How Do I Watch The Olympics?

An-D

So I live waaaaaaaaaaaaaay out in the middle of nowhere, and I do most of my TV watching through Netflix, Hulu+ and the random free streaming packages that comes with the PS3.

I want to watch the Olympics this year, but I don't want to pay to have cable set-up/get stuck in a contract. I'm willing to pay for a streaming service that I can cut off once everything is done, but I don't want to be trapped in any crazy contracts (I may be moving from this house in October).

Ideas?

Thank you!

Tox

Check out AT&T's U-Verse service. If you can get dsl/high speed through AT&T, you can probably get U-Verse tv service. No contract, and it's not terribly expensive if you're just trying to get the basic networks.

You could always try an antenna, as well, but you'll probably need a digital converter box, unless your TV has one built it.

schuss

Oh, and if you move, you generally can terminate service early if the provider doesn't serve the area you're moving to.

Jebus314

Check tvfool. Fill in your address and it will tell you what kinds of channels you can get with different sized antennas. Maybe you'll luck out and you can pick up a cheap antenna and some cable, hook it up to a tv that has a tuner, and be good to go.

Rayze

If you have the internet, NBC is streaming all of the events. You might have to download some sort of flash player equivalent to watch but I believe they will be showing all of them

kuhlmeye

I actually checked this, but to do the streaming you have to have TV service with access to MSNBC and... one other NBC network.

I really dislike that they make it hard to watch any events live, especially since they wont be showing any on regular broadcast.

An-D

That is super frustrating. Uverse isn't in my area and I have no idea what cable company (or if there is a cable company) that does stuff out here. I'd really prefer this to be temporary (I have no idea *where* I'd be moving to. Super up in the air). But I'd gladly pay 50-100 dollars if it meant that I could all/any event that I wanted to.

Also, no antennae signal unless I put a space station on my roof.

Centipede Damascus

I'm pretty sure as long as you're in the US you can watch pretty much everything at http://www.nbcolympics.com/index.html

Usagi

Centipede Damascus wrote: »

I'm pretty sure as long as you're in the US you can watch pretty much everything at http://www.nbcolympics.com/index.html

Right under the link on the sidebar wrote:

With a cable, satellite or telco TV subscription that includes MSNBC and CNBC, you will have access to live streams of EVERY Olympic event.

So nope

Shogun

So can you not buy a $50 set of digital antennae? That is how I get local channels including NBC. While I do not doubt you live in the middle of nowhere, unless you're living out there in some sort of tribal fashion without electricity, running water, HVAC, etc I'm willing to bet you could get a signal.

edit: You're positive no signal? I'm curious where this is.

An-D

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id=9900c8804cedfb <-- here is my thing from TVFool. Unless I'm reading it wrong, I would have to put an antennae on my roof to get any good signal. My roof is super angled and has metal plating. Also, I'm renting.

I might just be hanging out in a sports bar a lot.

Headhunter

Can't tell if it is geo restricted since I'm actually Canadian/in Canada, but you could try the official Canadian feed from CTVOlympics.ca. No cable subscription entitlement check!

MichaelLC

I went to that site, and even installed Silverlight (the things I do for you people), but couldn't get it to play. Kept giving me a connection error. I'm US, btw.

Muzzmuzz

I'm not a big tv watcher via the internet, but have you tried watching CTV (or better yet, BBC) via a proxy server? I believe that allows you to watch out of country channels without that stupid "The program is not available in your region". If you do manage to get through, be prepared to experience predominately Canadian/British focus on the athletes. Also, rumuor has is that NBC's coverage is crap anyways (at least that's what I'm getting from some of the American forumites)

HuntingNoob

Try if this works for you
http://www.eurovisionsports.tv/london2012/

Percy

I have not found any option to view on-line that works (well, not a legal one - there are some problems using proxy servers). We got to watch the opening ceremony through both BBC and a Russian on-line broadcast, but those avenues have now been shut down.

In many rural areas of my state, cable is either unavailable or prohibitively expensive to install. Unless we put a serious antenna on the roof, we probably won't get NBC - we may not get it with one. The antenna would only bring in 1 or 2 channels, so it is not worth the cost. I don't personally know anyone with satellite TV.

DSL is available over the phone lines. We've been satisfied with what we can usually get over the internet, and we don't own a TV.

During the last Olympics, we enjoyed watching recorded video over the internet. But, this time, NBC isn't allowing access even to recorded video without a paid subscription for a service that is unavailable or prohibitively expensive at our location. We would have been willing to pay NBC, BBC or IOC a one-time, reasonable fee to be able to view the 2012 Olympics over the internet.

For this Olympics, we appear to be shut out. Two steps backwards.....