MotoGP Video Pass

[RWB25]

Just wondering if anyone here has currently, or in the past, purchased a MotoGP season video pass from their website? If so, what are your thoughts on the whole process? Video Quality? Website Availability? Download Speed? etc.

>>> MotoGP Video Pass <<<

From what I can gather, the videos are downloaded to your browser in a flash video format. Which makes it very difficult to save the video for viewing later....such as saving the video to your desktop. Unless, they give you the option to save the video after you sign up for their season video pass.

I'm really fed up with Speed's so called "coverage" of motorcycle races. Here in Canada, we're at the mercy of Speed, just like the folks in the U.S. So I'm looking for other ways to get my race coverage. And I have no problem paying for GOOD race coverage.

So if you have any experience and/or thoughts on MotoGP's season video pass, I'd love to hear from you.

Thanks.

[hatzyian]

I've had the pass for the past 3 yrs, and am happy with it.

All the videos are avaliable for viewing at any time, right the way back to 2002 for full race video. I have the standard package, not the hi res, and is quite adequate, but a bit jerky live (depends on your download speed). The day after the quality is better. It seems that you cannot record them.

[RWB25]

Ya, I didn't think you could save the videos. That would infringe on their annual season review DVD's, if people we able to save the downloaded races. But as with most technology, there are many hacks out there to allow you to do pretty much anything you want. But you most likely wouldn't get the video/audio quality you get from their DVD's......yet.

Their live video is probably jerky because of the demand on their servers and ISP's connections. That's to be expected. Someday, these problems will all be a distant memory.

[RedMenace]

Video player does not have For/Rev.
Videos are are organized in broad categories with ambiguous titles.
No search function. You just have to flip through hundreds of them.
I cannot find:
Assen 2006
Laguna Seca 2005
Phillip Island 2003
Each season (archive) seems to only have 2 full race videos. The Best?
I missed qualifying so I haven't seen the live-timing feature.
The videos do not buffer, but they do pause and stop. It is not downloaded to your computer but streamed live.
I have anxiety that the race is going to be herky and jerky.
So far it has been time consuming, but I love it.
Can't wait for race action.

[RWB25]

That is pretty much what I had envisioned how it would be. The internet is still in it's infancy and many companies are very slow and reluctant to spend the money in the infrastructure for streaming their content over the internet. It will come....eventually, once they realize that's how their consumers want it.....Now!

It just doesn't help us for the MotoGP season opener this weekend!

[RedMenace]

Hey, last month I watched the NCAA tourney on the net. For Free. It was awesome. Had to dial down the video quality to get it to stream but I'm not a hi-rez snob. Just want to watch the action with some audio.
Did I tell you it was for free?!
That experience induced me to try this. I'm out in the country with no cable, no satellite, nothing. I'm watching on a 17in Apple laptop.
I love the racing and am not a complainer by nature. The videos have been fun, just clunky.
I'll have to wait for race day to see if it is worth 8.99 Euros (whatever that is?!)

[RWB25]

Yes, the internet is still in it's infancy. Not only have the communication companies not spent enough money on infrastructure and have not worked on getting more penetration into the market other than the large cities. Like you, I live in the country too. I only have satellite connections for both television and internet....no cable out here either.

In order for companies to be able to stream their contents to their consumers, the communication companies will have to increase their bandwidth capabilities in the order of 10x it's current capacity. And that would be just do deliver video at DVD quality. I'm not even talking about HD quality. That is a totally different level of bandwidth needs.

But I guess, like everything else, all will happen over time and as companies can afford the investment into the digital infrastructure required for the internet v2.0.

And your right, the video is a little choppy at times with some audio drops. But it can't be any worse than the horrible "summary" coverage that Speed gives us.

8.95 Euros translates to about $15 CDN or $12 USD.....with today's exchange rates.