Ok Directv, Here is some feedback from this years Nascar hotpass

[goaliebob99]

Ok, as we gear up for the next new season of Hotpass, I have a few suggestions and comments. I also recommend anyone who has ideas also post here on what they would like to see for next years hot pass.


1. Great job on the season, the quality of the product improved from years past and the addition of the HD version of hotpass was A++ and spot on. I loved the interactivity between the hotpass channels and the viewers. My only thing is can each hotpass channel have their own email, instead of a generic one for all 4 channels. I also would like to see hotpass trivia where people could win prizes or even nascar tickets as well as text voting ( I think this is allready being done on the text voting thing)

2. I can never get tired of the Dale Earnheart Jr channel, Tony Stewart needs to be featured more, and for next year if we could bump up from 4 to 8 channels in hd that would be great, if its logistically possable.

3. Stop showing commericals. IE when the network goes into break, can we keep the commentators on and go to a single screen with the car going around the track. If you want to you can keep the commericals in the right hand corner of the HD screen but keep the audio on the commintators or incar audio. If the commentators want to break for a drink of water or what ever they do at the track when they are not talking then switch to the incar audio instead of the commercials.

There has been plenty of times where someone has wrecked and people are going over their gameplans as far as when to pit, and how much gas they have, just to have the audio interuppted while the network goes to break. I want to hear what Jr is going to do with out having to be inconvienced by hitting the green button to go to the drivers audio everytime the network goes to break. After all that is the point of hotpass and I feel that as I am paying for a premium service the commericals should be dropped as apart of that, or atleast the audio should stay on the car instead of going to the audio feed of the commercials.

4. Keep up the good work! I have enjoyed Nascar hotpass, and if I was to god forbid to switch providers, I would keep an HD reciver in the house just to sub to this every sunday. But I dont see me switching from D* any time soon. I look forward to earlybird renewal of next seasons hotpass and cant wait for it to start!

 

[Jimbo]

Ok, as we gear up for the next new season of Hotpass, I have a few suggestions and comments. I also recommend anyone who has ideas also post here on what they would like to see for next years hot pass.


1. Great job on the season, the quality of the product improved from years past and the addition of the HD version of hotpass was A++ and spot on. I loved the interactivity between the hotpass channels and the viewers. My only thing is can each hotpass channel have their own email, instead of a generic one for all 4 channels. I also would like to see hotpass trivia where people could win prizes or even nascar tickets as well as text voting ( I think this is allready being done on the text voting thing)

2. I can never get tired of the Dale Earnheart Jr channel, Tony Stewart needs to be featured more, and for next year if we could bump up from 4 to 8 channels in hd that would be great, if its logistically possable.

3. Stop showing commericals. IE when the network goes into break, can we keep the commentators on and go to a single screen with the car going around the track. If you want to you can keep the commericals in the right hand corner of the HD screen but keep the audio on the commintators or incar audio. If the commentators want to break for a drink of water or what ever they do at the track when they are not talking then switch to the incar audio instead of the commercials.

There has been plenty of times where someone has wrecked and people are going over their gameplans as far as when to pit, and how much gas they have, just to have the audio interuppted while the network goes to break. I want to hear what Jr is going to do with out having to be inconvienced by hitting the green button to go to the drivers audio everytime the network goes to break. After all that is the point of hotpass and I feel that as I am paying for a premium service the commericals should be dropped as apart of that, or atleast the audio should stay on the car instead of going to the audio feed of the commercials.

4. Keep up the good work! I have enjoyed Nascar hotpass, and if I was to god forbid to switch providers, I would keep an HD reciver in the house just to sub to this every sunday. But I dont see me switching from D* any time soon. I look forward to earlybird renewal of next seasons hotpass and cant wait for it to start!

Good post :up

I too agree with most all your comments , but particularly the one about the commercials.
DO AWAY with them on the Hot Pass, your paying extra for the right to see all this other stuff, drop the commercials ... If I want the commercials I'll go to the National feed.
I use to watch NASCAR without commercials every week back when I had my C-Band dish, it was awesome.

Jimbo

 

[gadgtfreek]

Im prob gonna give it a whirl next year.

 

[Jimbo]

Im prob gonna give it a whirl next year.

I will definatly IF they eliminate the commercials.
I'm on the fence otherwise.

Jimbo

 

[gadgtfreek]

I really only watch Nascar and Coll Fball, so Game Plan and Hotpass will be my way of wasting sports money every year

I did not get it last year because I moved in April and tried out Dish. Did not want to waste it.

 

[iceturkee]

i'll reserve my decision until after the 500 free preview.

 

[goober22]

Well, I for one AM TIRED of the Earnhardt Jr Hotpass!!!

I like the guy but I don't think he needs to be featured 34 of the 36 weeks! Meanwhile you have Edwards, Johnson & Ky. Busch winning most of the races. But there ARE other drivers that DO have fans as well.

But since he just won the "most popular driver award" (again, ballot stuffing - the same as Bill Elliott did all those years), then I guess we'll see him every week in 2009 whether he's competitive or not.

Like I said, I like the guy but with only 4 channels they need to spread it around more. At least InDemand had 6 channels/drivers when they had it.

