A bit more Oiler detail for comparison purposes...

Three of the last four were Pay-Per-View, with the fourth on HNIC (vs. LA), so it's been quite a stretch away from Sportsnet. The only PPV game that wasn't a possible World Series conflict was the Detroit game...but Sportsnet had the Flames vs. Nashville. It's just how it works at this time of year as World Series rights take precedence.

A-Channel is free right? I wish the Oilers had another broadcaster like A-Channel willing to take the games Sportsnet is unable to carry. Or that PPV was HD (then I'd understand the price ;) ).

and blacked out in Toronto too. What regions are getting it?
The Sens region is shared with the Canadiens (much like the Oilers and Flames have identical regions). That said, the Canadiens don't have a regional broadcaster anymore since RDS has national French language rights.

Anyway, the Sens region is essentially Ottawa area, Quebec, and the Maritimes. For Sens regional games, the only option anywhere else is NHL Centre Ice (either in someone's home, or at a sports bar).

Here's a spreadsheet with lots of SNE AChannel details.

http://www2.sportsnet.ca/tvschedule/franchise/senators_sked.xls

The next two games are home and home against Boston. There will be HD cameras in the buildings both nights.....what are the chances of Sens fans seeing these games in HD

Next Tuesdays game is in Ottawa against the Leafs on SNE and SNO .... probably with different announcers. Its also on RDS....no HD though......

The game on the 10th is at home against the Habs...its in HD on RDS (which Rogers doesn't carry) and not in HD on CBC....at leats thats what the schedule says.

The a channel is free.How ever the pq for the most part is just awful.

The Sens region is shared with the Canadiens (much like the Oilers and Flames have identical regions). That said, the Canadiens don't have a regional broadcaster anymore since RDS has national French language rights.

Anyway, the Sens region is essentially Ottawa area, Quebec, and the Maritimes. For Sens regional games, the only option anywhere else is NHL Centre Ice (either in someone's home, or at a sports bar).
That is not 100% true. Some 'regional' Sens games on A-Channel and/or Sportsnet East become 'national' games on RDS or RIS. This is true for other canadian teams as well, like tonight, the Leafs/Devils game is on 'national' TV live on RIS and on 'regional' TV live on Sportsnet Ontario (Leafs region).

I'm assuming here that national/regional rights are negotiated independently for French and English. Although currently there are no regional French broadcasts; they're all national.

As good as the game was on the CBC last night, tonights game on AChannel is terrible. There are technical problems resulting in the picture being washed out...the commercials are okay. The AChannel consistantly delivers really poor quality hockey broadcasts....I'm sure a bunch of highschool students with 1970's equipment could do a better job. I really hope its the last year for them.:mad:

Otown
As much as i agree with you about the pq.IF it was not for the a channal we would be not see 20 games this year.

The picture on A-Channel tonight during the 1st period at least bordered on unwatchable. I played around with settings on my tv for 15 mins and gave up.

Absolutely brutal picture quality, and to top it off, those of us in the Ottawa region who subscribe to NHL-CI are blacked out from the (typically spectacular looking) NESN-HD feed on channel 866. I'll be firing off a complaint to the Senators - if A-Channel is that indifferent about their lousy picture quality they don't deserve to have the contract.

The picture is slightly better now in the 2nd period; you can at least see the puck and the goal line now. For most of the 1st period it was so washed out it looked like they were shooting it with an old cell phone camera!

You do know with out the a channal we would not have the game to night.

Not entirely true. Without A-Channel, NHLCI subscribers in the Senators region would probably have access to the NESN HD feed (presuming the Sens allowed it). That's how it works for the Flames--if their games aren't otherwise available locally, the Flames lift the "in-market" NHLCI restrictions. Not possible tonight though. Since A-Channel has the in-market rights for tonight's game, all providers have to blackout the HD feed in Senator's region. Ouch.

OIlblue
Thats for only those who have the ci package.Not everyone has it and for them they would be screwed.

The picture on A-Channel tonight during the 1st period at least bordered on unwatchable. I played around with settings on my tv for 15 mins and gave up.
All the more reason to get excited for Leafs @ Senators Tuesday night in HD eh?

I doubt the HD feed will be available anywhere on Rogers in Ottawa. They have not shown any of the Toronto Sportsnet HD games yet so I can't see this one being on. It's a regional game so it can't be on the national HD Sportsnet channel and Rogers has not added the alternate Sportsnet HD channel. I have CI as well but since its a local game I can't see them putting the HD version on there.

It isn't listed in HD in the Toronto area either, only on Sportsnet East and Ontario.

They were advertising it as HD on Sportsnet today.

I called AChannel and described my feelings to them. They were aware of the problem and were going to fix it....which they did. I know that AChannel seems to be a big part of Sens hockey broadcasts today but hopefully next year a better broadcaster can be found...one with HD.

WRT Tuesdays game, I haven't seen that its in HD but that sure would be nice.

Otown
There is only one other choice and you won't like it.THe sens could have the 20 games on this a channel this year on there ppv pack next year.

I believe the A-channel contract is over so maybe they won't even have any games next year. If they were good HD PPV's at a reasonable price I would take that over A-channel on most nights.