View Full Version : ABC/ESPN Reverse Mirror
mgoblue99
08-21-08, 10:38 AM
I read in the ESPN/ABC press release for this upcoming college football season that the networks will, again, be using their "reverse mirror" system of broadcasting multiple games in the same time slot.
After searching the forum, I think I understand how the system works. For example, on August 30, the Michigan/Utah game and the USC game are both on ESPN/ABC. Since I'm in Michigan, I'll get the Michigan game on my local ABC feed. Will the USC game then be broadcast on my ESPN feed from D*, or will D* broadcast two separate ESPN feeds nationally and black them out regionally? (I hope that makes sense.)
I also understand that last season, the mirrored games were NOT available in HD. Does anyone know if that will be the case this year, or if both games will be available in HD? I know they're both produced in HD, because they both air on ABC locals in the "home" markets in high def.
Could someone try to walk me through this process?
I appreciate your help in advance.
Red Dog
08-21-08, 11:59 AM
I found last year that sometimes the mirrored game would be on ESPN-Alt if it wasn't on 206.
I found last year that sometimes the mirrored game would be on ESPN-Alt if it wasn't on 206.To explain even further, ESPN Alt is usually on channel 210 and ESPN2 Alt is usually 211 with additional channels nearby available if needed (that doesn't happen very often). ESPN will show 2 feeds with one game on ESPN 206 and another on ESPN Alt 210. The channel that is on your local ABC will be blacked out and the other channel will be available.
mgoblue99
08-21-08, 08:34 PM
Will the alternate game by in HD?
Will the alternate game by in HD?
Last year, the alternate games were only in SD
mgoblue99
08-27-08, 12:06 PM
Any word on this? I know ABC/ESPN had a press release in June that said ALL games on ABC/ESPN networks this year will be broadcast in HD.
Anyone?
I'm sure in Iowa we are getting the Michigan vs. Utah game but I'm hoping the USC vs. Virginia game won't be blacked out on the reverse mirror. My fear is that it will though.
mgoblue99
08-27-08, 08:43 PM
My understanding is that nobody is blacked out of either game on the reverse mirror. You get whatever game you get on ABC. The game that's not on ABC is mirrored on ESPN/2. No?
DMRI2006
08-27-08, 11:07 PM
Most of the country this week (77% of it to be exact) is getting USC-Virginia on ABC (HD).
For those people, you will get Michigan-Utah on ESPN2 (209) -- in HD -- on DirecTV.
If you live in an area already getting Michigan-Utah on ABC like the OP, however, then you'll get USC-Virginia on an alternate ESPN channel. Whether it's HD or not, even though the game is being produced in HD, I can't say (last season those "ESPN alt" games were in SD).
Hope this helps :)
terryfoster
08-28-08, 04:46 AM
http://www.hdsportsguide.com/files/330-aug-30.jpg
pologirl
08-29-08, 07:06 PM
Most of the country this week (77% of it to be exact) is getting USC-Virginia on ABC (HD).
For those people, you will get Michigan-Utah on ESPN2 (209) -- in HD -- on DirecTV.
If you live in an area already getting Michigan-Utah on ABC like the OP, however, then you'll get USC-Virginia on an alternate ESPN channel. Whether it's HD or not, even though the game is being produced in HD, I can't say (last season those "ESPN alt" games were in SD).
Hope this helps :) Does this mean that if I live in southern ca., where it is blocked I can go to channel 209 and get the game? wow if that is true I would be a very happy wolverine!!!
mgoblue99
08-30-08, 07:36 AM
Yes, that's what it means. But NOBODY has been able to answer me as to whether or not the mirrored game (that is, the one not on your local ABC affiliate) is in HD.
bwaldron
08-30-08, 10:50 AM
Yes, that's what it means. But NOBODY has been able to answer me as to whether or not the mirrored game (that is, the one not on your local ABC affiliate) is in HD.
My guess is not...though I'd love to be wrong.
Yes, that's what it means. But NOBODY has been able to answer me as to whether or not the mirrored game (that is, the one not on your local ABC affiliate) is in HD.
I guess we won't know for sure until broadcast time, but I'd sure like to see DirecTV/ESPN provide the alt feed in HD. DirecTV is able to provide a number of alternate Big10 channels in HD each Saturday, so the tech aspect seems doable.
Well looks like I get USC vs Virginia on channel 211. Glad to have it but unfortunately it's not in HD.
IlliniOne82
08-30-08, 01:42 PM
Sorry if it's been covered, but what is the reason for not showing the reverse mirror on ESPN2 instead of the alternate channel?
This week the answer is to turn on ABCE-hd for those that are getting the michigan game rather than using the alternate espn channel.
Baldmaga
08-30-08, 02:01 PM
My Friend in Ohio is getting USC on ABC, and blacked out of ESPN2 and 211...How can he watch UM/Utah?
DCSholtis
08-30-08, 02:32 PM
Where is he in Ohio?? I'm in Cleveland and getting UM/Utah on my local ABC and getting blacked out of ESPN2 but able to see the USC game on 211.....in SD.
DMRI2006
08-30-08, 02:36 PM
My Friend in Ohio is getting USC on ABC, and blacked out of ESPN2 and 211...How can he watch UM/Utah?
Sounds like something is wrong there...Directv is probably blacking him out and they shouldn't be.
Sorry if it's been covered, but what is the reason for not showing the reverse mirror on ESPN2 instead of the alternate channel?
They are using ESPN2 as the reverse mirror -- for 77% of the country, to be precise.
For those who are getting USC-Va. on ABC, you should be getting the Michigan-Utah game in HD on ESPN2 (209). That's the "main" national "reverse mirror" game on ESPN2 because most of the country is getting USC-Va. on ABC.
