Guess no one should be particularly shocked that NBC is more concerned with shareholders than customers.

I watched a little during the day, and even tried to watch at night. Five minutes at night and I am analyzed and up close and personal wiped out, and turn it off. It seems the commentators get more air time than the participants. Could be the worst coverage ever.

oldernell: I watched a little during the day, and even tried to watch at night. Five minutes at night and I am analyzed and up close and personal wiped out, and turn it off. It seems the commentators get more air time than the participants. Could be the worst coverage ever.

Incorrect:



Incidentally, ALSO by NBC.

oldernell: I watched a little during the day, and even tried to watch at night. Five minutes at night and I am analyzed and up close and personal wiped out, and turn it off. It seems the commentators get more air time than the participants. Could be the worst coverage ever.

And yet where are the up close and personal fluff pieces on the US women's soccer team, which I might actually want to watch?

I heard something about NBC coverage on NPR this morning. Despite all the criticism, ratings are up. They don't need to be loved by all. If half of America is yelling for executives' heads and the other half is watching, the network is winning.

ZAZ: I heard something about NBC coverage on NPR this morning. Despite all the criticism, ratings are up. They don't need to be loved by all. If half of America is yelling for executives' heads and the other half is watching, the network is winning.

Apparently.

But more of us are leaving TV behind. They are driving people away. I wonder how long til they decide that seeking other methods of entertainment is stealing money from them- ala RIAA?

The OTA coverage sucks and the streaming is all sorts of screwed up with blackouts and whatnot. I'm glad I don't pay for cable, because I don't want NBC getting any of my money.

In fact, I'm very tempted to pay one of those companies that gives me access to a UK DNS server monthly, so I can use iPlayer and watch BBC.

Oh and I just found that the NBC App I can't turn off notifications on Android. Glitch or intrusive?

There's one female interviewer who apparently just farking hates Michael Phelps. She is just downright antagonistic every time she interviews him. After one event she was interviewing several swim team members, one said something along the lines of 'well, we're a young team, we've got next year to come back, blah blah blah...'
She said (with Phelps standing right there) 'Well, all of you except Michael Phelps.' She's badgered him directly, 'which Michael Phelps will show up today, the one who can win or the one who's slacking off?'

NBC: We don't care; we don't have to

rynthetyn: oldernell: I watched a little during the day, and even tried to watch at night. Five minutes at night and I am analyzed and up close and personal wiped out, and turn it off. It seems the commentators get more air time than the participants. Could be the worst coverage ever.

And yet where are the up close and personal fluff pieces on the US women's soccer team, which I might actually want to watch?

You could just watch real porn, you know.

They seem to be doing a great job for 90% of the Olympic events. The problem is that they are royally farking up the other 10%.

Maybe someone that works in TV can help me out here. I'm taking a neutral stnce.

Do web views help in terms of advertising revenue? (I assume a streamed opening ceremony would have some ads). From what I've heard Neilsen and all that is pretty behind the times.

I've been told that they don't make any effort to count groups in a bar or other settings. Again, no first hand knowledge.... but that point there baffles me. I know a great majority of Saints fans watch their team down here at the local bar (because we all have a local bar).

Anyway, back to the point... NBC needs all the ratings they can get, and if the ratings system is flawed... I'm inclined to be Ok with what they're doing.

To quote John Stewart

"NBC doesn't know how to make a show tailored to American audiences"

Is ktunnel still running?

BBC has a separate channel dedicated to each sport. Available live online.

downstairs: From what I've heard Neilsen and all that is pretty behind the times.

They are hugely behind the times. And TV networks love to whine that they can't track online viewing. Even though they can record every IP address that connects to their servers to watch a program, which means they can know exactly how many people are watching. This in comparison to using statistical extrapolation to figure out TV viewers. It's not an issue with the ratings system being flawed, it's that the people at the networks are complete idiots.

Gig103: The OTA coverage sucks and the streaming is all sorts of screwed up with blackouts and whatnot.

i was watching the gymnastics stream- they kept cutting off the routines halfway through the dismounts of every vault to go to commercial. if i wasn't ready to set their corporate HQ on fire after the horrible, literally distasteful coverage of the opening ceremonies, i was by the first 40 minutes of streaming coverage

downstairs: Maybe someone that works in TV can help me out here. I'm taking a neutral stnce.

Do web views help in terms of advertising revenue? (I assume a streamed opening ceremony would have some ads). From what I've heard Neilsen and all that is pretty behind the times.

I've been told that they don't make any effort to count groups in a bar or other settings. Again, no first hand knowledge.... but that point there baffles me. I know a great majority of Saints fans watch their team down here at the local bar (because we all have a local bar).

Anyway, back to the point... NBC needs all the ratings they can get, and if the ratings system is flawed... I'm inclined to be Ok with what they're doing.

Thing is, their TV coverage is so bad, many viewers are seeking alternative viewing options; trying to find the events on the web, etc. Sure, they're getting good ratings. Because they're the only network airing the farking Olympics. Their ratings could be better if they had better coverage, not just 'fark you, you'll take what we give you and like it.'

FTA: "Yes, thank you for providing Meredith Viera's "I'm confused by this" analysis and thanks for not mucking up the broadcast with any tributes to terrorism victims or to dead U.S. service members."

Yes, thank you for this.

I prefer watching sports to propaganda. Dunno about you guys.

propasaurus: There's one female interviewer who apparently just farking hates Michael Phelps. She is just downright antagonistic every time she interviews him. After one event she was interviewing several swim team members, one said something along the lines of 'well, we're a young team, we've got next year to come back, blah blah blah...'
She said (with Phelps standing right there) 'Well, all of you except Michael Phelps.' She's badgered him directly, 'which Michael Phelps will show up today, the one who can win or the one who's slacking off?'

Believe that was Andrea Kremer. Can't stand that koont.

tlchwi02: they kept cutting off the routines halfway through the dismounts of every vault to go to commercial.

if you use Firefox or Chrome, the adblock plus add on keeps the commercials from showing up in the streams.

We don't believe that a raw feed, which would be a host feed, without narration and broadcasting, would be a good user experience in a big stadium with lots of camera cuts. We think we created the best experience.

You think you did. But you didn't. So fark you.

No more Parent Cams please.

IamSoSmart_S_M_R_T: propasaurus: There's one female interviewer who apparently just farking hates Michael Phelps. She is just downright antagonistic every time she interviews him. After one event she was interviewing several swim team members, one said something along the lines of 'well, we're a young team, we've got next year to come back, blah blah blah...'
She said (with Phelps standing right there) 'Well, all of you except Michael Phelps.' She's badgered him directly, 'which Michael Phelps will show up today, the one who can win or the one who's slacking off?'

Believe that was Andrea Kremer. Can't stand that koont.

Yep, it was Kremer (4:28 in)

I always though that NBC's shiatty Olympic coverage decisions lay squarely at the feet of Dick Ebersol, and that it would get better with Ebersol being phased out. Guess I was wrong.

All this and they're going to cancel Community!

ZAZ: I heard something about NBC coverage on NPR this morning. Despite all the criticism, ratings are up. They don't need to be loved by all. If half of America is yelling for executives' heads and the other half is watching, the network is winning.

Well, its not like people have much of a choice to watch it anywhere else. If you were dying of thirst and I spit in a glass of water and handed it to you, you wouldn't like the spit but you'd still drink it.

WhyteRaven74: They are hugely behind the times. And TV networks love to whine that they can't track online viewing. Even though they can record every IP address that connects to their servers to watch a program, which means they can know exactly how many people are watching. This in comparison to using statistical extrapolation to figure out TV viewers. It's not an issue with the ratings system being flawed, it's that the people at the networks are complete idiots.

Well, to play devils advocate... advertisers (I believe) only want to trust third-party information. I run plenty of websites, and I know how to "cook the books" in terms of total users, etc. Never, ever trust anyone about their own stats on their own web properties*.

So, while they *can* track that stuff... maybe there's not a Neilsen-eque company out there that advertisers trust?

