Ewwww - Watching Olympics On NBC.com Requires Microsoft Silverlight
Posted August 19, 2008 at 6:09 PM
A friend of mine just told me that NBC.com said that his computer was not good enough to watch the Beijing Olympics on their web site. That's crazy, I said, and proceeded to the site to see for myself. Then, when I clicked on the video link, I was prompted with this:
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Ewwww! What is going on? Did someone forget to tell NBC that Adobe Flash is on like 99% of all computers world-wide? Who the heck was able to sell them on Silverlight? Had they [NBC] even heard of Silverlight when they were contacted?
Now, here's the kicker - my friend tried to install Silverlight and it alerted him that it could only be installed on Intel based computers. He, as a graphic designer, has a Mac that came out before the Intel chip was integrated. So, now, he can't use NBC.com to watch the olympics. Awesome NBC - way to use an inferior product to alienate viewers. And, congratulations to Microsoft for bringing back browser compatibility issues (er, um, computer compatibility issues).
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Reader Comments
Money, it's all about the money.
Posted by Neil Middleton on Aug 19, 2008 at 6:22 PM
Lame :(
Posted by Ben Nadel on Aug 19, 2008 at 6:26 PM
Nice marketing work from Microsoft.
Posted by O?uz Demirkap? on Aug 19, 2008 at 6:30 PM
_MS_NBC - I don't think the powers that be cared about how many people would actually watch the olympics, I think the goal was to get more Shilverlight installs.
I mean the Vista / Mojave promo uses flash - why? Because they actually want people to watch that ;)
My AUD$0.02
Posted by rob on Aug 19, 2008 at 6:32 PM
The Mojave site used flash because it's for marketing purposes and they wanted the lowest barrier to gather/track audience.
On the other hand, clearly MS is using the NBC Olympics site to generate Silverlight installs. The difference? I don't know for sure, but I'd guess that MS is footing the bill for all of the technology to distribute this content. To me it actually sounds like a good deal for both parties.
Cheers,
Brentholio in Denver
Posted by Brentholio on Aug 19, 2008 at 7:20 PM
And they've got Flash all over their home page. WTF is with that!?
Posted by Oliver Merk on Aug 19, 2008 at 7:42 PM
There always seems to be a bias against MS in the developer community. I was taken aback myself when I saw that I needed to install silverlight. But the install was painless, and the online Olympic experience is actually very good.
Nothing that couldn't have been done in Flash. But if I were NBC and had the choice of MS Gazillion Dollars vs Adobe Bupkus Dollars for providing the platform for the online Olympics, it would be a no brainer!
And as for your friend running on an older Mac... that's always going to be the case.. Do you provide a lesser experience that anyone can use, or a richer experience that may leave some legacy systems out?
For better or worse, the Olympics is a high tech showcase, so if you want to enjoy it online you may need to upgrade from Windows for Workgroups 3.1
Gus
Posted by Gus on Aug 19, 2008 at 7:45 PM
Color me nutty, but isn't the point of a broadcast company supposed to be to broadcast to as many people as possible? Especially with something like the Olympic games which are supposed to be an all-the-world-included type event?
I am not saying it wasn't beneficial for the companies to make their deals . I just personally find it funny that those deals, and the reasons you've listed as positives, don't take the viewers into account - just all the wonderful benefits to MSNBC and MS. You don't find that funny?
It's their toys so they make the rules, but I just find the lack of thought about the end user a bit... well... typical actually :-D
Sorry to hijack and troll the post - I wont say any more :)
Posted by rob on Aug 19, 2008 at 7:58 PM
@Gus - OK but what about the Linux users who have the (non-Microsoft) Silverlight plugin? We're banned from viewing the site because we're not using Windows. Doesn't that smell bad to you? I posted a screen shot at my blog: http://blog.olivermerk.ca/index.cfm/2008/8/19/NBC-Alienates-Users. Cheers.
Posted by Oliver Merk on Aug 19, 2008 at 8:04 PM
@Gus,
I don't really have anything against Microsoft. I use and love many of their products on a daily basis.
I am questioning the choice to not use the most widely distributed technology to showcase world-wide games.
Posted by Ben Nadel on Aug 19, 2008 at 8:11 PM
It didn't make a difference to me, since I'm already boycotting NBC, lol.
For the record, I haven't seen a single Olympic event and I could not care less. I stopped watching NBC when they pulled their content off of iTunes.
Posted by Mike Rankin on Aug 19, 2008 at 10:20 PM
meh, what kind of lamer wants to watch the olymics on the internet now tv, i guess they get what they deserve :)
Posted by meh on Aug 19, 2008 at 11:05 PM
i especially liked how NBC makes you install silverlight then tells you're too foreign to watch. ripped it out immediately. sheesh.
Posted by PaulH on Aug 19, 2008 at 11:05 PM
@Meh,
Even for people who watch on TV, its impossible to watch all the events (unless you are unemployed ;)). Sometimes, you simply have to catch something on the Net.
Posted by Ben Nadel on Aug 20, 2008 at 8:53 AM
@rob
"Color me nutty, but isn't the point of a broadcast company supposed to be to broadcast to as many people as possible?"
I think that NBC's idea is to make as much money as possible.
Broadcast t as many people as possible. What do you think NBC is? PBS?
I imagine that NBC thought they'd be able to squeeze a few more bucks from the event by getting a kickback from M$.
larry
Posted by Larry C. Lyons on Aug 20, 2008 at 2:57 PM
I was pretty annoyed when I saw it as well and protested for about a day by not installing it before giving in. Ah well, my love of the Olympics is greater than my distaste of MS I guess!
Posted by Mary Jo on Aug 20, 2008 at 3:09 PM
(Sorry I had to)
"I think that NBC's idea is to make as much money as possible."
So you think NBC's mission statement is: "NBC, make as much money as possible." m'kay.
On a side note, you've just described the attitude that, in my very humble and arm chair opinion, is eroding Microsoft's mind share btw. Who can get excited about something that is only out to make the maker money? Of course companies have to make money, but when it become their only goal they become lame and desperate. No passion. It's sad.
They wont be poor anytime soon, but I do not envy them.
Posted by rob on Aug 20, 2008 at 4:15 PM
@robi Except for MS's Mac business unit, I have seen nothing resembling any passion for either M$ or NBC for the last 10 years or so. When the accoutants are making the creative decisions, it seems to me that the company is about to tank. Maybe not immediately, but unless there is an intellectual and creative turnaround, that company is headed for irrelevancy.
Posted by larry c. lyons on Aug 20, 2008 at 10:43 PM