People who are getting Michigan-Utah locally on ABC can get USC-Va. on one of the alternate channels -- but it's in SD only.
This is how it worked last year too. Seems to me that the "reverse mirror" game of the widest audience distribution goes on ESPN2 HD, unless you live in an area where you're already getting it on ABC. In that case, you'll get the other game -- but only in SD -- on one of the alternate channels.
Baldmaga
08-30-08, 02:54 PM
Where is he in Ohio?? I'm in Cleveland and getting UM/Utah on my local ABC and getting blacked out of ESPN2 but able to see the USC game on 211.....in SD.
youngstown
b00stedeg
08-30-08, 02:58 PM
Here in Orlando we have usc on abc and michigan on espn2, both in hd
Unfortunately, there's no reverse mirror for the evening ABC games. And once again, the games on GamePlan look like absolute crap! When are they going to start showing the HD games in HD on GamePlan?
Steady Teddy
09-01-08, 08:43 AM
I live in southeast Michigan and I assume the reverse mirrors were screwed up on Saturday. Michigan-Utah was on ABC and the ESPN HD feed for USC-Virginia was blacked out. Only 211 was available.
Who's to blame for this, D* or ABC?
rcoleman111
09-01-08, 09:41 PM
I didn't find the Michigan game on any of the reverse mirror channels. All I could get in the Atlanta market was the USC-Va game on the ABC affiliate.
Sorry if it's been covered, but what is the reason for not showing the reverse mirror on ESPN2 instead of the alternate channel?
Since ESPN2 is beamed to the entire country on 209, but only some of us are supposed to see what's on that channel on that channel, they need to use a second channel for the programming we are supposed to see.
It's disappointing that ESPN/ABC/DirecTV can't figure a way to get us that HD programming in HD.
Is this one point where cable does better? They swap onto their local feed which ever program is appropriate and provide it in HD.
This week the answer is to turn on ABCE-hd for those that are getting the michigan game rather than using the alternate espn channel.
That makes too much sense. Actually, one of the reasons that isn't done is that there are contractual obligations to affiliates and advertisers that won't allow that simple solution.
mgoblue99
09-02-08, 08:39 AM
So was anyone able to get the mirrored game in HD? Or was only the ABC game on the local affiliate in HD?
sdpadres
09-02-08, 10:14 AM
Yep......Philadelphia DMA got both games in HD.
terryfoster
09-02-08, 11:48 AM
It's disappointing that ESPN/ABC/DirecTV can't figure a way to get us that HD programming in HD.
Is this one point where cable does better? They swap onto their local feed which ever program is appropriate and provide it in HD.
Nope, cable only provides the mirror game in SD as well. For instance, this past weekend the UT/UM game was the "primary" on ESPN2HD and the USC/Virginia game was "primary" on ABC. For those that got the UT/UM game on ABC the duplicate feed on ESPN2HD was blacked out and the SD channel was swapped for the SD alternate feed carrying the USC/Virginia feed.
This is a Disney issue of not providing a HD alternate feed.
So was anyone able to get the mirrored game in HD? Or was only the ABC game on the local affiliate in HD?
Those people that got the USC/Virginia game on ABC got both games in HD.
atalerico
09-08-08, 01:01 PM
I think I have figured out why some people get the "second game" in HD and some do not. I will try to explain as best as I can but I'm an engineering student not an English major.
My analysis/prediction
Please refer to the maps I have attached (week1.jpg and week2.jpg). I live in Atlanta, GA and on week 1 we got USC v Virginia on ABC which most of the country got as well. We also go the Utah v Michigan game in HD on 209. Week 2 we got the Mississippi v Wake Forest game in HD on ABC most of the country got Oregon St v Penn St on ABC HD. ESPN2HD said we would get OSU v PSU but it was blacked out on 209. We got it in SD on 210 or 211. This week my Yellow Jackets play at Virginia Tech in the ABC 3:30 time slot. GT v VT is reverse mirror with Oregon v Purdue.
I think it has to do with what percentage of the country is getting what game. Week 1 most of the country saw USC v UVA on ABC so the national EPSN2 feed was Utah v Michigan which everyone getting USC v UVA should have gotten in HD. If you look at the map you will see that Atlanta, Philadelphia and Orlando all go USC UVA on ABC, so that would explain why the three of us got Utah v Mich in HD on 209. For week 2 Atlanta go Miss v Wake which was not the primary game so I did not the OSU v PSU in HD on 209.
Week 3 Prediction
This week there are 4 ABC 3:30 games. Arkansas v Texas (HD), Georgia Tech v Virginia Tech (HD), Oregon v Purdue (HD), and Penn St v Syracuse (SD). As I said earlier GT v VT and Oregon v Purdue are the reverse mirror. ESPN/ABC have not released the coverage maps yet. My guess is that Ark v Tx will be the primary game. If GT is carried more than Oregon then in Atlanta we should get Oregon in HD on 209 (bc ESPN2HD national feed will be Oregon) if not it will be blacked out on 209 and we'll get it on 210 or 211.
2 good websites for College Football TV schedules (this is my first post so I cant post links until I have made 5 posts, sorry)
lsufootball.net/tvschedule
mattsarz44017.tripod.com/football2008
Just my thoughts
terryfoster
09-08-08, 08:11 PM
Ok, it's really not that hard. If ESPN2HD isn't blacked out for you, then you get both games in HD assuming your game on ABC is in HD. If ESPN2HD is blacked out then you either have one game in HD (on ABC) or no games in HD.
This past week ESPN2HD was blacked out for my area and the UC game was SD only on ABC so I didn't any of the 3:30 games in HD.
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