NFL fans, boxing fans and  sports fans in general, rejoice! The official HBO PR twitter account tweeted out fantastic news: next year HBO will offer a streaming HBO service, but this time without a currently required cable/satellite connection. In a matter of weeks,  you will — at least if you live in the United States — be able to see the award winning Hard Knocks, fights and of course other shows and films.

Given the success of Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu Plus, it really was only a matter of time until HBO joined the ranks of standalone online streaming companies. The announcement was made at a Time Warner  Inc. Investor Meeting where HBO Chairman and CEO Richard Plepler stated

“That [10 million broadband only homes] is a large and growing opportunity that should no longer be left untapped. It is time to remove all barriers to those who want HBO.”

Presuming it will be the existing HBO Go, the service will give subscribers full access to all shows, sports and movies available on the TV version of HBO. Between the shows such as Last Week Tonight and The Newsroom plus the currently unavailable HBO exclusive sports coverage, in particular Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, this is an overdue but nonetheless welcome announcement.

The latest major version of Apple’s mobile software, iOS 8, gained the ability to add widgets to one’s phone or tablet. While the counterparts in the Android world have enjoyed widgets since April 2009, Apple has finally sought fit to allow widgets on their devices. As a user of both major operating systems, I can’t tell you how happy I am to see them on my iPhone. Rather than requiring manually authorization to display information, e.g. opening an app, widgets constantly update information. In particular stock, Bitcoin and sports widgets are all incredibly convenient. The first major sports widget launched on iOS8 is the free Forza Football Widget, and it is everything I could want from a soccer info center.

After the initial download, you’re greeted to a lovely welcome screen and quick start guide.

As you progress throughout the setup, you’re given the choice of which country to pick. You’re able to choose multiple countries to pick and I decided to go with the United States and add South Korea later on.

Once you’ve picked out which nation — and you can add Under-21, womens, etc. — the next set of choices becomes how many leagues would you like to follow. Unsurprisingly the main leagues are auto selected, but you can add or remove as you wish.

Now that everything is picked out, you’ll want to utilize Forza Football as the widget, not just the app. In order to add real time score updates, you’ll have to swipe down on the notification bar of your phone and select “new widget available.”

At this point you can add Forza to any current widgets you may have running.

I’m able to partake in pre-game polls on who will win, a fun feature I didn’t even realize I was missing.

Additionally the push alerts that go off when a team I’m following is great for people like me who tend to be a bit forgetful.

Forza offers a superior football experience. I’ve previously touched on and even praised other soccer apps such as MLS Matchday and Fox Soccer 2Go, however I can’t see myself using those apps with Forza on my phone. For a brand new widget I can’t imagine anything else I’d really want.

Injuries are an unfortunate byproduct of sports. Be it the growing concern of concussions, Tommy John surgery or the more normal strains and pulls, every professional and collegiate — and most high school — sporting event has medical staff on the sidelines. Even routine issues such as sore throats, flu-like symptoms or general knee pain diagnoses could be changed as Google is looking to expand its reach by video chatting with doctors.

Credit to reddit user jasonahoule for posting this (via imgur) of a simple “knee pain” screenshot on Friday afternoon:

Tech website Engadget independently verified Google is in fact exploring a “Helpouts-style” option to video chat from any location with doctors. Google Helpouts currently offers a video connection with experts in a wide range of fields from culinary help to computer setup, though medical assistance could be on the way.

Unfortunately a search done around 5:30 pm eastern yesterday afternoon, Google has seemingly pulled back their live chat trial. The exact same search of “knee pain” in the mobile versions of Chrome and Safari as well as Silk failed to yield any “Talk with a doctor now” options.

Chatting with a medical professional will have certain limits, as things such as MRIs, CAT scans etc. are all things that currently cannot be done with a mouse or a touch screen. That being said, there could be a day — perhaps sooner rather than later — where on-field diagnosis for pains, strains and sprains become a part of our everyday lives.

