NBC claims ‘unprecedented coverage’ of the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing China. In addition to the televised coverage of the games, NBC also offers on demand streaming Internet video. Allowing viewers to choose coverage of specific events both in real time and as replay, sounds like an unprecedented level of coverage. Regretfully, NBC chose to rely on Microsoft Silverlight for their enhanced web video. Adobe technologies would have been more universal and therefore (considering the international nature of the Olympic games) a much more intelligent choice.
Not only did NBC choose a media technology which isn’t widely adopted or deployed, they have excluded most of the open source community from viewing their coverage. Firefox on Linux is not supported by NBC’s Olympic video player.
Do a Google search for “linux in China” and you’ll quickly realize that NBC has excluded much of the nation that is hosting the games! “About Results 24,900,000 for linux in china.”
Way to embrace the spirit of the games NBC!
{ 2 comments }
I’m an American living in Australia and I can’t even watch ANY video of any Olympic coverage ON THEIR WEBSITE!! Their supposedly ‘required to restrict coverage to viewers within the U.S.” Talk about alienating people, thanks to NBC I can’t watch any Americans compete in anything because obviously all the coverage here is on Australians. So thanks NBC, appreciate that website that I can’t access and appreciate your love for the $ over your fellow Americans overseas.
Hi Jake-
Once again, it’s not like the Olympic games are INTERNATIONAL or anything. We wouldn’t want anyone outside the US to witness something that is the intellectual property of America, Microsoft and NBC.
NBC claims that one reason for the restrictive coverage is their partnership with local cable carriers. Hmm.. I’m pretty sure Comcast isn’t over in Beijing filming the games themselves, so that doesn’t sound right to me.
In my case, I can’t watch because I use Linux. Funny that description of Silverlight (a technology for enhanced web content) is as follows:
Microsoft® Silverlight™ is a cross-browser, cross-platform, and cross-device plug-in for delivering the next generation of media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web.
Cross Platform yeah, Windows XP and Windows Vista.
Comments on this entry are closed.