How to watch 720p NHL Streams on your Computer

[Brandon 426]

Alright so for the entire time this season I have been watching NHL streams on my computer in 720p, WITHOUT GAMECENTER. This is basically gamecenter, but it is free, so I thought I should share it with all of you incase you don't know how. Since i've been gone for so long, I thought I might as well give back something useful.

 

Step 1. Download VLC Media Player (Version 2.10). The link can be found here --> http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

Step 2. Find the sd folder in your VLC folder. Mine is here. Computer > C:Drive > Program Files (x86) > VideoLAN > VLC > lua > sd

Step 3. Copy this entire code below. The original code link can be found here if you can't copy the code below--> https://raw.github.com/InfernoZeus/rhockey-vlc/no-time-mod/hockey.luac

--[[
  DISCLAIMER: SCRIPT IS PROVIDED AS IS USE AT YOUR OWN RISK!
 
  Save this script as "hockey.lua"
  Place this script in:
    - Windows (all users):   %ProgramFiles%\VideoLAN\VLC\lua\sd\
    - Windows (current user):   %APPDATA%\VLC\lua\sd\
    - Linux (all users):     /usr/share/vlc/lua/sd/
    - Linux (current user):  ~/.local/share/vlc/lua/sd/
    - Mac OS X (all users):  VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/sd/  
    --]]
require "simplexml"

function descriptor()
    return { title="/r/hockey" }
end

function main()
    local games = simplexml.parse_url("http://208.92.36.37/nlds/as3/get_games.php?client=nhl&playerclient=hop")
    local test_games = {}
    for _, game in ipairs( games.children ) do              
        if(game.name == "game") then           
            simplexml.add_name_maps( game )
            local game_date, home_team, away_team, title = getInfoForGame(game)
            if string.find(home_team,"^T%d+$") or string.find (away_team,"^T%d+$") then
                table.insert(test_games, game)
            else
                local node = vlc.sd.add_node( { path = "", title = title } )
                addNodeForGame(node, game, home_team, away_team)
            end
        end
    end

    if table.getn(test_games) > 0 then
        local test_node = vlc.sd.add_node( { path = "", title = "Test Streams" } )
        for _, game in ipairs(test_games) do
            local game_date, home_team, away_team, title = getInfoForGame(game)
            node = test_node:add_subnode({ title = title })
            addNodeForGame(node, game, home_team, away_team)
        end
    end
end

function getInfoForGame(game)
    local game_date = game.attributes["game_date"]
    local home_team = full_name(game.children_map['home_team'][1].children[1])
    local away_team = full_name(game.children_map['away_team'][1].children[1])
    local title = game_date .. " " .. away_team .. " @ " .. home_team
    return game_date, home_team, away_team, title
end

function addNodeForGame(parentNode, game, home_team, away_team)
    local quality = {400, 800, 1200, 1600, 2400, 3000, 4500}
    for _, ass in ipairs(game.children_map['assignments'][1].children) do
        local feed = ass.attributes["feed_display_name"]
        local feed_title = home_team
        if(feed == "away") then
            feed_title = away_team
        end
        local feed_node = parentNode:add_subnode({ title = feed_title })
        local ipad = ass.children_map['ipad_url'][1].children[1]
        for _, q in ipairs(quality) do
            local url = string.gsub(ipad, "ipad", q)
            feed_node:add_subitem({
                path = url,
                title = q .. ' kbps',
                options = {
                "http-user-agent=AppleCoreMedia/1.0.0.8C148 (iPad; U; CPU OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en_us)"
            }
            })
        end
    end
end

function full_name(abr)
    local all_names = {
        BOS = "Boston Bruins",
        BUF = "Buffalo Sabres",
        CGY = "Calgary Flames",
        CHI = "Chicago Blackhawks",
        DET = "Detroit Red Wings",
        EDM = "Edmonton Oilers",
        CAR = "Carolina Hurricanes",
        LOS = "Los Angeles Kings",
        MON = "Montreal Canadiens",
        DAL = "Dallas Stars",
        NJD = "New Jersey Devils",
        NYI = "New York Islanders",
        NYR = "New York Rangers",
        PHI = "Philadelphia Flyers",
        PIT = "Pittsburgh Penguins",
        COL = "Colorado Avalanche",
        STL = "St. Louis Blues",
        TOR = "Toronto Maple Leafs",
        VAN = "Vancouver Canucks",
        WSH = "Washington Capitals",
        PHX = "Phoenix Coyotes",
        SAN = "San Jose Sharks",
        OTT = "Ottawa Senators",
        TAM = "Tampa Bay Lightning",
        ANA = "Anaheim Ducks",
        FLA = "Florida Panthers",
        CMB = "Columbus Blue Jackets",
        MIN = "Minnesota Wild",
        NSH = "Nashville Predators",
        WPG = "Winnipeg Jets"
    }
    local name = all_names[abr]
    if name == nil then
        name = abr
    end
    return(name)
end 

Step 4. Open up a notepad document and paste the previous text in the document. 

