Pro Tour Live Coverage

[ru4por]

I guess I missed the GBO announcement where they are going to take the media coverage to the next level and get rid of the existing media partners. :\

Steve wanted all eyes on him and for better or worse they are. If you are going to put yourself out there and make a variety of promises then you better deliver on them quickly or folks will feel mislead and throw it all back at you. Never have been a fan of the over promise, under deliver marketing model. He knew he was taking away something, Jomez/CCDG/SB, that people enjoyed and made it sound like nobody would notice. To me that is setting yourself up for the exact reaction he received.

They were rolling out a new and very ambitious plan for 2019 and would have been better served setting up more realistic expectations. Set the bar lower and clear it, then raise it a little more and clear it again, keep on doing it until you reach your goal. You build up consumer trust with each accomplishment. To set the bar so high with very little chance of clearing it was a terrible PR move that is biting them in the arse. Shotty camera work, coverage drops, no next day post production, leaving Youtube, etc... Not trying to pile on here, just pointing out that a lot of Steve's problem were caused by Steve. As that old saying goes, you reap what you sow.

Yeah...I agree FP. The way Dodge went about his business leaves a lot to be desired. I think he deserves much of the criticism he gets for his over-promise approach.

My point was, the criticism of his live coverage is also warranted, but many of the same points of contention, are easily dismissed as standard operating issues, when seen in other coverage. I have no issues with watching either live coverage. While Smash is bringing a better product, I think the gap between the two is relatively small.

Looks like Timber Ridge has been taken away as an option to play this summer.

 

[Future_Primitive]

Looks like Timber Ridge has been taken away as an option to play this summer.

Nooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!

Damn, on the Scene it is crossed out and marked as "permanently removed". Guess I will save my sick day for some other future adventure. Thanks for the very sad update.

 

[Innova63]

……...During the 2nd day I dropped some cash for some equipment to help with this in the future and take some of the strain off the PC. This is why there was no Replay as well, the software couldn't deal with the load I put it under and was choppy as well.

https://www.bing.com/images/detail/...over?FORM=SBIRDI&FORM=WPTOVS&iss=SBIUPLOADGET

so is this what the basement is starting to look like?

or maybe the Smashboxx production truck?

 

[jvphobic]

That is exactly what my basement looks like! Ok, maybe not.

GBO coverage vs DGPT coverage. The differences are not many.

Location: I moved my entire rig to Emporia. It didn't really affect the broadcast one way or the other honestly. But I like going to GBO personally.

Platform: Obviously we are on YouTube a very solid platform with a chat board (that I happen to like). Chat gives us instant feedback and a general fun community to interact with. Part of the reason why I love live disc golf. Watching Post production feels lonely to me.

Cameramen: I was using my own cameramen. But the guys I was using for Jonesboro were almost as good (not quite yet) at covering DG. But, I used a lot of new communication methods that the professional cameramen taught me with my own guys, and that helped.

Quality: I only pushed out at 720p vs 1080 that the DGPT has done. I did this for multiple reasons. It takes some strain off the pro-sumer software we use. And honestly I don't think you can tell much of a difference between the two at the bitrate (4meg/sec) that we tend to push out of our equipment. And honestly, I thought it looked pretty good when we watched it all over town on the local cable TV station.

Cell signal: Hole 14/15 turn had the cell issues. And I think if I was using the DGPT equipment it wouldn't have happened due to their stronger equipment.

Graphics: DD provided me with the raw hole previews weeks ahead of time, so I could add a little extra pizazz to them. Usually I get the DGPT ones a day or two ahead of time and they are already graphic'ed up.

Oh, and FYI. I think that anyone who feels that Robert was "shilling" DD over another brand needs to reassess their viewpoint and personal bias. Robert took the extra time to check other players bags before the round so he could specifically make sure to call out Prodigy, Innova, & Discraft products that he is generally not as knowledgeable about. He is a professional thru and thru and I would work with him any & every time I could. At no point did I ever feel like he pushed the DD line more than another. He may be more familiar with them and able to be more specific, but that is about the extent of it.

 

[davetherocketguy]

Some of the live and post productions would be improved if some of these commentators would stop using the word "absolutely."

 

[DiscFifty]

That is exactly what my basement looks like! Ok, maybe not.

