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College football refs get a taste of HD instant replay tomorrow
A season after instant replay met the NFL, the Pac-10 is trying out high definition instant replay equipment from XOS Replay Systems during Thursday's USC vs. Oregon State game. The reason for the scoreboard packing higher res than the replay hood? After investing six figures in SD equipment four years ago, colleges are reluctant to spend the money all over again, but the All Things Trojan blog reports Oregon State's larger-than-normal replay room will give officials a chance to check SD & HD systems side by side, at which time the choice should become clear. Now, about that call during the Washington/BYU game...
Big Ten Network coming to TWC in the Carolinas, Raleigh / Durham included
It's with a heart full of enthusiasm and a mind full of frustration that we share with you Time Warner Cable's latest addition to its Carolinas lineup. After landing a deal with Big Ten Network late last month, the carrier has announced that it will soon be launching BTN in Raleigh / Durham, Greensboro, Charlotte, Statesville / Iredell, Wilmington and South Carolina. The station will be available in both SD and HD flavors on different slots based on location (details are in the read link), and we're told to expect it on the air this Thursday. Sure, we'll take any high-def station we can get here in the Tar Heel Wolfpack state, but we still feel the operator owes us a few more given the absurd prices it feels fine with charging. [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family][Thanks, Justin]
Big Ten Networks lands on Bright House Michigan
Comcast, Charter and Time Warner Cable already wrapped up deals in at least some locales to get Big Ten Network out to its subscribers. Now, we've got Bright House Networks in Michigan doing the same. You all know the details by now -- more Big 10 in high-def -- but we're wondering if any other BHN markets got gifted as well. Chime in either way, will you?[Thanks, Dean]
Big Ten Network goes live on Comcast tomorrow
After what felt like an endless battle, Comcast and the Big Ten Network were finally able to hammer out broadcast details earlier this year. Right on schedule, the channel is expected to go live in the Big Ten region tomorrow, August 15th, on its expanded basic level of service. Of course, the HD feed will be included as well, and fanatics in the footprint can get set as the action begins with Indiana taking on Western Kentucky on August 30th. Are you ready for some football?
Fresno State Bulldogs to see lots of HD play on KAIL-TV
Hopes are high for Fresno State, and with the expectation of greatness inevitably comes an HDTV deal. Okay, so maybe that's not a given per se, but the upcoming Bulldogs basketball / football seasons will indeed be aired to locals in high-definition. New for this year, MyNetworkTV affiliate KAIL-TV will serve as the flagship station for the institution and will broadcast every single game in its entirety. Better still, the tilts can be seen in HD on MD Digital 7.1 in and around Fresno, California. Congrats, Fresno State fans -- just don't gloat too much over there, cool?[Image courtesy of Bulldog Village]
Wii releases this week: We Love Golf edition
This week's most notable release is surely Camelot's latest and greatest golf game, We Love Golf. We've been covering the title for quite some time and are glad to see it finally release. Will it offer up a better experience than other competition on the console, such as Super Swing Golf 2 and Tiger Woods 09? Only time will tell. We Love Golf NCAA Football 09 Rock Band Track Pack Vol. 1 Space Chimps So, who is picking up what?%Gallery-10822%
Battle college football mascots in EA's All-Play
If you enjoy football games but aren't into the NCAA, it looks like NCAA Football 09 might still have something entertaining to offer. Granted, it's the silliest of features -- and rather pointless, in the grand scheme of things -- but we'll be the first to say that watching teams of mascots throwing the old pigskin made us smile. Where else can you play football as a team full of elephants? Of course, if you do like college football, this is just an added bonus. Interested parties can NCAA Football 09 All-Play to release next week on the 15th in North America.
