Trackside 1 & 2 now in HD!

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tangerz

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#154693 4-Nov-2014 17:40

Looks like just in time for this years Melbourne Cup, Sky has started broadcasting Trackside 1 & 2 in HD.

Looks like it's permanent too, not just a one-off.

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#1168708 4-Nov-2014 18:05

So amazing. I watch Trackside all the time... not.

kharris

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#1169082 5-Nov-2014 10:10

saeran: So amazing. I watch Trackside all the time... not.

Thanks for your input.... very useful.

This upgrade will be good news for those that are interested in horse racing.

Kirk

Inphinity

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#1169095 5-Nov-2014 10:19

Insert terrible joke about getting a better view of horses dying... on a more relevant note, didn't realise Trackside still had a dedicated channel, let alone two. I thought it was just airing on Prime when a 'major' event was on?

tangerz

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#1169169 5-Nov-2014 11:48

Yeah Trackside has been going all this time. I remember watching it when it used to alternate with Discovery on Sky UHF.

There have been two racing channels on Sky for a few years now, (Trackside and TAB TV) but they were relaunched as Trackside 1 & Trackside 2 back in August.

Number of HD channels on Sky is creeping up now at 18 (including TV One, TV2 & TV3 and only counting the four permanent Sky Sport channels 1-4) I know a number of people will bemoan the fact it wasn't Nat Geo and Discovery that got the HD treatment. But still, at least Sky are moving in the right direction.

old3eyes

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#1169190 5-Nov-2014 12:21

kharris:
saeran: So amazing. I watch Trackside all the time... not.

Thanks for your input.... very useful.

This upgrade will be good news for those that are interested in horse racing.

I'm quite sure a lot of those who are interested in horse racing gave up when it went behind a pay wall. Going HD is just rubbing salt into the wound..

Regards,

Old3eyes

Dingbatt

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#1169198 5-Nov-2014 12:32

I guess the difference is the TAB provides their 'product' to Sky free of charge so the only cost to Sky is a bit of bandwidth. HD for Discovery or History programs would probably involve price increase.

The ultimate way to test is to put the HD racing channels on a separate subscription to the base one (like Rialto or Soho) and see how keen the punters really are....

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

Spyware

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#1169200 5-Nov-2014 12:35

Salt in whose wound, at least the channels are now watchable (most actual race feeds are actually still SD, even Melbourne Cup looked SD but all the mpeg2 macroblocks have gone). NZ Racing Board chose to go with the least expensive transmission means that allowed HD channels and in process added value to Sky, win win really.

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afe66

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#1169215 5-Nov-2014 12:50

Can they move the shopping channels to separate charging band too.

A.

old3eyes

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#1169287 5-Nov-2014 15:03

Spyware: Salt in whose wound, at least the channels are now watchable (most actual race feeds are actually still SD, even Melbourne Cup looked SD but all the mpeg2 macroblocks have gone). NZ Racing Board chose to go with the least expensive transmission means that allowed HD channels and in process added value to Sky, win win really.

Win Win for who?? certainly not the little old ladies who used to watch it over the air but can't now and can't afford Sky let alone a MySky with HD..

Regards,

Old3eyes

benokobi

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#1171546 9-Nov-2014 00:36

tangerz: Yeah Trackside has been going all this time. I remember watching it when it used to alternate with Discovery on Sky UHF.

There have been two racing channels on Sky for a few years now, (Trackside and TAB TV) but they were relaunched as Trackside 1 & Trackside 2 back in August.

Number of HD channels on Sky is creeping up now at 18 (including TV One, TV2 & TV3 and only counting the four permanent Sky Sport channels 1-4) I know a number of people will bemoan the fact it wasn't Nat Geo and Discovery that got the HD treatment. But still, at least Sky are moving in the right direction.

I remember reading somewhere that the increase in hd channels was made possible by decreasing the resolution for 1080x1920 to something like 1080x1040 and doing some stuff to fit in extra "HD" channels within the same total bandwidth used.

tangerz

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#1171568 9-Nov-2014 08:49

Yeah the resolution of the sport channels and a couple of the movie channels was dropped from 1920x1080 to 1440x1080 which allowed for each transponder to carry 5 channels instead of just 4 channels. The difference is barely noticeable unless you have a very good setup. Both ESPN and ESPN 2 are both transmitted in 720p so all are pretty similar quality now.

billbennett

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#1171570 9-Nov-2014 08:52

Is there any special benefit to horse race fans from watching races in HD?

I'm curious about the economics of making the channel HD.

Bill Bennett www.billbennett.co.nz @billbennettnz

tangerz

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#1171655 9-Nov-2014 14:52

billbennett: Is there any special benefit to horse race fans from watching races in HD?

I'm curious about the economics of making the channel HD.

I'm sure Trackside are supplying the HD feed for no more cost than the SD feed so no cost to Sky. Sky have changed another of their transponders from DVB-S to DVB-S2 so the capacity is there.... why not use it?!

kharris

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#1172042 10-Nov-2014 11:18

old3eyes:
Spyware: Salt in whose wound, at least the channels are now watchable (most actual race feeds are actually still SD, even Melbourne Cup looked SD but all the mpeg2 macroblocks have gone). NZ Racing Board chose to go with the least expensive transmission means that allowed HD channels and in process added value to Sky, win win really.

Win Win for who?? certainly not the little old ladies who used to watch it over the air but can't now and can't afford Sky let alone a MySky with HD..

Your little old ladies mustn't enjoy racing as much as mine.... my Gran loves it and says its much better than before.

old3eyes

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#1172046 10-Nov-2014 11:28

kharris:
old3eyes:
Spyware: Salt in whose wound, at least the channels are now watchable (most actual race feeds are actually still SD, even Melbourne Cup looked SD but all the mpeg2 macroblocks have gone). NZ Racing Board chose to go with the least expensive transmission means that allowed HD channels and in process added value to Sky, win win really.

Win Win for who?? certainly not the little old ladies who used to watch it over the air but can't now and can't afford Sky let alone a MySky with HD..

Your little old ladies mustn't enjoy racing as much as mine.... my Gran loves it and says its much better than before.

She can obviously afford Sky then. There are plenty around who can't..

Regards,

Old3eyes

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