GBO coverage vs DGPT coverage. The differences are not many.

I know you don't owe me (the free viewing public) any inside info, explanation, etc, but I really enjoy all the tech info, struggles, successes, etc, you share. Thank you for doing so!

 

[jvphobic]

Some of the live and post productions would be improved if some of these commentators would stop using the word "absolutely."

THIS!

 

[SD86]

Some of the live and post productions would be improved if some of these commentators would stop using the word "absolutely."

Absolutely.

 

[araytx]

Terry: next up will be Paige Pierce

Robert: Yep this is a Classic Blend Burst Warden 174g which is an incredibly versatile and reliable putter from our dynamic discs line up. And yep parked it called it.

Terry: ok yeah, Next up is Kona Panis

Robert: looks like a purple disc, might work, might not, never know with purple ones

That's some journalistic integrity right there...

Yea, thats one of the reason why Im not too big a fan of Roberts commentary. Hes very knowledgeable but it seems at times like he has an alternate motive. Granted DD is the main sponsor, I still dont think its right.

Robert was identifying the discs Kona and Madison were throwing when he could (I heard Shryke and Destroyer a lot). It helps if he knows their bags well enough to identify the disc by its color or stamp, which is tough to do. And obviously he knows the Paiges' bags (and Rebecca Cox when they showed some of that card) better because of the sponsor relationship, but he was making some effort with the Innova discs.

But still, what do you expect? It's a DD tournament with video coverage underwritten heavily by DD with a DD employee on the mic. Of course they're going to get as many mentions of their products as possible. Expect more of the same this afternoon with AJ and JohnE. But also don't be surprised if there's plenty of mentions of what Eagle and Paul are throwing as well. Terry probably has a better working knowledge of Paul's bag having covered him a few times this year.

He was obviously pushing DD when he can, he's probably paid to do so. But I agree it was a bit much at times, I'm not sure if we need to know every disc the players are throwing all the time. Now if someone is throwing a putter and the others are throwing mids or drivers, then that is important for the viewer to know.

What conflict are we having? None. We all have opinions and then we talk about them. Your point of view is different then mine and there's nothing wrong with that. Im not trying to convince anybody that my side is right or wrong.

If they know the disc/mold being thrown every time, I hope they tell us every time. But I also agree that Robert wayyyyyy overdid promoting the DD discs...

I like DD's disc lineup overall. I have no real problems with their products. However, their self promoting has reached a really obnoxious point. They use every single opportunity to jam their discs in your face.

They definitely market aggressively. It turns me off a bit.

I guess the DG market is more cutthroat than I thought. There are increasing numbers of companies out there for a slice of the pie.

I agree that the competition is getting fierce, with new companies and new molds coming out all the time. With Discmania doing that partnership with Yikun and Lat64, DD might be feeling some heat. They also lost Wysocki, and really haven't replaced him yet, while Innova and Discraft chug along with the Champs....

And I don't mind some marketing, but as someone above said, Robert was going too far. Sure Sexton might know an Innova disc in someone's bag, but you never hear Nate say "And that's the Innova Dart, which you can buy at the Innova Proshop..." at all.

Those comments about Robert M imho are just tril-bashing (Disclaimer: I am DD-sponsored player). I know for a fact how hard Robert works to know players' discs -- all players. He does that imho better than anyone so far. Mr. Smashboxx, Jonny V (see below) OBVIOUSLY thinks differently, and he works with many commentators.

That is exactly what my basement looks like! Ok, maybe not.

GBO coverage vs DGPT coverage. The differences are not many.

...

Graphics: DD provided me with the raw hole previews weeks ahead of time, so I could add a little extra pizazz to them. Usually I get the DGPT ones a day or two ahead of time and they are already graphic'ed up.

Oh, and FYI. I think that anyone who feels that Robert was "shilling" DD over another brand needs to reassess their viewpoint and personal bias. Robert took the extra time to check other players bags before the round so he could specifically make sure to call out Prodigy, Innova, & Discraft products that he is generally not as knowledgeable about. He is a professional thru and thru and I would work with him any & every time I could. At no point did I ever feel like he pushed the DD line more than another. He may be more familiar with them and able to be more specific, but that is about the extent of it.

So that!

