Watched Las Vegas race yesterday on NBC-HD. First, why not in HD? Car racing looks fabulous in HD unlike, say, tennis. Second, too much advertising 90% of which is targeted at 16-year olds with brains of 7-year olds.

"Red Line" movie is one of the major sponsors, come on, the 30-second trailer was enough for me to decide that I am NOT going to watch this piece of crap, which apparently has weaker plot and cheesier crash scenes than a SEGA game. The only American movie about racing that is worth watching is "Grand Prix". It is not perfect, having a lot of meaningless wife/lover business going on, but at least the racing scenes are one hundered percent real and absolute classic.

It all went downhill since 1966, "Driven" being the recent attempt to revive car racing genre with no success whatsoever, "Taxi" being a dull remake of short and witty French movie, and "The fast and the furious" being one big modder's show.

Back to the race. Instead of covering the ugly downtown buildings with large advertising posters NBC creative brains decided that it would be simpler and cheaper just to overlay advertiser's junk over car's rear wing. Freaking neat, when the rear cam was on, I could read McFatCheesyBurger from the wing of a real car, or I could read TargetIsClassierThanWalmart from an overlay ad. Two birds with one stone, good job. And when the race was not running full speed, which happened several times for several long laps because cars could not hold the cracked road, I was fed with ads again.

The race track was made up by fencing downtown roads with concrete blocks, nothing wrong with that, but no one cared to resurface the blacktop which turned out to be quite worse than in Monaco, so the cars were jumping like crazy.

So you have it: cheap cars, cheap track, cheap ads (and waaay too many of them), cheap video producing and drivers who think they compete in something remotely worth watching. Overall, it was rubbish.

P.S. By the way, the "Grand Prix" movie was remastered in 2006, it has convenient 16:9 format and looks fabulous on large-screen HDTV. I would rather rewatch it one more time instead of watching one long ad with some cars whizzing here and there that NBC calls racing.

Watched Las Vegas race yesterday on NBC-HD. First, why not in HD? Car racing looks fabulous in HD unlike, say, tennis.?

This is nothing more than a matter of opinion.

The race track was made up by fencing downtown roads with concrete blocks, nothing wrong with that, but no one cared to resurface the blacktop which turned out to be quite worse than in Monaco, so the cars were jumping like crazy.

So you have it: cheap cars, cheap track, cheap ads (and waaay too many of them), cheap video producing and drivers who think they compete in something remotely worth watching. Overall, it was rubbish.Hehe, you really don't know the whole story about this race do you? Nearly the entire track had been resurfaced and it was lauded for its quality. There was a problem in one turn, and they dug up and repaved the entire section. The cars were brand new, each and every one of them. Sure there were some first run failures, but that has always happened in the past.

I really enjoyed the race and do wish it was in HD. The NBC crew was much better than the crews that had been announcing in the past.

The problem is that the Champ Car broadcasts are pure time buys and have little to nothing to do with the presenting network. Think of it is a paid, 2.5 hour infomercial for Champ Car; NBC doesn't pay Champ Car at all.

If Champ Car sprung for HD cameras and uplinks, it would probably bankrupt the series, given what a thin margin it's running on the way it is.

Hehe, you really don't know the whole story about this race do you? Nearly the entire track had been resurfaced and it was lauded for its quality. There was a problem in one turn, and they dug up and repaved the entire section. The cars were brand new, each and every one of them.

Yep, I can attest to downtown Las Vegas having some of the nicest streets in the world due to this race.

So it is 4:3 then? At least you get to see it this year, there is no sign of it coming here and even if it were, like always, it would be delayed.

I am tired of having the News show the winners when I haven't seen the event. I would be fine with non-widescreen coverage more than I am nothing.

The problem is that the Champ Car broadcasts are pure time buys and have little to nothing to do with the presenting network. Think of it is a paid, 2.5 hour infomercial for Champ Car; NBC doesn't pay Champ Car at all.

