Our native mobile app has a new name: Fora Communities. Learn more.

Formula 1 Races in HD on FOX this season? Maybe.

1966 Views 21 Replies 13 Participants Last post by gpflepsen, May 19, 2007

sebenste

Discussion Starter · May 11, 2007

According to this thread on the unofficial Ferrari F1 board...

http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:...lnk&cd=4&gl=us

It's a done deal. However, I don't know the source of this info. That said, they'll have the equipment and be broadcasting the races in HD. It is certainly doable for FOX to carry it. Here's hoping for an official announcement soon.

1 - 20 of 22 Posts

CycloneGT

· #2 · May 11, 2007

I hope its true, but I've seen these posts frequently over the past few years. So hopefully we will see some kind of official press release about F1 & HD soon. Still this year looks to be more hopeful than years past since these races are actually on a HD capable channel this year.

Fingers crossed.

Still I'd be at least happy with the SD widescreen that they have been showing on TSN-HD this year.

See less See more

gwsat

· #3 · May 11, 2007

That is exciting news. For years I would get up early on F-1 race days and watch all of the European F-1 races live. It would be great to watch them live and in HD. Alas, if Fox shows the races at all, they will probably be tape delayed until Sunday afternoon. I suspect that we won't get F-1 live and in HD until and unless the Speed network sets up an HD channel.

CycloneGT

· #4 · May 13, 2007

More F1 HDTV news

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/58776

sebenste

Discussion Starter · #5 · May 13, 2007

Quote:
Originally Posted by CycloneGT /forum/post/0

More F1 HDTV news

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/58776

Thanks, Cyclone, for passing that along. My *guess* is that we get the 4 races on FOX in highER def (say, DVD quality), and DD 2.0 (hopefully 5.1). Bernie will see that for big TV's, high def IS the way to go, And it almost sounds like NASCAR and IRL and our leagues over here are forcing his hand, to some extent!

CycloneGT

· #6 · May 14, 2007

I'm just keeping my hopes up for next year. Hopefully SpeedTV will have an HD channel (or some shared Fox Cable Network's HD Channel) by next season. ... Monaco!

eightninesuited

· #7 · May 14, 2007

I'd love to see Monaco GP in HD. But really, I'd love to hear F1 in 5.1. The engine noise, and so forth, it would be interesting. I don't like Nascar, but I found myself watching a few races because the experience of HD is nice.

Offline

· #8 · May 14, 2007

If CBS had the F1 then we (in Australia) would get it in HD but otherwise it won't happen. I really fail to see why they would since only a fraction of the market would receive it from an overseas source at the moment. Not that I don't want them to change, I would just prefer if they made it mandatory for the stations to show it in HD.

For the moment, I am at least pleased we get it in 16:9.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sebenste /forum/post/0

My *guess* is that we get the 4 races on FOX in highER def (say, DVD quality), and DD 2.0

It already is "DVD quality" running at 720x576i.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sebenste /forum/post/0

it almost sounds like NASCAR and IRL and our leagues over here are forcing his hand, to some extent!

Chances that a US motorsport even appears on the radar on the F1 circuit - 0%. America is the only market where NASCAR appears so although a high market share for that country, the rest of the world really doesn't have any interest. I think it is great but we don't even get coverage here of any events.

rantanamo

· #9 · May 14, 2007

Quote:
Originally Posted by Offline /forum/post/0

Chances that a US motorsport even appears on the radar on the F1 circuit - 0%. America is the only market where NASCAR appears so although a high market share for that country, the rest of the world really doesn't have any interest. I think it is great but we don't even get coverage here of any events.

I would disagree with that. For Honda, Toyota, BMW, Mercedes and Ferrari, the US is by far their biggest market(This was actually talked about on the morning practice broadcast on Friday. Apparently the manufacturers don't like Bernie's flippant attitude about the USGP). They want the kind of exposure to that NASCAR and the IRL(not so much) get to the American Market. It doesn't matter how many faces watch around the world to them, they want as many potential customer faces watching them as possible. They want that brand loyalty that NASCAR has created, which is unmatched in motorsport. Why do you think Toyota wanted in so bad?

