Some friends of mine had an extra ticket to a Supercross motorbike race yesterday. It got me out of the house, so I went. It was fun, but it got me thinking "I'd much rather watch something like this on TV."
Most people would say "Watching it on TV is bad. I'd much rather be there." It certainly was fun being there, but there are much more advantages to watching it on TV. The first example I can come up with is the volume level. There were many times I had to plug my ears due to the noise. There were 20 high-powered, noisy motorcycles racing through the track simultaneously, on top of the noise of the announcer (which has his volume set higher to compete with the noise of the bikes), on TOP of the noise of the crowd. It was a loud event. Plus, you could barely understand the announcer.
On TV, the announcer has a direct audio feed, and you can adjust the volume level to your liking.
Stadiums have really good food and beverages, but you can get them for a lot cheaper at home. Plus, bathrooms are a lot more accessible at home.
Multiple Camera Angles! At a live event, you're limited to a fixed angle and position - that of your seat. On TV, you have cameras upon cameras documenting all sides of the event, including those you wouldn't be able to see from a seat. And if something important happens, you can't see details from your seat. A TV camera would be right on top of it.
The only advantage I can think of in favor of a live event would be the atmosphere, which, in the case of the Supercross, was messy and exhaust-ridden.
Don't get me wrong, I had a really great time. I was enjoying the race with friends, which would be fun anywhere. This is simply a comparison of live versus telecast.
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