F1 Hi Def Pay Per View Channel

[Synchro]

How much would you be prepared to pay BE to watch a race in Hi Def, on a pay per view, like boxing, but in Hi Def?

Any takers for this service?

[insomniak123]

maybe if you got the whole weekend coverage (practice, qualifying, and race) then I might be tempted

actually maybe not

I hate pay per view

[loz_the_guru]

I believe the beeb have already stated that a high-def feed isnt available, otherwise they'd be outputting in that free of charge. I remember being puzzled at the time though as i'm sure cinemas used to show it in HD for 15 quid a race ?

[hdsport]

Originally Posted by loz_the_guru

I believe the beeb have already stated that a high-def feed isnt available, otherwise they'd be outputting in that free of charge. I remember being puzzled at the time though as i'm sure cinemas used to show it in HD for 15 quid a race ?

F1inCinema was only ever an upscaled SD feed with smaller graphics. Depending on who you speak to there may or may not have have been an HD feed but that never left the FOM Compound.

As for a PPV F1 service it would almost certainly be a big loser financially. F1Digital+ in the UK (ok not HD) struggled against ITV albeit during a season that was all over by Magny Cours. To compete against the BBC who will be showing every session live and without ads for 'free' would be almost impossible. The hardcore audience for F1 is about 3-4m of which only a relatively small percentage probably have HD and you'd have to wonder how many of them would fork out for a PPV HD service.

[Garthur]

I have never watched F1, just highlights and maybe a few laps here and there but thats it.

Personally though I was hoping it would be on HD as I know that I would watch alot more of it if it was. Something about HD that is just amazing

But guess it will be like every other year now, just watching the odd lap here and there and highlights if I get time

[Silver Arrow]

I was in Italy last year at the time of the Singapore night race, all weekend was screened on Sky HD. If the feed is available for Sky, why not the Beeb?

Andy

[hdsport]

Originally Posted by Silver Arrow

I was in Italy last year at the time of the Singapore night race, all weekend was screened on Sky HD. If the feed is available for Sky, why not the Beeb?

Andy

It was not an HD feed only an upscaled world feed, the same with ORF HD in Austria and F1inCinema (although this had smaller graphics). Remember in some countries they don't really have SD 16:9 having jumped straight to HD, although SKY Sport Italia I think has one (as well as an HD one).

F1 has been shown in true HD in Japan (but only the Japanese GP) which is why FUJI TV are still HB, indeed they have been showing it in HD since before FOM went widescreen in 07!

One other annoying thing about what they are being supplied by Bernie is the BBC wanted the proper data channel but Bernie said no and they are left with only a leaderboard which is a bit pointless.

[SibTiger33]

i saw the japanese gp in hd and that really was amazing! (especially with the rain)

a shame for a sport which is so high tech we are still left watching low quality feeds in some terrorities - not the bbc's fault though