Classic British Flight Sim

Hi Chaps,

Has anyone noticed the latest set of TV ad's from BT for their sport channel? I've seen the current one a few times (haven't we all!!) but the gravity of it hadn't sunk in. Among the clips is one of MotoGP so, I did a quick Google and found an article in MCN stating that BT Sport had successfully bid for exclusive MotoGP coverage over the next 5 years I don't recall anything being said on Auntie Beeb at the end of the season and I don't watch Eurosport (the other broadcaster to lose out) so this has come as something of a shock.

What does all this mean? Well.. I guess it means no more MotoGP on terrestrial (read Freeview) for the next 5 years and as I don't have BT Broadband and am not about to pay around £11pm for the sport channel.. it means no more MotoGP for me and wifey (she's a huge fan) for the next 5 years.

Yours aye
Disgusted of Pelsall

It's happened here too, Dave.

Not just the Moto GP, but full coverage including qualifying sessions for Moto 2 and 3 and their predecessors have been broadcast free on Italia 1, which is one of Silvio's channels, for as long as I've lived here. From next season it will only be available here on Sky sport and whilst I do have Sky I don't pay for the sport channel. I might consider paying the extra if there wasn't another problem.
My misses is not a big motorcycle racing fan. This hasn't been a problem when I can watch it on the second TV, but it doesn't have Sky. So I'd also have to pay for a second sky box. Do I want to pay two extra subscriptions just to watch the bike racing? No.

The only ray of light is that Italia 1 do still have the World Superbike championship and coverage of that should improve. They acquired WSBK a couple of years ago beating another freeview channel. It gets second billing when the two championships had races on the same weekend. Honestly the racing in SBK has been more exciting over the last two or three years.

Jon

Yes, this was declared months ago, but kept very quiet.

It explains why the coverage of MotoGP was quietly pushed further and further away from mainstream attention in the latter stages of the season (very much like the standard of Formula 1 coverage on the beeb plummeted on their dastardly deed of handing it to Sky) and the time given to it, as well as standards in general, dropped.

I think they didn't want people getting interested (especially considering the growing British talent in the sport) and then finding it was yet another sport to fall by the wayside as far as 'free' viewing and the BBC are concerned.

There was a lot of fuss made, but only on biking sites - and let's face it, who takes much notice of those and has clout?

If you want to pay 200 Euros, you can watch it all over the internet on the MotoGP website - but not many will want to go down that route. Then there's BT - but who, except religous followers of the sport, are going to switch to them just for MotoGP coverage. Especially when the main aim of their sports coverage will be given over to football (sorry - no interest). No-one seems to know exactly what their coverage will consist of and who will be presenting and commentating, either. I think most people are holding out some hope of a last ditch deal for a freeview channel to show the race highlights, like C4 and ITV have done with BSB and SBK/WSB.

It makes me laugh so much (through my teeth) as this hokey-pokey government of clueless half-wits (and that includes the lot of them - opposition as well) keep harping on about bringing sport into the home and legacies and all that hype, whilst they allow us to be continually deprived of it and available only to those who can afford the ridiculous amounts charged each month by Sky (or Virgin) - and then to have to put up with endless adverts and repeats for their hard-earned - let alone allowing a person of extremely dubious character own and get rich on the thing. Mind you - they are probably all pals.

Sorry - probably preaching to the converted, but it makes me rather sick and angry. A bit like their "Britain at the forefront of technology" bull. Are you kidding me? And don't get me started on healthy food and drink...

By the way, my brother is an administartor at Openreach/BT and has offered me a full BT package of broadband and their TV etc for free - not a penny to pay.

I told him 'no, thanks!'. Wouldn't touch 'em with a barge pole.


BTW, Dave - if I hear of any way to get to see the races, I'll let you know

Hi Gents,

Ditto that J0hn because i have looked on British Eurosport site to see if they are going to show Moto GP recorded [like they have done with the main race as the Beeb always showed that live] and have not been able to find an answer as yet.

I am on Sky but i am not going to pay BT . i think it's bloody outrageous myself and there is nothing we can do about it, as usual Money talks,

Cheers,

Roger.

Okay, I am now in a position to watch not only free to air MotoGP (on two different channels, no less) but all of the F1 races live, too.

Having lived in Deutschland for nearly 20 years, I knew all I had to do was find out how to receive their TV channels to get this sorted. I found out a friend of mine did the same thing all this year (his wife is half-deutsch).

You need to either buy a satellite kit - that's FreeSat - for about £100 new, or much cheaper from the likes of ebay or car boot sales (again, my mate did well, with it costing him £25 from ebay, including hard drive recording) or use one you already have. Must be digital, mind, as the analogue stuff has all gone.

You then need to point your dish towards Astra 1 - which is on 19.2E - and find RTL - it doesn't matter which one, mine is tuned to RTL CH (Switzerland) - they all show it. RTL on other satellites is encrypted, so no use. When you tune it in, it might very well say that the channel is encrypted on Astra 1 - but it isn't.

That's F1 sorted, then. Okay - it's commentary is in German, but even if you don't speak the lingo, you get to see it, and you could always listen to 5 Live (but you'll hear what happens before you see it - so record both and start them at the same time, if you are fussy!).

For MotoGP, there are a couple of options - also with German commentary, but again, better than nought.

For this you need to tune to the same satellite, and get either ORF+sports, which is more likely called AustriaSAT, or find Sport1 - which is what used to be DSF in Germany - that shows all the races live. They are both on Astra 1, too.

Don't know which way to point your dish? Find that out on this excellent website:

http://www.uksatellitehelp.co.uk/2007/0 ... ulator-v2/

or here:

http://www.dishpointer.com/

Stick your location and the satellite you want to receive in the boxes and a satellite image will open, showing you all the details.

You can move the pointer so it is directly over your house (and even the side your dish is mounted on) if you like. It will give you the elevation and bearing in magnetic degrees, so it's made simple.

By the way - if you also tune into ZDF (German second channel) you can watch other stuff, too, such as the DTM.

have fun, and a happy new, sporting 2014!

DaveB wrote:Hi Chaps,

I guess it means no more MotoGP on terrestrial (read Freeview) for the next 5 years

Did I ever mention how much I loathe sport of any type??

Yes you did actually

I only watched one 'sport' on TV and MotoGP was it

ATB
DaveB

Seriously mate....Sorry I couldn't resist ...It's not fair to move evreything across. A lot of folks look forward to major events on the free channels.

Many can't justify the expense to watch the odd event and in the case of older people they just can't afford it.

It just panders to the greatest money and forgets or probably just doesn't care about the devout followers.

The specilised channels have loads of time to fill bringing stuff that will excite many but is not National peak time viewing for the majority.

It's got now that terrestial is just a third class service even though in the UK it has to be paid for....IT'S NOT FREE.

Only the British can supply some free that you need to pay for....there are also the Sat papers that cost twice as much as the week day editions because they have free TV guides in them