Digital TV Coverage

[The Snout]

I'm weighing up whether to get a digital receiver. Just wondering if anyone here has any experience with one in relation to coverage of the V8Supercars, and if the Channel 10 coverage via Digital 10 is better. eg. Switching camera angles, stats etc.

[vortexo]

Originally posted by The Snout
I'm weighing up whether to get a digital receiver. Just wondering if anyone here has any experience with one in relation to coverage of the V8Supercars, and if the Channel 10 coverage via Digital 10 is better. eg. Switching camera angles, stats etc.

go here

and have a look here

google is your friend ?

[RaceTime]

That's not what he is asking - I would have the same question - just what is Ch 10 actually providing for motorsport?

[vortexo]

This is all my friend can find :-

V8 SUPERCARS CALL TEN HOME UNTIL 2006
The Home of Motorsport will continue to billet the V8 Supercars for another five years, it was announced today.

AVESCO Chairman Tony Cochrane announced that the Ten Network had retained the broadcast rights to the series until 2006 at Queensland Raceway this morning.

It is not known how much Ten paid to continue their relationship with the sport, though the deal is a "multi-million dollar" one, according to Cochrane.

It is also unclear if a rival bid for the rights was received by another network.

Ten have broadcast the Shell Series since 1997.

"In the last five years V8 Supercars have positioned themselves as one of the leading national sports in this country," Cochrane said.

"Couple this with our live coverage in New Zealand and to over 400 million homes around the globe and you have a very impressive performance."

Network Ten's General Manager of Sport, David White, was pleased the station had retained the jewel in its motorsport crown.

"We have cemented ourselves as the home of motorsport through our commitment to all categories and V8 Supercars are the major component in the sport," he said.

"V8 Supercars have gone from strength to strength and with all parties continuing to improve the sport, it is an exciting future to look forward to."

The deal will provide for extended coverage of the series, including more live telecasts, according to Cochrane.

Ten's digital capacity, allowing viewers to customise their coverage through 'multiview' technology, was also a selling point.

The V8 Supercars will share Ten's sports slate with AFL football next year, after Ten, together with Foxtel, the Nine Network, News Limited and Telstra, won the AFL's broadcast rights earlier this year.

And while Ten will devote Saturdays to football, including the finals series, Cochrane insists there won't be a clash.

"It is fantastic AFL will be joining V8 Supercars on Network Ten as both sports will benefit greatly from the cross-promotional opportunities that will arise," he said.

AFL telecasts, according to AVESCO, will be, "scheduled around the V8 Supercar series."

Among new initiatives to be introduced next year include a season "wrap-up" program, which will feature the sport's gala awards night.

Also announced was an international television package for next year, which will take V8 Supercars into 400 million homes globally.

Together with Ten's Australia-wide telecast, and live coverage of the series through TVNZ in New Zealand, the sport's presence in Europe, Asia and North American will increase.

Active TV, together with international marketing group Sportel, has worked in conjunction with AVESCO to secure broadcast sales to a number of free-to-air, cable and pay-TV operators across the world.

October's Bathurst 1000 will be broadcast live and in-full throughout Europe for the first time ever this year via pay-TV operator, Motors TV. This live coverage will extend to Asia and North American next year.

Already, Shell Series rounds are broadcast through North America via Speedvision and Direct TV.

Cochrane announced the establishment of AVESCO Productions, a joint venture between AVESCO and Network Ten, to facilitate the requirements of international broadcasters.

"There is no doubt that as our popularity is growing, so too will our revenue from international television income," Cochrane said.

"AVESCO continues to achieve strong growth in this area of our business and we expect to conclude some major new arrangements at Sportel in Monaco later this year."

[RaceTime]

I think we have all seen the press releases but, again, the question is (and I would also like an answer) - what have 10 actually been doing wrt digital broadcasting?

I am currently weighing up between a Digital Decoder and Foxtel (with their digital channels due to start mid year) - for me it is one or the other...not both

[vortexo]

Foxtel will have a channel called FUEL. Foxtel repeat things over and over - which is good as you can set your own time to watch.
Foxtel will broadcast at least 2 free to air channels in digital.
Only one decision Foxtel (24 hr motorsport)

[RaceTime]

SOrry - you are still missing the point - I know what they are showing but what additional coverage does the 10 digital broadcast give? Have they provided anything yet?

[The Snout]

Yeah I checked the v8Supercar site and Channel 10, but I didn't see anything of great detail.

Well the above statement at least seems to suggest that they are heading the way of customized coverage.

The big selling point to me would be to be able to select my own camera angles and splits so I don't have to put up with 10's poor direction. Bathurst is a prime example of how a leader can be pitting and you know it's going to be close coming out of the pits, yet 10 seems to completely miss the relevance and cut to a shot of some backmakers for 2 minutes, then 5 minutes later they'll exclaim that 'during the pitstop such and such must have been passed for position'. Frustrating. So if via digital I could handle that myself I'd be more interested.

I know it's coming online, just wondering what the state of it is currently.

[vortexo]

I do not know anyone with a set top digital box so I am unable to answer that question.
Foxtel will have multi view digital on Rugby League and that other game AFL. To participate in multi view I believe you need to connect your phone line to the digital box.(I think)

[RaceTime]

But is digital going to give you this control?

