[LM24 Race] 2009 Official Le Mans DVD

[isynge]

I'm in the process of watching this at the moment - and while the video quality is now pleasingly widescreen and upscales nicely into HD the commentary plumbs appalling depths and the actual level of race coverage isn't as extensive as it really should be.

There's no passion to it, the guy comes across as uninformed and simply reading from a badly prepared script reminding me of nothing so much as some of the Motors TV programmes that are translated verbatim and clumsily from native French. It's also chock full of base errors such as this apparently being Tom Kristensen's last race.

We know better can be done - most of the reviews from certainly the last 10 years have been genuinely worthwhile - why has such a retrograde step been taken?

[Joe Taylor]

Glad it's not just me who thinks it's awful. In addition to the large number of errors, there isn't actually that much racing in the review.

[Bentley03]

Woeful, yet they appear to have put more effort into this year's review. Unfortunately, they've completely lost the essence of a race review somewhere along the line. It should be possible to replicate the prerace excitement and anticipation as well as gripping the viewer throughout the race coverage itself, which they've totally failed to do.

I suspect my copy will sit on the shelf gathering dust for many years before I feel moved to view it again.

[Down F0rce]

That is a shame. I guess I'll just wait to get it as a freebee with the event programme next year.

[Bentley03]

Originally Posted by Down F0rce

That is a shame. I guess I'll just wait to get it as a freebee with the event programme next year.

The freebie with the programme is something quite different. This is the Duke 2009 review, and, regardless of my comments above, would still be a nice souvenir of your first Le Mans. Put it on your Christmas list!

[isynge]

Cheers for pointing that out James - the programme DVD is lurking somewhere in the study - worth a watch in terms of offering anything over and above the Duke offering?

[Joe Taylor]

Originally Posted by Bentley03

The freebie with the programme is something quite different. This is the Duke 2009 review, and, regardless of my comments above, would still be a nice souvenir of your first Le Mans. Put it on your Christmas list!

I thought the Duke review was the same as the ACO review. The 2008 reviews were identical at least.

[Bentley03]

Originally Posted by Joe Taylor

I thought the Duke review was the same as the ACO review. The 2008 reviews were identical at least.

In which case I may well be wrong. The last programme freebie dvd I watched was definitely not the same as the Duke review (in fact it was hardly a review at all), but I'm not sure which year that was. I suspect I've binned all my freebies, so unable to check. Thanks for that, I'll make a point of checking next year.

[Pilgrimage]

Watched the programme one - nice to have as a freebie - but too much build up (inc testing and other events) and not enough actual race for my taste.

[Gingers4Justice]

I gave up on the Official Vids during the mid 00's, they got worse and worse - or, rather, I've become old enough to note the mistakes.

Although the worst one of all time was probably 1998. That was beyond shocking. I didn't notice it all when I was a toddler, but I watched a couple of years ago but I didn't last to the end - the commentator sounded like he needed the tiolet desperately and he couldn't get any parts of the circuit right.

[rich07]

So is the Duke DVD worth buying? Does it show much of the other classes or does it just focus on the outright fight?

[Gingers4Justice]

Originally Posted by rich07

So is the Duke DVD worth buying? Does it show much of the other classes or does it just focus on the outright fight?

Not sure if focuses on anything much. I think the Eurosport and RLM teams who do the whole race live make less mistakes than Duke do.

[Aysedasi]

Frankly, as soon as the official DVD (video as it then was) ceased to have the RLM commentary (the last was '95 from my recollection), the productions went downhill. Added-on commentaries are absolutely no patch on the 'real thing' from RLM. I bought the latest DVD and I've watched it once, I might watch it again some time. In the days of the SportsSeen RLM commentaried videos I would watch them over and over again. I actually wore out the 1990 video (it was so good) and had to buy another copy. As a sad muppet who listened to the commentary of the 2008 race (on mp3 download from RLM) 11 times and have already listened to the commentary of this year's race 6.5 times (I spend a lot of time in the car....... ), I just love listening to Hindy, Trussers and (most of) the other commentators. Perhaps we ought to ask Hindy if there is any chance at all of the commentary finding it's way back onto video footage ever again?

[rich07]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

Perhaps we ought to ask Hindy if there is any chance at all of the commentary finding it's way back onto video footage ever again?

That would be fantastic!

It would be great if RLM could release their own DVD using their commentary ontop of the vision of the race. And instead of just being ninety minutes long it should be longer much longer. So much goes on in the race that doesnt make it to the DVD. It doesnt have to be 24hrs long but you easily fill three or four hours or even more.

[olly83]

It sounds like the DVD is basically what ITV4 showed a few months ago and I remember complaining about it then. There is no excuse for such ill informed commentary. It was embarrasingly bad! I recorded the ITV highlights onto my computer so I wont be buying the DVD.

Who was the guy who used to do the DVD commentaries? It was by no means perfect with many corners being mis-called but it was certainly better than this year's effort.

I like the sound of RLM commentary, maybe we should start a petition!