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NBC Lawyers In Panic Mode, Scrambling To Stamp Out Web Olympics Feeds (Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™)
Silicon Valley Insider ^ | August 8, 2008 | Henry Blodget

Posted on 08/08/2008 3:43:11 PM PDT by abb

We view the Olympics as a global sporting tradition and consider ourselves citizens of the world, so we don't have much patience with country-specific broadcasting rights. Thus, we're happy that we (and you) can watch the Olympics live right here on on SAI.

(Frankly, we wish we could watch the Olympics on NBCOlympics.com, because their feed is marvelously crisp, but of course NBC is doing everything it can to prevent that. Specifically, NBC is trying to make us watch tonight, on tape delay, when the opening cermonies will be as stale as yesterday's bread. And when they do broadcast events on NBCOlympics.com, of course, they're not about to let us embed them.)

NBC views the 2000+ year-old global Olympic tradition as its own personal entertainment show and is therefore doing everything it can to prevent you (and us) from watching them live. For example, check out these takedown notices on veetle.com:


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2008olympics; dbm; nbc; nbcsports; newmedia; olympics; streaming; television
"By the end of this decade or shortly thereafter, television networks as we know them today will cease to exist. They will be just another url on the world wide web competing against millions of others."

"Network evening newscasts will go dark after the '08 elections and their news divisions disbanded."

Walter Abbott, 1950 -

1 posted on 08/08/2008 3:43:12 PM PDT by abb
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To: 04-Bravo; aimhigh; andyandval; Arizona Carolyn; backhoe; Bahbah; bert; bilhosty; Caipirabob; ...

ping


2 posted on 08/08/2008 3:43:55 PM PDT by abb ("What ISN'T in the news is often more important than what IS." Ed Biersmith, 1942 -)
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To: abb

I don’t know if broadcasting the Olympics is in danger of extinction, but the “American” model of broadcasting the Olympics is as doomed as a dinosaur wondering what that flash in the sky was all about.


3 posted on 08/08/2008 3:46:58 PM PDT by 1rudeboy
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To: abb

Shouldn’t Mr.Obama, self-described Citizen of the World, be in Bejiing to see his constituents. He could stay there for the 3 weeks of the games.


4 posted on 08/08/2008 3:48:29 PM PDT by Texas Songwriter
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To: abb

Mrs. Lafroste was apoplectic about this. She got up to watch the Olympics at 5:30 AM and could not believe that NBC would do such a callous thing. She is actively searching for any kind of feed to get around those idiots.


5 posted on 08/08/2008 3:54:14 PM PDT by lafroste (gravity is not a force. See my profile to read my novel absolutely free (I know, beyond shameless))
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To: lafroste

Check out the sites listed on Blodget’s blog.


6 posted on 08/08/2008 3:55:32 PM PDT by abb ("What ISN'T in the news is often more important than what IS." Ed Biersmith, 1942 -)
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To: abb

Another link that has a few video feeds from other countries is:

http://watch-olympics-online.co.cc/

==

I checked the NBC schedule. Their coverage, again, seems to be pathetic.

I got aggravated at their last 2 — they would show some events up until the finals, then cut away.

Several times, they only returned for the winners receiving the flowers. We missed the actual finales of the events.

And, their delayed broadcasts made events ‘old news’.

Maybe there will be more internet feeds showing events in real time.


7 posted on 08/08/2008 4:00:17 PM PDT by TomGuy
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To: Texas Songwriter
Shouldn’t Mr.Obama, self-described Citizen of the World, be in Bejiing to see his constituents.

Constituents, heck, he has family there too! He can catch up with his brother who lives in Red China!
8 posted on 08/08/2008 4:00:33 PM PDT by Dr. Sivana (There is no salvation in politics)
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To: TomGuy; All

I haven’t tried this yet myself - but it looks like a way to get a lot of coverage that might not all be televised - but you have to install a plug-in for Windows Media Center?

http://www.tvtonic.com/olympics/install/


9 posted on 08/08/2008 4:04:14 PM PDT by Enchante (If oil was botox then Nancy Pelosi would have us drilling everywhere!!! (hat tip, STARWISE))
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To: abb

I haven’t watched NBC in years. Nor cBS or ABC.


10 posted on 08/08/2008 4:08:14 PM PDT by Coffee200am ("We should all be living in mud huts and riding bicycles to avoid killing the polar bears...%99"/s)
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To: Enchante

hmmmm..... says it requires MS Vista and is for the USA only.... those are pretty big restrictions!!!

I’m on XP Professional so I guess I won’t be trying this......


