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August 8, 2008 9:54 AM PDT

Opening Olympics ceremony video online, but not on NBC

by Ina Fried
  • 15 comments

Updated 1:00 p.m. PDT, with initial impressions of video experience on NBCOlympics.com.

Although NBC is holding back online video of the opening ceremonies until its TV broadcast Friday night, some other sites have started posting unofficial videos.

As many had predicted, the Internet refuses to adhere to a schedule. I did a quick peek this morning and found a radio station news site with video from the opening ceremonies, even though the official NBCOlympics.com site has only photos.

NBC is showing 2,200 hours of live video but is holding back certain marquee events, such as opening ceremonies, track and field, and women's gymnastics, until after they air on TV.

Although it's a big step from the 2006 Winter Games, when only a single game was shown online, critics like Henry Blodget have been griping that it's not enough.

What do you think?

Update: Well, I wasn't able to watch the ceremonies via NBC's site, but I did check out several of the highlights packages from men's soccer. There was also the full U.S. women's soccer game. Again--as a sports fan--I wish there was an option not to see the scores as I navigate to the games.

Even worse, if I'd managed to somehow navigate there without getting the score, they display the end result at the top of the screen throughout the video. I sincerely hope they halt that.

Tops on my list for 2012 would be something like NBCOlympics.com/noscores where you could choose on-demand video without having to see the result.

Disclosure: CNET News is published by CBS Interactive.

Click here for more stories on tech and the Beijing Olympics.

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About Beyond Binary

During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft.


Beyond Binary is a look at how technology is changing our lives and the people behind all that life-changing stuff, with an extra emphasis on that which emanates from Redmond, Wash.

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