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Vuelta highlights - GCN or Eurosport player?

by quiff
Mon, Aug 16, 2021 15:35
11

In the sad absence of an ITV4 Vuelta highlights programme this year, I'm considering signing up for a month of either GCN or Eurosport player (yes, I know it's started already). Mainly interested in a compact highlights show, rather than watching live. 

I know it's personal, but I have used Eurosport player in the past for the Giro and found it woeful, both in terms of content (give me David and Ned any day) and ease of use (e.g. to watch the highlights programme, I had to fast forward a chunk of video to get to the start of the actual programme. But maybe they've sorted that now).  

Who should get my £6.99?

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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11 comments

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hennie | 3 years ago
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GCN+ is way better than the Eurosport player. i ditched the player after useless service which never got addressed despite multiple complaints from all countries. The worst offence was the picture thumbnail of the race showing you the victor with his/her hands in the air beofre you even watch the race.

GCN+ is great and now has been optimised for an ipad is even better. The films you get as part of the payment are worth it on their own, great inspiration.

You can watch either the full race, or long highlights, or short highlights, and choose to watch with or without the live studio show. 

Just my opinion having had both, but I wouldn't have Eurosport player again if you paid for it for me

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ChasP | 3 years ago
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If it's just highlights you're after I don't think gcn do them, just the live programme. Eurosport do highlights although on normal TV the timings are unreliable. Quest are showing the Eurosport highlights and breakaway aftershow if you can get that?

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quiff replied to ChasP | 3 years ago
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Thanks for the tip re: Quest, that'll probably suffice for me. Would have been academic before this morning, but by happy coincidence I have just had an aerial installed.     

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Steve K replied to ChasP | 3 years ago
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GCN do do highlights on the app - just bits of the race stitched together rather than a proper highlights show (like ITV4) though.

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cyclefaster | 3 years ago
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There are a load of extra videos and documentaries that you get with gcn in addition to the races.

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Zermattjohn | 3 years ago
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The GCN website works pretty well, and I've got the app on my phone and TV. Compared to the Eurosport one from a year or two ago (last time I paid for that/used it) it seems far better. Looks like Carlton Kirby/Sean Kelly for a lot of the comms, but there is a mute button. They also have a live after-race show which can be interesting when they're looking back at the tactical side.

As well as the Vuelta, you'll have access to other races (I just watched the MTB Euro champs from Serbia on catch up, which was fun) and a bunch of films. Some are pretty average, but there's the Mark Beaumont RTW and across Africa ones which I have enjoyed on a rainy day. Looking at the weather forecast, £6.99 seems a good deal!

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quiff replied to Zermattjohn | 3 years ago
1 like

Zermattjohn wrote:

Looks like Carlton Kirby/Sean Kelly for a lot of the comms, but there is a mute button.

Ha! Based on my one previous experience of watching the Giro on Eurosport, I really can't fathom why some people prefer Eurosport commentary to ITV. I've watched the last two Giros in Welsh (which I don't understand) rather than subject myself to that again. Maybe I've answered my own question.  

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to quiff | 3 years ago
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Well if you don't like the commentary on Eurosport, you might be disappointed as I'm sure for the Giro and the Tour, it was shared between both with the branding in the corner stating GCN Eurosport and Daniel Lloyd (assuming he is still at GCN) doing commentary duties with the rest. I know he used to do it anyway but as GCN is now a full live coverage channel, I would be suprised he went elsewhere. 

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bobbinogs replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 3 years ago
1 like

Eurosport and GCN are one and the same company (Discovery), and race coverage/content is shared between the platforms.  Both android/apple apps are shockingly bad, and have been for some time despite all the upbeat "just call support" messages in the reviews.  However, if you get them to work then the picture quality on Chromecast/TV is superb.  Personally, I like most of the commentry, but that is always very subjective.

The main difference is that GCN is more cycling specific, so has additional cycling stuff as well as the races and pre/post show analysis.  Eurosport is all sports, so there is a lot of cycling there but filtering can be a pain, not helped by the app.  So, if you just want decent race coverage there is not a lot to choose between them as that content will be the same, as is the price (in most cases).

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AlsoSomniloquism replied to bobbinogs | 3 years ago
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Thanks for the info on GCN actually now discovery as I had missed that and just assumed some other partnership. But the point still stands that if Quiff hated EuroSport commentary on the big races, GCN is not the alternative option unless he just watches on Mute. 

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quiff replied to AlsoSomniloquism | 3 years ago
0 likes

I'll deal with it, on Quest, for free! Beggars, choosers etc.

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