11 posted on 08/08/2008 4:08:36 PM PDT by Enchante (If oil was botox then Nancy Pelosi would have us drilling everywhere!!! (hat tip, STARWISE))
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To: Dr. Sivana; Texas Songwriter

I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if he turned up there. It’s awfully suspicious for him to “vacation” at this particular time.

I mean, from his perspective, what would be better than a worldwide stadium of adoring followers giving him his new “I’ve accomplished ZERO, bur elect me anyway” salute.


12 posted on 08/08/2008 4:09:27 PM PDT by hotshu (My eye hurts dammit!)
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To: TomGuy; Enchante; All
"Bugler's Dream" soundtrack for any new media netizens who want to produce their very own Olympics.
13 posted on 08/08/2008 4:16:13 PM PDT by Milhous (Gn 22:17 your descendants shall take possession of the gates of their enemies)
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To: hotshu
wouldn’t be a bit surprised if he turned up there. It’s awfully suspicious for him to “vacation” at this particular time.

That is one thing that makes me believe Mr.Obama, and the DNC, and the comments of Don Fowler, that the timeing of this release was coordinated for minimal politial impact. The problem is, Mr.Edwards has not been candid, thorough, and continues to lie about this sordid affair.

14 posted on 08/08/2008 4:31:41 PM PDT by Texas Songwriter
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To: abb
Oh hell I saw the Olympics opening ceremonies LIVE this morning on the AZTEC channel....heehehehe TAKE THAT STUPID NBC!!
15 posted on 08/08/2008 5:00:33 PM PDT by RoseofTexas
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To: abb

I was curious and signed up on NBCOlympics.com for a limited number of sporting events. Of course everything will be fed after the broadcast events. I am curious if I can escape all the personal story non sense


16 posted on 08/08/2008 5:12:58 PM PDT by UB355 ( Slower traffic keep right)
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To: All

can we have a list of all the links and a real time schedule?

I remember watching the 2004 olympics free of the NBC manure and it was fantastic. Just sports no mouse abuse.


17 posted on 08/08/2008 7:16:37 PM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: abb
NBC on the one hand is behaving as badly as the host country's government, while putting a positive spin on that behavior as to suggest nothing wrong is going on. While the rest of the world watches the Olympics in the 21st Century with all the technological advances to go along with the time changes, NBC insists on staying in a time warp in the mid-20th Century ca. 1950.
18 posted on 08/09/2008 1:07:55 AM PDT by BigSkyFreeper (There is no alternative to the GOP except varying degrees of insanity)
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To: abb

I also find it irresponsible that NBC’s lawyers think that NBC and Universal Pictures owns the internet by stamping out anything that threatens their cash flow.


19 posted on 08/09/2008 1:11:31 AM PDT by BigSkyFreeper (There is no alternative to the GOP except varying degrees of insanity)
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To: abb

I should have been more enterprising last night and found a Live feed for the Opening Ceremonies LIVE. I was so ticked off with NBC for not offering a LIVE feed via the internet. I watched the women’s gymnastics podium training live the other night, and it was great. No commentary. Just the camera guys and the gymnasts doing their thing. I thought that NBC had finally gotten it and that they would be showing lots of events live via the website. No such luck. Tonight, I watched the LIVE results of the men’s gymnastics qualification round. They won’t be showing the actual film footage on NBC until Saturday night. By that time, the women’s team will be about to compete in their qualification round. We won’t be able to see that until Sunday night.

Oh well. I won’t be watching their coverage on television. Who wants to see a sporting event that happend half a day before?????? (unless it’s Alabama football, and I confess that I have watched a few games after they were over.)


20 posted on 08/09/2008 1:19:00 AM PDT by petitfour
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To: abb
...and consider ourselves citizens of the world...

Not so fast on that, Henry....

Personally, I consider myself a citizen of the United States of America.

21 posted on 08/09/2008 1:20:00 AM PDT by Allegra (Goodness me, goodness me, industrial disease...)
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To: 1rudeboy

Well I’m no “citizen of the world” but seems to me NBC got a raw deal and that’s nobody’s fault but their own. I read they sold $1B in advertising, so I don’t know what they are complaining about. Maybe they just want to keep the respect of the advertisers. Most people will watch the TV except those who wouldn’t.


22 posted on 08/09/2008 1:29:12 AM PDT by monkeyshine
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To: BigSkyFreeper
Television in general is retarded. We pay to receive infomercials for onion peelers and counter wipers advertised on every channel. We used to at least have old movies but “political correctness religion” allows next to nothing these days.