*Or, if you want to go by my rule of thumb with any self-generated statistic:

If its about current finances, web traffic, whatever... divide by three

If its about future projected stats, divide by ten

/Trust me, works every time

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Whole villages crowded around a 20 inch, 30-year-old TV get a better Olympic experience than Americans do (excluding American's who are able to pick up the Canadian broadcaster).

TV's going to get real interesting in the next few years. Sport was like the last thing that networks could still reliably make bank on, and now viewers are starting to revolt over even this? Granted the Olympics comes with it's own, somewhat unique set of challenges from a networks perspective, but it's pretty clear that more and more of us want our sports to show up online and convenient to us, and not as just a come-on to try and get us to turn on the traditional set.

I still say ESPN is going to get brave enough at some point to just start offering all their programming as a streaming subscription sold directly to consumers, and to hell with the cable companies. I wonder if Disney has enough properties at this point that they could sell enough subscriptions to make it worth their while, if they lost all the money they're currently getting from cable companies? Wouldn't you pay $20/month for ESPN Streaming, especially if they were throwing in the Disney channels for the kids? I would in a hot second.

IamSoSmart_S_M_R_T: IamSoSmart_S_M_R_T: propasaurus: There's one female interviewer who apparently just farking hates Michael Phelps. She is just downright antagonistic every time she interviews him. After one event she was interviewing several swim team members, one said something along the lines of 'well, we're a young team, we've got next year to come back, blah blah blah...'
She said (with Phelps standing right there) 'Well, all of you except Michael Phelps.' She's badgered him directly, 'which Michael Phelps will show up today, the one who can win or the one who's slacking off?'

Believe that was Andrea Kremer. Can't stand that koont.

Yep, it was Kremer (4:28 in)

Yup, that was it.

Meh. They've been saying this for years. I'm actually finding this slightly better than year's past. I haven't heard as many triumph over inconvenience stories this year.

Gunny Highway: No more Parent Cams please.

THIS. If there is one thing I never, ever, ever care about, it's the parents, husbands, wives, children, day jobs, diseases, deaths of grandparents, etc. of the athletes. I LOATHE the human interest angle every single time. I just want to see the events. If you want some background, training footage is fine.

I think the coverage has been great so far.

I've been watching the streaming at the nbcolympics web site. I've watched a good amount of swimming, badminton, soccer, basketball, and table tennis. It's awesome that they're showing everything live as it happens for every event, especially in sports like badminton where in the past it'd be very hard to see most of the matches. The stream is generally very good quality, and lets you pick the resolution including 720p and 1080p. Occasionally it freezes but then I can just refresh the page and it's fine again. I haven't gotten any commercials (maybe due to my browser settings).

I haven't watched any of the TV, so I have no problem with them tape delaying that to prime time in order to pay their bills.

NutznGum

According to NPR this year's coverage is more popular than last time despite more information on the internet. That is not explained by thirsty people drinking spit-filled water to save their lives.

Girlfriend asked me when the gymnastics telecast was going to be on. So I head to the NBC Olympics page for the schedule. How nice of them to provide spoilers for every tape delayed event going on today in their half-page tall marquee.

More ass shots. Guys or girls I dont care, I need that ass.

downstairs: advertisers (I believe) only want to trust third-party information

Well, sometimes yeah. But I know websites that generate a lot of traffic have no problem finding advertisers by simply showing their unique page view stats. And really that TV networks haven't found a way to use the data they have is another sign of them being way behind the curve.

WhyteRaven74: downstairs: From what I've heard Neilsen and all that is pretty behind the times.

They are hugely behind the times. And TV networks love to whine that they can't track online viewing. Even though they can record every IP address that connects to their servers to watch a program, which means they can know exactly how many people are watching. This in comparison to using statistical extrapolation to figure out TV viewers. It's not an issue with the ratings system being flawed, it's that the people at the networks are complete idiots.

If they did that, they would have to actually admit how many people were (or more likely weren't) watching. That would drive down advertising dollars.

jayhawk88: I still say ESPN is going to get brave enough at some point to just start offering all their programming as a streaming subscription sold directly to consumers, and to hell with the cable companies.