As I understand it digital merely means additional channels but with coverage still dictated by the broadcaster?

[Onlooker]

Digital has incar coverage from anycar,a home producer function that allows you to follow any car you choose and or stay at one corner,any ontrack incidence are available on incar replay and you can swap to the tower to hear CB,GW and TS debate the penaltys to be dished out,it also has a scanner function to allow you to listen to team/official chat via the radio.And you can delete certain commentators comments,All in all a pretty good package



Wake up, Wake up, sleepy head time to got to work,damm I hate those reoccuring dreams

[Gaz170]

Foxtel also re-broadcast all the free to air channels over their cable. Whether this will allow multiview digital on them I'm not sure.
I'm on satellite, so god knows what will be available for me - probably nothing new.

[RaceTime]

vortexo - that is Foxtels method - but, like I just asked, is this going to be Ch 10's?

I was not aware of any commercial network making this sort of facility available.

As far as I am aware, TEN have only broadcast V8 supercars once on multiple channels. The first channel had the regular telecast as seen on analogue TV, the second channel switched continually from one incar to the next. On the third channel a roaming reporter (nobody I had seen before or since) interviewed various people in pit lane and the fourth gave a continuous position update as you usually see when they go to an ad break. It was the Clipsal meeting of 2002.

[RaceTime]

Gaz - all the media releases so far have stated that the digital satellite coverage will be made available at the same time as Foxtel's.

I am also trying to find out if Foxtel's digital version will include rebroadcast of the digital channels from free to air as well.

[vortexo]

Originally posted by RaceTime
vortexo - that is Foxtels method - but, like I just asked, is this going to be Ch 10's?

I was not aware of any commercial network making this sort of facility available.

I do not know about ch 10.Perhaps contact 10 and ask.

Edit - I have been told that the satelite mob already have some channels in digital.

[The Snout]

Originally posted by Onlooker
Digital has incar coverage from anycar,a home producer function that allows you to follow any car you choose and or stay at one corner,any ontrack incidence are available on incar replay and you can swap to the tower to hear CB,GW and TS debate the penaltys to be dished out,it also has a scanner function to allow you to listen to team/official chat via the radio.And you can delete certain commentators comments,All in all a pretty good package

That's what I'm interested in.

I've got the same sort of issue as racetime. Do I go settop box, or in my case digital satellite coverage. If I can get it through DSC perhaps I go that way. Having said that, will I get something similar via 10 for Formula 1 if I go set top box. Issues Issues.

Edit: 10 for F1 not 9.

[stoned pony]

This might not be much use to you RaceTime but about a month ago I asked the local TV shop to tell me about digital and didn't go through with it because of the drawbacks.
As it was explained to me, you (a)need a set-top box for each TV in the house. (b) if you want to record a race and want to watch another channel at the same time you can't. Apparently the current set-top boxes only allow recording in real time which means you can't watch one and tape the other. (c) each STB installation ("ya gotta get a good one, mate")costs about $900 which includes the STB, new antenna, new co-ax and labour.
I decided to give it a miss after all that was explained. I'll review it in a couple of years.
Hope that helps.

[RaceTime]

I'm aware of the costs and, to be honest, they don't frighten me. Also aware of the limitations of what you can and cannot record/time shift - again - not a problem for me.

COnsider that in the past 4-5 months TEAC have brought out a new type of STU that contains a 40 Gb HDD to allow for relatime time shifts eg you are 13 minutes into The Bill, the phone rings, so you mark the point you are up to. Phone calls lasts 12 minutes - you go back and start wtaching The Bill fro the 13 minute point whilst it is still recording for you.

Foxtel are also said to be distributing a new digital STU containing a HDD.

Now - whether this internal HDD will allow recording of the other digital channels or not is unknown...

And, in the past 3 months, the high end of DGeTec STU's has already come down around $200 for the High Definition units (from $900 to $690 in some advertising last week in Melbourne)

[vortexo]

I have Telstra Broadband ADSL and they are broadcasting all the supercar Races (from in car) the shoot-outs(the 10 feed and commentators) - press conferences - and special one off intewrviews that do not go free to air.
Plus they have on demand video highlights back to 2000 and soon back to 1997.
Only problem the feed has a 20 odd second delay when 10 is live.

[RaceTime]

surely you wouldn't be trying to call that digital coverage though? What is it? a 480x320 image from memory??

[GTRMagic]

The pics off the Telstra vision were quite grainy I thought, and on occassion choppy. Thats someone else who stumped up for the cash's view not mine...

I still dont get the need for digital myself, nor the show recording function... didnt JVC invent the video in the mid 1970s for this purpose?

[RaceTime]

Like I said - wait till you get a phone call right in the middle of something you want to watch and then decide.

But as for recording - yes - especially when I am away at another event (I still haven't seen Pukekohe V8 races btw - you listening elephino!!!) - same with last years AGP - how could I watch it whilst I was at the track itself?

[Onlooker]

But they don't make the Betta tapes anymore

[Bigguy]

Here's a thought! Maybe Channel 10 can give multi-view a thorough workout before the season starts by setting up in CAMS offices. Boy, I reckon right now that would be >really< interesting!