View Full Version : Champions League Final: HD?
Eastern Bear
15 May 2006, 09:49 PM
Anybody know? I see ads for the final match and it says 'ESPN HD', but I assume that's the upconverted broadcast.
BSjanitor
16 May 2006, 04:07 AM
Already a thread on this:
http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=327814#post8157039
To answer your question, when a ESPN ad says HD, it means true HD, not upconverted. So, yes, CL final will be in full HD live, but on ESPN2HD, which means those of us without DirecTV or Dish won't get it in HD.
Eastern Bear
16 May 2006, 08:14 PM
Thanks. I have DISH so I guess I'm lucky.
Globalusation
17 May 2006, 12:40 AM
Already a thread on this:
http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=327814#post8157039
To answer your question, when a ESPN ad says HD, it means true HD, not upconverted. So, yes, CL final will be in full HD live, but on ESPN2HD, which means those of us without DirecTV or Dish won't get it in HD.
That's not true. My cable company, Adelphia, has ESPN2 HD.
Anteaters FC
17 May 2006, 03:11 PM
The picture was in HD before, but it's not now...Derek Rae just acknowledged the problem.
OldFanatic
17 May 2006, 03:13 PM
Hey ESPN2-HD is pulling crap. Twice so far, they've switched from 16:9 true HD to crappy 4:3 upconverted SD with sidebars. Are they going to pull this crap during World Cup? Don't they have experienced HD cameramen and technicians?
Forget this crap, I'm moving to TSN-HD and Rogers SportsNet HD come World Cup. Not only do they not have the annoying Marcelo Balboa (and Dave O'Brien?!?!?!, though he's not on today, I can't stand a second of him), I don't expect them to pull this crap with the international feed.
It's back to HD now, but I wouldn't count on it to stay on given their lack of experience and problems. Maybe they should have used consultants from World Sport HD or HDNet who are experienced with this every week.
OldFanatic
17 May 2006, 03:19 PM
Who is that other juvenile sounding guy who came on with "expert comments" in the middle? Gosh, not only can he not speak proper English, he sounds like a highschool kid. Come on ESPN, can't you use a proper crew. Why are they not using J. P. Dellacamera for such work?
Derek Rae is fantastic, Tommy Smyth is OK but sometimes can make bizzare comments. Marcelo Balboa has tried to be better than when he's paired with Wynalda, although I've been switching to ESPN Deportes audio whenever he comes on (:p).
OldFanatic
17 May 2006, 03:42 PM
Who the hell is Anthony Lapaglia and what does he have to do with Champions League football? He kept yapping when the studio guy wanted him to shut up. ESPN does some bizzarely amateur stuff with their production for prime events. (I know it's not a prime event in the US, but I thought they were showing the same feed in Pacific Rim and Asia??)
BTW, they also had sidebars around the picture when Tommy Smyth and the Lapaglia dude were standing side by side.
Lapaglia is some actor born in Australia with a strange accent I'm unsure of. It's definitely not American or Australian or British.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001439/
What the hell is the relevance of using some irrelevant crackcase like this for halftime comments?
Hey, I've got an idea. Johnny Cash for expert halftime comments during USA matches in the World Cup!!! :p :D It's so bizzare!
Globalusation
17 May 2006, 03:42 PM
They are having a lot of problems with it. Hopefully it all gets worked out before the world cup but I doubt it will.
OldFanatic
17 May 2006, 03:50 PM
They are having a lot of problems with it. Hopefully it all gets worked out before the world cup but I doubt it will.
Yeah, like I said in a prior post, time to jump to TSN-HD and Rogers Sportsnet HD if you've got the capability.
Some interesting comments from an experiment of mine during the first half.
On 3 displays side by side, I have one prime one with ESPN2-HD, one with regular ESPN2 (SD) and the third one with ESPN Deportes.
The picture quality on ESPN2-HD completely blows the other 2 SD channels out of water. The investment is well worth the money, if the HD feed can stay on. Apart from that, ESPN2-HD is about 3 seconds ahead of both SD channels.
Both ESPN2 and ESPN2-HD have the annoying bar at the bottom of the screen updating scores of some other irrelevant crap you couldn't care about (especially if you're watching such a primetime event on ESPN2-HD). ESPN Deportes doesn't have that crap, they let the full screen fill the picture.
Anteaters FC
17 May 2006, 03:58 PM
Hey, I've got an idea. Johnny Cash for expert halftime comments during USA matches in the World Cup!!! :p :D It's so bizzare!
Well, that would be impressive.
LaPaglia's probably soccer's biggest celebrity fan in America...I agree that it's dumb for him to be there.
Am I the only one noticing the audio being a little bit ahead of the video?
