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F1 News & Discussions => General F1 Discussion => Topic started by: Ian on July 22, 2018, 01:59:51 PM

Title: Highlights
Post by: Ian on July 22, 2018, 01:59:51 PM
 Thank gawd it's my last year of F1, sick of highlghts, both Germany and Hungary are only on Sky.  >:D
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: guest3164 on July 23, 2018, 09:26:09 AM
Hanging up the armchair at the end of the season Ian?  I keep on going on at Sky to get discounts to make it more worth my while persisting with them. 
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: Robem64 on July 23, 2018, 09:39:17 AM
I just get a 24 hour Sky Sports pass through the NowTV route. Given my other half also watches then £4 each for a race isn't too bad. Can't justify the monthly cost for Sky Sports - I wouldn't watch it for anything else other than the F1.
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: Ian on July 23, 2018, 11:10:05 AM
Always used to watch the races that are only on sky by streaming but they are being shut down gradually.
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: cosworth151 on July 23, 2018, 03:40:57 PM
ESPN is getting just as bad over here. First they started wanting more money to watch practice. Now it's more money for quali.
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: Alianora La Canta on July 23, 2018, 11:15:58 PM
Sky is literally not an option at my house, because it refuses to provide a connection fast enough to serve digital TV even if I could be bothered with a TV licence (funnily enough, every other provider is happy to provide a proper fibreoptic service). My parents were able to get Sky for 3 months in 2016 as it was given free as a loyalty present to their broadband provider... ...and quickly decided they preferred Channel 4. This is despite neither of my parents having a single nice thing to say about lead presenter Steve Jones. That is because the Sky presenters were heavily and presumptively biased (on C4, even Steve remembers to admit his biases!), screaming, exaggerating for pointless controversies, apparently having even more trouble following the races than the Channel 4 team on a bad day and sending my parents to sleep - sometimes all at the same time.

After that experience, I doubt my parents would want to watch Sky F1 if they were paid to do so - and that is despite both of them being F1 fans. I guess it'll be highlights or nothing for them. I use Twitter and know the Radio 5 Live site address, so at least I can follow it that way...
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: Dare on July 24, 2018, 12:10:42 AM
ESPN is getting just as bad over here. First they started wanting more money to watch practice. Now it's more money for quali.



Usually ESPN comes with cable. I get 3 channels of ESPN
on Sling tv for 25 dollars a month. And that's with a recent
$5 a month increase. Check it out
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: lkjohnson1950 on July 24, 2018, 04:33:16 AM
The problem with Sling is they separate ESPN and NBC/SN here. Which means I have to get Both streams or choose between F1 and Indy Car. I took Direct TV Now instead.
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: guest3164 on July 24, 2018, 09:32:02 AM
I was going to cancel Sky this year but after ringing up they offered me a far better deal than I was getting so I agreed to carry on.  Did the same with BT after they threatened to put the price up.  I ended up saving about £30 a month with Sky and £5 a month with BT Sports (now £7 as opposed to £12).  Means I can watch all the motorsports and feel a lot less grumpy about it.  Always worth a haggle as these companies are getting desperate for custom. 
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: John S on July 24, 2018, 11:56:25 AM
I'm hoping Sky repeat the £150 for nine months Sky Sports that they offered this year. I didn't take deal this year as cheaper to buy a week pass on Now TV for actual races I needed when Ch 4 isn't live.

Wont buy Sky at standard prices for F1 season, I don't want all the Footy, Golf, tennis, etc in the entire Sky sports package,  - just have to make do with highlights.  :( :'(
Unlike you Ian I need F1 like I need Bacon sarnies at least 2 or 3 times a week.  :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: 
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: Dare on July 24, 2018, 12:44:19 PM
The problem with Sling is they separate ESPN and NBC/SN here. Which means I have to get Both streams or choose between F1 and Indy Car. I took Direct TV Now instead.

