LM24 Kangaroo TV for Le Mans

paul-collins · 30 May 2007, 17:51 (Ref:1924819)

Quote:

Kangaroo TV® and ACO agree on multi-year partnership to deliver handheld TV service at legendary “24 Heures du Mans”

MIRABEL (CANADA), LE MANS (FRANCE) (May 16, 2007) – Automobile Club de L’Ouest (ACO), the sanctioning body of the legendary “24 Heures du Mans”, the world’s oldest and longest lasting racing event has entered into a partnership with Kangaroo TV Europe Ltd, to introduce the Kangaroo TV service at the 2007 edition of the race. The agreement grants Kangaroo TV exclusive rights to provide the commercial service in 2008 and 2009, and incumbent rights to further extend the agreement in 2010 and beyond.

The ACO and Kangaroo will closely collaborate on a jointly funded initial trial of the service, content and application at the 75th edition of the Le Mans race taking place on June 16 and 17 2007. Several hundred Kangaroo handsets will be made available to fans, teams, sponsors and media, adding a new dimension to the classic race which has been taking place since 1923.
<snip>
The distribution of the Kangaroo handsets to different stakeholders in the 2007 Le Mans trial will allow Kangaroo to fine tune its various applications specifically to the Le Mans race. Kangaroo TV will provide access to the main race broadcast, in-car driver cameras, team radio audio, including driver-to-pit conversations, live commentary and radio play-by-play when available, race timekeeping, leader board and statistics in real-time, current event news and information, biographic files on teams and drivers.

http://www.kangaroo.tv/html/press_ro...lease38en.html

Rockmunky · 30 May 2007, 17:56 (Ref:1924823)

Bet this will be pricey!
Worth it though, adds another dimension for fans to follow the race.

A good step forward.

bernard b · 30 May 2007, 17:57 (Ref:1924824)

that looks quite nice, but if it's 100€ for the week end, no way for me!

SALEEN S7R · 30 May 2007, 18:15 (Ref:1924835)

Nice idea, as has been said it is probably going to be very expensive though at the moment. Still perhaps in a few years when this sort of technolgy is widely available the price will come down signifcantly too giving it a wider audieance.

**Aysedasi** · 30 May 2007, 18:16 (Ref:1924838)

Does it come in a pouch.........?

paul-collins · 30 May 2007, 18:19 (Ref:1924842)

Weekend rates at champcar - er, CART events back when the system first showed up (2003) were more like $65 Cdn. (That would be about 40-45 euros) I think current NASCAR weekend rates are $50 US (which is $55 Cdn, so less again).

paul-collins · 30 May 2007, 18:20 (Ref:1924846)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Does it come in a pouch.........?

Nope - but I'm told it packs quite a visual kick.

SebringMG · 30 May 2007, 20:08 (Ref:1924919)

Sweet

Now if it was only possible to combine this with RLM coverage

paul-collins · 30 May 2007, 20:48 (Ref:1924946)

Not possible, probable.

Check out the online demo at http://www.kangaroo.tv/index.html to see what they provide - team radios, in car cameras, various trackside cameras, stats, trackside radio, etc. Sure makes me want one!

GT6 · 30 May 2007, 20:49 (Ref:1924947)

I think i will stick to RML and watch the actual cars plus the big screens, leaves more money for Beer/wine

**Aysedasi** · 30 May 2007, 21:57 (Ref:1924998)

Quote:

Originally Posted by GT6

I think i will stick to RML and watch the actual cars plus the big screens, leaves more money for Beer/wine

Yep, I'll go with that too. (adding champagne, merguez, grand marnier crepes and anything else other than tartiflette........

)

**Aysedasi** · 30 May 2007, 21:58 (Ref:1925000)

Quote:

Originally Posted by GT6

I think i will stick to RML and watch the actual cars plus the big screens, leaves more money for Beer/wine

Hang on a minute?

RML?

That's Ray Mallock's team! Is there something you haven't told us?

neiltbag · 30 May 2007, 23:03 (Ref:1925037)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

and anything else other than tartiflette........

{off-topic} Ayse, to this day I don't understand your dislike of the legendary 'flette. How can anyone be afraid of the cheesy potatoey behemoth? We even make it at home the years I can't get to Le Mans. {/off-topic}

**Aysedasi** · 31 May 2007, 07:18 (Ref:1925171)

I think it just looks so awful.....

But then again, on that basis I'd never touch another merguez.....

GT6 · 31 May 2007, 12:19 (Ref:1925365)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Hang on a minute?

