Lotus ad on TV...

[Vince]

Did anyone else see it last night during Game of Thrones?

The Lotus F1 team advertising Microsoft Cloud and how it helps 'winners' and the 'winning mentality'? And they had a close up of Maldonado... 

Okay - admittedly Lotus have won GPs, and Pastor has won a race (in the Williams), however is now really a good time for the team to be endorsing something? Especially something as mainstream as Microsoft Software...   

[vintly]

Publicly endorsing Microsoft says you're not on the cutting edge, or you need money.

[John S]

Publicly endorsing Microsoft says you're not on the cutting edge, or you need money.

You can be sure it's about the money if Enstone is involved.   

[Scott]

I'm off to buy another iMac this afternoon.  To replace the reception computer.  That will complete our 3 year Windows to Mac transition.  Our hotel is now run with iPads and Mac's, and our reservation system is cloud based.  Next step this fall is to change over our F&B system to a cloud system using iPods (for waitresses to take orders), iPads (main cash register and base station to run the restaurant) and wireless printers (kitchen and receipts).  Already have the system picked out.  And for you nay-sayer's who may complain about what happens when the local internet goes down, it's quite simple.  The entire system can be run off my iPhone's hotspot.     

[vintly]

I'm off to buy another iMac this afternoon.  To replace the reception computer.  That will complete our 3 year Windows to Mac transition.  Our hotel is now run with iPads and Mac's, and our reservation system is cloud based.  Next step this fall is to change over our F&B system to a cloud system using iPods (for waitresses to take orders), iPads (main cash register and base station to run the restaurant) and wireless printers (kitchen and receipts).  Already have the system picked out.  And for you nay-sayer's who may complain about what happens when the local internet goes down, it's quite simple.  The entire system can be run off my iPhone's hotspot.     

Brilliant.

[Alianora La Canta]

It was quite hilarious, seeing Microsoft endorsing one of the slowest teams on the grid, especially since they probably also supply software to considerably faster teams on the grid...

Could have been worse. Marussia lost a day of testing to a Trojan virus. Imagine if Microsoft had then advertised using their car...

[Jericoke]

Weird.

Everyone tells me how great British TV is because there's no commercials.

In Canada HBO doesn't show commercials, so I get Game of Thrones uninterrupted, but you get commercials in it?

Next thing you know Ferraris and McLarens will be finishing behind Force Indias.

[Ian]

It's only the BBC that doesn't have adverts Jeri, that's because it's funded by the wonderful tv licence fee we have to pay, the commercial stations are the ones with adverts.

[Jericoke]

It's only the BBC that doesn't have adverts Jeri, that's because it's funded by the wonderful tv licence fee we have to pay, the commercial stations are the ones with adverts.

So you get Game of Thrones for Free?

I have to pay about three tiers above what I pay for F1 to get Game of Thrones.  (Though it is commercial free - even though F1 does have commercials, which can be very confusing, since the BBC presenters have no idea that Canada has gone to commercial, so there's no recap of what I've missed.  For example McLaren just vanished from Bahrain)

[Ian]

Pass on Game of Thrones Jeri, never seen it and not a clue what station it's on. 

[John S]

The Game of Thrones is only available to subscribers on the Sky pay platform in Britain Jeri, it's shown on their Sky Atlantic channel which is reserved just for sky customers and is not available through other pay providers like the rest of their output.

 

[Jericoke]

Pass on Game of Thrones Jeri, never seen it and not a clue what station it's on. 

I've read the books.  Much easier to follow, and much less naked women.

[Vince]

Game of Thrones is compulsive viewing - I have all the box sets... And for the record, there are far too many advert breaks during the shows... There are no ads during the F1 because it's shown on the BBC.
A few years ago, when F1 was shown on ITV (a commercial channel), there was uproar when it went to an ad break with 3 laps to go!!

[Jericoke]

Game of Thrones is compulsive viewing - I have all the box sets... And for the record, there are far too many advert breaks during the shows... There are no ads during the F1 because it's shown on the BBC.
A few years ago, when F1 was shown on ITV (a commercial channel), there was uproar when it went to an ad break with 3 laps to go!!

How many breaks are there?

On North American TV the standard is a 2 minute break every 8 minutes or so.  (So one hour of TV is 44 minutes of content, and 16 minutes of advertizing).  Our TV shows are written with these breaks in mind.  Our professional sports are organised to have these breaks (basketball and hockey don't even pretend, they just call a 'TV Timeout' and the players go have a rest)

However people tired of the interruptions have given rise to 'premium programming'.  Channels like HBO have been making their shows run without breaks, but it costs $10 per month to get the channel.  (On top of any other cable fees).  The shows aren't written to accomodate a break like other shows, so I can't imagine what its like having it broken up!

[vintly]

BBC - no ads as you know, but an annual bill of £145.50 for EVERYONE except the small minority who are blind, or can prove they don't access BBC digitally in any way or have a TV - not many of them.

Sky F1 channel has no adverts during qualifying or the main race, but they'll have 3 minutes or so of ads every 12-15 minutes (I'm guessing) across the rest of their programming.

I can't stand ads so immediately mute them when they come on, but a lot of what I watch is recorded so I can fast-forward through them anyway.