EA Sports reveals its 'All-Play' line-up for Wii
Following word that they would be doing so, EA has revealed its EA Sports 'All-Play' line-up of Wii games. These Wii titles feature a new casual approach, which include mini-games, as well as simplified controls. The titles also include simplified versions of each individual sport, including 5-on-5 in Madden or 8 vs. 8 in FIFA. [Via Joystiq]
Law of the Game on Joystiq: The Madden Suit
Each week Mark Methenitis contributes Law of the Game on Joystiq, a column on legal issues as they relate to video games: Summer is typically a "low season" for game releases, except for one particular annual tradition: new football games. As of late, those games have been all from EA, most notably the Madden and NCAA franchises. Last week it was made public that two gamers brought suit to disrupt EA's stranglehold over the football game market. Since the pleadings are online, I thought I would take the opportunity to offer some commentary on the issues presented. Of course, these are just my thoughts on the matter, not a prediction as to what result a trial may bring. EA's actual response may vary.Professional sports are no strangers to antitrust and other anti-competition based legal actions. More or less every major professional sports league has faced these suits in the past, and some of them even hold specific anti-trust exemptions. For example, the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961 is a specific anti-trust exemption for the NFL to be able to negotiate the broadcast rights for all teams. While none of the leagues have a true monopoly over the sports they represent, the barriers to entry are fairly great and most leagues are ultimately unable to compete (need I remind you of the XFL?). From the perspective of the NFL or MLB, exclusive licenses are likely viewed the way TV rights are, and I'm somewhat surprised that exclusivity has only become an issue in recent years.
Big Ten Network and Comcast nearing a deal
Could it finally be happening? The bigwigs at Comcast and Big Ten Network are actually closing in on a deal? According to a recent writeup originating in the Chicago Tribune, a long-awaited partnership between the carrier and station is expected to become official at any moment. A BTN spokesperson told the Star Tribune that "while the deal between the sides is close, there is nothing to report at this point." However, the individual did admit that the two parties "remain close to reaching an agreement." Needless to say, quite a few individuals (hundreds of thousands, actually) in the Big Ten footprint would be elated to have their upcoming football season around and in HD, but considering just how long this bickering has been going on, we aren't jotting this one in stone quite yet.
All live 2008 NCAA Football games on ABC / ESPN networks to air in HD
Not that we're trying to rush the summer away or anything, but August can't get here soon enough. Shortly after hearing that CBS would be producing every single NFL game in high-definition, in flies word that all live 2008 NCAA College Football games shown on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN U will also be available in glorious HD. Granted, there's a shot you won't even have those four networks in HD before the season begins, but at least your local watering hole will. For a look at the current schedule (which is far from complete), check out the goods in the read link. Rest assured, we'll be geared up for the network opener (August 28, 8:00PM on ESPN HD) as NC State shows South Carolina how it's done down at Williams-Brice Stadium.
MountainWest Sports Network comes to DirecTV on August 27th
We already knew the MountainWest Sports Network was destined to land on DirecTV eventually, and while we had heard that September was looking like a good candidate for a launch month, fans of the conference will be delighted to know that it'll be going live on the satcaster this August. Beginning on Wednesday, August 27th -- just in time for the BYU opener against Northern Iowa on August 30th -- The Mtn. will go live on channel 616. Notably, it'll be available on DirecTV CHOICE (and higher packages) for Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming and Dallas / Fort Worth / San Diego, though customers outside of these regions will be required to subscribe to DirecTV's Sportspack. For more on what to expect from the network this football season, head southwest to the read link.
Matt Ryan is cover athlete for PS3 version of NCAA
Click for high-resolution image. This year's iteration of EA's annual NCAA Football franchise is pulling a Soulcalibur with its covers. Every platform (PS2, PSP, PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii) will feature a unique cover athlete. Representing the PS3 this year is Matt Ryan, winner of the 2008 Manning Award -- an award that's reserved for the nation's top senior quarterback. The press release reminds us: "In his senior season, he helped lead the Eagles to an 11-3 record and a victory over Michigan State in the Champs Sports Bowl."Maybe it's because we're fanboys, but we certainly think this is a better choice for a cover athlete than the Wii version (no, that's not a joke).
March Madness to drum up demand for nearly one million HDTVs
Sure, this year's Super Bowl was said to be responsible for some two million HDTV purchases, but driving another million just a month later isn't anything to sneeze at. According to a new release from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the 2008 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament "will help inspire the purchase of nearly 1 million HDTVs (934,000), which represents slightly more than $1 billion in retail sales." Beyond that, the data also found that over half of existing HDTV-owning sports fans would end up turning their attention to the internet in order to fetch highlights and statistics. Of course, it also discovered that the amount of fans viewing whole games online is on the rise, and considering that The Man will likely have you right where he wants you tomorrow (read: nowhere near a TV), we don't find that surprising at all.
