Over the last few weeks we have been discussing all kinds of options that fans have to "consume" a race. That term basically means watch, listen and interact live. The sport has come a long way in terms of digital technology with the promise of even more choices next year.
This is the TNT portion of the season, so additional options exist with that tech-friendly network. TNT provides a free streaming feed with multiple audio and video options called RaceBuddy. Those same video channels are often featured on the DirecTV service called Hot Pass.
Over in radio land, both MRN and PRN race broadcasts are now streamed online for both Internet and smart phone users without charge. The SiriusXM Satellite Radio race broadcasts are also streamed, but only for subscribers who have purchased either an auto or portable receiver.
Meanwhile, over at the NASCAR.com website there are still a bevy of services available for a price. The classic Raceview has morphed into Raceview 360 with every bell and whistle available. The drawback is the video of the live racing is not included. That too should change soon, perhaps even next season.
Sprint has kept the Sprint Cup Mobile app going that offers live team and officials audio during Sprint Cup Races as well as the radio feed. Unfortunately, many older Sprint phones can no longer access that feed and without a phone upgrade, it's gone.
Over the years, many fans have developed their own unique way of watching the races while using a second screen. That is, another electronic screen or possibly even more that is active during the event. These days, the options are more plentiful than ever before.
Our question today is how do you view the Sprint Cup Series races? What video and audio options do you choose? Do you use a desktop, tablet or smart phone as a second or even a third screen? Do you listen to the audio from the TV during the race? What made you settle for the NASCAR TV "combo-platter" that you chose? We should have some interesting answers as TNT heads into Michigan.
We invite your opinion on this topic. Comments may be moderated prior to posting. Thank you as always for taking the time to stop by The Daly Planet.
28 comments:
Call me old school im 30 but I watch every race on tv. I have the live MRN feed going during commercials and pre race.... and now with racebuddy I usually have that up. But 90% of my viewing comes from the tv! I have a Led Hdtv 1080p so its almost good as being there.
TV, Touchpad for live scoring & twitter, Sprint evo for radio.
Now that you only do your 'live blog' on Twitter, I just watch what TV allows me to see. I can't get enthused about having to have 5 different sources just to try to follow a race. Occasionally I'll watch Race Buddy, but watching most of the race from one point of view sort of defeats the purpose.
Great topic John. I have a 32" HDTV with the broadcast, as well as a 27" iMac that streams Raceview, Race Buddy, and Twitter. Twitter is great for details on cautions or other Issues that may arise. Raceview is great to watch any specific car I want. Say a driver has pitted and is trying to work his way through the field, Raceview let's me watch that specific car as moves forward.
Plan A: Watch the race on TV and use my laptop to express how awesome to coverage is on TDP.
Plan B: Glimpse at the poorly presented race on tv, complain on TDP, then switch to RaceBuddy (if available) and NASCAR.com leaderboard on my laptop.
Plan C: Listening to the race on MRN/PRN on my phone when away from a tv.
Plan D: Drive to the beach.
This will probably be the dullest reply you get. We watch it on TV. Period. If we're gone or the weather's nice enough to work outside, we tape it (yes, VCR) and watch it in the evening.
I've been lurking on here for while so this is my first post. I use my laptop which has,tweetdeck, J.Gordon's scanner audio and racebuddy when tnt is on. I pair all that up with the national broadcast or in Jeff is on Hotpass I'll watch his in-car with the nat'l bcast.
My normal method of watching races these days is to have the race on the TV, one browser tab open to my normal Twitter feed, and another browser tab open to the #TDP1 Twitter feed for NASCAR or whatever hashtag works best for other racing.
However, my normal routine is somewhat off right now depending on the race. I am going to attempt to buy a house in the next couple of months or so. To have as much cash available as possible, my girlfriend and I cut back severely on our cable package. Thus, on occasion for now, I have to watch certain races through, shall we say, "alternative means" in a second browser (done so I can have that up on 3/4 of my wide-screen monitor while still keeping an eye on Twitter in the other one).
