Today is qualifying for NASCAR's Daytona 500, it's their flagship race. NBC just profiled "NASCAR Fanview", a portable (Wireless) device that fans can rent @race-track:
http://www.kangaroo.tv/kangaroo-tv/device.en.html · Up to 10 live video feeds · Live audio feeds accessed on user-set frequencies · Video mpeg4 and Audio AAC3/mpeg1 layer 2 · SD memory card · USB port http://www2.sprint.com/mr/news_dtl.do?id=10220 "The device represents the next generation of fan access by integrating a race-day scanner with video feeds and race data and transmitting over the 2.5 GHz wireless broadcast spectrum. Produced and developed by Sprint Nextel, NASCAR and Kangaroo.TV, NASCAR NEXTEL FanView bridges the live excitement of races with the data and visuals of the at-home, multi-screen fan experience." http://www.nextel.com/en/promotions/racing/fanview.shtml I'm trying to figure out how this thing works. Is *everything* (video, audio) streamed over IP? Or, is some of it just regular TV/radio reception (say video feeds & audio feeds), & the real-time telemetry done over IP? - Nextel why are they involved? this implies there is some content going over cellphone network They're going to be used in both NASCAR & Champcar this year: http://www.kangaroo.tv/kangaroo-tv/events.en.html The companies "Digital Orchid" (content over cellphones), "Kangaroo TV" popped up last year on the NASCAR.com & Champcarworldseries.com, but I didn't see anything at the race-track. ---------- Last year, I started a LiveWebCast initiative for Offroad Racing: http://www.jumplive.com I did a LiveWebCast "test" for the Champcar Long Beach Grand Prix, & was in touch with their upper-management. They sounded interested, so my "Proof of Concept" could expand into pavement-racing: NASCAR & Champcar. I've found 2 new mediums: 1) LiveWebCast Mobile Blogging over Textamerica.com moblogging servers 2) iPod/iTunes medium: VoD ("Video on Demand") "Offroad Racing" video-podcast on iTunes [ see http://jumplive.blogspot.com, click on upper-right icon ] The interesting thing about 1 & 2, is that they are available as an archive AFTER the race. I.e., possible revenue-stream in addition to media-exposure. (the NASCAR Fanview has an audio-playback, but apparently nothing archiveable). A week ago, I was involved with an A+B LiveWebCast for the Parker 425 offroad race: A) Information (via IRC/Iritrack) live satellite vehicle-tracking, driver ID, avg mph, etc B) Entertainment (via me/Jumplive.com) live multimedia: pics/videos [ see http://parker425.textamerica.com, http://www.jumplive.com/parker06/index.html ] The A+B was broadcast over: http://e-track.fr/irc/ [ click on lower-left icon, it takes you to my Jumplive.com LIVE broadcast. Sample screenshot: http://www.jumplive.com/parkerjumplive.jpg ] If you select vehicles (McMillin, Scaroni, Weyhrich, Vildosola), click on "Replay" you can see a playback of the race. Clicking on a vehicle will bring up a window (driver name, avg speed, & "click here for racers website"..which is a link to one of my Textamerica.com moblog LiveWebCast sites). Sample screenshots below: http://www.jumplive.com/parkermcmillin.jpg http://www.jumplive.com/parkervildosola.jpg http://www.jumplive.com/parkersmd.jpg http://www.jumplive.com/parkertsco.jpg Obviously, there's a LOT of activity in the auto-racing market the last year, involving Wireless Technology for LiveWebCast. There's also considerable profit-potential. I'd like to get some feedback on future Technology Development, & possible business-models for the auto-racing market. Auto-Racing might be a high-visibility "vehicle" to demonstrate Wireless to the masses, which could spur/trigger some development for general Wireless development (WiFi communities, etc).
