Chicago Al 

My wife just set up our DVR to record the Tour. It's kind of a family tradition for us. But she was asking which 'version' to record this year: the early one, with a pre-show discussion and (I think) the entire race, or the late one with a condensed version of the race + 'Tour Primetime' which sometimes features interesting (?) analyses and post-race interviews (IIRC they have had some surprise guests in the past). Which do you favor?

BTW this may all be moot as I am looking hard at 'cutting the cord' from DirecTV, in which case I'll subscribe to NBCSports Gold and will presumably have it all at my fingertips.

Iride01 

The few times I watched the later airing, there wasn't anything new as far as commentary that wasn't in the first, supposedly live airing. So I tape the first airing. I can edit it well enough with my fast forward button when viewing time is short.

I've not watched the TdF with NBCSports Gold, but if it's like the other races I have seen on NBCSports Gold that also aired on NBCSN, then there will be some differences. NBCSN will have more side stories and other extra stuff you may or may not care to see. As well, Gold doesn't always have the entire set of commentators that NBCSN uses. Sometimes they don't use any of the same commentators for some races. I plan to tape the NBCSN coverage even though I'll probably watch more of it on NBCSports Gold.

That said, I think NBCSports Gold said that this years TdF will have some interactive stuff this year. I have not looked into that yet to see what exactly they might be talking about.

Marcus_Ti

Personally I don't care for pre-race or pre-sporting event shows. At all. Complete waste of time and gum flapping. They're usually completely wrong in their predictions anyway, and whatever they might be right about you usually already know anyway.

Pre-race interviews are extra pointless...because riders are either lying about their intent...or spend 5 minutes to say "It will be a hard day".

ctpres

Anybody know how many hours you can delay starting Sports Gold? I remember last year trying later in the day and it was not available.

kingston 

I have DirectTV, and it's set to record the series "Cycling" so all bike races get recorded. Then I just delete the duplicates or the stages I have already watched.

rutan74

I always record the long version and just FF thru all the stuff I do not want to see. I am one of the few that actually like Paul and Phil doing the commentary as opposed to Bob and whomever on the late condensed show. I have noticed that the condensed show at night might cuts out some details here and there not to mention that when I start watching at 7pm, I can FF, while I would have to actually sit and watch the condensed show that comes on around 8pm EST.

So, it amounts to having to watch the condensed show and not being able to FF thru all the commercial junk or record the full show and then FF thru all the commercials and down time. I can usually get thru the full show in 2 hours with the ability to FF.

john

Iride01 

Since I got NBCGold, I've never paid attention to how soon the event is available for replay. Do any of y'all know if it's the next day or so many hours after? I was a little miffed that I had to resort to my DVR'd NBCSN version to see the start of todays stage 1 since I didn't get up early enough.

Chicago Al 

Thanks for the replies! We recorded 'Prime Time' for the first stage but as some of you observed, felt we might have missed some interesting details, so we've switched to the first, 'full' broadcast and just ride the FF button. NBCSn seems different this year, I think last time or two they had more interaction between Phil and Paul and the American commentators (and of course Jens). I don't mind pre and post race commentary and analysis, not going to criticize those guys as they all know much more than I do. I had the feeling they were trying out Chris VdV for a bigger role, but I don't know that narrating the race is his strength. Same with Bobke.

Chicago Al 

And here's our usual problem with the DVR...it's set to catch 'Cycling' in general and this event specifically, but it missed the first maybe 1/2 hour this morning. I think we'll be happier overall with NBC Sports Gold, esp as I can let our daughters watch the races that way on their own devices.

Parenthetically: We're probably a very odd household, not sports oriented at all, dgaf about football or basketball, barely more about baseball. More art, movies, books, and music. But some years ago I started watching the Tour and then other races, wife joined in, daughters did as well. Now my wife tells ME what Sagan said on Twitter this morning!

GrainBrain

Are you sure the dvr missed? I have sports gold, and this stage 5 coverage they started a good 45 minutes later then the international feed, which sports gold gives you as well. Next year I will be looking at how to get just the international feed, which has no commercials, good English commentary and long broadcasts.

