SKY F1 HD Channel, Any Chance?

[Mobes]

Sadly this is what we're going to put up with time after time now that we know VM have no interest in owning channels/sports rights. Who else is there who A) has enough money and B) has the desire to run channels and own rights?

I've said it before, what VM SHOULD (but won't do) is go into partnership with Filmflex or LoveFilm or ESPN etc etc and jointly bid for films or Premiership footie. Then let another provider show them and at least that way have some leverage against Sky.

They won't, of course. But it will get to a stage when the BBC/ITV/Chnl4 won't or aren't given the money to bid for anything and it will all end going to SKY.

[Alan Fry]

Originally Posted by Off the Bit

It's a shame we are not getting the F1 channel in HD on Virgin, but I think Sky Sports HD subscribers will surely be able to watch all the qualifying sessions and races in HD on Sky Sports HD1 or HD2.

$ky know that F1 will be something extra to help them ensnare new Freeview/Topup TV customers (usually either people who have either tried subscription tv and didn't like it, or are the section of the market who have not tried paid-for-tv and who Sky would like to see as potential customers), and SS1/2 are the only two channels available there. If they don't show F1 on SS1/2 then that will stop certain people subscribing to Sky Sports at all.

Sky's other big draws are Premier League football and England cricket*, but for the majority of the year only one of these sports is active at once, and I think Sky can flex their muscles enough with both the Premier League and the ECB to ensure they don't all clash.

All of which is worse than having F1 available on BBC1 HD of course.

(*And darts, but I can't see that clashing with F1)

It about time Virgin perscued the missing Sky Sports HD channels

---------- Post added at 09:51 ---------- Previous post was at 09:49 ----------

Originally Posted by Derekb108

it seems that bernie has sold the soul of f1 out to dry cause theres many people who love this sport but cannot offord it.

He sold F1's soul a very long time ago!

---------- Post added at 09:52 ---------- Previous post was at 09:51 ----------

Originally Posted by marlot

I'll start by giving BTCC a go, on ITV4 Sunday afternoons. I really enjoyed the day I spent at BTCC at Brands Hatch a few years ago.

http://www.btcc.net/html/tvtimetable.php

Sadly you can't get BTCC in HD either

---------- Post added at 09:54 ---------- Previous post was at 09:52 ----------

Originally Posted by Mobes

Sadly this is what we're going to put up with time after time now that we know VM have no interest in owning channels/sports rights. Who else is there who A) has enough money and B) has the desire to run channels and own rights?

I've said it before, what VM SHOULD (but won't do) is go into partnership with Filmflex or LoveFilm or ESPN etc etc and jointly bid for films or Premiership footie. Then let another provider show them and at least that way have some leverage against Sky.

They won't, of course. But it will get to a stage when the BBC/ITV/Chnl4 won't or aren't given the money to bid for anything and it will all end going to SKY.

What about Apple Inc for they Apple HDTV system?

[chrisjones]

Originally Posted by Teppic

The BBC have already said that the non-live races will not be the full race distance, but will show about 1 hour of racing action, even though Bernie has stated on record that they can show the full distance if they want.

It looks like I'm finished with F1. No point in watching the highlights as BBC's own news broadcasts will blurt out the result before I've had a chance to watch them, and then there would be no point in only watching 10 races. It would be like reading a book and skipping every other chapter.

This deal is the template that Bernie will want to force on all broadcasters across the world from now on - live on pay TV, highlights on free-to-air. Italy, Germany, and everyone else out there in the world - what we've got, you'll soon be getting.

There seems to be conflicting information coming out on the race distance front. The length of the highlights show differs depending on the location of the race IE Europe, Rest Of World. Some of the presenters have used phrases such as "all of the usual race action" etc, it's all a bit in the dark!

---------- Post added at 10:01 ---------- Previous post was at 10:01 ----------


---------- Post added at 10:10 ---------- Previous post was at 10:01 ----------

Heres some info on the 90 min / 2 hr highlights from the BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/form...e/15893254.stm

[m8internet]

Originally Posted by Chalky

As I only want to watch F1, I cannot justify spending £22.50 for 10 live races.
Assuming each race you watch 2.5 hours of TV. For 10 races, that's 25hrs of a year for £270.
Or £10.80 per hour!

That is assuming you already have a TV package
When watching each race last year I tried to watch the practice sessions and always the qualifying and main race
Although for one race there were no practice sessions coverage

I've not yet seen anything to confirm the same will apply

I cancelled my M+ TV package last year (as there is little difference between Freeview and M+)
To reset this it comes in at a total cost of £34.00 per month / £390 for the whole year (this excludes suspending the service for the month when there are no races)

Finally, VM do not make it clear whether the transmission is SD or HD, even though the replacement TV package is HD activated (yes, reading through it does eventually confirm it is SD only)

edit :
I have noticed this on the BBC website
"Online/Red Button :
All live race on-track sessions streamed live on Red Button and on the BBC Sport website"
I read that to mean that all sessions will still be on the Red Button, just not on a specific channel as will occur with their main coverage
Anyone else?

edit :
The BBC have now corrected this error and added the text "for the 10 races"

[PeacockAntony]

Originally Posted by nstokes

Why do you say 10 live races? Sky are showing all 20 races Live not just 10

Because we already would have access to 10 races live. So you would only be buying the channel for 10 races. Why wouldn't you watch the races on the BBC, they are in HD, with no interruptions from adverts at all (there will be some during practice, in between the qualy sessions and during the pre and post race programming, but none during the race on Sky Sports F1.)

