Live tour broadcast

[Slow Reflexes]

I recommend watching it. It's a good thing.

Today, I watched the live SBS stream with Phil Liggett and Mike Tomalaris doing commentary at http://tdf.sbs.com.au/tdf2009/web/flash/index.html

More links to live coverage can be found at www.cyclingfans.com

[jhundt]

I'm lucky here, I can watch extensive coverage on a few channels. The commentary is in Dutch/Flemish or German or French, so I miss some details... but I can see the race and admire the scenery.

[Slow Reflexes]

Arrgh.

I'm becoming less than thrilled with the whole online thing... everywhere I go, "this programme not available for broadcast in your country."

After screwing around with it for a couple hours, I eventually gave up and went to the VS online feed (since their TV coverage only starts halfway through the actual stage I didn't miss much ), and was further frustrated with the fact that the stream keeps crapping out.

Sit there watching the nothing happen for an hour, then they start talking about something interes.... Ah, crap. Refresh page, and we're going again. Until 5 minutes later, they are talking about something else that is pret.... Ah, crap. Refresh page, doesn't work. Close window, start again, there we go... for another 5 minutes. Then it just plain won't come back.

Ok, so I'll go listen to the audio only while I'm trying to get the video back. 20 minutes later, hey! The video's back again... and they round the corner and there's a headwind and.... ****.

Of course, by the time I get the video going again, (don't highlight this if you haven't seen stage 3 yet) Columbia has lead a break to a 40 second gap and Astana has only half the team in the lead group and it looks as though Armstrong has an excellent chance to... and the video craps out again. By the time I get it back, I see that ****** has won the stage, and about 5 seconds after that... well, I don't know because it crapped out again.

So. Thanks for preventing me from actually seeing the event today, Mr. US regulators who manage to prevent internet broadcast from other countries being able to "compete unfairly" with the half-assed US broadcast that 1) isn't available through my cable provider anymore and 2) doesn't work online.

Now for my real question... what's the best way for me to get an Australian proxy so I can watch a feed that actually works?

[TDPRI]

I doubt it's "US Regulators" preventing you from watching other country's feeds. I'm sure it's the whole TDF organization protecting the network's content.

[Slow Reflexes]

If it's the TDF, then wouldn't they prevent web broadcasts everywhere? I thought maybe it was restricted to EU members, but then there're still Australian feeds...

Meh. I dunno; it's just frustrating.

[simonc]

SBS has amazing coverage of the race this year.

its the 1st time I'm watching it on HD Digital TV, for years I thought Le tour was run in winter! ( for all the snow on tv - I was always living in bad reception areas for essa bee essa!).

[Brendo]

simonC, you are lucky. My SBS reception is cruddy. The digital channels are working when they feel like it, and the standard analogue channel is evern more temperamental. I think something local is interfering with it, becuase our other UHF channel (WIN) craps itself at the same time, and then the digital SBS is playing up the ABC123 channels are fine.

So I watched the prologue, and haven't been able to watch a stage since. I'm starting to get a little toey about it. You only get one chance a year!

[simonc]

Originally Posted by Brendo

simonC, you are lucky. My SBS reception is cruddy. The digital channels are working when they feel like it, and the standard analogue channel is evern more temperamental. I think something local is interfering with it, becuase our other UHF channel (WIN) craps itself at the same time, and then the digital SBS is playing up the ABC123 channels are fine.

So I watched the prologue, and haven't been able to watch a stage since. I'm starting to get a little toey about it. You only get one chance a year!

:) bit of a worry when the black stump is over the horizon eh?

j/k! great part of the state down that way.

get thyself a masthead amp, & be happy!

[Tdot]

Versus Live stream has been working for me.