TV Coverage SUCKS

[Audi_A4]

it almost put me to sleep last night. Hopefully next season things will change for the better.

[devilmaster]

yeah I don't know what it is. Are they doing it on the cheap so much that they don't have a proper amount of spotters for the TV crew? Is it a director who doesn't know how to direct? Is it Benji who is waffling as the lead guy?

When they showed the the dicing between 6 cars midpack, I was surprised they actually got it on camera.

When Tags lost his brakes and went hard into the runoff retaining wall and tires, the booth crew were joking about losing the camera. Never mind the fact you saw a replay where you could easily see a car go off track at a high rate of speed.....

It seems like the booth crew are missing the simplest things.... And considering the amount of experience this crew has, they shouldn't be missing it.

[Insomniac]

It definitely leaves a lot to be desired. Didn't even get to see Bordais passing when we all complain about the lack of passing, we actually have some on track and miss both live and as a replay. They had cameras covering the whole track, so it seems the only reasonable explanation is a lack of experience for the camera people and the director.

[JoeBob]

I thought the TV was an improvement from Long Beach. Jon in the booth was great, I'll take him over Daly any day of the week, and twice on Sundays. And the lifestyle features didn't interrupt the racing.

Benjamin... could have been better. When he started, I thought he was the best play by play guy we've had... but he's slipping.

For a while, there's been a revolving door in the pits. I like Cameron Steele - but I liked him back when he was doing supercross as well.

If Benjamin steps up, and we get a consistant #2 with Steele, the announce crew will be pretty good. Then it comes down to production values, which is pretty much a "you get what you pay for" deal.

[NismoZ]

I think much of what we notice has more to do with production than announcing. I was hoping a Lingner rumor months ago would materialize, but they do The League for ABC, don't they? My understanding is a lot of cash was saved by cutting corners on the TV deal when TV was supposed to be job #1. Aren't these the same guys who have been doing Atlantics for awhile and now do both? Perhaps mergification can solve some of the cable level problems when we go network! (?) That and Indy have to be the two biggest reasons to even think about a merge. (And getting to see the "other" AJ in the pits again!)

[nrc]

I was baffled by some of the direction. There was action on the track at the front and they'd be lingering on people standing in the pits. When AJ came out in front of the leaders it was critical whether he would pull away or whether the leaders would get by cleanly and the director's showing the PKV trying to get Legge's wing back on so she can go out 15 laps down. They also missed at least a couple of passes near the front.

My theory is that they get so used to snoozers like Long Beach that they don't know how to handle a good race when they have one.

[Kiwifan]

Sounds like you need the Aussie production crew. Seriously. Oh, and someone to wake up and get the signal into NZ. That's all, carry on.... ;)

Rusty.

[devilmaster]

Sounds like you need the Aussie production crew. Seriously. Oh, and someone to wake up and get the signal into NZ. That's all, carry on.... ;)

Rusty.

What is up with that anyways? I always thought the whole aussie/kiwi thing was like two brothers who give nuggies to each other.... Nothing like the Turks and Greeks....... They'll kill each other.... aussies and kiwis is like girl slapping fights compared to them....

You have an aussie who owns the series and he doesn't give the feed to the kiwis..... harsh. ;)

[Kiwifan]

Good point, I'll have words with him (KK) if I can get his ear later in Surfers. ;) Trouble is by then it'll be too late for me! The only way I can see us getting coverage back is if there is a merger or some Kiwi kid lands a seat in Champ Car. Sigh.

Now, back to Aussie bashing..... I gotta give credit where it's due but other than that it's all fair in love and war. :) Sheep shaggers. That better? :)

Rusty.

[dando]

Now, back to Aussie bashing..... I gotta give credit where it's due but other than that it's all fair in love and war. Sheep shaggers. That better? :)

Rusty.
:confused: Go figger. I thought that was a Kiwi occupation?!? :gomer: :p

-Kevin

[Kiwifan]

I did have a girlfriend called Baaaabara once but she wasn't a sheep. ;)

Funny thing but I was having quite a chat to an Aussie today (it's our quiet time) and I was telling him about this thread. He agreed that the Aussie coverage (of the Surfers event) was pretty good as it is for the V8s. He said he thought our NZ coverage of sport was pretty good too (read rugby/league/cricket) so I do wonder why?

Back in the old ESPN days I thought I had died and gone to heaven in racing terms. Some of the camera work was fantastic. Who could forget that rear looking view when the following car, esp on an oval looked like it was hunting down the leading car? I always thought it was like a circling shark for some reason, closer, closer, closer got 'em. What about the shot from the front wing, way down low? So low that it looked like it was only inches from the ground. Do they still do that?