Both Sling packages[blue and orange] are $35 a month,cheaper
than what cable charges.
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: Jericoke on July 24, 2018, 02:10:01 PM
It's so weird, when you get sports channels, they feel like they have to produce a ton of content so you get 'value', except producing the content costs money, which they have to charge to the consumer.  They could just show the damned races/games, save a ton of money on production, and still make money from fans.
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: Ian on July 24, 2018, 06:12:51 PM
It's not the highlights so much John it's the flaming adverts, drive me round the bend.
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: Ian on July 24, 2018, 06:15:19 PM
I can't get on with Steve Jones either Ali, in my opinion Lee McKenzie should have been the lead presenter.
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: cosworth151 on July 24, 2018, 07:39:18 PM
The trouble is that ESPN has started sticking practice & quali out on its oddball, extra price networks, like ESPN News & ESPN-U.
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: Alianora La Canta on July 24, 2018, 08:51:33 PM
It's so weird, when you get sports channels, they feel like they have to produce a ton of content so you get 'value', except producing the content costs money, which they have to charge to the consumer.  They could just show the damned races/games, save a ton of money on production, and still make money from fans.

They could - though a lot of the money is tied up in travel costs, so although direct-sport-only is cheaper, giving an entire channel's worth of content is not as much more expensive than it seems, and often easier to market. Even if half of it has to be filled with replays of old races or repeats of darts (as Sky F1 did once).
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: John S on July 24, 2018, 10:06:10 PM
It's so weird, when you get sports channels, they feel like they have to produce a ton of content so you get 'value', except producing the content costs money, which they have to charge to the consumer.  They could just show the damned races/games, save a ton of money on production, and still make money from fans.

They could - though a lot of the money is tied up in travel costs, so although direct-sport-only is cheaper, giving an entire channel's worth of content is not as much more expensive than it seems, and often easier to market. Even if half of it has to be filled with replays of old races or repeats of darts (as Sky F1 did once).


Yeah but you can only buy the whole 6, 7 or is it 8 channel package from Sky,  :crazy:  that's what I'm complaining about Alia. 

I don't want access to 4 soccer channels, Golf, Cricket, Tennis, Darts or the bloody Sports news desk.  >:( 

I just want the F1 channel. As far as I'm concerned they could run a test card outside the days up to and including a race weekend.   
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: Dare on July 24, 2018, 10:13:35 PM
John I thought you was a old cricket players from way back
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: John S on July 25, 2018, 01:08:03 PM

Oh Damn! you know me so well, Dare.  :-[

But that don't mean I want to pay money to re-live a misspent youth.  :P
 
Even when our short term memory is suspect the distant past always seems to be with us.  :confused:  :swoon:
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: Ian on July 25, 2018, 08:35:07 PM
That's why I'm not prepared to buy the sky sports package John, the only other sports I like watching are MotoGP and rugby union and they're on BT sport which comes with my package.
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: rmassart on July 26, 2018, 06:22:03 AM
You could always try F1 TV. Not living in the UK, I don't know if it's cheaper or not though, at 7.99 Eur/month:

https://f1tv.formula1.com/

Alternatively you can go for a Bulgarian streaming provider called neterra  ;) , which is what I use:

https://neterra.tv/

It's perfectly legal as it's aimed at Bulgaria's expat community and costs around 5 Eur/month.  Only problem might be the Bulgarian language  ;), but on the other hand you also get access to most European top flight football games and probably a load of other motor racing. Granted, they are in Bulgarian, but just turn off the volume and find the commentary on English radio (the Bulgarian commentary tends to be terrible anyway).
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: guest3164 on July 26, 2018, 08:43:40 AM
Sadly without using a VPN and then setting up a phoney address in another country, F1 TV isn't available to UK customers due to the deal Sky has for exclusivity here.  Which is a shame as it seems the best option for F1 fans.  Which is probably another reason we don't have it, best options don't tend to be available here too often!
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: Ian on July 26, 2018, 10:06:36 AM
Sure would seem the best option Luke, £2.29 a month.
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: guest3164 on July 26, 2018, 02:37:20 PM
I'd sign up to it without a second's thought if I could do it easily.  It makes total sense.  Especially after next year when tennis moves off of Sky and goes to Amazon Prime. 
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: Scott on July 26, 2018, 03:52:43 PM
Switzerland is on the “Ok” list.  I will be cancelling my cable next month.  The kids watch nothing but Netflix and my wife’s TV is her iPad.   :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo:
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: John S on July 26, 2018, 06:58:39 PM
Switzerland is on the “Ok” list.  I will be cancelling my cable next month.  The kids watch nothing but Netflix and my wife’s TV is her iPad.   :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo:


Trust you Gnomes to rub it in.  ;) :D :DD

Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: guest3164 on July 26, 2018, 07:52:32 PM
Switzerland is on the “Ok” list.  I will be cancelling my cable next month.  The kids watch nothing but Netflix and my wife’s TV is her iPad.   :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo:

 >:D
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: Alianora La Canta on August 08, 2018, 02:13:44 PM
Yeah but you can only buy the whole 6, 7 or is it 8 channel package from Sky,  :crazy:  that's what I'm complaining about Alia.   