(Header image via NEC)

At least as far as online sports media goes, GIFs make the world go round. We use them to show bloopers and Peyton Manning faces, home runs and butt fumbles. Many writers and analysts use GIFs to help show pitching mechanics, football plays, and any other subjects that can benefit from some video evidence. It’s a useful tool, but one that’s around two decades old. Technology has better offerings now, and one of the bigger players in the GIF game is making a big change. Online hosting giant Imgur has made their intentions clear: it’s time to move on from the GIF.

The demand for higher quality and longer GIFs have surpassed the ability for the file type to keep up with us. Instead of constantly relying on the older GIF — technology has improved a bit since the 1980’s where it was first introduced — Imgur has decided to alter course and go with a much newer technology, MP4s. The media hosting site announced plans to convert all old GIFs to HTML5 compatible MP4 videos, labeling the files as the all new GIFV file type.

The new files are smaller, creating less strain on Imgur, load faster on mobile devices and are able to viewed on any platform. Another hosting site, Gfycat, has been using HTML 5 for months now and their home page even sports how much bandwidth they’ve saved using HTML 5 rather than GIFs. There is a worthy debate going on as to why Imgur decided to go with the MP4 format rather than WebM and the probable answer is compatibility. At the time of writing. WebM is not available on any iOS version without downloading a free video player, unless you choose to jailbreak your device. Rather than force a large user base to download compatibility apps, Imgur has taken a shorter and faster route to replace the GIF.

For a comparison of GIF vs HTML 5, look no further than Gfycat’s FAQ page. The length and quality — not to mention the ability to pause, rewind or view frame by frame, it’s an MP4 video, remember? — are identical and the HTLM 5 is much smaller than the GIF.

Don’t expect GIFs to disappear overnight, they’re too well established for that, but anticipate more and more websites moving to the MP4 or GIFVs. They’re superior to GIFs in every way and are compatible on all devices. If WebM becomes the new standard video type then perhaps Imgur will once again change, but for now their strides to replace the GIF are already underway.

Given the success of MLB.tv and MLS Live, it was only a matter of time before another major sport followed suit with an all new online streaming service. With a clear shift in how people prefer to receive their sports services — so called cord-cutters are dropping television service in favor of online streaming — the NBA announced a deal yesterday that could see a major change in how fans watch games.

The nine-year TV agreement between the league, ESPN/ABC, TNT and Time Warner won’t officially start with the 2016-17 season, but it could include some good news for those who want to stream games without a cable/satellite package. Per the Wall Street Journal:

As part of its deal, ESPN negotiated a package of games for the online video service. The NBA’s “League Pass” offering already allows users to stream live regular-season games that aren’t televised nationally and aren’t available in their home market.

But ESPN has been cautious about letting its most valuable content—live professional sports games—outside the walls of pay television. Its streaming app WatchESPN is only available to pay-TV customers, so the new online service represents a shift in approach….

It isn’t clear whether the online service will be a subscription offering or a “transactional” one in which people will pay for individual games. The parties are considering licensing the package to wireless carriers such as Verizon that are building online video services, one of the people familiar with the matter said. The number of games that will be made available for the online service is still being decided.

The significance of being able to view games without a cable or satellite plan cannot be understated. The existing NBA League Pass allows one to stream out of market games online for 149.99 for the strictly streaming version — including mobile — or 199.99 for the stream + television package. On the worldwide leader side, WatchESPN requires an existing paid TV subscription to view games, so this new service must be something built from the ground up.

Curiously rather than the NBA buying out its own streaming services, NBA League Pass and NBA TV, the online games continues to be handled by the Turner Broadcasting Company. To outsource something as big as this and still not maintain full, top-down control is a questionable move, especially when considering past criticisms of NBA League Pass.

Assuming ESPN’s streaming service has nothing to do with the previous frustrations with League Pass, this could usher in a new era of free streaming sports for internet-only subscribers. ESPN has a solid history of online services, as ESPN 360/ESPN 3 were stable platforms, and given their renewed partnership with the NBA, ESPN should  invest considerable resources to their NBA centered streaming service.

(Header photo via Keith Allison)

Allow me to start off by apologizing. Thus far I have done two game reviews here at TechGraphs, Madden 15 and FIFA 15, and didn’t have a working capture card for either. Worry no more, dear readers, as from now on I have a smooth running Roxio HD Pro.

