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How Do I Watch The Olympics?

An-DAn-D EnthusiastAshevilleRegistered User regular
edited July 2012 in Help / Advice Forum
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!

An-D on

Posts

  • ToxTox I kill threads they/themRegistered User regular
    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.

    Discord Lifeboat | Dilige, et quod vis fac
  • schussschuss Registered User regular
    Oh, and if you move, you generally can terminate service early if the provider doesn't serve the area you're moving to.

  • Jebus314Jebus314 Registered User regular
    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.

    "The world is a mess, and I just need to rule it" - Dr Horrible
  • RayzeRayze Registered User regular
    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

  • kuhlmeyekuhlmeye Registered User regular
    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.

    PSN: the-K-flash
  • An-DAn-D Enthusiast AshevilleRegistered User regular
    edited July 2012
    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.

    An-D on
  • Centipede DamascusCentipede Damascus Ho! Ho! Ho! Drink Coke!Registered User regular
    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

  • UsagiUsagi Nah Registered User regular
    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
    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

  • ShogunShogun Hair long; money long; me and broke wizards we don't get along Registered User regular
    edited July 2012
    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.

    Shogun on
  • An-DAn-D Enthusiast AshevilleRegistered User regular
    http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&amp;Itemid=29&amp;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.

  • HeadhunterHeadhunter Registered User regular
    edited July 2012
    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!

    Headhunter on
    "Perception is reality." -unknown
  • MichaelLCMichaelLC In what furnace was thy brain? ChicagoRegistered User regular
    edited July 2012
    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.

    MichaelLC on
  • MuzzmuzzMuzzmuzz Registered User regular
    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)

  • HuntingNoobHuntingNoob Registered User regular
  • PercyPercy Registered User new member
    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.....

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