Comments on: What it takes to bring the Olympics to the PC

CNET's Ina Fried has an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how Microsoft, NBC, and others are putting thousands of hours of live video from the Beijing games online.

[ewelch]

So, Microsoft uses the Olympics to be a bludgeon to force people to download their competitor to Flash if they want to see the Olympics. It's hard not to be terribly cynical about it, or the fact that NBC is being so short-sighted by using such a flawed, unproven technology.

[ancre007]

You are wrong on all counts.

First, nobody's forcing you to install silverlight. You can watch the non-Silverlight videos on NBCOlympics.com without the control room functionality. You only need silverlight if you want the additional functionality.

Second, you claim that Silverlight is "such a flawed and unproven technology". What proof do you offer to backup your slander that Silverlight is flawed? Such random comments make you sound like an anti-MS bigot incapable of applying any constructive thought to the situation.

[Imalittleteapot]

There's nothing wrong with this. It's just business. They're making partnerships for a mutual benefit with the hopes of making a profit off something their competitors don't have. It's really the American way. It isn't like Microsoft has the monopoly here. Adobe has the monopoly if anyone. How exactly was it supposed to get proven if nobody used it? I don't know why you would say Silverlight is flawed either. Some versions of Flash had vulnerabilities in them that allowed remote code to execute on the user's machine or hackers to execute XSS attacks? How many people are still vulnerable? Even if they used flash they're taking a risk. All software has bugs in it. Now, if you know about a major flaw like a memory leak in Silverlight or something we'd all like to hear about it, but NBC still gets to make the call in the end. Nobody is forcing you to download it though. Think of it like a buy one get one free deal. Yeah, we'd all love to just to get the free one, but unfortunately it doesn't work that way. A common strategy is to pair one product or service with another. Remember the iPhone and AT&T? Now I'm not against Flash or Silverlight. Use whatever you want, but they've decided to go with Silverlight. It might work or it might not, but it was their choice to make.

[ktswami]

Silverlight app, and not to mention no support for Opera v9.5 on Windows, Mac, Linux, or mobile, or FF3. Nice bludgeon.

[alstatr]

Silverlight works on FF2 and FF3. I was watching videos with no problems today on FF2 and FF3.

[nikhil150]

It works in FF3 for me. Silverlight is fully supported in FF3!
-Nikhil

[DrtyDogg]

Alos running silverlight on FF3 on a Mac

[Tui Pohutukawa]

I'm not going to watch any of this. It's nothing but propaganda for a communist/fascist regime.

[the Otter]

There?s an Olympics this year? Pffft.

[n3td3v]

Are these sponsorships happy to be associated with a country who has no regard for its citizens human rights? Making money out of people suffering? Giving money to a rogue regime? I for one won't be watching the Beijing Olympics on NBC.

[zanely]

Sliverlight displays HD images fairly well, but in a relatively small window compared to other media players, including Windows Media Player. Even in "Expanded" mode, all of the images are shown in a window inside a window inside a frame that you can't expand to "FULL SCREEN". So even if you drag the Sliverlight window onto your HD TV monitor, it's still this small image. Like you're looking at a 19" image in the middle of a 40"-50" screen. Not good for viewing sporting events. I hope MS can update the software before they disgust a whole bunch of digital sports viewers.

[DASCHE56]

sorry gonna pass on the olympics
NBC can have its project and its advertising revenue

Silverlight...... no Mac or Linux support. Way to go NBC. Maybe we buy on iTunes.... then maybe not.

[wolvie3421]

you and everyone else that claims this is an f*ing idiot. you need to do research before making such a claim.

[bennynocheese]

Works great on Mac - next time check your facts

[rcrusoe]

First they let pro athletes into the Olympics. Then they allow one of the most oppressive countries in the world host it. Now they offer vid of the events (assuming they will be visible through China's heavily polluted air) but require me to install yet another application to see it.

No thanks.

[J H F]

We all watched what happened to the Olympic Torch. What do you think is going to happen to microsoft's "secure" media servers?

[CTO_Dude]

This site is absolutely one of the most amazing sites ever developed. Tell me another site where you can do Picture in Picture or click on a video transcript (like a slam dunk) and it sends you right to that part of the video?!?! It is truly amazing stuff. Silverlight is cross-platform so stop all your whining about bludgeons. Why dont you kick Adobe's butt over Flash? Why is it that coming up with 19 different browsers is ok (like the Opera-dude) but no one can release another media solution. Silverlight kicks the pants off of Flash.

