HD Formula One to kick off in 2010

[andrew]

Bernie Ecclestone is certainly good at what he does, but it is in a very narrow field - F1 only.

Makes no difference to me if F1 is in HD, 3D, or if I can watch it on t'internet using a blueberry. I can see the picture perfectly well on my 5 years old 14" TV and I don't intend buying a new one soon!

But I guess a lot of people want the new gadgets and toys for whatever reason so he probably is smart waiting until the HD demand is big enough in the areas where F1 is watched the most to warrant going down this route.

[andrew]

That's some colour scheme!



mx_tifosi and his technicolour BMW!

Sorry off topic I know.

[WhiteBlue]

Bernie lost a ton of money experimenting with digital pay TV in the early days. The investment was too early to meet sufficient customer demand and he burned his fingers on that venture.

Second aspect is that he sells a unique product in a monopoly. Nobody else can offer F1 in HDTV.

So now he simply sits on the fence until the pressure is so great on the TV stations to improve quality that they agree to pay his higher expenses for going to full HDTV format. It sucks for the fans but the old bugger doesn't care about that when it comes to money.

[Dukeage]

But I guess a lot of people want the new gadgets and toys for whatever reason so he probably is smart waiting until the HD demand is big enough in the areas where F1 is watched the most to warrant going down this route.

HDTV isn't "the new gadget", it's more or less the standard now. Most BBC1 programming is commissioned in HD now (of course, things on the minor channels and regional things are currently SDTV).

[Giblet]

Bernie Ecclestone is certainly good at what he does, but it is in a very narrow field - F1 only.

Makes no difference to me if F1 is in HD, 3D, or if I can watch it on t'internet using a blueberry. I can see the picture perfectly well on my 5 years old 14" TV and I don't intend buying a new one soon!

But I guess a lot of people want the new gadgets and toys for whatever reason so he probably is smart waiting until the HD demand is big enough in the areas where F1 is watched the most to warrant going down this route.

You are in the minority, most people I know under 40 have HD sets and canappreciate higher quality images.

[rich1701]

I think the answer is no. He is not waiting for 3d. I don't think he has even thought of doing a test screening on it because he feels it will never be mainstream. And to be honest it won't be. It is an optional fad. If it takes off with football which is far from certain then he might take a look at it.

But at the very best It will be layered 2d images on top of each other taking away fine detail by blurring the overall image. It will never be "full blown" 3d as with avatar.

Incidentally the quality of the BBC SD feed is exceptionally good when compared with Japanese HD 720p broadcasts and leaps and bounds ahead of ITV's pixelated feed pre 2008. So as much as I want f1 in HD I can wait, and so can Bernie.

[Giblet]

I think the answer is no. He is not waiting for 3d. I don't think he has even thought of doing a test screening on it because he feels it will never be mainstream. And to be honest it won't be. It is an optional fad. If it takes off with football which is far from certain then he might take a look at it.

But at the very best It will be layered 2d images on top of each other taking away fine detail by blurring the overall image. It will never be "full blown" 3d as with avatar.

Incidentally the quality of the BBC SD feed is exceptionally good when compared with Japanese HD 720p broadcasts and leaps and bounds ahead of ITV's pixelated feed pre 2008. So as much as I want f1 in HD I can wait, and so can Bernie.

720 is meh at best. 1080 NASCAR is epic. When CDs came out many were still happy with casettes. F1 needs to play catchup with broadcast quality to almost all other sports. A good sd feed is no longer good enough. Pinnacle needs pinnacle.

[RacingManiac]

All US/Canadian sports can be viewed in 1080i/720p, and all looks spectacular. NASCAR is amazing to look at in HD, even if the racing is boring. The entire Olympic this year was in HD and it even made curling a compelling event to watch. F1 needs HD.....

3D is not going mainstream until they figure out how to do it without glasses, trying out one of those in the store and I can't imagine wanting to sit in front of the TV wearing that goofy thing for any duration of time...

[andrew]

You are in the minority, most people I know under 40 have HD sets and canappreciate higher quality images.

Have to say I don't know anyone with a HD TV. I don't really see the point as I can see the pictures perfectly well on a regular TV but each to their own. Higher quality images are fine as long as there are high quality programme!

[ecapox]

Have to say I don't know anyone with a HD TV. I don't really see the point as I can see the pictures perfectly well on a regular TV but each to their own. Higher quality images are fine as long as there are high quality programme!

If you do not know anyone with an HD TV, it is safe to say that you have never seen an HD program. Maybe you wont like it enough to purchase one for yourself, but if you have seen a race or a National Geographic show in HD, you surely wouldnt be making the comments above.

[JamesS]

You are in the minority, most people I know under 40 have HD sets and canappreciate higher quality images.

Have to say I don't know anyone with a HD TV. I don't really see the point as I can see the pictures perfectly well on a regular TV but each to their own. Higher quality images are fine as long as there are high quality programme!

Some poor friends you have there.

Even my Grandad has a HD TV! Sure, he doesn't know it isn't HD, as he doesn't have a source for any HD content. But he's happy enough believing in his final days!

[mx_tifoso]

Some poor friends you have there.

That's a pretty rude and inconsiderate thing to say wouldn't you agree? Sometimes thinking things over just once isn't enough.

Anyways, I have an HDTV and with HD programing it's just great. Anyone who hasn't seen the combo before is really amazed once they do.


Should I merge this thread into the previous HDTV thread since there isn't much talk about 3D?

[andrew]

You are in the minority, most people I know under 40 have HD sets and canappreciate higher quality images.

Have to say I don't know anyone with a HD TV. I don't really see the point as I can see the pictures perfectly well on a regular TV but each to their own. Higher quality images are fine as long as there are high quality programme!

Some poor friends you have there.

Even my Grandad has a HD TV! Sure, he doesn't know it isn't HD, as he doesn't have a source for any HD content. But he's happy enough believing in his final days!

So sorry that I don't earn enough yet, but I have other financial commitments right now and buying a TV that is the size of my living room window and makes the tea at tea time is not really far up my list of priorities.

I don't have a source of HD either unless I get Sky or something but for all the TV I watch, it ain't worth it.

As long as F1 is still on bog standard TV then I'm not worried if it is HD or whatever. It is surely only a matter of time until it is on all formats, but it will be dependant on how many people have HD and 3D TVs.

[rjsa]

Average Joe's own sight is not as good as the difference between HDTV and SDTV. 0.5 myopia in day to day life is much the same as SDTV.

And we have been dealing with Not The Same Color Twice for over 40 years now. We even chose VHS over Betamax.

It will be a slow migration to HDTV all around. I still don't have a single set. But I do have a 27"iMac. It's not that I don't like big hidef screens, it's that it does not make a difference from 2 meters for me.

[Giblet]

Whether you or your friends have HDTV's is irrelevant, and pointless to discuss. I can listen to AM radio and still hear the song, but I don't hear the hiss of the cymbals, the roll of the bass, the stereo separation, and the vocal subtleties that I can on FM. The experience is far better on FM, as it is on HD.

Something Bernie should understand, which surprises me actually, is that smaller ads can be read and seen in HD. Trackside advertising exposure and advertising on the vehicles can be seen when the car is 4 times smaller on the screen. You can see the word "Red Bull" on HD long before the words come into focus on a standard definition set.

This would increase value for sponsors, potentially bringing more companies to the sport. I would be mroe hesitant to sponsor a 6 inch 1 foot by advert on a car in SD, but in HD at least I know the average 30+ inch HD set can see it all the time.

EDIT: YEs MX, I think you should merge the threads. 3D tv is too far away for any useful debate at this time.