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Thread: Sky Sport vs Spark sport

  1. #1
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    Sky Sport vs Spark sport

    OK you lot, what's the difference between the two? Who's best for what?

    Ta.
    . “No pleasure is worth giving up for two more years in a rest home.” Kingsley Amis

  2. #2
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    19th November 2007 - 13:39
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    Watched cricket on spark today and just seemed a frame or 2 slower and not such good camera angles and pictures.


    Quote Jan 2020 Posted by Katman

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    6th June 2008 - 17:24
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    Quote Originally Posted by Murray View Post
    Watched cricket on spark today and just seemed a frame or 2 slower and not such good camera angles and pictures.
    Hmmm - you must have read my mind. I am debating whether to switch from sky to spark for sport. It is cheaper but I still have some doubts. Hence the post...

    I actually went back to radio coverage yesterday. Just like the olden days. Allows you to do other things as well as follow the match.
    . “No pleasure is worth giving up for two more years in a rest home.” Kingsley Amis

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    For me it boils down to what content they offer.

    I joined Spark yesterday as I am a cricket tragic and Sky lost the rights to the NZ cricket. Spark streaming quality is similar to Sky but TBH, as I can't watch NZ test cricket anywhere else, the quality of the Spark broadcast didn't really factor into my decision. If Spark didn't have the cricket I wouldn't be interested in joining up.

    Incidentally, as the MotoGP and rugby season is over I dropped my Sky sports subscription at the same time but will likely renew next year as I watch a lot of sport. Will probably juggle subscriptions between the two services.

    I do find the set top box system that Sky offer a bit more usable than streaming, although you pay more for it. I am planning to buy a Chromecast or similar to stream the Spark content from my computer to my (non smart) TV/projector.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ruahine View Post
    For me it boils down to what content they offer.

    I joined Spark yesterday as I am a cricket tragic and Sky lost the rights to the NZ cricket. Spark streaming quality is similar to Sky but TBH, as I can't watch NZ test cricket anywhere else, the quality of the Spark broadcast didn't really factor into my decision. If Spark didn't have the cricket I wouldn't be interested in joining up.

    Incidentally, as the MotoGP and rugby season is over I dropped my Sky sports subscription at the same time but will likely renew next year as I watch a lot of sport. Will probably juggle subscriptions between the two services.

    I do find the set top box system that Sky offer a bit more usable than streaming, although you pay more for it. I am planning to buy a Chromecast or similar to stream the Spark content from my computer to my (non smart) TV/projector.
    Well I have a smart TV that will bring me spark sport directly (if I subscribe) but I have found that I get better results receiving a feed on the computer and chromecasting it to the TV. Less lag and less buffering. Maybe because the feed to the computer is via a cable whereas the TV itself is wifi connected? Course the chromecast is wireless too but it did still work better.

    I might resort to alternating between the two suppliers myself yet...
    . “No pleasure is worth giving up for two more years in a rest home.” Kingsley Amis

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    We have a smart tv ( they are not smart they are clunky as) but I chromecast everything from my phone whether I'm subscribed to the service like MotoGP site or general stuff.
    Its just easier you can control it from within the cast or use Google home app to pause and control volume etc. One on the bedroom TV as well.
    One thing i did when we did the reno was run a hard wire to the TV from the Router/network. So the phone links via our wifi for control but once you cast its direct feed.
    Remember when you had to have a $4,000 computer with a grunty graphics card wired to the TV but For 60 bucks them chromecasts are bloody brilliant little boxes.
    My sons TV aerial blew down he never bothered to put it back up after he got fibre he casts everything.
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    I'm giving spark a one month run to see what I think.

    Cricket is better via the computer/chromecast than direct from the wifi. Better colour, better images.
    Not quite the picture quality of the sky product though.
    . “No pleasure is worth giving up for two more years in a rest home.” Kingsley Amis

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    I kept the kids up to watch the first T20. We all sat down to watch the second but couldn't find it on Sky. Tried all the channels. Found out later that Spark had the rights.

    Hopefully I get tickets and the match in Dunedin in February happens because I won't see any NZ cricket before then. Fuck Spark. I am not changing an ISP just for that, especially to fucking Telecom. Looks like I will watch the Aussie cricket instead.
    Last edited by Berries; 5th December 2020 at 18:41. Reason: Did I mention Spark can get fucked?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Berries View Post
    I kept the kids up to watch the first T20. We all sat down to watch the second but couldn't find it on Sky. Tried all the channels. Found out later that Spark had the rights.

