Finally Some Olympic Events In Hd!!

[gb4fan92]

Glad to turn on the tv this morning and finally see something other than the opening ceremonies. Great PQ and 5.1!! !:rofl: :rofl: One observation: Where are all the spectators? Lots of empty seats.

[gparris]

It was great to have them replay the opening events as many folks aren't able to "Tivo" them in HD or have their HD DVRs to record it yet.
(Or maybe no one called them yet or they are too busy).

Further, friends I had over were awe-struck when I had it on last night for the rerun - because the HD just blew them away.

"Honey, we have to get a set like this..." were the comments.
 
Now most that wanted to see it, have seen it, we can move on to the actually reason for having the opening ceremonies:

Competitive Events!:D

[Snard]

Originally posted by gb4fan92
One observation: Where are all the spectators? Lots of empty seats.

Bob Costas was explaining that this morning. August is traditionally a holiday month in Greece, so many people are away on vacation. Also, today (August 15) is Annunciation Day, which is a very big holiday in Greece, which is 97% Orthodox Christian.

Plus, I think that most of the competitions they've been showing so far are the preliminaries. When they get to the finals, hopefully there will be fewer empty seats.

[russellj]

I really didn't like watching reruns on the Opening Ceramony all day long when I knew that there were events taking place. They could have shown the opening day reruns a few times and then gone on to the events. If I find out on the local news or internet who won today and have to wait until tomorrow to see it, I don't see any reason to watch, HD or not. In these days of satalite and instant live coverage I see no reason to wait that long. Today will probably be my last day of watching the Olympics on TV for me. From now on I will just watch the news and keep track of who won what. I feel this is not a very good job on the part of NBC.

[GBK]

the whole coverage as pretty as it is, is pathetic.  -- Let's play the same damn thing over and over without giving the people the actual envents.  why would I watch this crap I already know the results it happened on Saturday... now it's almost Monday in Greece.  NBC exec's are a complete bunch of morons.  I really wish some people wake up and start treating the HD crowd a little better.  I find most people get ticked off and go away completely from a non HD channel regardless of programming... it really is a waste. I hope NBC loses a ton of money on this they have no one but themselves to blame... they could make the games awesome to see... instead they make them boring and insignificant.

[StarvingForHDTV]

I agree the picture and sound quality are nice.

I have no problems with watching delayed coverage.  I pay no attention to the news, and even if I knew the scores already I wouldn't care.  I watch to see the athletes do what they do best.

With that in mind, I can only hope for more variety in the future.  I forgot which sports NBC picked to cover in HD, but I don't think they are the ones I am most interested in.

Here are the ones I want to watch from the list here:

http://www.nbcolympics.com/results/index.html

Badminton
Beach Volleyball
Boxing
Cycling
Equestrian
Fencing
Judo
Table Tennis
Taekwondo
Tennis
Track & Field
Trampoline
Volleyball
Water Polo

Those sound like fun sports to watch.  I think video on demand would be the best option for Olympic coverage.  That way everyone gets what they want.

I hope to be able to see at least one sport from my list, but I doubt if that will come true.  Will have to wait and see.  My TV schedule just says Olympics on 4-1 with no details.

Starving

[StarvingForHDTV]

Ughhh.  I just finished looking through the HD "schedule" at the NBC Olympic site.  Jeez.  You think in the future they will add some detail?  Pathetic.

Mostly Gymnastics, Swimming and Diving.  A touch of Basketball, Soccer, and Track and Field.  No details.

I sure hope we get to see the Women's Soccer, and the non-running Track and Field events.

Who wants to watch day after day of gymnastics, swimming, and diving?  With that damn Sony commercial mixed in it's beginning to sound like the Chinese water torture mentioned previously.  

What a shame.  What a waste of time and money.

[borghe]

NBC could get away with it in 2002. People were starved for HD, most DMAs had virtually no HD, let alone all channels and half a dozen cable networks. I really think NBC was saying "people were happy with our coverage last time so that's what we are going to give them this time." Luckily I think the message from viewers has been a resounding "HEY, NBC, IT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!"

Though I do slightly disagree with the complaints on the sports. While it would be nice to have more soccer coverage and more basketball coverage, the sheer number of venues involved in those sports makes it difficult. I do feel they are giving us a nice amount of coverage, even if not the variety of sports we would like.

And watching things a day later while lame, doesn't bother me if I don't watch it the first time. I will watch all of the soccer medal rounds live and probably not rewatch them in HD, but stuff like gymnastics where I don't watch the live stuff it is decent to watch it for the first time in HD, even if you know the outcome.

But here is to hoping that in 2006, the olympics will be in HD "the right way.' Not a 24 hour loop of the same 3-6 events. full HD coverage, full variety of events, and simulcast with the other channels.

NBC managed to take a step two years back with this coverage. Not full coverage, different production and crew, etc.. I thought we were already past this in HD sports.. guess not. Hopefully in 2006 NBC will at least be at 2004's level of HD sports production.

[PJFW8]

At least you had the option.  Charter Cable blew the Olympics.  They claim that they are actively negotiating for HD with 4,6, 58, etc.  So far they only have HD coverage of 12.  With the Packers in HD on 6 in September, they could have some angry customers!  Time Warner is way ahead (except with Firewire).

[gparris]

The NBC HD channel runs the same Sony Wega commercial over and over again until you get nausea.

Then the same landscapes of Greece over and over again...
Can't they come up with something new every day?
It's like you don't really have to "DVR it"...it will return.

Maybe its just me and the now the Olympics will really cook now that the Greek Holiday is over and all.

[borghe]

actually they do have other commercials on.. I have seen like 3 or 4 HD commercials for fall NBC shows so far... Medical something or other, LAX, and a couple others..

[StarvingForHDTV]

Originally posted by gparris
The NBC HD channel runs the same Sony Wega commercial over and over again until you get nausea.  

Yes, it can make you sick.

They should be bombarding the SD people with the Wega crap.  We already have our HD setups.....  

Why would I buy that glare screen they show in the commercial?  

Sometimes you have to wonder who makes the decisions at these networks.

[oflaherty]

It sounds like NBC's plan is to do the Feb. 2006 Winter Olympics totally in HD, with just down converted coverage for SD viewers. In a conference call last month, Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Sports & Olympics, said:

"Now I probably shouldn't say this, but it is pretty clear to us now that we will be able to do the entirety of the Winter Olympics from (Torino) in high definition, and that's how we'll present them. And it'll be the same coverage, the same announcers and everything in (Torino). But it wasn't possible here with the limited amount of equipment and the late commitment to do it."
http://nbcumv.com/release_detail.nbc/sports-2004726102744-nbc2004athensolym.html
---
Sean at TMJ

[Joseph S]

What's with this late committment gimmick? They knew 6 years ago that they would have and viewers would demand HD coverage in 2004. At this point their only chance to save face is to just give us the foreign HD coverage.

[StarvingForHDTV]

I will keep my fingers crossed for 2006 and beyond.