At the start of the race two commercials were inadvertantly inserted during the start which is one of the more exciting parts of the race. Then our local Fox station in Denver kept streaming tornado warnings across the bottom of the screen which blocked out the information about the race. Since the race was tape delayed one couldn't resort to F1 live timing. Then at the end of the race, the Denver Fox channel interupted the program to show the radar of where the storms were between commercials. So we missed the last few laps just in time to restart the coverage AFTER the winner crossed the finish line. Speed TV is starting to look real good.
I can't stand the way they announce the non speed f1 races. I changed the channel after about 20 laps. Did anyone else think the picture quality was a lot worse?
Depends on the affiliate. The local FOX channel (D.C.) had terrible picture quality until they updated to digital (HD) capacity a couple of years back. But I'd think all the major markets were at digital capability, by now. (What with the end of analog broadcast.) Maybe it depends on what feed they're handing off to your cable provider. (I'm on DBS satellite, with the local channels through DirecTV.)
The picture and sound quality were fine, and I like the Speed announce team. I can see these chumps at least made an effort to have a short pre-race show and 2/3 post-race interviews , but they're still coming up short. What stuffed suit sitting in a boardroom thinks the American public doesn't want to see pre and post activities? That's a major part of getting the full picture. Until they do that, they're just a poor substitute.
HD was a big plus as we don't get Speed HD here (does anyone?) the content was so poor you have to wonder why they even bother.
We get Speed HD here but the quality is not near that of the HD Channel or other HD channels we watch. Just be glad it was the usual crew of Matchett, Hobbs and Varsha and not that yo-yo Derek Daley and his bunch...that's bad. Carol
horrible.the fact the coverage is so short is pathetic.And cutting out Webber's PRI was stupid.All i like is the start time.
I had to laugh a few times as the announcers were hot and heavy on the Button-Vettel battle and the camera cut away to a skirmish for 13th place or something.
The Fox Buffalo station only had an medical infomercial for the race time... The Canadian TSN2 carried the British BBC version live. Split screen with the race still showing during commercials to. The driver interviews were different after this race in that the interviewer went back to each driver a couple of times and then 'The Vet' got to say the same things in German after that. All the while JB was haming it up while watching himself on another screen to the side in the room!!! This was followed by hilites of the complete race! Much better than even the regular TSN / BBC effort. CH
We get Speed HD in Albuquerque and Fox HD. Someone must really be in the hinterlands if we get it here and you do not get it where you live. Call your cable company and grump like all get out to get it changed. Taz Terry Phillips
Nope I'm just outside the hub of the universe Otherwise known as Boston. Comcast just doesn't offer Speed HD. I guess I have a new criteria for the second home.
Coverage was fine. Quality was the same. Sure the announcers talked like it was a "F1 101" class, but it was. That being said, it's much more enjoyable having the race live on Speed.
The broadcast was the exactly that of the original live broadcast, just shortened, the FOM or FIA official feed. Certainly everyone realizes the SpeedTV guys are sitting in Charlotte or Atlanta, and base their comments on what they see, and what comes in over the "wires". They aren't at the races, not for a couple of years. And certainly everyone knows that FOX owns SpeedTV. It was obvious they were aiming at an audience that may be new to F1, which I don't mind, anything to get more F1 fans in the USA and that domino effect. The way I look at it, we are lucky to have SpeedTV, and if FOX thinks there is some value to Sunday prime sports timing F1, then I will tolerate the commercials. A little red wine help the tolerance. It is sure a lot better than nothing. I admit I did cheat, I watched the race in its entirety on live internet stream, so the repeat was probably not bad for me for that reason. And yes, you have to really love the sport to watch such a boring race twice in one day. What can I say.
So is the Speed channel rebroadcast on Tuesday going to be the same Fox coverage, just on a different channel? I'll just TIVO that one instead if it's more coverage... I too thought today's race sucked. TOO FRICKIN MANY COMMERCIALS.... How many times did they come back to tell us what happened during the break? This sucks. Jedi ps - am I the only one who thinks the Turkey race track is bloody boring?
We get Speed HD in Vegas on Cox Cable. I really like it, as I do all HD channels over the norm. I didn't mind today's broadcast. I do prefer the Speed version as it has a lot less "rookie watcher" comments in it. But, if this helps attract more US F-1 fans, I'm for it.
I like the FOX F1 coverage for the D.C. area. I don't have the Speed Channel due to personal distaste with half of the programming on that channel. It seems the main programs I would watch are either on Comcast On Demand, or shown at a later time on FOX, or I am able to get them from an Internet website.
What's all this talk of HD? It's my understanding there are zero F1's broadcast in HD....widescreen yes, but no HD. I think it's called ED if I remember my last conversation with the Speed crew. ...and Tifosiiron is correct, Speed adds there portion in Charlotte, NC (they don't like to advertise that fact)