Motors TV UK accessibility.

[Riley Blue]

Motors TV CEO made this statement a few days ago (translated from the original French by IMTranslator):

Jean-Luc Roy, CEO of Motors TV, spoke on the subject:
> >
> > 'Many of you we have sent messages in recent weeks by mail or through
> > social networks, to surprise you, delight or irritate you for changing
> > the positioning Motors TV in the service plans of different platforms in
> > France or abroad.
> >
> > The exercise that I will deliver me here is complex, insofar as it is to
> > explain and to understand the changes that we are absolutely not
> > responsible, and which depend exclusively on the leaders of these
> > platforms .... All without betraying what is euphemistically called
> > 'trade secrets', which obviously covers the content distribution
> > contracts between a string editor, Motors TV in this case, and
> > distributors, cable platforms, satellite or ADSL.
> >
> > The first observation is simple: by subscribing to a platform for
> > subscribing to a TV offer whatsoever, the end customer has any specific
> > guarantees on the nature of the content and the channel list to which it
> > subscribes, it which seems just incredible!
> >
> > But this is how the platforms can maintain intense pressure on
> > publishers channels, since they can delete or move, a particular string
> > in the service plan at their whim, according to current contracts or
> > terminal ... like strings!
> >
> > To be clear and precise, this therefore allows managers a platform to
> > unilaterally change the position of a string in the offer, so the favor
> > by giving him a 'good' gondola in number, as in retail, or otherwise
> > penalize or restrict accession to subscribers pay options. This is what
> > happens to Motors TV, seen as a quality chain that could motivate an
> > optional purchase. Hopefully this is not the better to claim
> > subsequently that far fewer people watch the channel !!!
> >
> > Unfair, yes, revolting certainly arbitrary, that is an understatement,
> > but the real facts in any case to describe the situation faced by
> > publishers chains in general, particularly on our French market.
> >
> > So do not hesitate to contact directly the platform to which you are
> > subscribed to protest against these measures! Some even get benefits and
> > free periods, citing the fact terminate their subscription to an end
> > because they can access their favorite programs ... In general, this
> > argument is powerful enough for the other person, that n is obviously
> > nothing to do with the decisions taken 'in high places' offered
> > compensation.
> >
> > Good luck and sorry for those who suffer these drawbacks, we are also
> > facing the brunt. '
> >
> > It is now hoped that Motors TV will return as soon as possible on the
> > various bouquets. The High Speed ​​Television Endurance allowed fans to
> > follow in 2015 a maximum of championships: FIA WEC, ELMS, VdeV Endurance
> > Series, WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Blancpain Endurance Cup,
> > International GT Open, etc ..."

[GORDON STREETER]

I can still get Motors on 240 on my SmartTV with no problems and to be quite honest it's the best thing (TV wise) that I have brought for years and I would think that we will all end up with one sooner or later the way things are going.
By the time people have faffed about with buying this or that "gizmo" to keep getting over things they will probably have paid for a new SmartTV as they are coming down in price all the time.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

I can still get Motors on 240 on my SmartTV with no problems and to be quite honest it's the best thing (TV wise) that I have brought for years and I would think that we will all end up with one sooner or later the way things are going.

I can get Motors on 240 - but I can't record it or watch stuff from yesterday. So it's 1970's 'watch it when it's on' only. Not good.

[Rob29]

Originally Posted by GORDON STREETER

I can still get Motors on 240 on my SmartTV with no problems and to be quite honest it's the best thing (TV wise) that I have brought for years and I would think that we will all end up with one sooner or later the way things are going.
By the time people have faffed about with buying this or that "gizmo" to keep getting over things they will probably have paid for a new SmartTV as they are coming down in price all the time.

What is a 'smart' TV? Not a term I have come across before-have a wide screen HD ready box bought a couple of years ago which I hope will see me out

[Rob29]

For programme listing link at the top of this page still works

[sceptic]

Originally Posted by Greem

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2016/0...the-facts.html

So, fingers crossed...

The link mentions that Motors expect to return to 447 in the near future. That might be possible:

The Sky EPG is governed by strict OfCom rules. If a channel is suspended from the EPG (as appears the case with Motors), it has a 14 day window to rectify things.

If it does, then it will reappear in its original position.

If it hasn't rectified the issue within 14 days, then it must reapply as if it was a new channel, and join the launch queue. (I've no idea how long the queue is at the moment, at one point it was several months but it is likely to be only a few weeks now).

As a new channel it will be allocated the next available number in the appropriate section of the EPG. In this case that would be 466, unless there is another sport channel in the queue already.

The issue for Motors is that Sky is not accepting new SD channels unless they are simulcasts of an HD channel. Motors has no HD infrastructure, so resolving its issues within the 14 day window is essential.

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by Rob29

What is a 'smart' TV? Not a term I have come across before-have a wide screen HD ready box bought a couple of years ago which I hope will see me out

It's basicly a TV with a built in computer that connects to your aerial and the internet (wired or wifi) and does just about all you want in one go. You can record and play via Flashdrives and can stop start programs. The "Smarthub" part can be used for the internet and any aps you want to put on it and of course any catchup TV that you want.
There are some limitations regarding recording while watching other channels but these can be got round by using a laptop. You can use the mirror image part of the TV from your phone or laptop via wifi to watch anything on the big screen.
I know you can work around things with all sorts of things and wires everywhere but it's just a lot neater, I had to renew the TV anyway so I brought one and glad I did.