Another change I started making this year was during the Fox portion of the Cup season. Once I started giving up on them ever properly doing any race other than Daytona and Talladega, I would either devote my second bowser to the MRN/PRN feed while also doing Twitter or just do the audio feed by itself and turn it up enough so I could do other things in the house (as SoCal lost its over-the-air MRN/PRN station in the middle of last season).
I normally just watch the straight broadcast and have the pitcommand scanner on to hear my favorite driver. But I just thought of something, if Nascar is taking over the internet side next year, will we loose pitcommand, race buddy and all the other features that Turner has been providing through Nascar.com?
Mr Editor -
My 'combo package' is (1)broadcast TV and (2)DirecTV Hot Pass, but rely on desktop for (3) MRN/PRN streaming, (4) RaceBuddy when available and (5)Twitter (#TDP1, @Marty Smith) (only twitter feeds I trust for info and to re-tweet worthwhile info - absolutely no #NASCAR).
I chose this to escape DW's inane performances and Mikey's incessant shilling, but will go with TNT audio for now.
Walter
I watch TV on the 65in LCD with the sound muted during FOX races. (I listen to network sound from the TNT and ESPN.) I use a desktop with the Leaderboard on monitor 1, and Racebuddy on monitor 2 during TNT races. Other races get HotPass via Slingbox on monitor 2. I also use a laptop with MRN/PRN open in one browser tab (during FOX races) and I open a second tab on this browser for normal web surfing when things get slow during the race. I attach monitor 3 to the laptop for a Racebuddy second camera feed during TNT races.
Usually...
32" Cable TV.
Laptop w/:
1 tab on my "friends" list on twitter.
1 tab on my regular feed on twitter
1 tab w/ foxsports.com timing & scoring. IMO they are the best because it isnt behind & it updates when each driver crosses the line, NOT when the leader crosses the line each time.
1 tab to search general topics i see during the race that intrigue me.
later in the year ill also add the live points nascar.com provides to that.
id like to add on twitter i have my trending location set to charlotte even though i live much closer to greensboro NC instead so i can see which nascar topics are trending locally during the race. its funny after a driver wrecks or does something stupid how fast they start trending in charlotte. sometimes whoever sings the national anthem will pop up too if they are extraordinary.
after the race i turn on my logitech revue powered by google TV that's hooked to my tv & view the post race press availabilty on nascar.com
How do I watch NASCAR races especially the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races?
I watch the races mostly at home in front of the television with FOX, TNT or ESPN on with audio. I also sometimes use Twitter as well and have used MRN/PRN radio once. I have used RaceBuddy in the past and might check it out again on Sunday or better yet, next Sunday.
But other than that, I don't do anything else.
I wish the race was live online like with WatchESPN has, but available through an Android app on my Android tablet via wifi. That would be cool and something I would check out. And no, WatchESPN app doesn't work with Charter.
I have the TV on but usually with the sound muted. I use trackpass with the scanner and although I hate the little cartoon cars on raceview, at least I can figure out WHERE my driver is on the track with it w/o having to wait for the TV scroll to run through each time. I also use twitter, follow the TDP hashtag and now that MRN/PRN can be streamed via computer, I use them.
Funny how TV has become almost extraneous since I can now find out information better and faster via my laptop.
Something is fundamentally wrong when it takes a room full of electronic equipment to follow a race that should be adequately covered by just watching the TV.
For Sprint Cup races, I watch the race on my 52" HDTV and have either RaceView or RaceBuddy going on my Desktop PC for driver audio. I also have Twitter going in either my browser and/or the Adobe Air version of Tweetdeck to follow tweets (#NASCAR and/or #TDP).
My HDTV and Desktop PC are in different rooms.. so I can't do both at the same time. I usually hop on the computer during commercials which ends up being a lot LOL.
No Laptops, Tablets, or Smart-phones here.
