CAN the leopard shed his spots? This month, Microsoft is offering Web surfers in the United States a seductive viewing treat. In conjunction with NBC, the software publisher is offering thousands of hours of free video direct from the Olympics in Beijing.
The service is being hailed as a bold experiment in delivering on the original promise of the World Wide Web. For the first time, it will be possible to watch specific events on demand as well as to watch many of the less popular sporting events like cycling and race walking, which in the past have received scant attention in mainstream television coverage of the games.
But there’s a catch.
To view the video, it will be necessary to download a Microsoft Web browser software component based on a new proprietary technology, Silverlight, that is intended to make it possible to display interactive animations, graphics, audio and video, all within a fixed window inside a Web browser display.Microsoft executives say Silverlight will “light up the Web” with multimedia content.
But for many industry executives who compete with Microsoft, the world’s largest software company, the Silverlight strategy recalls a federal antitrust case in which Microsoft was found guilty of using its market muscle to stifle competition from the Web.
Which is tougher? The competition at the Olympics or competing with the dollars and control of Microsoft and NBC?
What about the crap of asking what cable provider you’re using? You may not be able to watch ALL the extra garbage if your provider isn’t a partner of NBC? What about those of us who use an antenna? I lied just to see, because that wasn’t even an option. What? If I’m not paying some huge corporation wads of dough, I can’t enjoy the same coverage as others? Bullshit!
21,
read the PRINT..
MSNBC
MSN
MS
Flash is FREE. works on Any OS.
22.
Scott..
When i first signed up..
They wouldnt LET ME, as I had an antenna..
I Bitched to them..
I tried a couple different selections..
Including the CABLe company HERE..and it wouldnt let me..
Finally gave info to PDX, and it popped up..
ITS STUPID..
Silverlight beats the crap out of any Flash that I’ve seen. The picture quality is excellent and the streaming is faultless.
All I know is that it seems as if Microsoft or NBC don’t want EVERYONE to be able to experience the Olympics the way we should be able to. They want to tightly control our viewing and in doing so, control who sees their lousy advertising.
We shouldn’t be THAT surprised that Microsoft is forcing their wares on us. They do have quite a stake in NBC and so can do what they please. I’m not defending their choice. Don’t get me wrong. Linux users shouldn’t be left out, much in the same vein as antenna viewers. It seems like someone is getting left out no matter what.
I just watched the freestyle relay on my iMac… Silverlight is very impressive… I want a version form my iPhone..
ha!
Oh, you mean like get everyone using silverlight, then pull the rug out and make it only viable for Windows. Remember how many sites required Active X to work right, how many still do. You people have to be blind not to see this is a long term plan to make users need to have Windows to enable to watch streaming video.
Flash dont need activeX, so WHY do so many sites REQUIRE you to use ACTIVEX to watch Flash?
#22 – M Scott
They don’t stop you from viewing any of the online events just because of what cable/satellite provider you may or may not have. They only reason they ask for that is because they want to be able to show you listings for TV so you’ll actually tune in.
Stop being paranoid.