The Sport Thread

Agreed the 'fussy' comment unwarranted, if people weren't fussy we'd have 360 youtube standard television.

Connected Red Button is significantly dependent on the receiver used and it's software condition. My 2014 Bravia was chronic with the BBC News and Sport Apps, on purchase, which were available in advance of CRB. The video on both WAS terrible. A software update from Sony improved this. Once a further update was introduced coinciding with the enabling of CRB on the receiver the quality of the extra streams provided and those of the now incorporated News and Sport Apps is equivalent to that provided consistently throughout on the iPlayer App. As far as I'm concerned the quality in SD and HD is as acceptable as Freeview and isn't an issue, depending on source it can even be better than some BTTV IPTV content even in HD.

Or disappear in this case. Thankfully it seems Wimbledon have more respect for their event and the prestige free to air coverage on the BBC gives it. The only way BT are getting their hands on it is by deciding the WTA have thrown it in with their rights.

The backstory is somewhat different actually. I am expecting at least a daily highlights package probably on BTS in 2016. Publicly Wimbledon might be appearing to support the FTA model. Even they have to accept that the BBC will be unable to provide the same level of coverage in the next deal. It would be remiss of them not to be planning for this, talking to alternatives such as BT, Sky and Discovery/Eurosport would be sensible. The underlying evidence associated with this latest story indicates that that is precisely what they are doing, and indeed at least one broadcaster BT HAS been talking with the BBC on possible sharing, one line I read inferred that the BBC had initiated these talks. This story will continue throughout 2015.

I'm not sure the WTA can do that as they are not the WTA's to give away.

Indeed, neither the ATP or the WTA can split their rights at a Grand Slam event AFAIK. Grand Slam events are not part of ATP or WTA tours.

Well, that wouldn't be that radical a move, because BSB had that in 1990.

It could be that we end up with something similar to what we had with the World Cup in 2006 when the Beeb sub-licenced all their games to what was then UKTV G2, what is now Dave, and they simulcast them all.

How I'd do the split

Shared live and highlights coverage of Centre, No 1 and No 2 courts on both FTA and Pay.

Exclusive live and non exclusive highlights for the pay broadcaster of all other courts. Pay broadcaster to showcase veterans and juniors events in second week. Highlights available 2 hours after match concludes to FTA.

I'd love the BBC to retain exclusivity but I can't see the funding available for that.

Winter Break - Dubai Friendly

Real Madrid v Inter Milan
30th December 2014

Discovery Channels
Eurosport AND Quest TV covering the Match at 1545.

Presented by Rob Curling with analysis by Gaizka Mendieta and Trevor Francis. (Eurosport Studios)

EDIT

Interesting Promo during the Eurosport HT ad break for Quest TV.

and even with the latency eccentricities of BTTV, the Freeview Quest transmission is 2 seconds behind the BTTV IPTV Eurosport HD coverage.

Don't think it is overly fussy to care about delivering a quality picture to an audience. If thinking 50Hz motion downconverted to 25Hz is being fussy - then yes, I am fussy.

I also care about things being in focus, the right colour, and with sound that's in phase and the right level. That must make me super fussy...

Are you getting 50Hz motion in CRB apps on your Bravia? I'm still only getting 25p on my 2014 Sony 4K set - just checked CRB iPlayer, Sport and News.

For sport with fast moving cameras and fast action that's shot 50i the downconversion to 25p is pretty bad (as the material hasn't been shot with 25p delivery in mind), as it is with Strictly.

I've got 70+Mbs BT Infinity broadband, so streaming bandwith isn't an issue...

It's why the Sky iPlayer implementation is so good - as you get very high quality 576i or 1080i deliveries at a very decent bitrate (and with 5.1 audio where applicable)

People need to remember that we're not exactly a reflective sample of the wider viewing audience, many of whom buy a widescreen TV then watched with a stretched 4:3 picture or have a "HD Ready TV" but never actually watch a HD channel, but are convinced they're watching HD because they've got a HD TV.

The point is that it's far better to have an event available for free to a large number of people who are happy enough with the quality of the picture rather than to have it on a subscription platform which although may offer a better picture actually only offers that to a fraction of it's customers anyway.