If Champ Car sprung for HD cameras and uplinks, it would probably bankrupt the series, given what a thin margin it's running on the way it is.


Couple of years and they will virtually have no choice but to get HD cameras. As everyone switches over by Jan 09, the advertisers will back the shows in HD as most will want to watch their favorite shows in HD. IMO, but competition for the best content and best looking show will force upgrades.

Couple of years and they will virtually have no choice but to get HD cameras. As everyone switches over by Jan 09, the advertisers will back the shows in HD as most will want to watch their favorite shows in HD. IMO, but competition for the best content and best looking show will force upgrades.

There is NO MANDATE FOR HDTV in FEBURARY 2009--only digital OTA broadcasting!!! All HDTV is digital but not all digital is HDTV.

That said, I'm suprised there is even a Champ Car series, much less any television at all. Yes it would be nice to see it HDTV, but that will come likely after sub 50 markets do local news in HD, or Lincoln Financial Sports does all its SEC football and basketball games 100% HD. I took a quick look Sunday and nothing is more boring as a racefan as single file road-racing in glorious SD.

I recall HDNet was doing the ChampCar races in HD a few years back. Would be nice if they could do it again. Probably not a money maker which would explain why they no longer do it.

That series is dying a slow death. It is sad to watch.I guess I will continue to be stuck in cookie cutter-tri oval h#$l !!

Kenal0

tony george killed open wheel racing in the united states and its showing no signs on recovery

tony george killed open wheel racing in the united states and its showing no signs on recovery
I used to be a CART die-hard, but now, it doesn't even matter anymore. Both sides are to blame. No one wanted to compromise and both series' suffer because everyone was too stubborn to come to a mutually beneficial position.

Looking back at the last 12 years, the landscape of American Open Wheel Racing has become a wasteland of missed opportunities. I remember the good ole' days where fields of 28+ cars were common at all tracks and 40+ drivers attempted to qualify at Indy. Now, Indy barely has any bumping and the Champcar fields barely get 20 cars.

Oh well, I guess I'll have to watch NASCAR to get my racin' fix.

yup

I used to be a CART die-hard, but now, it doesn't even matter anymore. Both sides are to blame. No one wanted to compromise and both series' suffer because everyone was too stubborn to come to a mutually beneficial position.

Looking back at the last 12 years, the landscape of American Open Wheel Racing has become a wasteland of missed opportunities. I remember the good ole' days where fields of 28+ cars were common at all tracks and 40+ drivers attempted to qualify at Indy. Now, Indy barely has any bumping and the Champcar fields barely get 20 cars.

Oh well, I guess I'll have to watch NASCAR to get my racin' fix.

We have the same experience and opinion on open wheel racing. There was a time when I had tremendous passion for this sport. I always watched Indy car racing.

I loved the golden era (IMHO) when the Unser's, Andretti and many other classic open wheel drivers tested one another's skills. Really a fine time in my life for open wheel racing.

Time marches on!!

As the saying goes. The War in American Open Wheel racing is over. Nascar won. The france family talked Tony George into starting the IRL. They then got a Indy date for Nascar. Cart took a dive ever since then, and the IRL never grew to become anything more than a joke of a series.

As far as "boring follow the leader street races", I used to be a nascar fan and I've grown way to weary of "phantom cautions" and other "entertainment" devices employed there. Champ car puts on great races, and its not a pass a lap that makes them fun.

tony george killed open wheel racing in the united states and its showing no signs on recovery

And if Tony George doesn't get the Indy 500 in HD in a year or two, the ratings will continue to slide for his "showcase" race and it will be another "Miss America" in a few years with no network TV contract at all.

The shark fins popped up years ago....

I'm guessing no HD for the Champ Car races on ESPN also?

The ESPN coverage in SD looks much better then NBC's SD coverage.
I don't notice as much edge enhancement on the video.

I'm guessing ESPN's IRL coverage is not HD also?