Tips for Watching the Dauphiné Libéré on Cycling.TV

by 12string on Jun 14, 2007 9:38 AM EDT Comment 18 comments

[editor's note, by chris] Some very helpful tech info... sounded like people are still having difficulties with the viewer.

Cycling TV covers great races. Brian Smith is one of the most knowledgeable color commentators around, while Anthony keeps a close eye on the race. The rapport between them is enjoyable to listen to. However, the audio/video interface, which used to be just awkward, has now become hopelessly complex with the new design. The video is served fairly reliably and with near TV quality, but the whole process of logging in to it usually has me in a pretty bad mood by the time the race starts.

I've outline the steps here, in a kind of pseudo programming language, followed by a comparison with logging into RAI or Eurosport.

Start IE browser on a Windows machine
best not to use Mac or Linux
best not to use Firefox or Safari
If you left browser open from previous day
click cancel on popups about PopAdsRoll.htm
There may be dozens...we'll wait
else if new browser open
go to Http://cycling.tv

For Premium channel
enter userid and password on this window
note different method than login to Versus

Wait for second browser window to open
In second window
see if today's race is listed
Listing depends on the time
Try to figure out what n - GMT +1 means
If not listed
wait for correct time and hit refresh
while waiting, ponder GMT +1
when today's race is listed,
click on link note:
hi,lo,med speed links don't make any diff

wait for re-focus on first browser window...

Ok, we are in the first window, waiting
if you got time wrong
or race isn't really on
you will see 'System Error'
and video will say 'Timeline Error'
if you have been here before
try hitting 'reload'
else if your here for the 1st time
go back to 2nd browser window
repeat

Otherwise...
scroll below the moving picture to choose speed
these speed links actually work
Choose what speed you think will work
base your decision on:
provider specs
traffic congestion
because CTV doesn't negotiate correct speed

If picture or audio freezes,
pick a slower speed

click on full screen
this is why you bought a windows machine
and are running IE
full screen only works in this combo.

Non cycling.tv way to view:
Go to cyclingfans.com
click on the link for the day's coverage.
If you want to hear coverage in another language
click on the mute button
choose an audio link in your favorite language
Click on the 'fullscreen' button on the pictures.

:wq

0 recs | Comment 18 comments

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Comments

Ha.

Perfect.

by Sui Juris on Jun 14, 2007 9:59 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

haha

just a few easy steps.

-K-

by KevinK on Jun 14, 2007 10:21 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Similar for Mac

Hah,
Yeah it is similar for Mac with Firefox - Safari doesn't want to show the speeds below the screen.

For Premium Channel -

make sure you allow popups and bad cookies which will all be deleted later - a hassle.
Go to cycling.tv
Log in at that point because if you get the login screen on the next page you are screwed and have to start all over.
Hopefully get the page with the race you want.
click on any of the speeds, (this is the stupid part that should be removed.)
when the viewing window comes up click on the speed on the bottom that you really want.
adjust the screen so the picture is centered. The picture overlays the place for it on the page but I ignore it.
using Mac so no full screen, without messing with quicktime, not worth it because...
connect to TV and display automatically goes to 640x480 and the video is most of the the TV screen anyway.
adjust the volume to the appropriate since the levels change with almost every race. That is getting better.
Enjoy without glitches lately!

Of course for VS you can't log in right away you had to wait..gak.

In any event cycling.tv is on the edge of internet TV globally, so I'll continue to bark at them, how else will they improve? Narrowstep's interface is what is weird really. But hey it is awesome to be able to watch these races and Anthony and Brian are getting smoother and smoother. You can see them knowing the riders, picking up the styles better and better. I like Anthony's "State of Play". It is fun listen to them babble on then all of a sudden pick up an attack, and you can hear the interest pick up.

by Markk on Jun 14, 2007 1:07 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Flip4mac

Do you use Flip4mac with your Mac. I found with the old interface, using flip4mac with quicktime allowed fullscreen mode. However, with the new interface this option seems to be gone. During the Giro, I found the RAI feed much easier to view - and it's free.
I'm all for supporting cycling.tv, but until they get the interface to work with Macs, I see no need to give them my money.
By the way, I've never been able to watch on-demand content on cycling.tv with a mac. As soon as the advertisement ends at the beginning of the video, the screen scrambles. I've never been able to fix this.

by telemick on Jun 14, 2007 3:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I have the same issue with the

on demand stuff - it doesn't work at all!.
As I've said before at the beginning of the season (Het Volk) everything was perfect with firefox/flip4mac/QT. I lost scaleability around Paris-Nice and the new interface has not improved anything.
To quote from an email Anthony posted here on May 4 "Finally, Ian you keep mentioning mac problems and customer service, can you let me know the main issues and I will try and get a resolution for you" Thrilled by the namecheck(ha)
I e-mailed team/James S/some IT person.
Never heard a thing back.
Didn't renew.
Watched today on free channel. At the size it is, 100kbs does fine.
It just pxxxxs me off that they won't just admit it doesn't work on Macs, that its their problem not flip4macs, which works fine all the rest of the time, apologise, and work to fix it (and give us a reduced rate until they do!).

by ianmcw on Jun 14, 2007 5:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

On Demand Fine for me

Hmm.. Just watched todays stage from the on demand and it worked fine. The "highlights" stopped with about 6K to go though! I watched the as live. I do think using mms and the MS lock in is hurting their sales and will more as Linux and Mac computers get more popular. Narrowstep is definitely one of these "every uses Windows" companies.

by Markk on Jun 15, 2007 12:06 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Whats your set up?

by ianmcw on Jun 15, 2007 1:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, what's your set up?