I'm becoming frustrated with NBCsn coverage and an pretty much just following the international feed.

ksryder

I stream it at work live in the morning (through the DirectTV Now service) and frankly you don't miss much if you watch the later re-broadcast. There's typically not much going on the first 2-3 hours of the race, other than the odd sprint or climb here and there. Therefore on NBCSN they'll show 5 minutes of commercials, cut back to the Tour for a minute or so and half the time it's some aerial footage of an old castle and Phil giving some bits of trivia about the local history, and then they cut right back to commercial for 5 minutes. For the most part I don't pay much attention until the last 30 miles or so.

Iride01 

Last night for stage 4, I had the NBCSN version of the broadcast streaming to the TV and was secretly running the NBCGold version a few seconds ahead on my laptop. It took the rest of my family a while before they figured out how I was cheating and knew things I shouldn't have known.

I'm thinking of moving one of the other big TV's into the living room and running both simultaneously so we can pick and choose which to listen to based on what each is showing at the moment.

They seem to be doing more stuff on Gold now than they've done before both on the streaming video and additional info when viewed through a web browser and the video isn't made full screen. So though most all the action is the same video feed with some exceptions, the interviews and side stories had differences. I can't get that functionality on the NBCGold App in FireTV, so using a NBCGold website through a computer and HDMI cable to the TV will soon be a must for me.

gpsblake

TDF got bumped from NBCSN yesterday and bumped today until the midnight broadcast.

Marcus_Ti

Don't blame them..both days were snoozers.

gpsblake

They also got real ratings problems. The Thursday 8pm TDF broadcast didn't even crack the top 150 of cable programs for the day, which means they had a viewer rating of less than 0.03 (that means less than 3 of 10,000 TV's were watching it).

Marcus_Ti

The problem with Grand Tour racing...it doesn't appeal to most sports viewers, who overwhelmingly are conditioned want/expect action and aggression....not passive tactics and long-game playing. What is more, in the USA, TV broadcasters only know how to broadcast NFL or NBA--activities where there's action for 30 seconds and can then be 5 minutes of advertising or gum flapping.

I'm a cycling fan....but you would have to pay me a living hourly wage to bother watching a bike race on US TV. Broadcasters like OLN/NBCSN/etc ruin the experience.

Nightcap

The NBC Gold ad-free coverage with Matt and Robbie is pretty good. I prefer Phil and Paul, but can't stand the commercials.

gpsblake

Has anyone noticed the ads for kids toys during the race? The bouncy ball and doll pillows???? Seems sponsors from just two years ago have stopped advertising. Bicycle manufactures have no reason to advertise because the tour itself gives them all the advertising they need.

gpsblake

Good god, the TDF on NBCSN just got bumped by something called the "Professional Fight League". I get the feeling NBCSN is bleeding money this year, possibly due to the Froome scandal or just boredom of Sky tactics.

Marcus_Ti

No. All US broadcasters of cycling have done this. They pick it up to get their brand and audience when they're new....then gradually pull crap like this until they drop cycling and let someone else take it. NBCSN took over in 2013 IIRC

OLN did it famously with bull riding of all things, among others...OLN took over from Versus (2009?) who did the same thing with I cannot remember what...

Flip Flop Rider

I record the boring version and watch it later. Love the commentary of Phil and company

slcbob

NBC Sports Gold on Roku is better this year. It gives you the choice of Team Oz ad free (and if you watch it on a computer, with a bunch of data), or Team UK w/ ads and injects from Jens, Bobke, VdV, and Steve Perino riding behind that dude with the stache and the pink shades. Both live and replay. The only thing it does NOT give you is the condensed Tour Primetime option which I guess you have to DVR.

DLBroox

Iride01 

They do that once every year. However on that day they air it on the local NBC network channel. Of course your local affiliate may not carry it.

gpsblake

Coverage is just a mess this year. Going to just watch it on Eurosport online. (sorry, not allowed to post the link against TOS here)