RML?

That's Ray Mallock's team! Is there something you haven't told us?

don't they have a pit to car radio link this year then

brielga · 31 May 2007, 22:08 (Ref:1925727)

I want one of those Kangaroos!!!!

paul-collins · 19 Jun 2007, 19:18 (Ref:1941955)

Update:

It was a nice little bit of kit. Sadly I didn't get it in time to boast to the tenth'ers at the meeting,

but I grabbed it about 2h after the start of the race.

Three video feed options: main feed (ie the video screen output), in car, and pit lane. Only the Peugeots were available for in car, and they remembered to turn it off when the #7 failed

. I'd bet the system would have a couple of alternate editorial feeds (say, following each class for their individual battles) and that all in car feeds would be available in a full commercial version.

Two audio sources: the announcers and RLM. Again, they'd have team radios in a full commercial version.

6 stat windows:
1. overall with fast laps and gaps and laps completed, and something I've forgotten
2. overall with fast laps, best laps, and laps completed
3-6. classes but as #2

The drivers were indicated, with the car make abbreviated in parentheses.

The coverage was from three towers (which is apparently the full complement for an F1 race. I didn't think to try it at Tertre Rouge so I don't know if it worked there; it pixellated a bit behind the stands on the front straight (and the audio would drop packets) but was on the whole excellent. It was not operational in Arnage (the town) nor at Arnage or Mulsanne (the corner). In fact it would not work in parking Expo.

The video with only the main feed was a bit of a waste, given how many screens were around the track. Similarly, the audio was duplicated and I'd prefer the analogue signal fading to the digital signal packetizing.

But the data...

Awesome! More please! We were able to watch the only battle going on during the last two hours with great interest, and were gutted when the Safety Car came out. I wonder how many knew just what Ron was able to do, to haul in DB like that...

TheNewBob · 20 Jun 2007, 00:43 (Ref:1942163)

Sounds like a really good system, then, if they develop the ideas a little bit more. If a commercial system came out then I'd consider buying one if it made the race easier to follow.

AMICALEMANS · 20 Jun 2007, 06:36 (Ref:1942265)

you wont be able to buy it ! but you will be able to rent it ! Price should be between 50 and 70 euros !

It is an amazing system !

paul-collins · 20 Jun 2007, 12:46 (Ref:1942499)

Quote:

Originally Posted by AMICALEMANS

you wont be able to buy it ! but you will be able to rent it ! Price should be between 50 and 70 euros !

It is an amazing system !

The company, I don't think, has decided for sure if they won't be for sale or not - but it's unlikely that, for one event only, it would be worthwhile to do so. Price for the weekend may get as high as 100 euros - they're still determining the market. IMO it would still be worth it. I had a different perspective on the last two hours than most around me, because of the data screens.

AMICALEMANS · 21 Jun 2007, 05:48 (Ref:1943081)

Just spoke with the Communication Head manager of ACO and he told me, that for Le Mans, they (ACO I mean ) want to rent it with an affordable price (50-70 euros for the race he told me); Kangaroo company will be under the ACO authority for the 24H of Le Mans en 2008.

SebringMG · 21 Jun 2007, 08:04 (Ref:1943135)

I would seriously consider renting one BUT only if it could reach Arnage and Mulsanne as those are the main corners we frequent!!!!

paul-collins · 21 Jun 2007, 13:01 (Ref:1943370)

Sebring, they're aware of that. I spoke to them at length about it.

Amicalemans, that's interesting, because the questionnaire specifically asked you to rate how much you'd pay, and the rates for weekend rental ranged up to 100 euros. In order to do it for 50 euros you'd need to rent a *lot* of them to break even (and you would, of course, with 250k people there), and then you'd have all this hardware that wouldn't be used for a whole year.

I don't see that as feasible for a single event, but it's an admirable goal. I'd appreciate it if you could PM me so we can take this discussion further.

Suze · 25 Jun 2007, 15:56 (Ref:1946422)

I saw one of these at Le Mans and, dependent on price, would be interested - I thought the screen may be too small but actually it had a good quality feed. Anyone manage to test one and take it to the far side of the circuit? [I was in the paddock]. Just wondering how they'd compare over there...

paul-collins · 25 Jun 2007, 16:11 (Ref:1946443)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suze

Anyone manage to test one and take it to the far side of the circuit? [I was in the paddock]. Just wondering how they'd compare over there...

Suze, what do you mean by "far side?"

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