But then there's always episodes of “Leave it to Beaver” still on, cut down to allow extra commercials with constant ads for TV shows shooting up and down the screen constantly. Yeah, TV is great.

23 posted on 08/09/2008 1:55:01 AM PDT by Luke21
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To: Luke21

Luckily if there’s nothing on, I’ve got M*A*S*H and Seinfeld on DVD. It’s amazing how much of the shows exists on the DVD’s as opposed to what is edited out in the broadcast syndication runs of each program. The typical episode of M*A*S*H on DVD for example runs about 25 minutes.


24 posted on 08/09/2008 2:00:45 AM PDT by BigSkyFreeper (There is no alternative to the GOP except varying degrees of insanity)
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To: Luke21

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/09/sports/olympics/09nbc.html?ref=business

Tape Delay by NBC Faces End Run by Online Fans


25 posted on 08/09/2008 2:28:11 AM PDT by abb ("What ISN'T in the news is often more important than what IS." Ed Biersmith, 1942 -)
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To: abb

There is no live coverage of the F1 Gran-Prix racing circuit.

Why would I give a rat’s ass concerning the Olympics?


26 posted on 08/09/2008 2:38:48 AM PDT by raygun
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To: hotshu
...of adoring followers giving him his new “I’ve accomplished ZERO, bur elect me anyway” salute.

During the entry parade of athletes, I swear I saw one young man do just that (didn't catch what country, not the USA however) and then sheepishly lower his arms. No kidding. Barry wasn't on my mind so I wasn't hallucinating!

27 posted on 08/09/2008 5:45:16 AM PDT by brushcop (We remember SSG Harrison Brown, PVT Andrew Simmons B CO 2/69 3ID KIA Iraq OIF IV)
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To: Texas Songwriter

These effin’ “citizens of the world”
These “I want to save the planet” types

When will they get over themselves?


28 posted on 08/09/2008 7:01:26 AM PDT by dennisw (That Muhammad was a charlatan. Islam is a hoax, an imperialistic ideology, disguised as religion.)
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To: abb

An enterprising person could watch NBC’s coverage and keep track of how much actual competition they show versus the “human interest stories” and “athlete profiles”.

I’m betting that less than half of their air-time is actually showing competition. Wouldn’t surprise me if it is as low as 25%.


29 posted on 08/09/2008 7:22:40 AM PDT by Bryan24 (When in doubt, move to the right..........)
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To: abb

I am watching the swimming on a Local Mexican Station down here in San Diego. Channel 12 on Cox. Uninterrrupted.

Don’t know what they are saying but I am watching it.


30 posted on 08/09/2008 9:07:52 AM PDT by acoulterfan
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To: acoulterfan

http://www.alleyinsider.com/2008/8/where-to-watch-beijing-olympics-live-on-the-web-gymnastics-boxing-beach-volleyball


31 posted on 08/09/2008 9:13:53 AM PDT by abb ("What ISN'T in the news is often more important than what IS." Ed Biersmith, 1942 -)
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To: brushcop

I believe it was one of the Scandinavian countries. I saw it too!

I also noticed a few other disturbing things:

The parade of the 56 children representing the various cultures while carrying the flag which got handed over to tall soldiers who goose stepped it of the field.

The graphics “machine” made up entirely of people.

A comment by one NBC’s guys “individual accomplishment relies on much more than the individual alone.”

When asked about why the gala designer used 15,000 performers he replied “Because, we have the people!”

NBC conveniently showed a commercial during the part of the show which covered the “cultural revolution”.

2008 tai chi masters being commanded by the small group of children learning about “global warming”.

The depiction of men (tychonauts?) working on the moon.

And finally the whole “Fifth Element” feeling of the duet singing on that sphere.

All in all, the celebration of subservience of the one to the many. Spooky to me!


32 posted on 08/09/2008 10:56:53 AM PDT by hotshu (My eye hurts dammit!)
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To: hotshu

GOOD GRIEF! Well, that confirms that I wasn’t hallucinating at least! I had turned to other things after I saw that but reading your post it is clear (and we know all this) that there is something struggling to be born, and it ain’t good. This “idea” has the support of so many goofy, starry-eyed liberals and with the whole thing of the Eurowimp’s Obamamania is troubling.

Georgia/Russia conflict may bring some to earth but I’m not so sure. Thanks for your observations.


33 posted on 08/09/2008 1:02:19 PM PDT by brushcop (We remember SSG Harrison Brown, PVT Andrew Simmons B CO 2/69 3ID KIA Iraq OIF IV)
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