Originally Posted by chrisjones

Anyone who pays £22.50 extra and chooses to only watch half...... Crazy people! Sky's pre and post race show will be far superior, even Coulthard admitted to that at the Autosport show on Sunday.

Better picture quality, every session uninterrupted, presenters with more experience.... I could go on, but I won't.

Originally Posted by m8internet

That is assuming you already have a TV package
When watching each race last year I tried to watch the practice sessions and always the qualifying and main race
Although for one race there were no practice sessions coverage

I've not yet seen anything to confirm the same will apply

I cancelled my M+ TV package last year (as there is little difference between Freeview and M+)
To reset this it comes in at a total cost of £34.00 per month / £390 for the whole year (this excludes suspending the service for the month when there are no races)

Finally, VM do not make it clear whether the transmission is SD or HD, even though the replacement TV package is HD activated (yes, reading through it does eventually confirm it is SD only)

edit :
I have noticed this on the BBC website
"Online/Red Button :
All live race on-track sessions streamed live on Red Button and on the BBC Sport website"
I read that to mean that all sessions will still be on the Red Button, just not on a specific channel as will occur with their main coverage
Anyone else?

edit :
The BBC have now corrected this error and added the text "for the 10 races"

The bit in bold did sort of give it away, without them adding that extra text really.

[Media Boy UK]

Digital Spy: Damon Hill joins Sky's Formula One team.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/media/ne...-one-team.html

[m8internet]

Originally Posted by PeacockAntony

Because we already would have access to 10 races live. So you would only be buying the channel for 10 races. Why wouldn't you watch the races on the BBC, they are in HD, with no interruptions from adverts at all (there will be some during practice, in between the qualy sessions and during the pre and post race programming, but none during the race on Sky Sports F1.)

Agreed, that was my view as well

Therefore suspend the TV package when not required
16 March to 22 April (2 months)
08 June to 10 June (1 month)
20 July to 29 July (1 month)
07 September to 18 November (3 month)
a total of 6 months, otherwise it is 9 months
I've suspended the TV service when I know I am not going to use it, never had any issues

[carbon60]

Originally Posted by Henkesghost

Not watching it again until all cars are the same spec. Totally uneven playing field. It's as pointless as me on a Yamaha 750 with Diablo on his BMX with the stabilisers off.

There are plenty of spec series: GP2, GP3, Formula 2, IndyCar Series, AutoGP, etc. but Formula 1 is about innovation, research and development. Having all the cars spec would defeat the point of Formula 1. Even in those spec series there are teams that consistently win things so it'll never be a level playing field.

[Teppic]

As a side issue, does anyone know if you have to have a BT line in order to use Sky's TV service, or would I be able to keep my Virgin Media line? I am well aware that you need a BT line for their broadband/talk service.

I only ask because if it's possible to keep my VM broadband and phone, and take Sky's TV service then that's a possible route that I would take, as I've worked out that it will cost me around an extra £5 per month to take Entertainment + and the HD pack, as opposed to £22.5 for adding Sky Sports to my VM TV package.

[muppetman11]

Originally Posted by Teppic

As a side issue, does anyone know if you have to have a BT line in order to use Sky's TV service, or would I be able to keep my Virgin Media line? I am well aware that you need a BT line for their broadband/talk service.

I only ask because if it's possible to keep my VM broadband and phone, and take Sky's TV service then that's a possible route that I would take, as I've worked out that it will cost me around an extra £5 per month to take Entertainment + and the HD pack, as opposed to £22.5 for adding Sky Sports to my VM TV package.

Yes you can plug a Sky+HD box into a VM phone line I did it until switching my phone to Sky.

[Teppic]

Originally Posted by muppetman11

Yes you can plug a Sky+HD box into a VM phone line I did it until switching my phone to Sky.

Thanks.

[devilincarnate]

You can Guess that the car at the back of the pack is going to be a Virgin

[whoareyou]

Originally Posted by devilincarnate

You can Guess that the car at the back of the pack is going to be a Virgin

They probably paid Marussia off so that the commentators didn't have to say Virgin on Sky Sports. Just like I noticed the commentators didn't seem to make small talk about Newcastle's new Virgin Money sponsor when they were playing on Sky.

[muppetman11]

Originally Posted by Jameseh

They probably paid Marussia off so that the commentators didn't have to say Virgin on Sky Sports. Just like I noticed the commentators didn't seem to make small talk about Newcastle's new Virgin Money sponsor when they were playing on Sky.

Funny that could have swore the Branson advert was shown two or three times on Sky One HD