His commentary is better than his playing!

Well, since Robert's been hovering between 990-1005 recently, I guess that makes him a 1020+-rated commentator. I think he'll take that!

 

[Horsman]

Those comments about Robert M imho are just tril-bashing (Disclaimer: I am DD-sponsored player).

Sorry that you think this way but its not true. Robert got much better about this as the weekend went on but the early streams seemed trilogy heavy.

 

[ru4por]

Those comments about Robert M imho are just tril-bashing (Disclaimer: I am DD-sponsored player). I know for a fact how hard Robert works to know players' discs -- all players. He does that imho better than anyone so far. Mr. Smashboxx, Jonny V (see below) OBVIOUSLY thinks differently, and he works with many commentators.

Telling others that their opinion is wrong, just because it is in opposition of yours, while collecting a reward, is the definition of a shill.

I don't think any of the "bashers" intended the criticism as trilogy derogatory. I am not really sure there is such a thing. I mean, there are players that hate trilogy? Why? Made overseas? Buy 'Merican?

I think Robert did a nice job.....but, I rarely listen to the babble of sport commentators of any kind. Hit mute and put on some tunes.

 

[Jenga54]

Those comments about Robert M imho are just tril-bashing (Disclaimer: I am DD-sponsored player). I know for a fact how hard Robert works to know players' discs -- all players. He does that imho better than anyone so far. Mr. Smashboxx, Jonny V (see below) OBVIOUSLY thinks differently, and he works with many commentators.



So that!




Well, since Robert's been hovering between 990-1005 recently, I guess that makes him a 1020+-rated commentator. I think he'll take that!

I guess I'm glad I wrote that comment, only if to open the discussion. Robert is familiar with trilogy, that's cool, and I see that he's a true fan of the players and the game.

The post was made in jest, obviously played up a contrast to make a joke. It was based off a comment I remembered from the broadcast, and wrote up the rest to my own amusement.

BUT... obviously opinions of observations cannot be that, but are instead Bashing, Hateful, Divisive, Toxic, and just Mean.


Hope I didn't hurt anyone's feelings with this post.

 

[davetherocketguy]

So some of us are criticizing the DD sponsored video with a DD sponsored player commentating that he might be a little DD biased? smh

Reminds me of a rather classic conversation I had with someone where I live:

U of Michigan Fan: "I can't stand channel 16 TV they are so Notre Dame biased."
Me: "What are the call letters of channel 16?"
UofM Fan: "WNDU"
Me: "The station literally has NDU in its call letters and not only that it is located adjacent to Notre Dame's campus where you can just about see the Golden Dome from the stations buildings and you are complaining they might be ND homers?"
UofM Fan: "Yes"

Some people just don't get it...

 

[Streets]

(Disclaimer: I am DD-sponsored player).

Thanks for putting this early in your post, saved me time reading the rest of it.

 

[jvphobic]

The broadcast is obviously skewed towards DD. But I don't believe that Robert was in any was biased in his calling out of discs, when he knew them he said them.

 

[BlueMonk]

I think Robert is fantastic. That guy is a pro and disc golf is lucky to have him. And I have never even thrown a trilogy disc.

But I laughed hard at that purple disc post anyway. That was just funny.

 

[robdeforge]

Quality: I only pushed out at 720p vs 1080 that the DGPT has done. I did this for multiple reasons. It takes some strain off the pro-sumer software we use. And honestly I don't think you can tell much of a difference between the two at the bitrate (4meg/sec) that we tend to push out of our equipment. And honestly, I thought it looked pretty good when we watched it all over town on the local cable TV station.

FWIW I feel 1080p is totally worth it if possible.

 

[jvphobic]

FWIW I feel 1080p is totally worth it if possible.

Me too, when the bitrate makes it the right move. I just don't think people can tell the difference yet at what we push thru.

 

[robdeforge]

Me too, when the bitrate makes it the right move. I just don't think people can tell the difference yet at what we push thru.

I see that on Youtube the video bit rate range for 1080p is 3,000-6,000 while 720p is 1,500-4,000 so what you are saying makes complete sense to me now. Glad to know you're so on top of this stuff!

 

[davetherocketguy]

FWIW I would MUCH rather have a lower resolution if it means no choppy video.