That's because it costs almost the same to broadcast 10 channels as 1 to a given consumer, given that the channels are being broadcast at all and cable capacity isn't being maxed out (neither is an issue in the UK, as far as I know).

There is no incentive to Sky to not offer the whole sports package to everyone. Indeed, the only reason they don't simply offer their entire output to everyone is because they've shown that people will pay more for sports, or for children's TV, or films. They'd only separate F1 if they could prove people would pay more for F1 than for standard + regular sports pack.
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: Irisado on August 14, 2018, 05:42:50 PM
The highlights on Channel 4 are on at unhelpful times and the adverts are very irritating, but the biggest problem that I have with the whole Channel 4 package is Steve Jones.  He dumbs down the whole programme to the lowest common denominator and his attempts to be humorous are so poor that he merely appears to have absolutely no knowledge of how to present what is, ultimately, supposed to be a serious sporting contest not bad stand up comedy.

I have watched some clips of the Sky coverage on the internet and I think that it is much worse overall though.  David Croft talks all over Martin Brundle, who can barely get a word in edgeways.  The presentation seems very lacklustre to me as well.  I would never pay to watch it, based on what I have seen.
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: Alianora La Canta on August 18, 2018, 04:27:37 PM
The highlights on Channel 4 are on at unhelpful times and the adverts are very irritating, but the biggest problem that I have with the whole Channel 4 package is Steve Jones.  He dumbs down the whole programme to the lowest common denominator and his attempts to be humorous are so poor that he merely appears to have absolutely no knowledge of how to present what is, ultimately, supposed to be a serious sporting contest not bad stand up comedy.

Quite. For those of you who have not had the misfortune of hearing Steve in full flight, here is a sample of one of his attempts at humour:

[voiceover makes reasonable attempt attempt at explaining the early stages of Force India's administration]
[cut to David Coulthard, who looked like he was paying attention, and Steve, who looks like a landed fish]
Steve: What the... DC, could you please pretend I'm a blithering nincompoop for a moment? Could you please explain...
David: [blinks while Steve is asking this]
Steve: [with a disappointed note, interrupting himself] Oh. You made that look easy...
David: It was.
Steve: Could you please explain in simple terms what is going on with Force India?
David [explains it only slightly less straightforwardly than the voiceover, because frankly any 9-year-old with semi-fluent English could have deciphered the voiceover, and there's a limit to how simple some things can be made].
Steve: Sorry. Still confused...
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: John S on August 18, 2018, 05:52:10 PM
But Alia most of us are still confused about the Force India situation.  ::)

Seems to me Szafnauer is quite pleased with the team being put into administration and looks like he's come out smelling of roses after it.  :confused:
My problem is Szafnauer was the main executive in charge of Force India - so how on earth does the man running a company day to day not paying it's bills properly for months, nay years, get to still be smiling and in post?  :DntKnw:  >:(

Was this all due to Mallya & Roy, the culprits we are expected to identify, or are execs like Szafnauer & Fernley just as guilty of allowing the team to get into such dire money problems and possibly trade whilst insolvent?
After all they will have known for some considerable time that the figures didn't add up. How come there's no move to have them disqualified as directors??? :crazy:

 
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: Alianora La Canta on August 19, 2018, 09:31:07 PM
But Alia most of us are still confused about the Force India situation.  ::)

We can follow a straightforward voiceover. Maybe we cannot say "ah, that's the full story", because it's possible nobody has the full story yet. But once a simple voiceover has been given, it would be nice for the commentators to go deeper, rather than ask to have the simple voiceover given in even simpler terms (especially in situations like that one, where in practical terms said simpler explanation is impossible).
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: guest3164 on September 12, 2018, 10:20:21 AM
Some good news, a deal has been agreed between Sky and Channel 4 so highlights will remain on C4 next year whilst the British Grand Prix will also be shown live on the channel. 

