# WARNING about Universal Sports



## InfiniteLoop (Mar 20, 2010)

I think most on here are aware of this game they play, but for anyone who's not. Universal Sports lists about 30 or so races on their Viewers Guide for cycling along with a 

*Price for cycling season package: $34.99*

The only races included in the package for the remainder of 2011 are Giro, Tour, Vuelta, and World Road Champs. I believe the tour coverage is what has been on Versus previous years w/ Bobke and company.

Just make sure you know what you're buying. This is, IMO, pretty scuzzy (just like last year when their VP of Marketing came on here posing as an everyday rider talking up US).


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

Considering they offer the Giro and Vuelta each for $20 on their own, the $35 is a good deal as it includes the UCI Championships and Tour coverage.


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## moonmoth (Nov 8, 2008)

You may think $34.99 is a bad deal for all of that but also consider that Versus charged $30 in 2010 for their online Tour de France coverage package, called "Tour Tracker".


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## DiegoMontoya (Apr 11, 2010)

$34.99 for that is a smoking deal, especially since Universal's stream has no commercials.


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## moabbiker (Sep 11, 2002)

I like how the OP stresses "only" for the three grand tours, as if they're just three stage events to a naive eye. 

This is a really great deal getting all the grand tour stages consistently, especially as they come with playback (good for those who can't watch live)


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## heathb (Nov 1, 2008)

I've never subscribed to US, do they archive their races. In other words can you watch them at your convenience?


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## rufus (Feb 3, 2004)

They have in the past, so I would assume they would keep doing so. Ther only problem is navigating their website to get to the archived footage without running into spoilers, which is almost impossible.


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## burgrat (Nov 18, 2005)

That's like 60-70 days of racing. I'd pay it if the quality was very good and no commercial breaks.


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## InfiniteLoop (Mar 20, 2010)

I never said anything about it being a bad deal, only that US is quite misleading in what they are selling. A number of folks in our club signed up for the season package expecting coverage of the Ardennes (which were listed on US's viewers guide under the $34.99 package) but are in reality NOT included and US is giving them a hard time about any refund.


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## ewarnerusa (Oct 11, 2007)

rufus said:


> They have in the past, so I would assume they would keep doing so. Ther only problem is navigating their website to get to the archived footage without running into spoilers, which is almost impossible.


Use this link for your bookmark
http://www.universalsports.com/premium/index.html
I run into this with their Alpine Ski Racing World Cup coverage, but using this link doesn't show any spoilers. For the ski racing anyway. Although sometimes they change the link thumbnail to a pic of the winner, usually it is just the last year's winner.

EDIT, I see that link is now sort of dead. Or leads to a "updated website" page. I'll have to look for another no spoiler option.

The video streams are very high quality, smooth buffering, and without commercial interruption. But you do often have to watch a 30 sec ad before you get to see a video.


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## MG537 (Jul 25, 2006)

I wouldn't mind paying for it, heck I've paid cycling.tv in the past, but I don't think that Universal is available to Canadian viewers. Any Canucks can confirm this?


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## gh1 (Jun 7, 2008)

heathb said:


> I've never subscribed to US, do they archive their races. In other words can you watch them at your convenience?


Last year I bought the giro and watched most stages after the fact and they were archived so that you could watch when you wanted. Spoilers though are everywhere as stated and their website is extremely stupid in its navigation, the availability and quality picture was worth it since America pays zero attn to the giro and its a hard race to see here.


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## JonSG (Aug 1, 2004)

InfiniteLoop said:


> I never said anything about it being a bad deal, only that US is quite misleading in what they are selling. A number of folks in our club signed up for the season package expecting coverage of the Ardennes (which were listed on US's viewers guide under the $34.99 package) but are in reality NOT included and US is giving them a hard time about any refund.


I agree with you. I paid for it, and would do it again just for the Giro and the Vuelta, but by saying "coming soon" next to a bunch of races they make it sound as though they will have coverage. It is misleading.


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## jhamlin38 (Oct 29, 2005)

I'd say 35 dollars is a good deal. i had cablevision/optonline in NJ and universal was on tv. Now, not the case with Directv. 
The Giro is by far my favorite event. and this years addition looks to be worth 35 dollars itself. 
I thought universal had the giro, tour, vuelta, worlds, lombardy and paris tours in the past, no?
anyway, hopefully Directv will pick them up soon, for HD viewing, on the dvr.


