11 replies to this topic

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Does anyone know when the F1 digital TV service will be available in the UK and Ireland?[p][Edited by AD on 11-16-2000]

[lulup]

Also Asia???

[AD]

The digital service seems awesome. Can anyone who has the service give us more information about it?

[Indian Chief]

According to a poster here, In Spain, it costs about $7 every race. My maths isn't too good, but It should add up to about $120 per year.

[P1 Senna]

The November issue of F1 Racing magazine has a good article on Bakersville, which is the nickname (Eddie Baker is the manager of the digital tv operation) for the portable building that houses the Bernievision studios and equipment at each race. It is a very impressive story.

I remember seeing the unmarked temporary building at Indy for the USGP, and wondering what it was. The operation is broken down and carted around Europe in 28 trucks!! and 3 747 cargo jets for the "fly-away races"!! Further, there are just 7 countries taking the digital feed at this point, and Bernie loses "millions at the end of every year" because of undersubscription of the service.

Bring it on Bernie, we want it!! I'm tired of maybe 1 onboard camera lap total per race, even if it is artificially imposed by Bernie to make the digital service look better. I'd take the digital service in a second.

[mono-posto]

The problem is that you also need a Digital TV which can be quite expensive. Also somesort of truly digital broadcast method. I'm not talking about Digital quality like you get with a small Sat. dish, but true interactive digital. This requires that signals be able to be sent BOTH ways - VERY FAST. We currently don't have the infastructure in the states to support Bernie Vision.

I think as more DSL lines get laided we will find a way to use them for Digital TV. But right now it's not happening.

[dooly]

For Aussies interested in digital coverage in general, there's a Channel Ten site about digital TV - http://www.tendigital.com.au/. Heard about it while watching Bathurst race today.

Not F1 coverage, but you probably get the gist of it.

I won't be buying a digital TV any time soon. Maybe in a few years down the track when the prices go down, but for now it'll have to be free-to-air.

[dooly]

BBC Online Digital - http://www.bbc.co.uk/digital/


What does digital television cost?

The prices vary according to which of the 3 systems or
companies you sign up with, which of their services you buy and
how you pay for your digital equipment. If you subscribe to the
companies’ services they will subsidise the equipment, loan it or
give it to you free:

a) ONdigital (through your existing aerial) will loan you a free
set top box if you subscribe to their pay-TV channels. Prices
start from around £10 per month and you automatically receive
all the non-subscription BBC digital channels (currently funded
by your licence fee), ITV, ITV2, Channel 4/S4C, Channel 5 and
digital teletext.

If you don’t subscribe to ONdigital pay-TV, you still receive
these non-subscription channels but the set top box will cost
£400. There is no installation charge - just check with your
electrical retailer that you can receive signals in your area, buy
a box and then plug it in. Or you can buy one of the integrated
sets (containing a built-in decoder) now coming onto the market.

b) Sky Digital (via satellite) will give you a free set top box and
satellite dish if you sign up for access to the "Open…." home
shopping service and agree to have a phone line connected to
your box for at least 12 months. You automatically receive the
non-subscription BBC digital channels (currently funded by your
licence fee), Channel 4/S4C and Channel 5 at no additional
cost. But you cannot receive ITV or ITV2 via digital satellite.

Installing the satellite dish costs £100, or £40 if you subscribe
to Sky digital pay-TV. Prices range from around £8 to £32 or
more per month depending on how many channels you pay for.
If you don’t agree to have the phone line connected, the total
cost for the box, satellite dish and installation comes to around
£500. If you prefer you can buy a satellite integrated set
containing a built-in decoder - see your retailer for details.

c) Digital cable prices vary depending on the cable company.
In most cases you get a free set top box and subscriptions start
from around £13 per month (this often includes a cable
telephone line). There is usually a one-off payment of around
£40 to get connected.

[P1 Senna]

Originally posted by mono-posto
The problem is that you also need a Digital TV which can be quite expensive.

mono-posto - do you know this for a fact?? I really can't imagine that the true HDTV digital is required, and that it is very wide spread in the countries that are now getting to enjoy Bernievision. The Bakersville article also said that "the technology is there for others (countries) to have it - the U.K. is an example - but its adoption is being blocked by commercial issues."

I interpret that to mean opposition by traditional broadcasters, but maybe I'm wrong. Also, I have digital television from Time Warner, with a non-digital set. And the picture and sound quality IS better.

Anyone know how to reach Formula One Management to ask these questions??

[david_martin]

I think a few people have got their wires crossed here (no puns intended ).

The digital refers to the transmission method - you have a digital decoder/set top box and a dish or cable feed into your house. A regular TV is used. The technology is exactly the same as used by broadcasters like Canal+ digital (which you can get in Europe). At the moment it is only available as a pay for view option on a couple of digital pay TV networks in continental Europe.

[P1 Senna]

David - thanks for the info.

[F1Rulz]

See the following thread for a great description of the service http://www.atlasf1.c...p?threadid=7711 I think there is also a article in the Atlas archive on it too. There was a comment somewhere saying since they are showing it at Indy then the compatibility is there; Indy isn't going to install these TV's just for F1 and not use them for there regular races too. I have submitted a couple of requests to my satellite provider to consider this as programming… what the hell they’re trying to sell me Cricket all the time…