(Sorry if this belongs in one of the existing threads, or is common knowledge. Feel free to move if that's the case. Otherwise, seems worthy of a thread to me.) On last night's "Fox Football Fone-In," co-host Nick Webster read aloud a viewer's e-mail asking about the potential for HD game coverage, to which Webster replied with a simple but telling, "It's coming," or something along those lines. It was quick, but it wasn't just a throwaway moment. Webster -- who is also in production/direction at the channel -- seemed to be using the occasion to tease at an announcement of sorts. There was definitely something meant to be inferred from his tone. Anybody know what's up?
I heard that as well, and I was sitting there hoping that I won't have to buy another "package" to get it.
fsc signal is crap - as much as i would love to see the prem in HD, i can't see this happening this season. fingers crossed for HD in august/community shield.
I'd love to see Serie A, heck even the EPL in HD. I've watched La Liga on WorldSport HD before and it looks amazing.
the last thing i heard on this topic was from the head of FSC on the EPL Talk podcast before the season. i thought he said that sky/setanta don't even offer Premier League matches in HD. you can listen to the interview here
No, in that case he simply wouldn't have chosen that e-mail to read on the air in the first place. Indeed, the fact that he chose to read that particular e-mail in the first place -- out of the "immense" number that they get -- was pretty telling in itself. Sorry if that wasn't clear from my post.
Getting FSC to move and offer games/programming in HD is one thing...THEN, it's a matter of getting the providers to offer it. Completely unscientific guess: 2 years away, at least.
Nick did say "it would be sooner, rather than later"....... take that for whatever its worth... Cantona---
That could mean "FSC will be in HD before all human life on earth comes to an end" and still be "sooner, rather than later."
With the FOX Cable Tech Center in Houston getting a massive HD upgrade in 2008, I expect FSC HD to be up and running by the start of the 2009-2010 EPL season in August 2009 AT THE LATEST. I anticipate that the biggest TV upgrade cycle in the history of the U.S. will take place during the 2008 Christmas selling season. By the start of 2009, so many people in the U.S. will have HDTV capable flat panel TVs that there would be no excuse for any English-language U.S. network not to offer an HD feed. (The Spanish-language networks will probably stay SD ONLY in 2009 because the source material from Mexico and the rest of Latin America won't be shot in HD for a while.) FOX Cable already offers FUEL HD and SPEED HD. FSC HD can't be that far behind.
Once again: If that were the case, Webster simply would have chosen not to broach the topic to begin with. The topic of HD wouldn't even have been relevant. There wouldn't have been any reason to waste one of the "viewer e-mail" slots on it. Watching the show, it seemed clear there was a good reason he'd opted to lead off their e-mail segment with that particular topic.
Unless they get a huge amount of HD inquiries and he figured that he could curb alot of them by acknowledging one of them on the air, hence, "sooner rather than later." If he would of chose that e-mail to announce something as you say, he would of had specifics...
Is there any way to get the Canadian network Rogers Sportsnet HD in the USA? I think they broadcast premiership games in HD, I don't know first hand, just going by their schedule.... http://www2.sportsnet.ca/tvschedule/ Is this a channel that can be picked up on DirectTV or Dish ??? Maybe for those near the border.
You have to subscribe to a canadian cable or satellite service. Not dish network, directv, or any american cable providers. Also I am not certain if those games are actually HD. I think only The Score HD carries premiership games in actual HD. the games on rogers are just 4:3 standard definition that is upconverted to HD, but will look no better than standard definition.
You have to keep in mind the extreme cost of transmitting a larger feed from Europe to the United States. So it is not so simple that since FOX has other networks in HD, that FSC will follow quickly. Judging from the FOX Soccer Report, I don't think the network is swimming in cash.
FSC doesn't actually make FSR. Fox Sports World Canada (owned by canadian broadcaster Global) makes the show. It's done cheap because they are an extremely cheap broadcaster. FSC gets the show in an agreement with Fox Sports World Canada as part of the payment for the Fox branding and sublicensing agreements for content. That being said, the costs of getting an HD feed over here are high, and I doubt FSC is willing to pay the extra for only a few subscribers.
That's the reason why I don't see why FSC would be going HD any time soon. I don't think that adding HD will get them anymore subscribers than they already have. It's not like having a soccer game in HD will make people that dislike soccer want to watch it all of a sudden.
From what I understand from a few sources I have - FSC IS pursuing a move to HD. The problems (as stated many times here) is delivery from Europe of games. It is double the cost of what it currently costs - but FSC is seriously looking into it for the new season. As far as FSR is concerned, Canwest Global (the owner of the show) announced late last year that they were laying off 200-staff across Canada and developing 'Broadcast Centers' in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto. They will be hubs for the entire network. With this move, they will also upgrade a number of stations - including where FSR is taped - so that they are HD ready. That potentially means FSR could be in-line for an HD switch as soon as FSC makes their move. With Canwest recently completing its purchase of Alliance Atlantis, they also now have a 26% stake in 'The Score' here in Canada - the EPL rights holders. It could make things very interesting for soccer fans in Canada in the coming year or two.
As wonderful as that is, my cable company will probably screw me anyway. They don't have any hockey programming in HD despite being the biggest hockey market in the US. I can't imagine they would see any reason to carry Fox Soccer.
not holding my breath in NYC either - time warner doesn't even have goltv on it's roster. can't see them adding fox soccer HD anytime soon.