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## zosocane (Aug 29, 2004)

$35 is a great deal and cycling coverage on Universal Sports is terrific. No HUMAN INTEREST stories and NO COMMERCIALS that break up the actual race, unlike Versus. Plus their web site is very responsive and easy to pull up archived races, unlike cycling.tv. I did the package last year and was very satisfied.


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## dogrange (Jul 10, 2009)

Agree with most postings - their coverage of the 2010 Giro was very good, no commericals. Their website is not very navigable, but it can be done.

Question: Are we going to be able to watch the TDF on Universal this year (or is it just written coverage)? If so, the $35 seems like even more of a no-brainer.


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## orange_julius (Jan 24, 2003)

InfiniteLoop said:


> Just make sure you know what you're buying. This is, IMO, pretty scuzzy (just like last year when their VP of Marketing came on here posing as an everyday rider talking up US).


Wow, this is incredulous! Can you point to a post or two where this happened? I tried looking around but can't find what you are referring to here.

Thanks in advance.


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## InfiniteLoop (Mar 20, 2010)

orange_julius said:


> Wow, this is incredulous! Can you point to a post or two where this happened? I tried looking around but can't find what you are referring to here.
> 
> Thanks in advance.


I assume you're referring to the Uni Sports gal shilling? It was back about this time last year (RBR history only goes back to 7/29). She posted several things on here about 'this great deal she'd found with uni sports'. Seemed fishy (and this weren't VS). Did some googling around and she'd done similar posts on Tri and Ski forums. One included her real name and turned out she worked in S&M for Uni Sports.

There was another guy on this forum doing something similar a few weeks ago, but talking up his own cycling blogsite for TV coverage of races. I think he too was banned.


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## SilasCL (Jun 14, 2004)

InfiniteLoop said:


> I assume you're referring to the Uni Sports gal shilling? It was back about this time last year (RBR history only goes back to 7/29). She posted several things on here about 'this great deal she'd found with uni sports'. Seemed fishy (and this weren't VS). Did some googling around and she'd done similar posts on Tri and Ski forums. One included her real name and turned out she worked in S&M for Uni Sports.
> 
> There was another guy on this forum doing something similar a few weeks ago, but talking up his own cycling blogsite for TV coverage of races. I think he too was banned.


Here's the relevant thread. Her posts are all gone though.

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=212068


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## Flahut (May 4, 2011)

*Giro Coverage*



InfiniteLoop said:


> I assume you're referring to the Uni Sports gal shilling? It was back about this time last year (RBR history only goes back to 7/29). She posted several things on here about 'this great deal she'd found with uni sports'. Seemed fishy (and this weren't VS). Did some googling around and she'd done similar posts on Tri and Ski forums. One included her real name and turned out she worked in S&M for Uni Sports.
> 
> There was another guy on this forum doing something similar a few weeks ago, but talking up his own cycling blogsite for TV coverage of races. I think he too was banned.


There is always a lot of Shilling for the race coverage, and in many, many, instances the company touting the services does not provide the service they advertised and in some cases you get absolutely nothing at all (_Due to circumstances beyond our Control - *read the fine print Sucker*_)

But here you go with http://www.steephill.tv/giro-d-italia/#live (Steephill) where there is always a "Free" channel somewhere, and I already posted in another thread a source of Giro Coverage which today will also be offering Les Quatres Jours de Dunkerque .

Finally I am personally going to try to provide "Last Ditch - If All Else Fails" coverage. This is Experimental but I believe it will work and it is Free. 

But it's here for the Needy not the Greedy so if you have any coverage at all regardless of the fact that it might not be in your choice of Language, pass on this opportunity.

Also since there will be a limit to how many punters I can handle, if you Totally lack coverage, email me at [email protected] and I will instruct you how to access connect via my network/domaine.

Bonne Chance mes Amis


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## trobriand (Apr 2, 2009)

On the season list, they bold the "live and on demand" events, only the Giro, Veulta, and the Road World are bold. Doesn't look like the Tour is included unless things will change with the Versus acquisition.


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## MadRoc92 (Mar 24, 2004)

Is this the same US that is owned/broadcasted by NBC? I'm among the last people on Earth who doesn't pay for cable and when my OTA signal went digital that was among the new channels I got. Watched the TTT last night at 8 EDT. I'll be pretty thrilled if I get whole Giro & Tour.


