How to watch the Olympics online Video
How to watch the Olympics online Video Transcript
Hi, I'm Molly Wood from CNET.com with an Insider's Secret on how to watch the Olympics online this year. You can do it...it's not particularly easy or fun, and it's pretty restrictive, but you can do it. Here's how: As you probably know, NBC has exclusive broadcast rights to the Olympics in the United States. So, if you want to watch online video of the games, you'll have to go to NBCOlympics.com. Unlike the coverage of the 2004 Athens Games, you will get complete events, and NBC says you'll see complete runs and routines for U.S. participants in most events. And, unlike last time, you will not need a credit card number in order to watch. However, the video will be on a time delay, so don't go looking for it at 5 a.m. in the morning. You will still have to avoid Olympic spoilers if you're hoping to catch the events online. And, you will need to download Microsoft Silverlight (their competitor to Flash) in order to stream the video. It's compatible with Windows XP and Vista, as well as Mac OS X, and it does work with the Firefox browser. You also have to give your zip code and cable TV provider, because apparently NBC is using partner cable providers to stream the service, or some such confusing thing. So, there are a few hoops (if you will) to jump through. Now, if you have Windows Vista Home Premium or Windows Vista Ultimate, which come bundled with Windows Media Center, you can get NBC Olympics On The Go from a site called TVTonic. Just go to TVTonic.com/Olympics. This lets you download full-length Olympic events, and you can subscribe to have video automatically delivered. Unfortunately, like I said, it's Vista-only, it's U.S.-only, and Olympics On The Go does not work with 64-bit Vista Ultimate. Confusingly, though, if you go to nbc.com/olympicsonthego, you're taken to the NBC Direct site. Here, you can download video clips that NBC has made available--and this work on Windows XP or Vista, as long as you have Media Center installed. However, it won't work in Firefox 3--only Firefox 2. Go figure. Now, there are some international sites that will be offering Olympics streaming video, as well--and although they aren't officially authorized in the U.S., you can always use a proxy to trick the site into thinking you're in, say, the UK. BBC Sports, for example, is simulcasting coverage live, with no delay, in addition to offering highlights. Proxy.org offers a list of proxies by country that will let you spoof your location. Also, if you live outside the U.S., or you use a proxy, YouTube has struck to deal to carry three hours of Olympic coverage every day. There you go. Easy, right? Yeah. The sad thing is...this is progress! Maybe by 2012, everyone will have caught on and they'll just be streaming the whole thing live for anyone to watch. Global games and all that? Fingers crossed. In the meantime, I'm Molly Wood for CNET.com, and happy streaming.
It seems like it'd be easy to watch the Olympics online. Not so.
Molly Wood takes you through the, ahem, hoops involved.