[Number4]

Motors tv back on Sky 447

[Marcel ten Caat]

So you can all go watch highlights of most other series again...oh and 24H Series, Blancpain Endurance, MXGP and FIA F3 live of course ;-)

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by SWCRacing

Sky now saying its down because MotorsTV haven't paid their bill......

What do you mean? MotorsTV is a free-to-air channel. Television providers must carry it for free, don't they?

[Number4]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

What do you mean? MotorsTV is a free-to-air channel. Television providers must carry it for free, don't they?

No. Motors tv kept transmitting but you had to manually tune your satellite receiver.
To have a SKY channel number, and program guide, Motors tv have to pay SKY. This is known as the EPG (Electronic Program Guide).
This appears to have been the problem, but Motors tv have not made a single announcement so far.
http://www.astra2sat.com/sky/

[NaBUru38]

To Sky charges both subscribers and providers? That's crazy!

[Number4]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

To Sky charges both subscribers and providers? That's crazy!

It costs between £21,000 and £62,000 to have a channel on the EPG.
There are 600+ channels.

Subscribers pay between £150 and £800 a year.
There are more than 12,000,000 subscribers in the UK and Ireland.
Total revenue last year was £11,280,000,000.
http://www.theguardian.com/media/201...-germany-italy

The mind boggles!

[Stephen H]

Would it cost motors TV to be on Freesat?

[Adam43]

Any of these platforms cost money to run and most are run by commercial enterprises.

There are infrastructure (transmitters, satellites, to control centres), wages, legislative fees amongst other things. Some is paid for by subscription, some by the channels. Left over is profit. If there is no subscription it is more likely to be paid for by the channel. Hence why it needs advertising (it also needs it to pay its staff and hopefully make a profit for the channel too).

Please note I know little of the workings of telly broadcasting, the above is just based on how the world works. I think the Internet has skewed people's perception with it apparently being free.

[Rob29]

channel #447 back on last night! guess Motors paid up?

[Number4]

Originally Posted by Adam43

Any of these platforms cost money to run and most are run by commercial enterprises.

There are infrastructure (transmitters, satellites, to control centres), wages, legislative fees amongst other things. Some is paid for by subscription, some by the channels. Left over is profit. If there is no subscription it is more likely to be paid for by the channel. Hence why it needs advertising (it also needs it to pay its staff and hopefully make a profit for the channel too).

Please note I know little of the workings of telly broadcasting, the above is just based on how the world works. I think the Internet has skewed people's perception with it apparently being free.

You are correct that SKY is a business and not a charity, but most of what you have listed is a cost to Motors tv on top of the SKY EPG listing. All you get is a channel number and the 7 day program guide. The signal is already being received by your box.

Advertising can be bought for as little as £5 for a 30 second slot on Motors tv (30 seconds during the X factor on ITV costs £35,000). With 12 minutes of adverts an hour, Motors tv will be broadcasting for between a week and a month just to appear on the EPG.

[mark_l]

It appears MotorsTV has stopped broadcasting on Freeview. It moved from ch71 to ch240, which is an internet streaming channel but now there is just a test card.

It is also interesting to note that nothing has been posted on Twitter or Facebook since Thursday 24th. I know it is Easter but normally they tweet all through the weekends and they can do automated tweets etc.

Are they still broadcasting at all?

[Tim Falce]

It's still free via Sky ch447

[mark_l]

I refuse to pay Murdoch a penny. It may be 'free' but you have to buy even a basic package so is it really free?

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by mark_l

I refuse to pay Murdoch a penny. It may be 'free' but you have to buy even a basic package so is it really free?

I haven't paid Murdoch a penny for years, admitted you need a Sky box and satellite dish but if you get these second hand all you need is a freeview card from Sky which I believe is a one off fiver. I use my original card for all free to air Sky channels.

[The Fat Clerk]

Paying Murdoch is the only way i can get BT Sport.

I work for BT so i don't pay for the BT bit, but the only way I can get it is through Sky owing to a crap BT line.

[Stephen H]

From the Motors TV website

"Dear Motors TV UK viewers,
Motors TV UK is no longer available on Freeview (channel 71) and YouView (channel 240). We experimented with these platforms to provide additional avenues for showing Motors TV coverage in Britain. However, for various reasons this supplementary service did not match either our expectations or those of our partners, which led us to cease broadcasting Motors TV UK on these platforms."

Great shame especially for those that have invested in new equipment to watch it on ch240

[Stephen H]

Its now gone from ch240 on Freeview, and this has been posted on the website.

Real shame

"Dear Motors TV UK viewers,
Motors TV UK is no longer available on Freeview (channel 71) and YouView (channel 240). We experimented with these platforms to provide additional avenues for showing Motors TV coverage in Britain. However, for various reasons this supplementary service did not match either our expectations or those of our partners, which led us to cease broadcasting Motors TV UK on these platforms."

[chunder]

Just let it die

Unless you like endurance, it is a total waste of time