Time Warner Cable signs up for March Madness VOD
Following Comcast's footsteps, Time Warner Cable has just made it official: it will also be offering its subscribers CBS Sports' March Madness on demand content free of charge. In case you weren't already aware, this will allow customers to access game highlights and historical NCAA March Madness vignettes via video-on-demand, but unfortunately, only users in North Texas will see said programming in high-definition. Now, more than ever, the rest of the TWC nation could really use HD VOD, eh? [Disclosure: Engadget is part of the Time Warner family]
Phoenix's KPHO multicasting NCAA Men's Tournament over-the-air
Granted, many CBS affiliates -- Raleigh's WRAL and Indianapolis' WISH, just to name a couple -- have been multicasting the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament OTA for years now, but after seeing a breakdown of the schedule over at KPHO, we felt it prudent to remind sports fanatics that busting out the antenna may not be such a bad idea tomorrow. Phoenix -- which just had seven HD channels flipped on by Cox -- is one area in which the local CBS affiliate is multicasting every remaining March Madness game on its array of digital OTA channels, and five other carriers in the heart of Arizona are also providing ways to see every matchup. Granted, we doubt each of these will be seen everywhere in high-def, but feel free to check with your local CBS affiliate to see if you'll be left out of any of the Madness.[Thanks, Steven]
March Madness queues up HDTV / projector rentals
Buy a new HDTV / projector for the big game(s)? Pssh. Why do that when you can just rent your way to impressing those fair-weather friends of yours? Hot on the heels of Selection Sunday comes fresh PR from Projector123, which is hopping on the rental bandwagon in hopes that jazzed up fans will want something more than they've got right now in order to enjoy the upcoming March Madness. Best of all, the bulk of these games will be broadcast in HD over the air, so picking up an HDTV with a built-in tuner or a projector with a standalone tuner would enable you to catch most of the action without forking out for HD service (or going into debt for a swank new display). 'Course, we'd suggest putting the cash you'd spend on a rental into an entirely new set -- after all, how will you honestly ever look at that 19-inch CRT after watching the Final Four on an 82-inch projection screen?
DirecTV's Mega March Madness to be entirely in HD
Not like it really needed to be said or anything, but DirecTV's looking to keep NCAA basketball fans glued to their sets once again this year with its exclusive Mega March Madness package. What's notable, however, is that all 37 games included in the package will be aired in high-definition this year with access to scores and statistics via the interactive, on-screen L-wrap, and of course, you'll also have access to a Game Mix channel (four broadcasts shown at once) and an on-screen tournament bracket. Start saving up that $69 now -- the madness starts on March 20th.
Hyatt Place bringing March Madness to traveling fans
For those who have already shed tears seeing that their upcoming business trip will take them away from their home during March Madness, we've excellent news. If there just so happens to be a Hyatt Place -- which is known for keeping sports fan on-the-go in the loop -- wherever you're headed, you (probably) won't miss a minute of the always unpredictable action. Announced today, college hoops fans staying at over 90 select hotels from March 20th - 23rd and 27th - 28th can book the March Basketball Package, which will give them a one-day subscription to DirecTV's Mega March Madness, early check-in on game day and a game-day snack pack including a pizza and drinks. Better still, the complimentary WiFi will enable you to stay connected to real-time stats, but we know your eyes aren't going to glance away from the 42-inch HDTV for long.
Comcast to offer up NCAA March Madness, more films on HD VOD
Comcast isn't messing around with its HD VOD initiative, as just a under a month after it promised to deliver a slew of upcoming films to its on-demand library the same day they arrived on DVD, the cable company is hitting back with even more goodness for March. As expected, Comcast will be offering up NCAA March Madness Memories and Highlights via HD VOD, and if that wasn't enough, you can also catch sport-themed movie highlights this month as well. For those not exactly into hoops, you can check out Nancy Drew and August Rush at your convenience on March 11th, and your kids will certainly dig the exclusive HD replay of Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards on March 30th. For the full rundown on Comcast's March HD VOD plans, check out the release waiting after the jump.