What browser? Flip4mac? Intel or Power PC Mac.
Also, does the on-demand content have a commercial at the start. on-demand feeds work fine for me if there is no commercial at the start.

by telemick on Jun 15, 2007 7:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Flash player

Just received an email from cycling.tv. They have now added flash player capability for Mac users (and PC users as well, I assume). It appears to be limited to free on-demand content. I tested it on my Mac, and it worked great. It allows you to resize the screen to the size of your internet browser screen. Then with scroll zoom you can simulate full screen mode. The best thing about Flash - the feed quality is much improved. No skipping, freezing or scramble. However, the video I watched did not contain a comercial at the beginning. This is what caused the biggest problems in the past with WMP. Also, flash is not available for live streaming. Does anyone know if this is an issue with Flash player or if cycling.tv just doesn't currently offer it?

by telemick on Jun 20, 2007 9:22 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

"best not to use Mac "

Indeed not.

I'm thinking of asking c.tv if they are going to reduce the premium subscription rate for Mac users since we can only watch it in a - what 3.5' x 2.5"? unscaleable, no full screen option, - window. Seems only fair.

by ianmcw on Jun 14, 2007 1:07 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

The content is nice...

But the player is certainly lacking, and growing more so.

I'd like to see them succeed, but I've had so many problems with the software that I'm tired of sending them money while they send mostly aggravation down the line.

Their best hope is to scrap their current player and build something... simple.

This Post Brought to You By Hennie's Hordes:
We're not one of the other VDS teams

by TCWriter on Jun 14, 2007 1:16 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

exactly

is that they just need a list of links to the content with password protection on the content downloads. Then, there's no browser compatibility issues. You can watch with Mac, PC, even Linux.

If they want to go really crazy they can color code the links.

-K-

by KevinK on Jun 14, 2007 2:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Have to agree with 12string on

Anthony and Brian, they are so wonderful to listen to, and I am enjoying Brian's "inside" stories of his experiences. I really like how they give updated recaps of what's happened so far in the race day, knowing that so many of us cannot watch the race from start to finish.

One question, though, on Brian's Scottish slang phrase "there and thereabouts." What's his meaning on that? Is is a comment on a person's actual presence or is it a comment on a person's quality? Listen to him next time and give me your opinions, please? I just can't tell.

by Ruthann on Jun 14, 2007 3:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

we've started using this at home

Where are the cats?
There or there-abouts.

And today my wife wants to know if I'm goin' out with any other raiders.

by 12string on Jun 14, 2007 5:36 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm happy that I'm a cycling.tv customer

I should come out front and say that. I get what I pay for.

Still, I'm not at all a fan of the new interface. I use an old computer as a DVR, so when I want to watch cycling.tv, instead of just clicking a link and selecting the bandwidth, I now have to go through the byzantine run-around listed above. It is annoying, but once the 1200kbs stream is running full screen, I just have to sit down, enjoy the show, and contribute to the Podium Cafe on my laptop.

What really bothers me is that cycling.tv has the technology to make the whole process easy, simple and workable for all. What causes ALL of the problems is trying to restrict what we can do with the content we paid for. The only reason to change formats and interfaces is to make it marginally more difficult for folks to record the race. If you'll search the net, you can find descriptions on how to watch cycling.tv w/o paying or record the stream.

The end result: people who were going to steal the content or record the races are still doing exactly that, while honest customers willing to pay for the product are saddled w/ the runaround just trying to get the races to play. Even worse for Mac users who don't get full screen because of content protections that don't work.

Folks who sell digital content have got to face up to the facts. DRM doesn't stop theives, they still easily steal you content. It just makes life less pleasant for your paying customers.

Brooklyn Chewing Gum: Vlaanderens Mooiste

by Koppenberg on Jun 14, 2007 4:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

FWIW

this is what I do:

If it's the first day of a given event, I go through 12string's list. THEN
right click on the video, select "Properties", and note the url of the video itself.
Copy and paste that url into VLC (or Windows Media Player). Save the url.
Go back to that url every time I watch the event, for the remainder of the event. No pop ups, no half-assed poorly thought out "new" interface. Just video and sound.

Oh, and step .5 - get off my Mac. If I didn't have a Windows desktop, I'd be even more annoyed with Cycling.tv than I am.

by Sui Juris on Jun 14, 2007 5:38 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Voice from nowhere

I was very happy with cycling TV for Versus coverage of the Giro.

It was also a spiritual event. God spoke to me though cycling TV loudly out of nowhere and proclaimed many times during the coverage CONGRATULATIONS YOU HAVE WON AN IPOD.

Maybe this was only a bonus of Versus coverage....

by roadside on Jun 15, 2007 1:45 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs