Have a read of this - https://web.archive.org/web/20081204...le.asp?id=5344

From other articles i've just read, it seems ITV were paying on an ad hoc basis to show quailfying live (outside of their regular contact), and they didn't pay in time for the 1999 French GP.

Agree re more races from 97-00 should be shown. There have been a few, but not loads.

Re Europe 99, I actually have that on DVD. There's a website somewhere on the net (can't remember what it is though) where you can buy full races on DVD.

Why wait for Sky to show the 1999 French Gp when you can watch the best broadcast of that race already

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvi...ce-part-1_auto
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xvi...ce-part-2_auto

And the qualifying session:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao8rTAIlS5M
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xou...g-onboard_auto

I'm hoping that (providing all the sources are available of course), that whenever FOM introduce their own in-house archive package, for the F1Digital Races, they'll emulate the original multi-screen experience, so you'll be able to pick from the original 6-8 channels (plus they could throw in the Analogue World Feed & onboard mix in there for good measure too), with a choice of what audio to listen to (one of the above channels, a mix of them, plus different commentary tracks - all synced up). I mean, that would be sweet. I'd pay for that - especially if they pulled out all the stops & made available all the commentary (UK, US, TV & Radio) they could too.

If they have raw team radio, they could even produce an isolated team-radio track, maybe to sync in with whoever's on the onboard feed at the time perhaps?

I'm sure FOM actually trialed this at I think the 2009 Chinese Grand Prix, but none of the broadcasters took it up. But it would be easy to re-create for the 97-02 F1Digital stuff now assuming they have all the footage & audio.

And lets not forget Premiere's additional Germany-only feeds from 2003-2008 I think. Which won't have been seen in ages.

Even for the pre-F1 Digital stuff, weren't FOM producing a dedicated onboard channel for the host broadcaster to cut into whenever he wanted an onboard shot? That would be cool to have running simultaenously with the analogue feed too. Plus for those races that had one off feeds (like the local 16:9 experiments in Australia & Belgium for example before 2007), it would be ace if they could put those up...

Australia ran 16:10 in 2003, I know because I've got a copy of it.

It will always lift my spirits to see a Jordan winning! Surprisingly the trophy that year was actually made in Ireland by Waterford Crystal. Saw the replica in the showrooms a few years ago - They always made a few of their "One-Offs"(!) in case there is a mishap!!

Thanks! Bizarre all round!


Same. The oldy graphics left a gap of an inch or so at either end of the screen. Also Channel Ten then, in their first grand prix, did a ITV and went to a break just before the Montoya spin/DC took the lead in latter stages.

From memory and what I have on my Sky box...

Hungary 1997
Hungary 1998
Belgium 1998
Japan 1998
Australia 1999
Austria 1999
Canada 1999
Malaysia 1999 (I think)
Germany 2000
Belgium 2000
Japan 2000

I have a feeling there was another race from 1997 broadcast, one from earlier in the season - maybe Argentina - but not sure if that was one I youtubed and have got confused. And I've probably missed a few others.

Really? I went there last year and didn't notice it!

Love Schumacher looking into the camera at 52:50.


Yep, Malaysia 99 was one of them. Schumacher's first race back since his leg-break.

They were unable to show Austria qualifying live either apparently.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/5599

Just imagine the debate and outrage in this thread if something like that happened nowadays.

It was out in the old showroom which closed a few years back. They used to have in on display with a huge picture behind it of Eddie showing off the Trophy. I didn't see it last year in the new one! Not sure where it is now

Hope you enjoyed your visit to my neck of the woods!

I remember when the Australian host broadcaster (Ch. 9 or 10) started their own "widescreen" broadcast, back in 2001, and I wondered "Why do the onboard shots (when we were lucky to get the odd 10 second per race clip on FTA back then) looked "zoomed in"?" And me with a traditional 4:3 Tv and not understanding "widescreen" back in them days (still had analogue so wouldn't have got the widescreen image even if I had a 16:9 Tv). They just basically went the cheapskate way, took the 4:3 picture and cropped it to make it a "widescreen" image, and we all saw what effect that has on an image, when FOM did the same with the onboards from 2007, crop and zoom = pixelated fuzzy image

This thread would go into meltdown, nevermind things like Twitter etc!

Yep...I can hear it already

"What have you done with my instant gratification?..Give it Back to me NOW

Jp

From memory a deal was agreed at the very last minute before the German GP so qualifying was shown live as a late change to the schedules.

Yes, it was for their local broadcast as they were the host broadcasters. According to Wikipedia:

I would imagine they got the 16:10 portion for the analogue feed by cutting off a portion of the 16:9 feed at the sides - I guess because they felt that 16:9 in a 4:3 window with black bars would be too much.

Onboard picture breakup seems to be even worse than usual this weekend.

Regarding the 16:10/16:9 graphics for Australia 2001-2003, it seems that digital viewers got a true 16:9 feed, and anlogue viewers got that feed in a 4:3 window (analogue is 4:3 only) with black-bars on the top, but instead of showing the true 16:9 feed within that 4:3 window, they zoomed-in a bit creating a 16:10 image within that 4:3 window, which means the image was cut off at the sides. I hope this makes sense:

http://i.imgur.com/QLu1qDa.png

It's odd that they've zoomed the 16:9 feed in to 16:10 though. I know in Europe at the same time, if you were doing something like that, the standard was to zoom into 14:9 (which i've also marked on there - but as you can see that only loses a few more pixels). personally I don't see why they couldn't just have the full 16:9 image in the 4:3 frame (as shown on the red portion).

Not surprised, it's an enclosed street circuit surrounded by lots of man-made structures, along with local electricity & tram systems running throughout the place.

Irish Virgin Media customers are completely locked out of the Singapore Grand Prix this weekend. Sky coverage is on SSF1 only which is not available on Virgin Media and no sharing with other channels, including Mix which Virgin were heralding as the replacement for Eir Sport.

Is Eir Sport not available on Virgin Media then? Technically i'm surprised Sky Sports Mix is allowed to broadcast Sky's F1 coverage in Ireland as don't Eir Sport have exclusive rights there?

In relation to your first question Virgin pulled the Eir Sport package (2 Eir channels 1 free to basic and all BT Sports channels) as they were looking for a reduction in the broadcasting rights owning to the loss of 3pm EPL games to Sky Sports.
Eir wouldn't play ball so Virgin pulled the channels and replaced Eir Sport 1 105 EPG position with Sky Sports mix.
Eir is the only Irish channel showing F1 however Sky Sports F1 is available to Sky TV customers in Ireland for a subscription.

Over on Eir Sports, FP2 coverage wasn't aired until overnight due to the Paralympics. Catching up with my recording and the session started with Karun Chandok and Tony Dodgens in the commentary box as Ben Edwards was in the paddock chasing the new shareholders.