There is no shortage of various capture cards, both Amazon and NewEgg have hundreds of search results, however I chose the Roxio brand for a few reasons. Now I’m a fairly technologically-inclined person — I’m sure you’re shocked to hear this — so I don’t shy away from something that could be described as having a difficult installation. Of course, just because I can do something doesn’t mean I want to struggle and get frustrated. One of the biggest selling points for me when deciding which card to get was ease of installation. The only parts I needed to get the Roxio HD Pro up and running on my Xbox 360 were a pair of HDMI cables that ran me about nine bucks.

The instructions contained within the Roxio HD Pro packaging wasn’t at all what I expected. They looked much longer and more intricate than what I planned on.

Then I realized I had been looking at the PlayStation setup. The setup guide for the 360 is literally one sentence plus three bullet points for troubleshooting tips.

The first thing I did was to make sure my Xbox was off. Next I plugged the USB/power cable from my laptop to the Roxio itself. I then unplugged the AV cable and inserted an HDMI to the 360 and the other to the Roxio. Step three was simply taking the other HDMI cable and plugging it into the other side of the capture card and the back of my TV. The next step was putting the installation CD that came with the card into my computer and installing the necessary software. And that’s it. basically five steps, including just double checking my 360 was turned off.

The whole point of springing for the HD Pro version of the Roxio (other than the ease of installation) rather than the standard version for me was two fold: capture footage in 1080p — only 480p is available on the standard model — and the ability to live stream directly to either a YouTube or a Twitch.tv channel. I don’t play competitive console games (though once Halo: Master Chief Collection comes out that my change…), however the option to stream in real time to viewers all over the world is a pretty cool thing to have ready to go.

Really, that is what video games and to a certain extent sports are about: the thrill of winning, and winning in public fashion. Everything from bragging rights, smack talk to whatever you’d like to call is all part of competitive culture in sports and esports alike. Capture cards give you the ability to grab every moment of action so you never miss a highlight. The free software with the Roxio HD Pro allows for editing — it isn’t Sony Vegas but it is quite nice given the price tag — like changing speed such as slo-mo, adjusting the lighting, frame-by-frame trimming and voice over commentary is great for creating montages.

If you can have video evidence of you crushing your friends 6-1 in FIFA or dropping consecutive 3-pointers on them from just across half court, it’s all part of the fun. I’ve already had a blast just tinkering with the editing options. Perhaps in the coming days I’ll upload more gameplay to my YouTube or Twitch channel, maybe even some footage of me getting stomped by pre-teens on Xbox Live while they hurl insults at my parents. But for now, enjoy me playing as QPR against Fulham:

(Header image via Roxio.c0m)

While there are some mobile options to be found out there, when it comes to console gaming, there are only a couple series that allows players the full soccer experience. FIFA 15, this year’s iteration of the long running soccer game, has not only undergone a facelift via improvements to the graphics, but also added new leagues, clubs, moves, celebrations and probably most importantly, possession dribbling has been tightened up, as have goalkeepers.

New ball handling and possession additions have brought more goals and more excitement to the game, however it has made 1v1 defending all but impossible. The control and agility moves, such as new cutting and sharper stopping, has wreaked havoc on my old way of defending the ball more than marking the man. Developers at EA have countered this somewhat by adding the new defending feature called “shoulder barge.” It’s pretty straight forward way of defending the attacking player while he is dribbling. You can use a defender to nudge him off of the ball to gain possession and stop the opponent’s attack. Use it too much and you’ll get called for a foul, however it is an immensely important addition. Without it I’d be giving up goals more often than usual. In my very first go around of FIFA 15, I got blasted 6-2 by Manchester City. In my defense I play as QPR — Go Hoops! — but I was blown off the pitch by City’s precision attack.

Another way EA has attempted to offset the vicious attacks that will be brought to you by the new offensive moves is by retooling the goalie AI. Whether or not they come charging off their line to stop a breakaway or go for a ball punch rather than an attempted catch on a corner kick makes all the difference in the world. Watching your goalkeeper give up a cheap goal near post or get chipped after being late coming off his line is mostly a thing of the past. I’ve had several (what I would call) beautiful build ups only to be swatted away by a keeper who I swore I had beat in the upper 90°.

