CueSport TV - The Blog

Ever since we launched Cuesport TV back in 2008 we have been talking about a suitable way to make videos available for download in a cost-effective way.

That time has now arrived! From today selected content from Cuesport TV will be available to download on a paid service.

At the moment we are looking at around £2.49 ($3.99 approx) to download an entire match to your hard drive.

Longer videos like money matches will command a higher fee as storage and delivery costs are increased.

As fans of the site you are going to have to tell us what videos you want to download. Only selected content will be available at any one time and certain videos may only be available for limited periods.

The downloaded file comes as a ZIP file, within the compressed zip the actual WMV videos files will be contained that you can play back on your PC or Laptop.  MAC users will need to download VLC media player or Windows Media PLayer 9 for MAC. VLC is a great player and plays almost any video file thrown at it!

With your purchase you get 48 hours access to download the video files. Once on your computer they last for as long as you want them to.

Payment can be made with credit or debit card but you will need to login in order to purchase.

Currently available in the download store:

Craig Marsh v Kristie Caulfield - EBA Masters Final 2010

Tony Drago V Jayson Shaw - GB9 British Grand Prix 2009 - HD

Chris Melling v James Kay - GB9 British Grand Prix 2009 - HD

We need your help to make this a success, please download the videos this will help towards keeping live and on-demand video free. If you want to see a certain match/video available then please drop us an email or comment on this blog.

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After months of me talking about it on this blog, Facebook and Twitter, In the Frame, our magazine show, finally launched with the pilot episode today.

This first episode features Ben Davies and Mel Harley and was filmed at Snook’s in Weymouth last month.

The 2nd year Media degree students at Weymouth College were reposnsible for the filming, directing and editing and have done quite a nice job.

The only thing that lets it down is my good self in the presenters role!

We need two presenters for this show in future preferably one male and one female quite young and interested in either sport as a whole or with a specific interest in pool and snooker. If you are interested in this then drop us an email to intheframe@cuesport.tv

You can watch the first 18 minute trial episode by following this link:

Cuesport TV Launch In The Frame - You can still enter the on screen competition!

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With the first ever World Six Reds Snooker Championships this week in Killarney already in full swing my question is can the six red game revitalise snooker? Can it become the Twenty/20 game that changed the fortune of cricket?

Something that obviously goes in it’s favour is that fact that with only six reds on the table the game is much quicker, frames are won or lost with one visit.

In order to be certain that you have won a six red frame you need to make six reds and six colours. This probably does add an element of pressure, however most of the top pro’s can make a 60 break at each visit anyway so does it not become a bit of a lottery?

The thing about this World Championships which has been good has been the amateur element, we sure World Ladies champion, Reanne Evans beat John Higgins in the group stage, yet still most of the top seeds got through.

The benefit to the amateurs is that a decent level amateur can also consistently make 50 or 60 point breaks and can really do some damage in these events.

As yet I have not had chance to watch the coverage on Eurosport due to meetings so I would love your thoughts on the coverage, the tournament and whether or not you think six reds has a future.

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Reports are suggesting that Sir Rodney Walker has failed in his efforts to remain as Chairman of the WPBSA. Also leaving are Jim McMahon and Mike Dunn. Walker lost 32-24 in the voting so interesting that some players have finally seen light and backed snooker for a future.

It has been heavily publicised recently that Barry Hearn would be interested in the job but I imagine that it is more than a formality.

More information as I find it.

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It has been a while coming but I thought I would post some early news about a brand new show that Cuesport TV are producing called ‘In the Frame’.

The show will have a magazine feel with fresh, young presenters, initially the show will be live for 30 minutes once per month with the possibility of extending this to 1 hour twice monthly based on the results of the trial period.

Each show will feature two guests, interviews, ‘Rackrunner Challenge’, news, events calendar and competitions. A date and guests for the first show are not yet confirmed but it is likely that snooker professional Ricky Walden and Managing Director of Global Snooker, Neil Tomkins will take part.

The live show (and video-on-demand) will be completely free and there is the possibility of website owners taking an embedded version of the show to place on their own websites.