OldFanatic
17 May 2006, 04:02 PM
Who is that other juvenile sounding guy who came on with "expert comments" in the middle? Gosh, not only can he not speak proper English, he sounds like a highschool kid. Come on ESPN, can't you use a proper crew. Why are they not using J. P. Dellacamera for such work?
So they just showed the list of commentators in all languages. There is some dude called Janusz Michalik listed for English. I'm assuming this is the juvenile voice in a strange accent I heard.
I have never heard of any guy with this name before. Where the hell is ESPN recruiting these strange characters from? Are they standing at random street corners in Prague, Adelaide and Nashville pulling first random guys they can find? It looks so amateur and juvenile. They should have taken the tried and proven JP Dellacamera along with Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth.
LaPaglia's probably soccer's biggest celebrity fan in America...
No, those would be guys like Drew Carey, John Travolta, Robin Williams and many other guys in TV, movie and music business. There is a very long thread dedicated specifically to this topic in the "Soccer in the USA" subforum. ESPN is truly pulling totally random characters out of their arse.
Crap, that annoying Janusz Michalik voice came on again. :rolleyes:
Good HD picture for all of second half (69th minute) so far. Keeping the fingers crossed for no gaffes.
Anteaters FC
17 May 2006, 04:19 PM
LaPaglia is in no way random--he has a hit TV show. He's more high profile than Drew Carey now.
OldFanatic
17 May 2006, 04:23 PM
LaPaglia is in no way random--he has a hit TV show. He's more high profile than Drew Carey now.
OK, but his relevance to this event is very obscure and random. :confused: For those other guys like Drew Carey or John Travolta etc. their relevance to supporting this sport has been well documented in the past.
joebloe888
17 May 2006, 04:24 PM
Who the hell is Anthony Lapaglia and what does he have to do with Champions League football? He kept yapping when the studio guy wanted him to shut up. ESPN does some bizzarely amateur stuff with their production for prime events. (I know it's not a prime event in the US, but I thought they were showing the same feed in Pacific Rim and Asia??)
BTW, they also had sidebars around the picture when Tommy Smyth and the Lapaglia dude were standing side by side.
Lapaglia is some actor born in Australia with a strange accent I'm unsure of. It's definitely not American or Australian or British.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001439/
For the umpteenth time:
The UEFA Champions League broadcast aired on ESPN2 (US) is a simulcast of ESPN Australia/ESPN New Zealand.
The primary audience is in Australia and New Zealand, not the US.
joebloe888
17 May 2006, 04:26 PM
So they just showed the list of commentators in all languages. There is some dude called Janusz Michalik listed for English. I'm assuming this is the juvenile voice in a strange accent I heard.
I have never heard of any guy with this name before. Where the hell is ESPN recruiting these strange characters from? Are they standing at random street corners in Prague, Adelaide and Nashville pulling first random guys they can find? It looks so amateur and juvenile. They should have taken the tried and proven JP Dellacamera along with Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth.
Michalik has been an English-language soccer commentator for ESPN Australia/ESPN New Zealand for nearly 10 years.
He was part of the US Men's National Team pool prior to World Cup USA 1994. He didn't make the cut.
OldFanatic
17 May 2006, 04:34 PM
For the umpteenth time:
The UEFA Champions League broadcast aired on ESPN2 (US) is a simulcast of ESPN Australia/ESPN New Zealand.
The primary audience is in Australia and New Zealand, not the US.
Yeah, that's exactly what I said - Pacific Rim comment - above.
Michalik has been an English-language soccer commentator for ESPN Australia/ESPN New Zealand for nearly 10 years.
He was part of the US Men's National Team pool prior to World Cup USA 1994. He didn't make the cut.
Did a Google search on him. He shows up as some obscure player for Columbus Crew, but don't really remember seeing him play.
Pacific Rim audience or his experience broadcasting in those countries notwithstanding, I would take J.P. Dellacamera any day over this guy.
Anteaters FC
17 May 2006, 04:45 PM
Pacific Rim audience or his experience broadcasting in those countries notwithstanding, I would take J.P. Dellacamera any day over this guy.
I'd prefer to be at the game, but I'll take what I can get...no HD last year, ESPN pushing the game with commercials during almost every break...oh yeah, and Barca wins...I'm not complaining.:D
OldFanatic
17 May 2006, 04:51 PM
Yeah, the second half in all HD was great! Loved the picture quality and no gaffes. Maybe they'll have the kinks worked out for the World Cup after this experience.
Globalusation
17 May 2006, 04:52 PM
For the umpteenth time:
The UEFA Champions League broadcast aired on ESPN2 (US) is a simulcast of ESPN Australia/ESPN New Zealand.
The primary audience is in Australia and New Zealand, not the US.
That is so false. First of all no ones cares about soccer in Australia and New Zealand. Secondly, the time champions league games come on there it is 5 or 6am there. The U.S. has the biggest audience for it.