Sadly I haven't seen much over these last two years but SKY NZ did say that the production was one of the reasons why they dropped Champ Cars. Sigh.....

Now back to bagging those Aussie convicts. :) Sorry guys!

Rusty.

[emjaya]

We is just lucky here in Oz,I guess.The people at Channel Ten who have the broadcast rights to CC also do the V8 supercars rounds,so they really have it together when Surfers comes around (most of the time).

Ch 10 also has the F1,Moto Gp and the A1 rights as well,all free-to-air as opposed to pay-tv.Just thought I'd throw that in to rub it in a bit,Rusty. :D

Of course,all this may end next year with Ch 10 buying in the rights to show Aussie rules football.I not sure if they will keep up the motor sports with the football to show. :confused:

Only rugby union playing Australians hate the Kiwi's,something to do with an All Black steamroller. :D

[dando]

Back in the old ESPN days I thought I had died and gone to heaven in racing terms. Some of the camera work was fantastic. Who could forget that rear looking view when the following car, esp on an oval looked like it was hunting down the leading car? I always thought it was like a circling shark for some reason, closer, closer, closer got 'em. What about the shot from the front wing, way down low? So low that it looked like it was only inches from the ground. Do they still do that?

You mean back in the daze before ESPN become the MTV of sports? :shakehead

Outside of a few races last season, you could almost count yourself lucky you don't see this cr@p. :( :saywhat:

I wandered down memory road last weekend and watched Super Speedway again for the first time in quite awhile. Man, I miss those days in the mid-90s...outside of the havoc that **** 3 hours west of us here in Cbus wrought. :flame:

-Kevin

[JohnHKart]

Great they went to commercial and we didn't even see the start of the first lap. I swear the blonde bimbo did not even know what a race car was until the friday of Long Beach weekend. She's a total waste of space and she's sort of hot until she starts talking. Edit...and I just know after I wrote that,somebody's going to reply that she's Dan Gurney's daughter or something. There's no way.

John

[Audi_A4]

OMG was it boring again today .. like watching paint dry :confused:

[Insomniac]

OMG was it boring again today .. like watching paint dry :confused:

The race or coverage? I thought the coverage was quite an improvement. I wonder if PT was real mad after the race, surprisingly, they had 30 minutes of post race and didn't interview him.

[jonovision_man]

Coverage was fine, race was really decent, nice to see someone challenge Bourdais even if Wilson and AJ ended up fading by the end.

Ranger is 5th in the championship? :thumbup:

jono

[dando]

Best broadcast thus far, but that's like claiming to be the tallest dwarf.

-Kevin

[Anteater]

I thought the coverage was much better overall this week. Also, having Race Director on while viewing the TV broadcast really adds to the whole experience!

Sure was cool that there was actually time for interviews with many drivers post-race! :thumbup:

[FanofMario]

Pretty good coverage IMO. I do wish Mr. Benjamin would go back to Hooter's Cup Races though.

[cameraman]

That was the best coverage in a very long time.

They still need to lose the sound effects linked with the graphics coming in.

And there is too much graphics stuff coming in.

And there was no life styles garbage :thumbup:

So I'd say they are improving.

[nrc]

OMG was it boring again today .. like watching paint dry :confused:

Huh? I thought it was a pretty entertaining race. Good clean racing, lead changes, passing on the track, the winner in question through most of the race... not a bad race by any standard.

[mueber]

If you guy don't stop complaining, they're gonna pair Paul Page with Derrik Daly. shutter

[KLang]

I haven't watched the Houston broadcast yet but I was pleased with yesterdays coverage. They seemed to cover most of the on track action.

Good clean race. When was the last time we went an entire race with only one yellow?

[G.]

Huge improvement. Only thing that I really wanted to see was at the beginning, Legge picked up quite a few spots. Would've been nice to see those passes, but otherwise, much better than before.

(2 yellows, klang)

[KLang]

(2 yellows, klang)

Don't think so, just the debris yellow on lap 24. The commentary is still available in RD.

[Insomniac]

I haven't watched the Houston broadcast yet but I was pleased with yesterdays coverage. They seemed to cover most of the on track action.

Good clean race. When was the last time we went an entire race with only one yellow?

It seems like forever, but I think there was one last year. It was nice a debris caution only took 2 laps (would it be just one if they decided not to open the pits?).

[rabbit]

I thought yesterday's coverage was decent, but lacking in a couple places. One, they never noticed Wilson's wicker bill coming loose. And two, in the post-race interviews they never asked SeaBass about the near run-in with Will Power with five laps to go.