Each month will take a different feel with guests from the world of pool and american pool lined up for future editions. It is not only about the playing side of the game however as cuemakers, manufacturers, coaching and media pundits are also lined up for 2009/10 onwards.

When the date is confirmed I will post again but please look out for this one it will be a celebration of cue sports every month!

I forgot to mention that it is being produced in conjunction with Weymouth College Media Dept. Students on the degree course will be given the opportunity to take part in all aspects of the production as part of the work experience element required on the course.

More information later.

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This week there is of course the latest World Snooker ranking event, the Grand Prix.

Whenever there is a ranking event on this blog seems to get more traffic, thanks World Snooker, due to the fact that people are searching for live snooker streaming.

Now as a web tv channel operator, we at Cuesport TV do not condone any of the illegal streams that can be found on the web. I would also beg the question, why would you want to watch one, they are poor quality and generally on poor websites as well.

There are a number of places you can watch the Grand Prix Snooker legally online. I list them below:

1. The BBC Sport Website (UK Only)
2. ViewTV - The BBC channels are available on this video platform for free
3. Eurosport Player (Pay-per-view but open to the world)

If you know of anymore then please let me know.

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Tonight is week two of the 2009 Premier League snooker and Sporting Bet (who have incidentally just partnered with Cuesport TV) are offering a number of odds for in-play and outright performance both for tonights matches and the overall tournament itself.

The best one of the list at the time of writing in my opinion is Judd Trump to beat 7-times world champion, Stephen Hendry 4-2. You can currently get 11/4 on this exact scoreline.

The other match is John Higgins v Shaun Murphy in a repeat of the 2009 World Snooker Championship Final

Have a look at the odds by following the link below:

Premier League Snooker Betting - Sporting Bet

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I have always seen the potential of Cuesport TV as that of an online community, at this moment, the users have not quite embraced this though.

I am coming up with a few things like getting users to send us their own content, this is both video and of course photos. But how can we further develop Cuesport TV as a ‘community hub’?

I would be glad of any ideas.

The first thing I am looking for is amateur videographers/photographers to showcase some of their work with us, as long as the video work or photographs have some element of pool, snooker or billiards then we are interested.

You can email us with any ideas to enquiries @ cuesport.tv or post a comment on this blog.

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It was back in the mid-nineties when World Snooker decided to pull the plug on funding the women’s snooker tour.

Since that time player numbers have fallen and earning any money from the game is a non-starter even for the top ladies. Many of the multiple World Champions of the 80’s and 90’s have upped sticks and moved to the USA to play on the lucrative pool circuit. Those players, like Alison Fisher, Kelly Fisher and Karen Corr now earn very good money playing pool and the snooker background has given them a firm foundation over their US and Asian rivals.

There is still a lot of potential in the womens game with the likes of Reanne Evans, Maria Catalano and Katie Henrick sharing the major tournaments between them. However, it is unlikely that they will ever reach their full potential as there is not enough money in the game to warrant playing it full-time.

How good could these players be with a decent tour?

That comment is not flippant either as Mandy Fisher, who has run the ladies game since the 1980’s, does an amazing job with limited funds and time (she works for a living!)

My opinion is that the game for women needs a revamp, I have never understood the need for women to be dressed in waistcoats and trousers (like men) to play snooker. If we use the Pool circuit in the USA as an example, the players are smartly dressed but also in very modern clothing. Surely snooker should opt for this route? Another big issue is being able to sell the game to sponsors, when an event is held in a snooker club it is less-likely to receive any funding. I am however, massively aware of the cost implications of moving out of clubs but it is food for thought.

This weekend I am off to Derby to provide live Internet coverage of the Wytech Ladies Masters event. It will be the first time theWLBSA tour has received live internet coverage. But I think with the right plan going forward there may be an opportunity away from the Internet for the womens game.

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Note: Live coverage is free to view at Cuesport TV from 10am on Saturday 12th September.

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The most exciting invitational snooker tournament starts again tonight and is live in the UK on Sky Sports and Sky Player online.

Read a preview to the tournament here:

PartyCasino.com Premier League Snooker 2009 Preview

Ronnie O’Sullivan for his fifth title?

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