 

[Ronnie-]

I also have heard alot of good about Hotpass. Not something I would buy, but glad they are doing it well for those that want it

 

[goaliebob99]

Jr has a cult following, I mean look at most of the fans who go out to the track, a good chunk of them are wearing the 88 number. I do agree we need more than 4 featured drivers.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Hotpass is like anything else, the popular driver is going to be on there. I mean why not?? If you want the most revenue, always have the guy people like. If this was 10 years ago, we'd be complaining that Gordon and Senior were always on there.

 

[jlakers]

3. Stop showing commericals. IE when the network goes into break, can we keep the commentators on and go to a single screen with the car going around the track. If you want to you can keep the commericals in the right hand corner of the HD screen but keep the audio on the commintators or incar audio. If the commentators want to break for a drink of water or what ever they do at the track when they are not talking then switch to the incar audio instead of the commercials.

There has been plenty of times where someone has wrecked and people are going over their gameplans as far as when to pit, and how much gas they have, just to have the audio interuppted while the network goes to break. I want to hear what Jr is going to do with out having to be inconvienced by hitting the green button to go to the drivers audio everytime the network goes to break. After all that is the point of hotpass and I feel that as I am paying for a premium service the commericals should be dropped as apart of that, or atleast the audio should stay on the car instead of going to the audio feed of the commercials.

I agree that they should drop commercials, but at least you are able to switch the audio and listen to just the in-car audio instead of the commercials, that way you can still hear what the driver and crew saying.

Either way I loved it and will be back in a couple months!!

 

[sweep49]

For the money I think Hotpass is great. I have 2 suggestions:

1: Stop editing the driver's audio. I want to hear everything they have to say.
2: Turn down the volume on the in-car microphone that picks up the engine's sound. When switching to team audio during commercials, the engine noise is too loud.

For the money, I don't mind the commercials. My bet is if the commercials were removed, Hotpass would cost more.

 

[goaliebob99]

For the money I think Hotpass is great. I have 2 suggestions:

1: Stop editing the driver's audio. I want to hear everything they have to say.
2: Turn down the volume on the in-car microphone that picks up the engine's sound. When switching to team audio during commercials, the engine noise is too loud.

For the money, I don't mind the commercials. My bet is if the commercials were removed, Hotpass would cost more.

You bring up a good point, lets say if it was 10 bucks more, I wouldn't mind it. But then again look at NFL Sunday ticket. That costs an arm, a leg and your first born and you still get commercials during the games.

 

[rad]

Looks like we don't need to worry about this. According to No 'Hot Pass' for DirecTV customers next year

"DirecTV will not continue its exclusive NASCAR “Hot Pass” pay-per-view package next season, The Observer and ThatsRacin.com have learned. "

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Good. It was nice for the 2 years I had it , But No Way would I pay an extra dime more then $80 for it. I love nascar, But the Hot Pass package wasn't that great to raise the price. If anything lower it.

 

[goober22]

Looks like we don't need to worry about this. According to No 'Hot Pass' for DirecTV customers next year

"DirecTV will not continue its exclusive NASCAR “Hot Pass” pay-per-view package next season, The Observer and ThatsRacin.com have learned. "

I read thru it and it seems that it may be back BUT not like it was as HP. It reads like it may be more like it was back in the InDemand days or even a free coverage channel of some sort. Some quotes to support that:

- NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston confirmed changes to DirecTV’s broadcast platform for NASCAR.

- “The produced package as it exists today will change,” he said. “There will be no more large production pieces but we are confident DirecTV will have NASCAR content next season.

- “We are working with DirecTV on a package that will hopefully provide fans some of the same enhancements they received with ‘Hot Pass.’ ”

- Poston said a new package, minus the driver-specific broadcasts, could be made available to all DirecTV subscribers, thus expanding the reach of NASCAR coverage on DirecTV. The “Hot Pass” program required an additional subscription for those who already had DirecTV.

- I think the subscription package is going to change for the better for more fans, ultimately,” Poston said

 

[goaliebob99]

That Bytes... Directv has been totally going the opposite way...

 

[uncrules]

That Bytes... Directv has been totally going the opposite way...

I don't use Hotpass, but I agree, this is another sign that D* is going the wrong way. Malone is just flat out killing D* and running them into the ground. That's why I've said that I hope and pray that rumors about Malone selling D* come true. Anybody, including a bunch of monkeys, can do a better job with D* than Malone has.

 

[goaliebob99]

I don't use Hotpass, but I agree, this is another sign that D* is going the wrong way. Malone is just flat out killing D* and running them into the ground. That's why I've said that I hope and pray that rumors about Malone selling D* come true. Anybody, including a bunch of monkeys, can do a better job with D* than Malone has.

Im starting to seriously thinking about going back to E* if this continues... Especally with the channel launches in may. The only thing that is holding me back is 1, NFL suday ticket. 2. Comcast Sports net Chicago is not full time, Waiting on channel launches this spring from dish.

Come spring, I may be dropping D* if this continues. Allthough it would be nice if E* did get back MLB.

 

[rad]

Instead of saying this is Malones fault anyone think that maybe HotPass was a money loosing option and that DirecTV decided to stop the loss? I'd guess it was talking a lot of man power with the additional on air talent, the crew needed to monitor all the feeds and decide which to put up plus the backhaul bandwidth and additional downlink transponders, both SD and HD.

I cancelled before the start of the 2008 season, the only reason I signed up again was that SatRacer over at DBS talk was getting special deals for folks to renew.