Comments on: No F1 HD Coverage In 2009

By: Cyril

Cyril — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 10:25:56 +0000

It is ludicrous that the hi-tech F1 sport can’t get their act together and show F1 in HD!
I think the Australian GP has been shown in HD locally, and we got upscaled SD which looked very nice in the F1inCinema feeds last year.

Bernie needs to get this as a higher priority!

By: John Young

John Young — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 09:39:40 +0000

I just read all the comments about the total apathy by the BBC regarding the non HD coverage of the new F1 season.
I too was anticipating using my expensive HD set-up to watch a major sporting event which has quite a lot of moving objects! I used to watch Match of the Day until I purchased a 42″ plasma but now it is unwatchable in SD as everything moving, ie players and ball are surrounded by a sparkling ‘aura’ (thank god for Sky HD)
One last rant about the BBC HD policy. One cannot fault the BBC nature programmes and the latest 3 part documentary on Yellowstone National Park is probably one of the most awesome ever shown on TV, but………………why did the numskull programmers schedule this for a prime time slot on BBC 1 (commendable) and make no mention of the re-run broadcast on the HD channel later in the week. We found it quite by accident, come on Beeb, please communicate with the people who pay your wages!!! How much does it cost for a voice over at the front of the programme telling us that for those customers who actually are interested in HD,” this programme can be enjoyed in HD later this week” Or, is the money paid to foul-mouth ‘Woss’ using up the budget for little niceties like F1 in HD? We do have the World Champion in this sport!!!!!

By: HD Sceptic

HD Sceptic — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:57:31 +0000

RMD007 – If HD content were available, surely the main difference between 37″HD and 47″HD is that you sit further away for comfortable viewing. Which means that you turn the sound up louder because the noise is part of the spectacle. Which means you are not the most popular person in the household during live coverage of the Australian and east Asian GPs!

I look forward to helping you buy your next telly.

By: RMDOO7

RMDOO7 — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 11:02:20 +0000

HD Sceptic- I watch the racing thank you but is it so wrong to try to get the best picture quality you can to watch the sport you enjoy the most or do you still watch the snooker in Black and White?
To answer your other question, when I was in the shop they were showing clips of the F1 season in HD sorry, next time I will ask you about cost/benefit analysis when I want to buy a new telly.
Regards……..

By: HD Sceptic

HD Sceptic — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:37:32 +0000

RMD007 – do you watch the racing or the TV technology? Did you do a cost/benefit analysis before changing from 37″ to 47″? Do you always believe what salesmen tell you?

By: RMDOO7

RMDOO7 — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 07:33:31 +0000

Firstly, why is it that when ITV show a football match it shows each half with no ads and when it’s F1 it was ads every 8 mins or so?. Anyway couldn’t beleive that the BEEB had got F1 back again, great no more ads. I allready had a 37″ HD ready tv but when I asked at a big retailer if the new F1 season would be shown in HD he replied “yes” I thought I would treat myself to a new 47″ all singing all dancing telly to watch my favourite sport on and after reading all of your comments I am gutted (teach me to do my research first) so come on whoever the hell is to blame for this, give the people what they want to see and in HD. Hope you all enjoy the new season whatever all our moans may be………come on Lewis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By: HD Sceptic

HD Sceptic — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:45:06 +0000

I’ve been following F1 since it resumed after the war (WW II) and I’ve never once heard anyone say their viewing pleasure was spoilt by the poor definition of the TV picture.

We’ve endured cameras looking in the wrong direction and missing critical parts of the action, unhelpful commentary, adverts and other distractions, but never complaints about definition. Widescreen coverage doesn’t add anything useful – it’s just a gimmick. F1 looks good on my 29″ CRT.

When I was shopping yesterday I saw several stores (who should know better!) offering 19″ LCDs as “HD ready”. The view seems to be that HD starts to show benefit around the 37″ mark. I’m also intrigued to see none of the clamour for HD comes from wives – it seems as though they prefer to settle for a smaller TV which doesn’t need HD (but leaves the lounge looking nicer). Any wives care to differ?

By: admin

admin — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 11:42:31 +0000

F1 isn’t broadcast in HD anywhere, what you are seeing in the Odean Cinema is an upscaled version. Better quality than SD no doubt, but not HD.

By: Ian

Ian — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 11:07:45 +0000

F1 is shown in HD in other countries and even here in Odeon cinema’s so why aren’t the BBC using our license fees for something useful and desired instead of wasting it on ridiculously large wage packets for some people.

By: Andy Merrett

Andy Merrett — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 07:55:40 +0000

“Once again Britain becomes a laughing stock for the roll out of technology.”

I doubt that’s true, unless you’ve extensive real-world experience of travelling to other countries and them laughing at us? Really, I think people have more important things on their minds at present.

The UK is *not* a long way behind many other countries, and in any case you’d expect early adopters (Freesat is not yet a mainstream proposition, unlike Freeview and Sky) to moan when in reality most of the general population don’t know / care / understand.

Have you seen the number of surveys that show that consumers don’t know if they’re watching HD content or not?

As for F1, it’s not the BBC’s fault. The BBC has no control over how each race is filmed – except, perhaps, for any British races.

As for what the BBC and ITV HD channels show – well moaning about the likes of Jonathan Creek and Demons when they weren’t even shot in HD In the first place is rather peculiar, unless you think the BBC will do a better job of upscaling and then broadcasting standard definition content on the BBC HD channel than your HDTV will do watching the SD version anyway?