F1 via iPad

[spinaltap]

As a long-standing F1 fan, I too am unhappy about next season's broadcasting arrangements via Sky. Plus, as my 10 year-old Sky box bit the dust a few months back (and I wasn't prepared to stay with $ky), an alternative method of watching the non-BBC races is important to me.

I just happened to have recently bought an iPad2, and have been messing-around installing free apps to play around with. One that I downloaded only yesterday is 'FilmOn Free TV Live Football Sports News'. If you visit their website, they are asking £4.95 per month to watch catch-up tv - and only UK television appears to be available via this route.

I was therefore pleasantly surprised to discover that the FilmOn app offers RTL (plus other foreign channels).
So, today, with my iPad sitting alongside my tv I watched all of today's race - without any signal drop-out. The delay on the iPad 'broadcast' was typically less than one lap behind the live BBC broadcast - but that doesn't really matter if the RTL feed is the only one available to me next season.

Sure the occasional spate of commercials spoils the enjoyment - albeit the ad shown during the final ten laps at least did show the continuing race in a separate window (I can't see Sky doing likewise).

During pre-race commentary, it was amusing watching the RTL commentator interviewing Rosberg on my iPad, with Martin Brundle in the background trying to barge his way into the interview - while simultaneously watching Brundle on the BBC hone-in on Rosberg.

It shows what a sterling job the BBC do, when Brundle always makes a valiant effort to interview as many drivers on the gridwalk in the time available, compared to the RTL commentator who only interviewed all the German drivers.

So, you can the utilise FilmOn app on an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch - and connect these to your television via Apple's digital av adaptor for £35. Alternatively, purchase an AppleTV for £90 and you can use Airplay Mirroring on an iPhone4S or iPad2 (but not iPod Touch) to stream directly to your tv - making all of this an alternative way of watching F1 next season.

Even if you don't have any of these devices, I suggest at least downloading the FilmOn app from the iTunes store - just in case Bernie finds out!

 

[als]

So Apple have made my original iPod Touch obsolete and, as this app appears to require an iPad2, they are making my iPad redundant too. This is what Sony used to do with their digital cameras, never updating the software that came with them, even when a new version of Windows came about. That's why I never buy Sony equipment that requires any connectivity drivers, and why I'll probably stop buying Apple products too.

 

[spinaltap]

I think you will find it's the A5 chip in the iPad2 and iPhone4S that allows Airplay Mirroring, whereas the iPod Touch carries the A4 chip.

Even so, the iPod Touch does allow for a limited form or mirroring, but not to the same extent.

Apple - iPad 2 - Stream movies and music wirelessly with AirPlay.

 

[davidmi]

FilmOn downloaded and working on Ipad 1. Thanks.