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## jd3 (Oct 8, 2004)

MadRoc92 said:


> Is this the same US that is owned/broadcasted by NBC? I'm among the last people on Earth who doesn't pay for cable and when my OTA signal went digital that was among the new channels I got. Watched the TTT last night at 8 EDT. I'll be pretty thrilled if I get whole Giro & Tour.


You should see the whole Giro. The Tour will be on VS.


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## evs (Feb 18, 2004)

*Watching US st1 live now ....*

and life is good. For some reason I'm really in to the Giro this year. I've never watched a whole Giro but I'm going to try and catch as much as possible for this one. Yesterdays coverage of the TTT was cool. Thank you Universal. :thumbsup:


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## AJL (Jul 9, 2009)

Well, ho, ho, ho. Yesterday I watched the TTT on US. Today - US in no longer in my cable lineup. WTF?! I'm on Comcast in NH. Yay


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## klmmicro (Mar 23, 2011)

Having no cable/satellite/broadcast reception, all I care about is getting something set up where I can watch this year's TDF online re-casts via computer after work. I was looking at using Versus Tour Tracker, but NBC has completely co-opted the VS website and there is no longer any reference to TT I can find.

US looks like a viable option for me. Of course, there is some time for NBC to get the site together so maybe VS will be an option as well.


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## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

burgrat said:


> That's like 60-70 days of racing. I'd pay it if the quality was very good and no commercial breaks.


So $0.40-0.50 per stage? How much is for an episode of Glee on iTunes?


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## AJL (Jul 9, 2009)

AJL said:


> Well, ho, ho, ho. Yesterday I watched the TTT on US. Today - US in no longer in my cable lineup. WTF?! I'm on Comcast in NH. Yay


Got it back - just some glitch :thumbsup:


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## Jesse D Smith (Jun 11, 2005)

ewarnerusa said:


> Use this link for your bookmark
> http://www.universalsports.com/premium/index.html
> I run into this with their Alpine Ski Racing World Cup coverage, but using this link doesn't show any spoilers. For the ski racing anyway. Although sometimes they change the link thumbnail to a pic of the winner, usually it is just the last year's winner.
> 
> ...


Do you know if the online broadcasts uses a "voice only" audio track? 
Last year, Versus online Tour broadcast only included audio of Phil and Paul. No crowd noise or honking cars or riders noise. It kinda sucked watching the video and hearing only Phil and Paul's voice on a mountain top finish, seeing the fans screaming, seeing the motorcycles scream past, but hearing nothing.


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## ewarnerusa (Oct 11, 2007)

Jesse D Smith said:


> Do you know if the online broadcasts uses a "voice only" audio track?
> Last year, Versus online Tour broadcast only included audio of Phil and Paul. No crowd noise or honking cars or riders noise. It kinda sucked watching the video and hearing only Phil and Paul's voice on a mountain top finish, seeing the fans screaming, seeing the motorcycles scream past, but hearing nothing.


I remember crowd noises.


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## foofighter (Dec 19, 2008)

i like the crowd noise but can do without the helicopter rotor sound...that gets annoying


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## Argentius (Aug 26, 2004)

*Last year*

The Versus folks had a lot of issues getting their live tour stuff to work -- that "voice only" stuff was for a couple of stages, I think when they were fussing with that "autobahn" player?

The crowd noises and motorcycle honking, etc, turned up at like, stage 6 or so. It suprised me how much of a difference this makes.

FWIW, I don't have another way of watching pro cycling and woudl love to be able to watch it on the couch as I'm "recovering" from my day, so, I'm probably going to buy the US coverage and see what happens. Will report!





Jesse D Smith said:


> Do you know if the online broadcasts uses a "voice only" audio track?
> Last year, Versus online Tour broadcast only included audio of Phil and Paul. No crowd noise or honking cars or riders noise. It kinda sucked watching the video and hearing only Phil and Paul's voice on a mountain top finish, seeing the fans screaming, seeing the motorcycles scream past, but hearing nothing.


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## zosocane (Aug 29, 2004)

foofighter said:


> i like the crowd noise but can do without the helicopter rotor sound...that gets annoying


I love the helicopter sound. You know it's the Giro (or M-SR or Tirreno).


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