This is why they've been trying to get onto network television in the US the past couple of years. That's a valuable audience of watchers. If BMW sells most of their product in the US, they probably want to market to the US audience the way NASCAR does. Part of that is great coverage that's in HD. I'd think they'd hit a lot of their target audience as people with the money to have BMW's and Mercedes are probably the people that can afford nice HD sets. So if they want to market in that neighborhood, they're gonna have to do what the Joneses are doing, Hence NASCAR is probably in their minds as companies who want to move product. And BTW, Indy 500 practice has looked awesome in HD.

See less See more

gwsat

· #10 · May 14, 2007

Quote:
Originally Posted by Offline /forum/post/0

If CBS had the F1 then we (in Australia) would get it in HD but otherwise it won't happen. I really fail to see why they would since only a fraction of the market would receive it from an overseas source at the moment. Not that I don't want them to change, I would just prefer if they made it mandatory for the stations to show it in HD.

For the moment, I am at least pleased we get it in 16:9.

Why do you get CBS HD in Oz, but not the other networks?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Offline /forum/post/0

It [Fox Sports] already is "DVD quality" running at 720x576i.

Actually Fox's (and ESPN's and ABC's) 720p version of HD is 1280x720, so it provides considerably higher resolution than DVD, which is 480p, 852x480. In short, Fox HD is true HD, DVD is not:

http://www.cnet.com/4520-7874_1-5137915-1.html

(Scan down to the paragraph headed, HDTV source resolutions)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Offline /forum/post/0

Chances that a US motorsport even appears on the radar on the F1 circuit - 0%. America is the only market where NASCAR appears so although a high market share for that country, the rest of the world really doesn't have any interest. I think it is great but we don't even get coverage here of any events.

Yeah, NASCAR is, so far at least, a uniquely North American phenomenon. It's a lot of fun, though, in many ways a lot more fun for the casual fan watching on TV than F1. In F1 it seems that too many races become static (after the usually heart-pounding start) because the field gets strung out over a long distance and it's so hard to pass. By contrast, NASCAR has a lot of caution flags, which allow the field to bunch up, with new opportunities to pass on every restart. Some say that this is a gimmick, and it may be, but it's exciting nonetheless.

American open wheel racing is clearly the minor leagues these days, where many of the drivers are F1 has-beens or never-weres.

See less See more

Offline

· #11 · May 16, 2007

Quote:
Originally Posted by rantanamo /forum/post/0

I would disagree with that. For Honda, Toyota, BMW, Mercedes and Ferrari, the US is by far their biggest market

I don't disagree they would want to be in HD, more the stubborn nature of the FOM who only just switched to SD widescreen. If Toyota and the like have a say in the broadcast then I am all for it, after all, it would be for our own benefit. The problem is that this simply doesn't seem to happen with Bernie having the final word.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rantanamo /forum/post/0

Why do you think Toyota wanted in so bad?

The almighty dollar (I can see the MAD magazine fold in from The Simpsons right there).

Quote:
Originally Posted by gwsat /forum/post/0

Why do you get CBS HD in Oz, but not the other networks?

We don't get any US stations here but there is a deal with local station Network Ten that they have with CBS allowing shows to be here in high definition such as The Late Show with David Letterman and the recent US Masters Golf Tournament. We also did (not any more) get Jericho and The OC the same time as the US but now one is finished and the other is coming back on the 25th just after it finished in America.

Quote:
Originally Posted by gwsat /forum/post/0

Actually Fox's (and ESPN's and ABC's) 720p version of HD is 1280x720, so it provides considerably higher resolution than DVD, which is 480p, 852x480. In short, Fox HD is true HD, DVD is not:

I know that FOX is broadcast in 720p, the comment was from the quote which stated that the user expects it to be high quality, ie. DVD (what they said) to which I responded that it already is in 720x576i anamorphic widescreen.

Quote:
Originally Posted by gwsat /forum/post/0

Yeah, NASCAR is, so far at least, a uniquely North American phenomenon. It's a lot of fun, though, in many ways a lot more fun for the casual fan watching on TV than F1.

I often found myself watching US sports such as the Indy 500 and open wheel racing (taken from Spike TV complete with watermark or NBC) but this year there is none of that. The reason seems to be because the station who showed it lost the V8 supercars (local league) which in turn lost the rights for the other races. It is disappointing as it was always entertaining seeing such close racing compared to the spead field as you say, seen in F1 today.

See less See more

thepicman

· #12 · May 16, 2007

Quote:
Originally Posted by Offline /forum/post/0

I don't disagree they would want to be in HD, more the stubborn nature of the FOM who only just switched to SD widescreen. If Toyota and the like have a say in the broadcast then I am all for it, after all, it would be for our own benefit. The problem is that this simply doesn't seem to happen with Bernie having the final word.

Don't forget the Bernie got burned (well KircherTV did) fairly well by the "bernie-vision" digital PPV feed they were running several years back.

TimV

· #13 · May 16, 2007

More hope for F1 in HD:

http://www.sportbusiness.com/news/16...-hdtv-offering

http://www.pvrwire.com/2007/01/09/di...nnels-in-2007/

I wished they would just get on with ot already!!

Goldie2

· #14 · May 16, 2007

I've watched F1 on Speed from Day One, back when it was the Speed Channel, and before Fox jumped in.

Here's my question:

I checked some old recordings of early Speed Channel F1 programs, before Fox was involved, and the resolution was much better, compared to what Speed TV is offering now, even when viewing old tapes of them.

Is Speed TV now receiving lower res feeds from the source at F1? Or are they simply too cheap to buy, and offer, higher res stuff?

gwsat

· #15 · May 16, 2007

Quote:
Originally Posted by Goldie2 /forum/post/0

I've watched F1 on Speed from Day One, back when it was the Speed Channel, and before Fox jumped in.

Here's my question:

I checked some old recordings of early Speed Channel F1 programs, before Fox was involved, and the resolution was much better, compared to what Speed TV is offering now, even when viewing old tapes of them.

Is Speed TV now receiving lower res feeds from the source at F1? Or are they simply too cheap to buy, and offer, higher res stuff?

I had a C-Band dish upon which I watched F1 races on the Speed Channel, beginning God only knows when. I never noticed that it's PQ had deteriorated but there was no better SD that that which one got via C-Band.

I finally got away from F1 on TV because (1) I got spoiled by NASCAR in HD and 5.1 sound, and (2) there were too many F1 races where not much happened after the excitement at the start.

thebishman

· #16 · May 16, 2007

Quote:
Originally Posted by Goldie2 /forum/post/0

I've watched F1 on Speed from Day One, back when it was the Speed Channel, and before Fox jumped in.

Here's my question:

I checked some old recordings of early Speed Channel F1 programs, before Fox was involved, and the resolution was much better, compared to what Speed TV is offering now, even when viewing old tapes of them.

Is Speed TV now receiving lower res feeds from the source at F1? Or are they simply too cheap to buy, and offer, higher res stuff?

Which service do you use for your TV? Directv, Dish, Cable, etc? If it's Directv I can believe that the resolution has gotten worse as they are so bandwidth strapped right now that everything on my TVs looks much worse than when I first joined them in 2001.

Bish

thepicman

· #17 · May 17, 2007

Actually, It was on ESPN latenight on Sunday and then all of the FoxSports channels had it, then it went to speedvision

Quote:
Originally Posted by Goldie2 /forum/post/0

I've watched F1 on Speed from Day One, back when it was the Speed Channel, and before Fox jumped in.

Here's my question:

I checked some old recordings of early Speed Channel F1 programs, before Fox was involved, and the resolution was much better, compared to what Speed TV is offering now, even when viewing old tapes of them.

Is Speed TV now receiving lower res feeds from the source at F1? Or are they simply too cheap to buy, and offer, higher res stuff?

CycloneGT

· #18 · May 17, 2007

Uhm, do you guys mean Speedvision? Back before "must carry" I know that Dish Network had a lot more space on their satellites. So the PQ was excellent back then.

gwsat

· #19 · May 17, 2007

Quote:
Originally Posted by CycloneGT /forum/post/0

Uhm, do you guys mean Speedvision? Back before "must carry" I know that Dish Network had a lot more space on their satellites. So the PQ was excellent back then.

That's very close but it was originally called, speedvision (without the initial capital S):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPEED_Channel

I started watching it in the 90s on my C-Band dish because they carried European F1 races live on Sundays, which usually started at about 6:00 am, local time.

lax01

· #20 · May 17, 2007

subscribed...would love to see F1 in HD

1 - 20 of 22 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.