber. Used to be with DirecTV, but decided to switch for a few reasons. The one thing I missed was the Sunday Ticket. It cost a lot, but I really enjoyed being able to tune in any game that was interesting or important.

For $5.99 per month, the RedZone Channel more than meets my NFL viewing needs. They kept jumping around to key moments in every game. As time wound down, they kept focused on games that were still in doubt. This kept programming focused and watchable. The 4pm games were even easier and more watchable as there are fewer games.

Yesterday, I watched RZC non-stop. Most of the time, I expect to watch in my home theater, where I have multiple video screens. There I can watch one or two full games (depending on local broadcast) as well as RZC. Overall, I think this will be the best way to watch football. Even when I had Sunday Ticket, I realistically could only follow a couple or three games at a time.

I completely understand that if someone is a fan of an out of area team, RZC is not going to cut it. But if you are like me, and have no particular rooting interest, the RZC is an excellent addition to the NFL football spectating world.

The fangbites guy does a compare between Directvs RZC & NFLNs RZC.
He likes both:
Directv RZC = A, NFLN RZC = B

Comparing the Red Zone Channels Side-By-Side

On Sunday, I had the opportunity to watch both DirecTV's Red Zone Channel and NFL Network's RedZone simultaneously. As a subscriber of DirecTV, I get the Red Zone as part of the satellite service's NFL Sunday Ticket Superfan package. And I can also watch it online as I still don't have a TV, but that's besides the point.

If you're a regular reader of Fang's Bites, then you'll know how much I enjoy watching DirecTV's Red Zone.

This weekend, the NFL provided me with access to a special website to watch NFL Network's RedZone and I was able to use two computers, one to watch DirecTV and the other to watch NFL Network.

I decided to watch the 1 p.m. ET games to compare coverage from the two channels. Andrew Siciliano hosts DirecTV's Red Zone. Scott Hanson is the host for NFL Network. NFL Network's version has been on the air two weeks compared to DirecTV which is into its fourth season.

The purpose of both channels is to show scoring plays and if a team has a legitimate scoring opportunity, reaching inside the opponent's 20 yard line, they'll cut in live to either the CBS or Fox broadcast.

As far as content was concerned, both virtually carried the same games at the same time. There were some instances when DirecTV was focused on game, NFL Network was showing another, but for the most part, both channels were showing action from the same game. For example, both channels started with Titans-Jets and Washington-Detroit, switching between both games. I thought for a moment that perhaps the only difference was the hosts, but eventually, I did see different games at the same time.

When there were simultaneous scoring opportunities, both channels went to double boxes, but DirecTV stayed with the double box while NFL Network would go full-screen to whichever game snapped the ball first. And NFL Network would wipe in between the two games. I'm not a fan of the double box even in high definition so wiping full screen between two games is better in my opinion.

Both channels do a good job in finding live action. When one games goes to break, DirecTV does have highlights at the ready to fire.

NFL Network does do a good job in updating scores as games go final. That's one thing DirecTV does not do well. However, in the waning seconds of the 49ers-Vikings game that was won on Brett Favre's last second TD pass to Greg Lewis, I felt DirecTV did the better job in following up as the touchdown was reviewed. It aired the referee's review live. NFL Network only mentioned in passing that the ruling on the field stood.

I also prefer Andrew Siciliano's hosting style to Scott Hanson who is rather dry in my opinion. Andrew has humor and is snarky, plus he always has a comment on referee Ed Hochuli's guns. Sure, Scott has only been on officially for three weeks so he hasn't developed a true style as of yet. However, Andrew knows every player on sight and is very good in transitioning from one game to another. And if something goes wrong, which can happen in 6 hours of live TV, he's able to laugh it off or give us a humorous aside.

To be honest, a true fan of the NFL should get the Red Zone. For fantasy players and for anyone who wants to see every scoring play, it's really the way to watch every week. Plus it has rendered the highlights shows obsolete as you have already seen the major highlights. If I had to grade the channels, DirecTV's Red Zone Channel gets an A. It has had the head start by three years plus Andrew Siciliano is a good fit.

NFL Network's RedZone, available to those who don't have access to DirecTV, gets a B. Very solid for a production that's been on for just three weeks. Subscribers to Verizon FiOS, Comcast, Dish Network, AT&T U-Verse and RCN will get a free preview this Sunday between 1 and 4 p.m. so watch it if you have the opportunity. The channel is currently unavailable to Time Warner at this time.

http://www.fangsbites.com/2009/09/co...s-side-by.html

Not the whole day but only for the early games, that seems like that could cause problems.

I don't understand this, we have been getting the NFL Redzone channel every week so far, and we do not subscribe to the sports tier. Have they just made a mistake here in Harford County Maryland?

ssssshhhhhh.....

Don't advertise it. It must be a mistake. I'm in Baltimore County, MD, and when I tried to tune in, after reading your previous post, it said "Not Authorized" and gave me ordering information.

I just wanted to say your review of both services was excellent. While I do not have the opportunity to watch both simulteneously, I have seen enough of the DirecTV's version to agree with much of what your are saying. While his ears are disturbing in HD , Siciliano's style is more relaxed and engaging than Hanson's. The total production just seems a little more crisp on DirecTV than the NFL Network. No doubt having a few years of experience is an advantage. I remember the early days of DirecTV's RZC and it was almost unwatchable (and not in HD).

My expectations were that the NFL RZC was going to be a bit rough. It was actually better and smoother than I expected. Overall, the important thing is showing key plays in as close to real time as possible and I thought they did a good job of that.

Thanks for your review!

He posted a review from another person. It was a good review though. And just to think people were bashing it and saying it wasn't worth it before it even came out. Of course that's all personal opinion.

More like ignorance than opinion.

Isn't one NFL game at a time enough sleep inducement for folks?

Maybe for you, but for about 50 million or more, not so much....

Only because of the constant stoppages and commercials. Red Zone makes that problem go away.

Oh I know, just carrying on a little with the folks who want to see every play of every game.

Very funny! I kind of suspect after they finish that free preview this weekend for the rest of you, we will be in the queue to lose access too. I have no problem getting the sports tier for the RZ though, it is quickly becoming indispensable!