    Hopefully I get tickets and the match in Dunedin in February happens because I won't see any NZ cricket before then. Fuck Spark. I am not changing an ISP just for that, especially to fucking Telecom. Looks like I will watch the Aussie cricket instead.
    You don't need to have Spark as your ISP to use the sport service. They will charge anyone

    I have watched a few sessions of the recent test via Chromecast (Mac to TV). Seemed to work OK. The sound and picture is not quite as good as Sky but certainly acceptable.

  10. #10
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    Despite the better picture from chromecast, I have reverted to using the TV's direct wifi link to the modem. The reason being that by doing so, I have much easier control of pause, fast forward and backup via the TV remote.

    I have improved the quality of the pictures by fiddling with the TV's vast selection of picture controls. Still not up to Sky quality though...

    Overall, looking at Spark's selection of coverage, I doubt I would ever permanently migrate to their system since I have little interest in much of the stuff they cover. In the meantime, I will swap between Spark and Sky subscriptions depending on what I want to watch.
    . “No pleasure is worth giving up for two more years in a rest home.” Kingsley Amis

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    ...why not just watch the grass grow...gotta be more entertaining than watching cricket...save the money...by an ice cream and watch mermaids at the beach...young mermaids are good, specially accompanied by our special Mermaid Chilli Sauce...TM...only 49.99 a month...the chilli sauce that is, the mermaids are extra...

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by ellipsis View Post
    ...why not just watch the grass grow...gotta be more entertaining than watching cricket...save the money...by an ice cream and watch mermaids at the beach...young mermaids are good, specially accompanied by our special Mermaid Chilli Sauce...TM...only 49.99 a month...the chilli sauce that is, the mermaids are extra...
    I watch the grass grow as well anyway...
    . “No pleasure is worth giving up for two more years in a rest home.” Kingsley Amis

  13. #13
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    Just use your built-in app on your smart TV if you have one .Chrome cast is not needed nowadays

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    Quote Originally Posted by 240 View Post
    Just use your built-in app on your smart TV if you have one .Chrome cast is not needed nowadays
    That depends a lot on the age and quality of your TV, your budget and your capacity for change.

    Most streaming services support the last 2 years of TV releases. Some only the last 2 years of major manufacturers.
    Everything else might work, might work somewhat, might work with lesser features etc.
    Wi-fi issues are more common in smaller and lower send tv models.
    Sports needs high refresh rates and grunty graphics cards to render right over streaming. Actually read the literature to see. In the shop they'll have a crystal clear feed from an aerial.
    Buying a TV means buying higher specification than is required.
    Else you might find the problems a broadcaster experiences get resolved by then upping their specs and leaving you behind.

    Upgrading your 5 year old $60 Chromecast to a new $109 Chromecast {or adding one to your >$1k TV)is certainly easier than upgrading your smart TV when the stream starts exceeding your streaming capabilities.

    Lag over wi-fi has more to do with generational capabilities matching than specific devices.
    You may get issues if your TV is older than 2 years or your router is 2 years older than your TV.
    Meanwhile that is half of the job of the Chromecast so there is a much wider Spread of compatibility.


    Sure, if you can afford it buy a new Smart tv every time you don't like the picture or the wi-fi gets a bit laggy, the manufacturers are counting on this.

    If you want to upgrade the streaming on an older TV or add streaming on a non smart, get a Chromecast or a smart stick.

    Of course if you live off the fibre network or your segment is overcrowded or just hasn't been upgraded for a while you can't currently beat UHF or satellite.

    By this time next year my guess is you either won't be able to buy dumb TVs or they will cost more than a smart one once you go over 32 inch.

  15. #15
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    My current TV is one year old and the smarts are actually pretty smart.

    The fact remains that the chromecast link does produce better pictures than the TV's direct wifi link. This may be because the computer sending to the chromecast is hard wired to the signal source whereas the TV uses a wireless link. Sure, the chromecast has a wireless link to the TV too but still produces a better picture. Who knows why?

    But as I have mentioned in a former post, I tolerate the TV's slightly lower picture quality anyway because the controls are so much easier with the TV. And as I also mentioned in an earlier post, I have twiddled the picture settings in the TV to good effect. Happy enough with the results.

    I still wouldn't swap sky sport for spark sport but I will keep the spark subscription active while the cricket season is under way.

    Hope this clarifies things.
    . “No pleasure is worth giving up for two more years in a rest home.” Kingsley Amis

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