How to watch F1 (legally) for free in 2012 without buying Sky, here is the solution

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This workaround works, but it's better via Satellite. I've got it rigged up and Dish already tested. You want 19.2E and look for RTL Deutshland. Free to air coverage until 2015. Check Dishpointer.com for help positioning the dish if you're doing it yourself, full kit £25 in B&Q.

Reply 21

jelly1000

I tried finding a channel online that would let me watch F1 quali live when I was in the Czech Republic and didn't have access to a TV and I couldn't find one.

Reply 22

Genocidal

Why not just watch it illegally like everybody else who won't buy Sky? It really is just a technicality and you won't get caught, or do you like to feel smug because you are morally correct?

Reply 23

Raving_Hippy

Original post by Genocidal

Why not just watch it illegally like everybody else who won't buy Sky? It really is just a technicality and you won't get caught, or do you like to feel smug because you are morally correct?

It's not illegal if it's being broadcast free online. And as for Sky, I am against the whole Sky deal. F1 has done it's fans over, so by not buying Sky then I am showing my disgust for the deal.

ALL F1 FANS SHOULD UNITE AND NOT BUY SKY. If we all club together and don't buy Sky, Sky will realise there is no fan base and no monetary support, so they won't be able to continue to host the coverage, meaning the coverage will go back to the BBC free again. So it's up to us, the fans, to protest, and this is the best way to do it. Simply put, if nobody buys Sky, then Bernie will look pretty stupid when the viewing figures are virtually nil.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 24

tehFrance

Original post by Raving_Hippy

It's not illegal if it's being broadcast free online.

It is if it is being broadcasted from an unofficial source ie. not the official site of TF1 for instance.

Bernie won't look stupid as lots of people already have sky... it is worth it for him either way.

Reply 25

Raving_Hippy

Original post by tehFrance

No problem - simply find sites where you can watch the live stream from a different country officially via the internet. Problem solved.

Reply 26

Minardi

Original post by tehFrance

Bernie won't look stupid as lots of people already have sky... it is worth it for him either way.

That's the key point. Sky has 10Milllion UK subscribers. I've no idea how many take Sky Sports, but it's more than enough.

Reply 27

thomasp

Original post by Raving_Hippy

ALL F1 FANS SHOULD UNITE AND NOT BUY SKY. If we all club together and don't buy Sky, Sky will realise there is no fan base and no monetary support, so they won't be able to continue to host the coverage, meaning the coverage will go back to the BBC free again. So it's up to us, the fans, to protest, and this is the best way to do it. Simply put, if nobody buys Sky, then Bernie will look pretty stupid when the viewing figures are virtually nil.

I think what's more likely to happen is that the UK will either lose F1 on free-to-air altogether (doubt the BBC would be willing to fork out the fees to get it back), or it'd end up on one of the commercial free-to-air channels (ITV, C4 or C5), which means it'd be filled with adverts and possibly Steve Ryder.

Reply 28

jelly1000

Original post by thomasp

Personally I'd rather it went back to ITV as it was, with JA & Steve Ryder, than as its due to be next year where half the races won't be shown on free to air TV.

Reply 29

A Mysterious Lord

For the record, I watched today's on RTL, think we'd all thought of the streaming idea months ago :smile:

Reply 30

Raving_Hippy

Original post by A Mysterious Lord

For the record, I watched today's on RTL, think we'd all thought of the streaming idea months ago :smile:

See everyone, I told you it was possible!

Did you listen with German or English commentary btw? What was the website link where you watched the RTL live stream from?

Reply 31

A Mysterious Lord

Original post by Raving_Hippy

See everyone, I told you it was possible!

Did you listen with German or English commentary btw? What was the website link where you watched the RTL live stream from?

Muted German commentary with Radio 5 Live. Available here, stream is offline now though.

There's also Alpha TV from Greece, which I watched the Hungarian GP on while on holiday. Problem is I can't find a stream that doesn't require the Windows Media plugin :frown:

Original post by Minardi

After consideration, that's exactly what I'll be doing.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 32

mikesandiford93

This is basically what I was thinking of doing :smile:

The 5 live commentary is really good as long as David Croft does not go to SKY.

Reply 33

f1mad

Original post by Planar

I'm pretty sure there is a way. An English landlady was tired of paying massive amounts to sky, so she set up some sort of satellite and streamed it from abroad. She was challenged in court and won. Let me find a source.

edit: "The ECJ said national legislation, which banned the use of overseas decoders, could not "be justified either in light of the objective of protecting intellectual property rights or by the objective of encouraging the public to attend football stadiums"."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15162241

Presumably this applies to F1 as well

This. You need to get a sateillite dish and decoder: get the RTL channel sync that with BBC comms and bam you have it.

Reply 34

f1mad

Original post by thomasp

C4 actually had an awesome bid. But as the BBC always do, they don't give a crap about the tax payer.

To me the license fee is useless now. I only ever watched the Beeb for the F1.

Reply 35

christmasrights

Anyone found a good live stream yet?

Reply 36

bufferz

Found a brilliant stream via satelitte - Called SkySports F1HD.... :cool:

Reply 37

raheem94

The OP's suggestion won't work well in my opinion because the stream and commentary will have some delay in them which takes away some of the excitement.

Reply 38

F1's Finest

I have sky, but the purpose of getting it was for my dad to watch the premier league games, not so much the f1. so its an added bonus.

dont be jel be reem

Reply 39

Ice_Queen

We found an excellent solution.

We have a couple of friends with Sky... but they don't use Sky Go.

Fab. Asked my stepfather-in-law for his credentials, put it on my partner's PC, connected that to the telly and hey presto! Legal, SKY, HD, English, synchronised and free :biggrin: