[LM24] Eurosport coverage (Closed - Use 'TV and Streaming' Thread)

[Piglet]

I quite like enthusiastic commentary and I like to hear the emotion in a commentator's voice. TBH though I didn't hear much of that on ES today, other than from Liz who was clearly buzzing at times which was nice to listen to.

[rdjones]

I had the RLM commentary in the whole way through but I did have Eurosport on but on mute so I have no idea what there commentary as like. However I have 2 things to say one good one bad....first the bad why so many ad breaks, but the picture quality in HD was outstanding.

[deggis]

Originally Posted by tux

however the most frustrating element of the coverage is the tv direction. Im pretty much certain Eurosport have no control over the pictures we see so its not really their fault but the direction of the cameras during the Lietz v Mucke battle was ITV worthy.

I agree. Someone else mentioned on another forum that it was Eurosport's guy doing the directing, but that would be still irrelevant since it has been like this the previous years too. And is most often in WEC too. Missing battles, the endless long pitstops and Ullrich faces, totally random 3-second onboard segments. Most of the time it's just so predictable, the pitsopts, pitstops, pitstops and the few same track cameras, but then when something suddenly happens it becomes so random. It's like sometimes the camera direction goes on to a shuffle mode or something.

Like I said, 20 hours into the race and first time I saw the pedal cam in the Porsche. And also some other new, previously unseen or at least very rarely seen camera angles from the chicanes appeared in the final hours. And then direction turned immediately to showing 100th completely standard pitstop for random car x.

[Woolley]

Originally Posted by rdjones

I had the RLM commentary in the whole way through but I did have Eurosport on but on mute so I have no idea what there commentary as like. However I have 2 things to say one good one bad....first the bad why so many ad breaks, but the picture quality in HD was outstanding.

Pretty much the same. Just wish I could have found better live timing. The Michelin site kept failing to load and the Le Mans official one had the live picture streaming which interfered with the bandwidth I needed for RLM.

[deggis]

Originally Posted by Woolley

Pretty much the same. Just wish I could have found better live timing. The Michelin site kept failing to load and the Le Mans official one had the live picture streaming which interfered with the bandwidth I needed for RLM.

A bit late now, but there was: http://thomasbaekdal.com/browsercache/chronos.html

[TWRv12]

Originally Posted by tux

What id really like to see of course is the RLM radio coverage used as the commentary for the tv pictures.

Better to have a choice

[Peat]

As i have said, i am loathed to complain too much because i don't want to look a gifthorse in the mouth. I love that they broadcast the whole race.

However, we all b!tch about the comms, fine. My enthusiasm must for the race must have rubbed off on a few friends because they tried to watch bits and peices when they could during the week/weekend. These are people that don't watch much more than F1 and may have been thier first dalliance with sportscars.

All of them, without question, said to me (via social media/text etc) "God, these commentators are annoying, aren't they?" Or words to that effect.

I would of course refer them to RLM, which i defaulted to before the end of the first lap when Haven & Halliday started arguing over the identification of the Toyota's. *sigh*

[chunder]

My weekend plans ended up being turned on their head, so I watched a few hours, and to be honest apart from Kirby who I think is the most talentless oik to ever pick up a microphone, and they all know it to but seem to put up with it and correct him endlessly, I quite enjoyed listening to them.

They were all a bit over excited at the beginning, but it must be their yearly highlight so fair enough.

But most of the info was informative and seriously it must be hard to waffle on about stuff.

My biggest gripe was the race tv director who seemed tainted by the modern sports directors disease of looking at pit people instead of track action, and leaving the big action for a look at Audis changing tyres! Pathetic tv directorship if you ask me.

The pit reporters were also a bit too concerned with getting interviews without really understanding that because of Allan, noone really wanted to talk much, that should have been obvious from anyone with a heart and they should have been told to quit the interviews as it got a bit embarassing.

But as I say these are minor issues, overall I enjoyed the coverage, and when I learned of Allans situation, the only person who spoke of it was guess who, Kirby! I was watching for over an hour at one point just after the news broke and none mentioned it. Fair play.

I even got a bit emotional at the end watching Tom and you could tell they did too which was lovely.

[Peat]

Originally Posted by chunder

My biggest gripe was the race tv director who seemed tainted by the modern sports directors disease of looking at pit people instead of track action, and leaving the big action for a look at Audis changing tyres! Pathetic tv directorship if you ask me.

Ok, i'll bite. Totally agree.
I couldn't believe they started with the ubiquitous endless pit shots of the Audi honcho's while there was still very much a race going on. It was like they couldn't stray from the 'formula'.(Like F1's lap 3 start replay-athon followed by replays of the stuff you missed while watching the replays) But let's be honest - Audi pretty much pay for the entire event. There is probably certain stipulations that mean they have to show X amount of Dr.Ulrich plus random board member in the final hour.

Originally Posted by chunder

I even got a bit emotional at the end watching Tom and you could tell they did too which was lovely.

Yeah, i was a gone'er. The last 10 minutes of RLM coverage had me in floods of tears. Silly really. I watched back the Eurosport and noted that Haven was very much a gone'er too. He deserves a good kip.

I just...........love this race.

[rdjones]

Oh yes and one other thing Eurosport seemed to show a bit too much of McDreamy in the first part of the week...