[JuggerNaut]

Silverlight is dead on arrival! It's not truly cross-platform compatible as it only works on Windows and Intel-based Macs. What about PowerPC-based Macs, Linux and even Solaris?? I'm sorry, but Adobe has got one thing going for Flash that Microsoft hasn't got for Silverlight and that's true cross-platform compatibility and all the operating systems I just mentioned.

Here is hoping Microsoft loses BIG on Silverlight and its fight against Adobe and Flash!

[Vegaman_Dan]

Adobe's Flash product simply didn't meet the needs and criteria that the customer, NBC, had required. They went with another vendor who offered them a better solution (to them). Complaining about it without seeing it in action is exceedingly foolish and childish. Let the technology speak for itself. If it fails, THEN you can gloat and complain all you want.

[DrtyDogg]

Even Apple is turning it's back on the PPC platform shortly, why would you develop/test/release a forward looking program on a doomed platform. Linux support is on the way, though it is going a lot slower than it has to.

[brewstermax]

i for one will be watching the olympics, especially now with this much more advanced technology streaming it live. PPC macs are dead and they are barely used. only servers run linux. solaris is a horrible operating system anyway, so who would use it??
Microsoft has covered all the people who matter, and finally did something right.
they screwed up Windows
Office is horrible
Internet Explorer is the worst browser ever made
Silverlight is the first thing that windows has done right in a longgg time. [13 years actually, since windoze 95]

[Imalittleteapot]

I actually the like the new Office. For some reason the UI that everybody hates makes perfect sense to me. The old UI that everybody loves I could never stand. Oh well, to each his own I guess. I'm not a fan boy that says everyone should like it just because I do.

[Imalittleteapot]

And no I didn't use Office to write those typos either. It isn't on this machine. ;)

[OSXRadio]

China isn't THAT communist anymore lol. But, their damn internet censorship (no YouTube! and actually editing WoW to have no blood!) pisses me off. Hopefully, they will change one day... As for me, I'm heading to Beijing in a few days =]

[JimMcDrop]

OMG I can hardly wait for the Olympics. they are going to totally ROCK this year!

JT
www.Ultimate-Anonymity.com

[miob_istream]

Silverlight is cross-browser (major browsers including IE, FF (including FF3) and Safari and cross-OS (both Windows and Mac and soon coming Linux) and this is the next generation of rich media experience (rich internet applicatons, aka RIA) not only response or anticompetative push by Microsoft towards Flash.

[ducaticanine]

will this all be free? and will it work on a MAC?

[jwmorrice]

Silverlight is used by Major League Baseball in broadcasting its games over the internet. There it's being pushed to replace the Windows Media Player. And how happy are MLB's customers about that? Not very it appears. Have a look here: http://www.mlbsupport.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=19&sid=634194f9a024389cb9f62dce23d2a62d

Good luck to NBC and its viewers. I think they're going to need it.

[johndains]

OVGuide http://www.OVGuide.com/olympics has a dedicated olympics video section with many good sources

[Gack]

Whoever is saying things like Silverlight is kicking Flash ass is either paid by Microsoft or in some sort of hypnotic state. The next generation RIA? Not a reactive move to get a bite of Flash? Yea right! Did all of you totally miss the small detail that Microsoft owns a chunk of NBC? The fact that they even considered Flash as the first choice (while Adobe doesn?t own any part of NBC) says a lot about what Silverlight is to Flash.
The only plus point Silverlight has going for them is the fact Microsoft has deep pockets of cash to throw around to force people to install their stuff. Adobe is a puny company in contrast to Microsoft. And they didn't make that money making the next generation RIA products but by bullying their way around in the OS and office software market so it's not even a fair advantage!

Silverlight just ruins the Olympic spirit for the US (Oh yea, NBC is not the Olympic site for the entire world)

Those of you who keep bashing China for communism and all should just move on and just give them some credit for having a better economy than ours!

One last small detail. Guess what they used to webcast the Olympics in china? (yes the "broadcast" rights won't allow Olympics to be shown on video on the web in a free for all manner) CCTV uses Flash!