@mrheadrick
-- 32" HDTV
For Cup races:
-- Twitter
* 1 tab for my personal stream
* 1 tab for #TDP1
-- Leaderboard: usually FOX
-- RaceBuddy whenever it's offered
-- MRN/PRN feed online during commercials
For trucks:
-- Twitter feed
-- TV
For both, I use my Mac OS X.
I watch the race on TV (50" plasma) and use raceview to follow specific drivers. The ONLY reason I watch races live on FOX or ESPN is because of raceview.
If I tape a race I can scan/skip the complete race in half an hour or less. I do not watch the pre-race or post race commentary.
For what it's worth, I've been following NASCAR since early 70's, the first race I can remember attending I was 7 (Thanks Dad!!!).
--yet another Mike in SoCal
Race on TV, Split screen on computer with Twitter on one side (my own feed of Nascar tweeps) and Raceview on the other.
I'm with Jonathan; I pretty much just watch the tube, usually live. I may record a night race since I can't stay awake past 9:30.
If I'm in the house, I watch the 46" Sharp HD. I may check NACAR's Live Leaderboard occasionally during commercials, but I often won't even load the page.
If I'm in the garage with the big honkin' GE 13" tube, I'll get up during commercials and do garden chores. You can get a lot done in 2.5 minutes.
I don't know how some of you juggle multiple feeds without missing something or getting overload. It strikes me as too much like work. Or maybe I'm just to visually oriented to be able to paint an adequate picture based on data feeds.
I watch the race on TV while following Twitter on my laptop.
The races are on TV that my roommate is watching and I'm listening to. I'm on twitter where I get more information. Since my desk top is an antique (5 yrs old), I can't use Race Buddy. It bogs down twitter which I prefer. I have noticed that the leaderboard on nascar.com isn't as behind as usual, I'm happy about that. Once my financial situation improves, I'm hoping to upgrade both the TV & computer.
If I watch the race live then I watch on the big TV and have my laptop with Fox timing and scoring because it is usually more up to date than Nascar.com. I also run my twitter feed to get updates from the drivers I track. I used to also have a tab open for TDP during a race, but that doesn't exist anymore.
If I recorded the race I fast forward through most of the race unless its a road race in which case I watch the whole thing.
Wow, the responses are all across the board.
As you all know, I am old, and grew up with racing, just cause I'm in INDY.
I just do not get, how we do not understand what is going on in a race from a broadcast. I grew up hearing the Indy500 on radio...
And most of the time I knew what was happening.
Somehow NOW... I need to incorporate some other DA information type of "systems".
Damn, I'm old! I used to come home from a race and really see what happened. (I was at Bristol when Dale spun Terry, and I missed part of it)
Sorry, but today, it seems to be that you see more when you are at the track? How can this be?
DVR, the greatest advance in the history of TV. We never watch live racing, qualifying, or practice anymore. No more commercials, no more endless talking heads droning about something of no import to racing, no more drivers wrapped in toilet paper, no more 10 laps under yellow, no more racing-ignorant pin-up girls posing as race show hosts.
Sweet.
Watch, listen, read everything online. No need for cable, which we cut off last year. It's great and it's free, like it used to be. Remember?
'Watch' the race on 46" TV, but get the real race coverage on the laptop using Trackpass. I can't use any of the streaming because I'm on Sat. internet and they limit download/day. I open two tabs on Trackpass so I can listen to two radios, usually a driver on one and one for officials. Also my personal Twitter tab and a tab for #TDP1. Online coverage is the ONLY way you'll be able to see what position the cars are, etc.
About 15 months ago, after getting fed up with the quality of NASCAR TV, I shifted almost exclusively to online coverage. I am able to use multiple information sources, including the radio feed, to satisfy my interest. I get real information rather than TV's artificially elevated enthusiasm for the "flavor of the day" driver etc. Once I stopped relying on TV, I found that my frustration levels had decreased comensurate with the increase of my enjoyment of the race.
fbu1
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