NBC, the Olympics, and Intel's new Viiv platform
The 2006 Winter Olympics start tomorrow, and while NBC is pushing out coverage to six channels at all hours of the day, it will be hard to keep up on all the action (update: here is a link to the full US TV coverage).
NBC is doing a couple things to help fans keep up. One is Video On Demand. My Comcast HD DVR finally got the "On Demand" service enabled this week, and I have to admit that after years of not finding VOD very interesting, having a bunch of free movies and sports programs ready to go is a nice addition. NBC has already loaded up the sports VOD section with Olympics previews -- but more importantly NBC is promising at least a 10 minute daily highlight reel and hours of extra coverage will also be available on demand, available on DirecTV, Dish, Time Warner, Comcast, and Charter systems.
NBC has also partnered with Intel, to show off Intel's new Home Media platform called Viiv, and they are offering downloadable video segments to customers with a Viiv setup. The technology is slated mostly for high-end home theater PCs (at around $2,000 and up), and the site is short on details (it looks like yet another whole home PC concept), but this BusinessWeek article describes it a sort of metadata-rich internet video suite, offering easy playback of specific video segments, web links, and additional info about shows. It sounds like simply a high-end HTPC specification, so perhaps anyone with Windows Media Center can also get the highlight clips.
It seems like NBC is starting to dip their toe into internet and on demand Olympics video, but it'd be nice if they'd take more ambitious steps and sell full coverage of specific events on say, the iTunes Music Store. I'd happily pay $1.99/each to see just the 3 or 4 events I'm interested in.
I've been trying to get my head around Viiv for awhile now... I'm pretty convinced it's a marketing platform, rather than a technological one. Since no one understands it, I guess I can't be proven wrong. ;)
Posted by: Dave Zatz | February 09, 2006 at 03:18 PM
Thanks for the link of the consolidated broadcast schedule! Just this AM my fiance was slamming NBC's site because she couldn't find it. Peace has been restored to the home, thank you PVBlog. :)
Posted by: Dave Zatz | February 11, 2006 at 06:38 AM
I was doing a google search for news on the launching of the Intel/NBC Olympics project and came across PVRBlog! I just wanted to add that anyone with a Media Center PC can access the Olympics Moments content.
Posted by: Pat Lang | February 13, 2006 at 09:54 AM
I can't view video clips from nbc's olympic site on my mac. The AT&T ad plays ok but then the url toggles back and forth between a site with license.nbcolympics.com/etc... and nbcolympics.com/etc... and the clip is not loaded. I can view clips on my pc without this happening. Can anyone help?
Posted by: Robert J | February 14, 2006 at 08:50 AM
Sir,
I am an sports fan and love to watch the olympics, however one reason why your rates are falling may be due just to to much adversiting. I know that as soon as I get into the sport that is being shown, the ads break the mood and I just get turned off. I realize that advertising pays the bills, but there is a think called diminshing returns and I feel you have reached that while televising the many venues.
Thank you
Posted by: jOE SALERNO | February 16, 2006 at 10:08 AM
Indeed, unlike their claim the NBC olympic site DOES NOT play on a mac. I think the iTunes Music Store $1.99/each is a great idea.
Posted by: McSinger | February 21, 2006 at 04:37 AM
Bode was both daring and fast,
And with the media a little bit crass.
But he sealed his fate,
When he missed a red gate,
And fell on his ass and his flask.
Posted by: Steve Taylor | February 22, 2006 at 01:43 PM
I spent an hour & 15 with Apple Care trying to figure out why my new Imac Intel Duo can't do video of the olympics or anything else for that matter. They made an incident report! GOOD LUCK maybe for 2008.
Posted by: MCIWAY | February 22, 2006 at 02:00 PM
I was disappointed to see that the best MSNBC could offer for "full US TV coverage" is a list of times and events that we could have found printed in "TV Guide" in the 1970's. At least Yahoo's guide to US TV coverage allows you to schedule events for recording on your TiVo.
Strmz.com is tracking online video coverage of the Olympics on Internet TV outlets and video blogs/podcasts. Here's the latest:
http://strmz.com/SearchResults?search=olympic
Posted by: James | February 22, 2006 at 03:25 PM
pENUV2bhjK4Wf vUDnVZCxsS LaWNHliJMe
Posted by: ZMHYEGHmu6 | February 23, 2006 at 08:11 PM
Thanks a lot, NBC, for changing the name of The Tonight Show to The Olympic Tonight Show, and therefore my TiVo didn't know to record it.
Thanks a lot, NBC, for making clips from recent episodes of The Tonight Show available, but unplayable on my Macintosh.
Thanks a lot, NBC, for making episodes of The Tonight Show available on the iTunes Music Store... a whole whopping 2 episodes so far!!!
Posted by: Andy McConnell | February 25, 2006 at 08:26 PM
Hi,
I was just wondering what that song was at the end of the Olympics. It was actually distant music but had a little rock to it. It wasn't the lovely Italian music, nor the Canadian woman but one of the last songs where most olmpians were dancing to. And it wasn't any of Ricky's music either. It almost sounded a little Madonnish. If you know this piece would you email me.
Thank you so much,
laurenb2002@yahoo.com
Posted by: lauren | February 27, 2006 at 12:42 PM
Did anyone watch the final credits where they listed all the NBC people who worked on the production of these olympics? It went on for quite awhile while showing recaps of the great moments.
Does anyone know what music that is or where i can find it?
pls email mikekelemen@hotmail.com
Posted by: mike | February 27, 2006 at 03:36 PM
I wanted to know if anyone knew the ending song during the credits at the Torino olymipics. That song was awesome.
Posted by: Kelly | March 02, 2006 at 10:30 PM
The music they played during the end credits was from the movie "The Island." The song is on the soundtrack and is called "My name is Lincoln"
Posted by: Kevin | March 03, 2006 at 07:37 PM
what was the italian song played when the representatives/flag-bearers of each country walked in at the olympic closing ceremonies? Thanks alot
Tae07@mac.com
Posted by: taylor | March 06, 2006 at 06:50 PM
Yep, you are screwed trying to watch the videos on a Mac, they will show the commercial and then...the rest is silence.
The worst joke is on me because, in my desperation to watch them, I installed flip4mac and media palyer 9 onto my iBook, it will be a fun weekend trying to get those programs off my computer when I get around to it.
Would it have been that hard to simply put a banner "not compatibale with macs" on top of the screen, or a similar warning?
Posted by: A2 | March 13, 2006 at 08:18 PM
Does anyone know the name/composer of the ethereal music played for the wind machine acrobatics display? Thanks.
Posted by: Dennis | March 13, 2006 at 10:35 PM
Torino, Italy is a city always on the move. Lovely. Varied. Intense. Torino surprises its visitors with its diversity of offerings and is one of the most vibrant cities in Europe.
[url=http://mp3djay.com]djay[/url]
Posted by: screw | April 13, 2006 at 09:44 AM
Does anybody know where to find a video clip of the end credits of the Torino NBC broadcast of the Olympics? It's a great recap of the great Olympic moments and I'd like to see it again. Thanks.
Posted by: BattlestarFanatica | April 14, 2006 at 01:07 AM