Step 5. Name the file "hockey.luac" (no quotations). Save the file type as "All Files" (right below the file name in a drop down menu).

Step 6. Now save the file into the sd folder that you previously found. Or you save it anywhere and drag it into the folder. You choose. But it MUST be in that sd folder!

Step 7. You have completed everything. Open up your VLC Media Player, click View > Playlist.

Step 8. Look on the left side and click Internet, look underneath it and click "r/hockey"

Step 9. Click on the game you want that is currently playing. Click the teams broadcast. Then click the quality you want. 4500 kbps being the highest, and 400 kbps being the lowest. If you internet is above 6mb download per second, you can watch in 4500kbps quality (highest quality)

Step 10. Congratulations! You can now watch any single NHL game from any teams broadcast perspective! Enjoy

 

Any questions? Feel free to ask below, i'll try my best to help anyone who has problems. 

 

[Brandon 426]

Can a mod pin this? I think this would be useful for a lot of people.

[Da Trifecta 1,896]

Damn this is beautiful

[Squinty 116]

How would you do this on a mac?

[Brandon 426]

How would you do this on a mac?

This is the reddit thread. http://www.reddit.com/r/hockey/comments/1o4sc1/update_a_fix_for_watching_live_nhl_games/

Apparently you must have OSX Mavericks. I think a lot of people run into problems on MAC with this. 

[Frank 5,208]

Trying this now...

[STZ 5,359]

This is pretty badass.. Thankfully I get good hockey coverage but I'm sure this would be useful to someone.

[Frank 5,208]

I load up /r/hockey but the playlist is empty? 

[Frank 5,208]

As in nothing loads 

[Squinty 116]

It works! This is sweet, thanks

[Frank 5,208]

Got it now, thanks!

[Squinty 116]

Jk no it doesn't, can't play any streams

[Squinty 116]

OH GOSH IT WORKS THIS IS SO COOL

[boubabi 4,725]

God

is that you ?

[Da Trifecta 1,896]

I love this

[Fire Tortorella 2,653]

Is this subject to blackout restrictions? Basically, if I live in the Philadelphia area, will the Flyers games be blacked out for me like normal or will I be able to watch them?

 

If I can, they you Brandon are the God, since my college just got rid of the local sports station and I'm trying to find a free/cheap way to watch my Flyers/Phillies.

[Guest]

keeps saying vlc has crashed and it wont open

[Brandon 426]

Is this subject to blackout restrictions? Basically, if I live in the Philadelphia area, will the Flyers games be blacked out for me like normal or will I be able to watch them?

 

If I can, they you Brandon are the God, since my college just got rid of the local sports station and I'm trying to find a free/cheap way to watch my Flyers/Phillies.

If there is a massive power outage making the game blacked out everywhere then you can't access it because it isn't being broadcasted to anything. As long as NHL is getting the feed, you will too, as this is basically gamecenter. I haven't watched every single game this season, but I have yet to see a blackout out of probably 40+ games. I live in Vancouver and it is nice to be able to watch not only Canucks games, but games that would not be broadcasted to me like Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Washington, etc. 

 

Summary: If it is being broadcasted to anywhere in the nation, you will get it too.

[Da Trifecta 1,896]

I am watching the Pens play now.

Edited October 28, 2013 by Da Trifecta

[Brandon 426]

keeps saying vlc has crashed and it wont open

Do a complete uninstall of VLC through your control panel, then restart your computer and install VLC 2.10 again. You might have either gotten a bad install, or if you updated it from a previous version, you could be interfering with it.

[Brandon 426]

I am watching the Pens play now.

same here! If you guys are wondering the quality, here is what i'm looking at atm. Also it is a wonderful thing to have either 2 monitors, or an extra laptop, I am watching the game on my right monitor while browsing the internet on my left monitor. 

 

[Da Trifecta 1,896]

same here! If you guys are wondering the quality, here is what i'm looking at atm. Also it is a wonderful thing to have either 2 monitors, or an extra laptop, I am watching the game on my right monitor while browsing the internet on my left monitor. 

 

 

I multitask lol

[Fire Tortorella 2,653]

Oh my this is beautiful.

 

Give this man TPE.

[Guest]

its still happeneing could i have put in the code wrog?

[Edgar 283]

its still happeneing could i have put in the code wrog?

this is me aswell