I went to NBC’s official web page for Olympic coverage, hoping to see a replay of some of the events. Well, it turns out you can only watch those replays if you’re a cable subscriber–and not just a basic cable subscriber, either. So NBC, even before being purchased by cable giant Comcast, is now making certain web content basically an extension of expanded cable service. No use trying to watch other countries’ coverage. They block you out based on your IP’s country of origin.
What a bust. If I had expanded cable service, why would I need to watch the content on the Internet? Why can’t they offer Olympic content like they do all their other shows — sprinkled with commercials here and there to get the revenue they need? Why the need to tie the coverage to payment of a monthly fee to a cable company, denying access to over-the-air viewers and those whose cable companies don’t have a “partnership” with NBC? Even if you do have a cable subscription, you still have to go through an authentication process that is irritating in itself.
If I wasn’t already soured on NBC enough after the whole Conan fiasco, I certainly have no use for the network now. I’m sure they’ll be back in fourth place again after the Olympics anyway.
I feel you pain. I rely on the Internet for all my information. I am blocked access to TV shows that are readily available on the Internet due to my IP code. I think I am also blocked from Illinois government websites because of my IP code because I can never seem to be able to access this site either.
Drop the cable and get a new, inexpensive HD TV, and you will get 17 channels free in HD if you live in Peoria. All the networks.
Read a book to fill the rest of your spare time.
Elaine: I’m not sure how you come up with 17 channels. I get these channels over the air:
19.1 WHOI (ABC)
19.2 The CW Network
25.1 WEEK (NBC)
25.2 Weather Plus
31.1 WMBD (CBS)
43.1 WYZZ (FOX)
47.1 WTVP (PBS)
47.2 PBS World
47.3 PBS Create
59.1 WAOE (“My Network” TV)
Total channels: 10
So I can see the Olympic coverage on channel 25. But they don’t cover all the events, as you may or may not know. In the past, the rest of the coverage was available for free over the Internet. Not so this year. This year, you have to be an expanded basic cable subscriber, which I am not.
And I read plenty of books, thanks. I don’t think that makes one morally superior or anything, though.
“And I read plenty of books, thanks. I don’t think that makes one morally superior or anything, though.”
charlie says: Depends upon what you read, and whether you can critically analyze what you read. Maybe it doesn’t make one MORALLY superior, but it certainly makes one intellectually superior. It certainly places their opinions on a higher, more credible plane.
I am pondering an interesting phenomenon; that conservative voices were cackling over Michelle Obama’s admission that she didn’t watch network news. I think there might be an interesting division between those that get their news from TV and those that get their news from Newspapers, books and other sources. 15 or 30 seconds per story in the news media vs 30 minutes or more of reading… what do you think?