Olympic Sailing: Olympics footage looks rubbish compared to ACWS

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Olympics footage looks rubbish compared to ACWS

Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: General
Forum Name: Olympic Sailing
Forum Discription: The top end racing in our sport
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9644
Printed Date: 26 Jun 25 at 5:14am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Olympics footage looks rubbish compared to ACWS

Posted By: laser4000
Subject: Olympics footage looks rubbish compared to ACWS
Date Posted: 29 Jul 12 at 9:57pm

ACWS has really shown us how to televise sailing.. really disappointing to see that nothing's moved on in the Olympics in 4 years since Beijing.

gain line not being superimposed on the actual sailing, instead it cut's to some crappy grafix it loks like someone's kid knocked up
No lay lines or similar being displayed
No track footage showing when people tacked

Ok so maybe that's some ACWS propietary tech, but it's not like there wasn't a lot of heli's available at weymouth and how hard would it have been to: -

Stick a camera on the pin end-boat for close-ups
Run a replay of whether Scheidt hit the pin or not - a quick replay would have been much more interesting than watching stars slog upwind for 20 seconds or so.
Figure out that when it's a running finish and you're filiming from the side it might be hard to see who's who - perhaps drop a camera boat 100 yds' upwind and offset (to be out of the way) and then split sceen the finish line shot with the 'run-in shot' - we might have a clue who's finished 4/5/6 then

should be doing better - and yep I know it's not the beeb's fault, they just get what they are served, hence the issues in the mens road race

Replies:

Posted By: blueboy
Date Posted: 30 Jul 12 at 6:29am

I couldn't agree less. I've watched a lot of the ACWS and enjoyed watching Weymouth far more.

Posted By: pondmonkey
Date Posted: 30 Jul 12 at 9:35am

actually I think it's being done very well- you need your phone in your hand to follow http://twitter.com/gaelpawson - @gaelpawson http://twitter.com/yandyfeed - @yandyfeed and http://twitter.com/dailysail_james - @dailysail_james just in case they channel isn't follow the race you're most interested in.

You've got to remember- no ad breaks equal no/limited ad revenue outside of sponsorship and where we've come from... little to no coverage.

+ Leigh Macmillan and (allegedly Ben Proffitt for the RS:X) are a MASSIVE improvement in the commentary box

Posted By: laser4000
Date Posted: 30 Jul 12 at 10:29pm

well today was better in parts (ahving watched it on iplayer)

I mean we got a replay of the start of the finn race when the Dane hit the pin!
but then when there was an ainslie, dane cross up the beat did they show that - no.
What's with switching to the grafix 'for the finish' - I don't want to watch animations, I want to watch the boats..

But yes clearly twitter is where it's at.. - thanks Pondmonkey I'll be adding those for surreptious use in the office tomorrow.

Posted By: Notl
Date Posted: 03 Aug 12 at 10:59am

The BBC coverage is not good mainly due to the camera work although the commentators are not that knowledgable on the tactics and strategy of winning races.

The GPS tracking does give a very good idea of how the boats are positioned but is ignored by the commentators despite it being proved correct time after time.

The leader is the boat furthest to windward on the upwind leg as long as they are not outside the layline. It does not matter where the mark is.

Posted By: Roger
Date Posted: 03 Aug 12 at 4:57pm

We can moan at the BBC as much as we like, but it won't change the pictures, thats a feed provided by the Olympic Broadcasters, its not BBC cameramen or directors. Go down to Weymouth and all the cameras have OBS on not BBC!!

But the commentary is BBC, so feel free to moan about that....

Posted By: The Moo
Date Posted: 03 Aug 12 at 5:42pm

Good to see the p*ss and moan club is alive and kicking.

Perhaps I am easily pleased but I for one am thoroughly enjoying it and suffering badly from sleep deprivation watching it on catch up after all the mainstream stuff.

As far as the commentary and interviews go they might not be top draw compared to other BBC Olympics coverage but it isn't doing the sport any harm and very importantly we are not having to pay extra for the privilege of watching it.

Posted By: dogslife
Date Posted: 04 Aug 12 at 8:55am

The raw footage and broadcast capacity is clearly there, but the production & editing don't quite measure up. However, the commentary is really doing my head, at best is can only be described as puerile, simplistic, clueless drivel. Surely the BBC can find someone better than Simmonds? Without doubt he is fast becoming the most annoying man on television.

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Posted By: r2d2
Date Posted: 04 Aug 12 at 9:26am

I agree Simmonds is a rubbish sailing commentator

all this "stick at the back of the boat" , "playing the joker" crap

Posted By: nutonthetiller
Date Posted: 04 Aug 12 at 9:43am

Has anyone found any other video streams on line? Surely all races are filmed aren't they?

How about a contact name in the BBC to let them know that sailors think Simmonds is dreadful?

Posted By: tgruitt
Date Posted: 04 Aug 12 at 9:49am

All the races are filmed, but only 1 is live at any one time.

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Needs to sail more...

Posted By: Medway Maniac
Date Posted: 04 Aug 12 at 11:09am

Originally posted by The Moo

Good to see the p*ss and moan club is alive and kicking.

Perhaps I am easily pleased but I for one am thoroughly enjoying it and suffering badly from sleep deprivation watching it on catch up after all the mainstream stuff.

Agreed.

You have to remember that a lot of viewers will be non-sailors viewing for a short space of time, so for their benefit the commentator needs to keep reiterating what might seem to sailors banal points. The sailor-viewers can mostly see what's going on for themselves - e.g. seeing Ben sheeting out on that last beat, but i felt the commentary handled that well for sailors and non-sailors alike.

Ok, there are plenty of occasions when I think, 'bit how's so and so doing', but there are only so many camera's and it's not the BBC's choice of what's shown, so far as I know.

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http://www.wilsoniansc.org.uk" rel="nofollow - Wilsonian SC
http://www.3000class.org.uk" rel="nofollow - 3000 Class

Posted By: blueboy
Date Posted: 04 Aug 12 at 11:43am

Originally posted by nutonthetiller

Surely all races are filmed aren't they?

No. OBS chooses which they cover (e.g. helicopter coverage) and BBC is filming some others from the water, mostly those with some British interest. Match racing seems to be getting very little coverage indeed which is a shame as some of it is very exciting, particularly the pre-starts.

Posted By: Roger
Date Posted: 04 Aug 12 at 12:02pm

Originally posted by blueboy

Originally posted by nutonthetiller

Surely all races are filmed aren't they?

I think the match racing is scheduled for more coverage next week, semis and final will be what they focus on, although for those on the Nothe the match racing has tended to dominate after a couple of fleet races each day.