It would be hard to call me a fan of FIFA as an organization — check out this Last Week Tonight piece for a brief reason why, (warning: language) — however their game has now been out for a week and I’m yet to put anything else into my Xbox. Often franchise games get labeled as a simple “re-skins of last year” and while FIFA 15 hasn’t changed any core aspects, the new version doesn’t feel like the same old song ‘n dance.

Speaking of songs and dances, this year’s FIFA has added a ton of new ways to make the game more involved. The all new lineup of goal celebrations may seem like a small detail to some, but don’t count me among that crowd. From classics like the dead fish to new additions such as Eto’o and his old man routine, the celebrations have are incredibly fun. The added “Dynamic Match Presentation” sports unique fan and team reactions including certain post-goal antics that can get 10 men involved.

FIFA 15’s league and club pool has grown as well; for the first time you’re allowed to play as any club in the Turkish Super Lig. A total of 33 various leagues and their clubs are available to pick from, plus 47 national teams. The developers have added enough new options and improved graphics, stadiums and offensive game-play enough to keep casual fans interested. For more die hard type fans such as myself, it was never a question of if I’d get FIFA 15, just how much I would like it. Considering the new attack options and higher frequency of goals, I’m more than happy to recommend this game to anyone.

(Header image via Babo Games)

These days it should come as no surprise when a sports team or college build a brand new facility. Be it for games, training, coaching or anything else, a new building or facility can help bring in recruits/free agents. The new Yankee Stadium cost an estimated $1.5 billion. The football facility at the University of Oregon was $68 million. The list goes on and on as when it comes to sports as sometimes spending up front yields long term results.

The continuously-emerging realm of electronic sports, or esports, is no different. Arguably the largest esports league in north america, Major League Gaming (MLG) announced their plans to open a 14,000 square foot state of the art venue in Columbus, Ohio. The building will sport soundproof booths, broadcast platforms for the play-by-play casting and seating for hundreds of spectators. MLG has been hosting live events since 2004. They’ve been around longer than other north american esports league and have added, removed and sometimes re-added various games to maintain strong viewership numbers.

Currently MLG is mostly a console gaming league, however they have included computer games such as StarCraft II (SC2), League of Legends (LoL) and Defense of the Ancients 2 (DotA 2). At the MLG Anaheim event this summer a total of $142,500 was awarded in prize money for various games. In a separate non-MLG event earlier this year, DotA2 set a record for the largest prize pool in esports history, an incredible $10.9 million for The International 4.

This recent news is another sign that esports aren’t going anywhere. With the recent purchase of the streaming platform Twitch.tv by Amazon for $970 million and the popular Minecraft developer Mojang being bought out by Microsoft for $2.5 billion (yes, billion) video games are no longer a child’s hobby or simple entertainment. It’s a business and now we’re seeing the infrastructure being put in place to grow said business. From existing corporate sponsorship to future endeavors like this new facility in Columbus, Ohio, a new era of big business and esports has arrived. Look for the venue to make its debut at the MLG Columbus event spanning October 24-26.

I’ve been fortunate enough to do some traveling recently around the Bay Area. While there, I took the BART system and overheard a conversation unfold that went something like this:

Guy #1: You see (Steph) Curry tear it up in the (basketball) World Cup?

Guy 2: Nah, I don’t have time to follow basketball. Baseball is still going and football just started!

Hard to argue with Guy #2 — it’s hard to justify scrounging every day for every single scrap of news, sports or otherwise. Even on the weekend the 24/7 news cycle makes keeping up difficult. With headlines shifting throughout the day, it is easy to miss what was front page worthy material in the morning by the time noon rolls around.

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Madden 15, the latest version of Madden franchise has been out for about three weeks now. Though it’s easy for the honeymoon period to wear off during that time, there has been one significant draw that keeps me playing it: defense. In particular the new tackling mechanics and options. Factor in the new block shedding and defense in Madden has gone from somewhat boring to something awesome.
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