[RoyGBiv]

This may have been covered elsewhere, though I don't see it. I know that Cox in my area is adding 4 channels of olympic coverage in addition to the usual NBC plus NBCU. There is going to be one channel of HD basketball coverage and one of HD soccer. There will also be SD coverage in Korean and Mandarin. I would be interested in the HD coverage, and I am wondering if D* plans to add any such coverage. Does anyone know?

SMk

 

[Satelliteracer]

This may have been covered elsewhere, though I don't see it. I know that Cox in my area is adding 4 channels of olympic coverage in addition to the usual NBC plus NBCU. There is going to be one channel of HD basketball coverage and one of HD soccer. There will also be SD coverage in Korean and Mandarin. I would be interested in the HD coverage, and I am wondering if D* plans to add any such coverage. Does anyone know?

SMk

Yes...lots of it....stay tuned

 

[Drew2k]

NBC is running commercials that they will have 1400 hours of coverage across the following networks:

NBC
CNBC
USA
Universal HD
MSNBC
Oxygen
Telemundo

It would be great if DIRECTV provided an Olympics mix channel for the above.

(NBC will also have over 3,000 hours of coverage on NBCOlympics.com )

 

[justlgi]

I don't know, there seems to be a rift between D*TV and NBC on the issue.

FROM: Malone Predicts NBC's Broadband Olympic Strategy Will Flop

"I [Malone] think the idea that they're going to put television shows and movies on the internet, bypass their traditional distribution and have no way of collecting [revenues] is absurd."

 

[justlgi]

More here: NBC's Online Olympic Channel: Will Costs Outweigh Rewards?

"...John Malone of Liberty Media and DirecTVDirecTV seems to think so. Speaking to Jonathan Soble of the Financial Times, he held as an example of a potentially great loss the effort being made by NBC, in collaboration with Microsoft, to deliver both live and on-demand video coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. ..."

 

[RoyGBiv]

As usual, Satracer seems in the know, so I'll wait to see what develops.

SMK

 

[tonyd79]

Just because Malone thinks NBC is making a mistake doesn't mean he won't help them make it.

Gee, I guess that Olympic DoD channel is for nothing? I am reading that it will be free and Malone thinks it is a mistake.

 

[alexjb12]

This may have been covered elsewhere, though I don't see it. I know that Cox in my area is adding 4 channels of olympic coverage in addition to the usual NBC plus NBCU. There is going to be one channel of HD basketball coverage and one of HD soccer. There will also be SD coverage in Korean and Mandarin. I would be interested in the HD coverage, and I am wondering if D* plans to add any such coverage. Does anyone know?

SMk

My local NBC affiliate (WNBC NY) just launched digital sub-channel named Universal Sports.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6570442.html?q=universal+sports

 

[Drew2k]

My local NBC affiliate (WNBC NY) just launched digital sub-channel named Universal Sports.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6570442.html?q=universal+sports

I'm not seeing where WNBC will carry the sub-channel. From the article (two weeks old), it appears to only be in 5 cities:

He said the service has yet to formalize its distribution strategy. Currently, WCSN has limited multicast distribution in such areas as Detroit; Idaho Falls, Idaho; Reno, Nev.; and Buffalo and Albany, N.Y. Zenkel wouldn't say whether the service would seek basic cable distribution or would be content with low penetrated sports tiers.

Was there a different article you intended to link?

 

[alexjb12]

I'm not seeing where WNBC will carry the sub-channel. From the article (two weeks old), it appears to only be in 5 cities:

it replaced the digital sub-channel NBC 4.4, I just tuned into it via OTA

Was there a different article you intended to link?

I ment this article =)
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6574430.html

 

[QuickDrop]

Okay, here's my questions,

Will Directv be carrying 100% of NBC's coverage (ie all these strange new subchannels)?

What percentage of NBC coverage will be in HD?

Will Directv carry all available NBC HD coverage in HD?

And perhaps most importantly, will NBC allow American viewers to watch the events live or will we have to wait 12 hours after we know who won to view NBC's pompous coverage?

I don't expect anyone to have complete answers to these yet, but they seem the most pressing to my mind.

 

[kw2957]

Okay, here's my questions,

Will Directv be carrying 100% of NBC's coverage (ie all these strange new subchannels)?

What percentage of NBC coverage will be in HD?

Will Directv carry all available NBC HD coverage in HD?

And perhaps most importantly, will NBC allow American viewers to watch the events live or will we have to wait 12 hours after we know who won to view NBC's pompous coverage?

I don't expect anyone to have complete answers to these yet, but they seem the most pressing to my mind.

Nice questions. I'll be keeping an eye on this thread.

 

[rbl61]

I know this is just wishful thinking but how about a channel that only shows actual events. None of the feel good stories, chatfests and other fluff that NBC usually brings us.

 

[dstorm]

I know this is just wishful thinking but how about a channel that only shows actual events. None of the feel good stories, chatfests and other fluff that NBC usually brings us.