Not a perfect situation, but at least there is some genuine, free to air content in the future. 

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/138647/channel-4-keeps-highlights-and-british-gp (https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/138647/channel-4-keeps-highlights-and-british-gp)
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: Scott on September 12, 2018, 11:16:48 AM
I wonder if Ch4 hasn’t realized that their numbers between LIVE and highlights aren’t all that different.  I have to say this year I have been unable to watch more than a couple of Races live due to family or work conflicts, and yet I have been quite pleased with the highlights show.
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: Alianora La Canta on September 13, 2018, 03:58:07 PM
I wonder if Ch4 hasn’t realized that their numbers between LIVE and highlights aren’t all that different.  I have to say this year I have been unable to watch more than a couple of Races live due to family or work conflicts, and yet I have been quite pleased with the highlights show.

The highlights figures have been hovering at 20-30% of live. However, highlights packages are probably a lot cheaper to obtain than live deals, because it's competing with Sky's demand offering of its live race. It is unlikely that many people would opt for the C4 option, given a choice, unless they agree with me that the Sky version is terrible. This makes it worth taking the lower figures, especially since C4 can slot a highlights show around whatever else they have on their schedules. Note their Sunday evening offerings are weak for most of the year, so as long as F1 highlights cost not much more than the equivalent amount of alternate programming, it's profitable for them to take it.
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: Irisado on September 29, 2018, 11:40:34 AM
It's a lot better than nothing, so it's good news overall.  I would love it if Channel 4 also announced that Steve Jones is being replaced as well, but I guess that you can't have everything.
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: Robem64 on September 29, 2018, 01:35:31 PM
It's a lot better than nothing, so it's good news overall.  I would love it if Channel 4 also announced that Steve Jones is being replaced as well, but I guess that you can't have everything.

With you on the Steve Jones comment - gets right on my nerves. I much preferred Jake Humphrey doing it - in fact I prefer watching Lee McKenzie and Karun Chandhok doing the practice shows (when it's live of course).
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: Irisado on September 30, 2018, 12:00:35 AM
As do I.  It's a much more professional presentation for those practice sessions, so let's make the most of the few which remain this year.  The highlights of qualifying tonight saw Steve on some of his worst form yet, which is saying something.
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: guest3164 on September 30, 2018, 08:07:25 AM
I am wondering myself if the C4 highlights will be from the Sky F1 team given the tie up now between the two broadcasters (C4 gets the highlights, Sky gets access to C4's catalogue of shows).  There had been some talk that Mark Webber might join Sky F1 so that might make sense, also it would make the highlights move even better value for C4. 
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: John S on September 30, 2018, 10:44:23 AM
It's a lot better than nothing, so it's good news overall.  I would love it if Channel 4 also announced that Steve Jones is being replaced as well, but I guess that you can't have everything.


Think Ch 4 is aiming at a wider audience than just us committed F1 nuts Irisado. If we want more people, especially youngsters, to begin appreciating F1 as we do a differing approach is not necessarily a bad thing.

I've seen my young nephews (under 12) paying attention during Steve segments but losing interest after half a dozen laps of the actual race. Even one of my own sons (30ish) finds it hard to stay interested during some of the in race commentary, but says Steve brings a different perspective from all the experienced insiders.


 
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: Irisado on October 05, 2018, 06:47:06 PM
I don't pay attention to most of the races because they are so boring that the commentators don't have anything to talk about John, so it makes perfect sense that your family are having similar reactions.  I bet if they were watching older races with Murray Walker and James Hunt commentating or Murray Walker and Martin Brundle commentating, where there were all sorts of incidents most (I admit not all) weekends, they'd all be hanging on the commentators' words.

As for Steve appealing to a younger generation maybe he does.  I'm 36 though and I never found him funny when I was the right side of 35 either.
Title: Re: Highlights
Post by: Alianora La Canta on October 07, 2018, 09:01:26 PM
I think Steve might appeal to a particular segment of the younger generation, for the "younger generation" is more segmented than either "my" generation or the generation above me was at that age.
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