Its going to be a loooooooong time before that happens. However, I'm pretty sure it will become common practice to do what NASCAR has been doing. They don't offer the "official" coverage online, but for free you can get access to like 10 camera angles, 4 or 5 drivers in-car views, etc. online.

It doesn't come with commentary... but its a real cool think if you're a total NASCAR geek like me.

I could see ESPN doing this with a baseball or basketball game.

ole prophet: they would have to actually admit how many people were (or more likely weren't) watching

Very true.

I tried to stream some events this weekend and the flash (ADOBE) player kept on crashing about 7-8 minutes. I have no problem with watching 4 hours of an event that already took place but live streaming just doesn't work on my computer for some reason.

I don't care that much since I'm at work during the weekdays and I try to watch some of the primetime show but I keep falling asleep. Beach volleyball has been in decline in the USA for the past 4 years with most of the tournaments moving offshore and yet NBC still thinks that we want to watch that crap? I'm ok with watching the quartfinals, semis and finals but the group matches are boring.

WxAxGxS: Girlfriend asked me when the gymnastics telecast was going to be on. So I head to the NBC Olympics page for the schedule. How nice of them to provide spoilers for every tape delayed event going on today in their half-page tall marquee.

Funny how the internet side of NBC , the broadcast side (NBC TV), and NBC News can't seem to agree on their own policies. hehe.

jayhawk88: TV's going to get real interesting in the next few years. Sport was like the last thing that networks could still reliably make bank on, and now viewers are starting to revolt over even this? Granted the Olympics comes with it's own, somewhat unique set of challenges from a networks perspective, but it's pretty clear that more and more of us want our sports to show up online and convenient to us, and not as just a come-on to try and get us to turn on the traditional set.

I still say ESPN is going to get brave enough at some point to just start offering all their programming as a streaming subscription sold directly to consumers, and to hell with the cable companies. I wonder if Disney has enough properties at this point that they could sell enough subscriptions to make it worth their while, if they lost all the money they're currently getting from cable companies? Wouldn't you pay $20/month for ESPN Streaming, especially if they were throwing in the Disney channels for the kids? I would in a hot second.

if MLB got over the stupid local blackout restrictions, you bet your ass. I'd combine it with mlb.tv and nhl, and bam, I have zero need for cable anymore.

actually, never mind, proxies.

Never did care for NBC's coverage of American Gladiators either. The commentary by Hulk Hogan left a little to be desired.

/nods in time delayed approval

I want to watch the events live on tv. Not after the fact, with all the smaltz from their stupid on-air gasbags.

/ DIAF NBC

Vanquish: To quote John Stewart

"NBC doesn't know how to make a show tailored to America

In this case, I think the exact opposite is true. There's no way NBC can appeal to everybody. Some people will complain about the NBC announcers while others will complain that the streams are confusing because they have no announcers. Some people complain that NBC won't air the prime events live while others complain about their website having spoilers before they come on.

Knowing that, NBC has gone for the biggest possible audience, which just so happens to be people who work during the day and don't care that they're watching tape delayed coverage. Complain all you want, but the numbers don't lie. 30 million people are willing to watch tape delayed events along with all the puff pieces and other crap therein. It's not NBC's fault that the biggest American constituency is the "working/don't care" audience. They are tailoring their coverage specifically for an "American audience", just not the vocal minority audience that happens to populate Fark, Gawker, and Deadspin.

I don't really mind the NBC coverage of the Olympics, I mind the political adds. They apparently alternate between candidate X is a baby eating, bible raping, Obama care loving commie, to candidate y is an outsourcing, job killing, theiving elitist who will eliminate your halth coverage and cause you to die in a ditch like an unloved dog.

Also it seems like every one of them swears that this time they really mean to go to Washington and stop spending.Hey assholes how about you go to Washington and raise taxes until they cover spending.

Fat Old Broad: I want to watch the events live on tv. Not after the fact, with all the smaltz from their stupid on-air gasbags.

/ DIAF NBC

Yeah. I dont really care that much because I have been watching the "odd" sports earlier in the day but I really love watching the swimming. The tape delay has ruined that because I know the results beforehand. I try to avoid them but I always seem to stumble past the results.