I think NBC actually gets a bad rap for this. This was the case in Sydney, but ever since they have improved quite a bit - The occasional fluff / backgroud piece but a lot of action -

I'm guessing only the die-hards really want to sit and watch hours upon hours of track and field or swimming prelims.

The good news is with the just announced detailed schedule even the die-hards can see all the table tennis, judo or boxing that they want. EVERY soccer and basketball game will be on. That's good stuff. Looking over the detailed schedule I can't believe the amount of coverage.

I also think the whole LIVE vs. Delayed debate is over-hyped. Most people have jobs and can't just cut out for 2 weeks to watch live events at 9 or 10 in the morning. Not only that, but I prefer to watch via DVR anyway so I can skip commercials if necessary.

And for those that have to watch LIVE, this year you'll get Swimming, Gymnastics and Beach Volleyball in prime-time LIVE (or slightly delayed on the West Coast). So just pretend that you're watching live and you'll be fine

Bottom line, having watched a lot of Olympics I think NBC has actually figured out a great formula and they do a fantastic job of covering the games.

I'm also anxiously awaiting news from Direct TV on the NBC Olympic channels. Any news out there? Please?

 

[CKNAV]

Okay, here's my questions,

Will Directv be carrying 100% of NBC's coverage (ie all these strange new subchannels)?

What percentage of NBC coverage will be in HD?

Will Directv carry all available NBC HD coverage in HD?

And perhaps most importantly, will NBC allow American viewers to watch the events live or will we have to wait 12 hours after we know who won to view NBC's pompous coverage?

I don't expect anyone to have complete answers to these yet, but they seem the most pressing to my mind.

All NBC coverage will be in HD. This is the first Olympics that will be done all in HD.

 

[STEVED21]

I think NBC actually gets a bad rap for this. This was the case in Sydney, but ever since they have improved quite a bit - The occasional fluff / backgroud piece but a lot of action -

I'm guessing only the die-hards really want to sit and watch hours upon hours of track and field or swimming prelims.

The good news is with the just announced detailed schedule even the die-hards can see all the table tennis, judo or boxing that they want. EVERY soccer and basketball game will be on. That's good stuff. Looking over the detailed schedule I can't believe the amount of coverage.

I also think the whole LIVE vs. Delayed debate is over-hyped. Most people have jobs and can't just cut out for 2 weeks to watch live events at 9 or 10 in the morning. Not only that, but I prefer to watch via DVR anyway so I can skip commercials if necessary.

And for those that have to watch LIVE, this year you'll get Swimming, Gymnastics and Beach Volleyball in prime-time LIVE (or slightly delayed on the West Coast). So just pretend that you're watching live and you'll be fine

Bottom line, having watched a lot of Olympics I think NBC has actually figured out a great formula and they do a fantastic job of covering the games.

I'm also anxiously awaiting news from Direct TV on the NBC Olympic channels. Any news out there? Please?

There's live. There's tape delay, which is live just delayed until prime time. Then there is the NBC way. Take a long event, edit it to fit in a prime time segment, change the order of the participants, show all the Americans and one or two top foreigners and you have a prime time show.

 

[tonyd79]

All NBC coverage will be in HD. This is the first Olympics that will be done all in HD.

They are claiming this but then I look at their schedule.

Since when is Oxygen an HD channel? Telemundo HD? The Olympics Basketball Channel?

Maybe all of the main network will be HD (is this really the first time that has been done?) but to claim all HD then claim ninty gazillion hours is claiming two different things.

 

[TedBarrett]

Any chance of Lifetime HD? My internet provider, Cox, is spamming me with emails promising those channels in HD on their cable service in time for the Olympics.

DirecTv already provides Cox's other coming channels, CNBCHD, UHD, USAHD.

LifetimeHD would be nice though

 

[QuickDrop]

I also think the whole LIVE vs. Delayed debate is over-hyped.

I don't. I have no problem with taped coverage of the most popular events in primetime since, as you said, most people can't watch them live anyway, but for a network to not also show these events live (in all time zones) for those who can watch them live is simply wrong. If you want the prestige of carrying an event, you should treat the event with the same prestige.

 

[dstorm]

I don't. I have no problem with taped coverage of the most popular events in primetime since, as you said, most people can't watch them live anyway, but for a network to not also show these events live (in all time zones) for those who can watch them live is simply wrong. If you want the prestige of carrying an event, you should treat the event with the same prestige.

Except that NBC had to pay $900M for the right to broadcast the games - and the only way they can even begin to re-coop that cost is by selling ads in prime-time, which then requires certain viewership levels.

I agree that from a fans perspective live all the time makes sense - but the business side of it completely justifies NBC's decision.

When you compare how much CBC pays the IOC vs. NBC it makes more sense why they have to hold back events for prime-time in an attempt to increase viewership.

On a smaller scale, NBC stations on the West Coast choose a similar strategy by holding back the live broadcast a couple hours for viewership / ad revenue reasoning.