[chunder]

I guess Demspey was involved with Eurosport to get the coverage and possibly some funding for the race, it wasnt his team remember, he just cadged off of Felbermayer, and part of the deal of him being there would be increased coverage I guess. The event is hosted by Eurosport coverage wise I think, and theya re French so probably brokered and helped with the deal

Just a bit frustrating coverage wise, and thank God the guys knew what was going on in the pits as the coverage would leave you with no idea! Especially the GT battle which was superb in the latter stages with the rain.

Did anyone else feel a bit sick when Ickx kept saying Adam instead of Allan, I hate to say it but blimey that was a shocker. Genuine error I guess.

[midgetman]

I streamed RLM onto my Android phone via the Tunein Radio ap, and it was great both on wifi and 3G. I also managed to get Eurosprot on my phone at work.

Hey, it's not perfect but a long, long way better than the Le Mans-less-ness we used to have.

[bernard b]

Originally Posted by chunder

Did anyone else feel a bit sick when Ickx kept saying Adam instead of Allan, I hate to say it but blimey that was a shocker.

felt shocked too earing that...

[Martin90]

I always listen to RLM and archive the race with Eurosport commentary. It's not the best available (RLM is, imo), but can't really complain. What I did hate on Eurosport was the way it was directed, which was, in my view without any competence whatsoever. In the first qualifying session, everyone knows we'll see fast laps in the first fifteen minutes, especially with the weather circumstances of last week. Duval is on his first flying lap, ES cuts away to a pit interview with Liz (worst timing ever) and misses the first pole effort. Second lap, they move to commercial breaks only to return to find out Duval has taken pole i.e. ES misses the two fastest laps in qualifying. That's just ridiculous and would have been so easy to both predict and avoid.

[deggis]

Originally Posted by chunder

Did anyone else feel a bit sick when Ickx kept saying Adam instead of Allan, I hate to say it but blimey that was a shocker. Genuine error I guess.

Didn't notice it live, but you're correct: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x11...ns-podium_auto

[pof762]

At least British Eurosport showed more of the race than Speedtv did. Speedtv was really into themselves with interviews instead of showing the race. I was streaming British Eurosport on the laptop along with the corvette onboard.

[Paradise City]

I watched and listened to Eurosport unless the unbearable CK made an appearance then over to RLM hoping I dodged the Nissan plug. Taking a fairer view, I think RLM integrated the Nissan sponsorship to their broadcast much better this year.

There used to more onboards available online but I did enjoy sitting with Corvettes, the Manthey cars and with the leading Audi.

[Gingers4Justice]

I'm starting to warm to Carlton Kirby a little bit after realising that he's a real-life Alan Partridge. I'm beginning to wonder if he's a parody of himself...

I've just started watching the night time coverage that my mum recorded for me, and it included this absolute Partridge-esque humdinger:

"Ben Green says err "Hello from a back tent in the garden in the UK, loving the coverage"...I, er, presume Ben you're actually pretending that you're camping here at Le Mans...if you've got your headphones in then I er...suppose that could probably work... "please could you say hi to my dad Steve Green"... that's not the Steve Green I went to university with I hope.. um, if so, apologies for being very unwell in his er......Talbot Lotus all those years ago, haha....it was a big night! We'll take a break, we've got a big night here as well, and we'll be back with you after these short messages - stay with us".

CLASSIC Carlton Partridge.

[Paradise City]

Carlton Kirby sober is something to behold. Carlton Kirby, at night, at LeMans, dizzy with the tiredness is an all new phenomena.

[Simmi]

Carlton has also gained notoriety in cycling circles. Watch this vid of him almost fainting calling a finish. Hilarious bit of comms with CK in full flight - http://youtu.be/3ru3vGR8nck?t=6m30s

[Simmi]

Have to say the first hour of Eurosport coverage (watching it back now) was an absolute shambles.

Martin Haven speculating there was only one safety car out on the track. Look out of your window mate. Cars stopped at the end of pitlane waiting for the next train - "oh there's a lack of understanding about what to do under the safety car". In the comms box there is! I'm guessing someone's already had that rant.

[vincegail]

Just watched the 1 hour summary/overview of the 24 hours and it was an hour I wish I could get back somehow. What a complete waste of audiowaves that commentator was, as was the editing in combination with the ad ad breaks.
-Apparently Wurz drove an opentop coupe in his first year at Le Mans...
-Ad breaks appearing in the middle of a sente...




sentence... But this was how it was! Disgrace!

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Have to say the first hour of Eurosport coverage (watching it back now) was an absolute shambles.

Martin Haven speculating there was only one safety car out on the track. Look out of your window mate. Cars stopped at the end of pitlane waiting for the next train - "oh there's a lack of understanding about what to do under the safety car". In the comms box there is! I'm guessing someone's already had that rant.

They must've been commentating back in Paris? But then Liz Halliday was in and out of the box/pitlane so that can't be it. I remember switching over to Eurosport and CK merrily talking about the one hour red flag at the start of the race - switched back to RLM as quick as die when I heard that I can tell you.

[Martin90]

Originally Posted by Simmi

Carlton has also gained notoriety in cycling circles. Watch this vid of him almost fainting calling a finish. Hilarious bit of comms with CK in full flight - http://youtu.be/3ru3vGR8nck?t=6m30s

How about this from Le Mans last year. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhzhdv9KjU0

He even went crazy in the lead battle, the shouting is so annoying.

[ArnageWRC]

I suppose we have to be grateful for their coverage - but it could be miles better! Not sure about the new ACO/ Eurosport deal myself.
Also, could do with some mainstream highlight shows as well.