CAN the leopard shed his spots? This month, Microsoft is offering Web surfers in the United States a seductive viewing treat. In conjunction with NBC, the software publisher is offering thousands of hours of free video direct from the Olympics in Beijing.

The service is being hailed as a bold experiment in delivering on the original promise of the World Wide Web. For the first time, it will be possible to watch specific events on demand as well as to watch many of the less popular sporting events like cycling and race walking, which in the past have received scant attention in mainstream television coverage of the games.

But there’s a catch.

To view the video, it will be necessary to download a Microsoft Web browser software component based on a new proprietary technology, Silverlight, that is intended to make it possible to display interactive animations, graphics, audio and video, all within a fixed window inside a Web browser display.

Microsoft executives say Silverlight will “light up the Web” with multimedia content.

But for many industry executives who compete with Microsoft, the world’s largest software company, the Silverlight strategy recalls a federal antitrust case in which Microsoft was found guilty of using its market muscle to stifle competition from the Web.

Which is tougher? The competition at the Olympics or competing with the dollars and control of Microsoft and NBC?




  1. gquaglia says:

    “The question is, are you trying to advantage one particular operating system?” he said, pointing to Microsoft’s decision to reserve certain features like 3-D effects and downloading for the company’s Windows Vista operating system.

    The real reason for Silverlight. Watch for less and less features to be available on the non-Windows versions until finally M$ drops support all together. Classic douchery on M$’s part.

  2. kanjy says:

    I don’t see what the problem is. In fact, I already had Silverlight installed before the games. Anyone who hasn’t installed it yet should do so: Silverlight is awesome.

  3. FRAGaLOT says:

    The web is already “Lit up” with multimedia content, with out the help of Microsoft, thank you very much.

    Silverlight is just something to compete with Adobe’s Flash and Apple’s Quicktime. How is this anti-trust when there’s already two well established web-based “multimedia” players?

    I already have Silverlight installed, and it’s not stopping me from using Flash which I use more often anyway, since it’s has more proliferation on the web than Silverlight. So what’s the BFD?

    This anti-trust thing is meaningless since Flash usually already comes preinstalled on most web browsers, or has a VERY simple download/install. Plus Flash use is so ubiquitous you can’t avoid to NOT install it if you actually want to do things on the web.

  4. gquaglia says:

    I already have Silverlight installed, and it’s not stopping me from using Flash which I use more often anyway, since it’s has more proliferation on the web than Silverlight. So what’s the BFD?

    Flash is more popular now, but how about when M$ starts blowing content providers to only use Silverlight. That in combination with the coming “Windows Only”, which is surely on the M$ agenda, will make it a Big Fucking Deal.

  5. Ed Roberts says:

    The primary reason people are ticked about having to download Silverlight is because it’s made by Microsoft. You download updates to Adobe Flash and Reader all the time. In some cases, you need to download and install Flash out of the box. It’s not like Silverlight is going away anytime soon. Chances are, you’re going to end up downloading it in the future for something else anyway, so get over it.

    I’m just happy to get high-quality live streaming from the Olympics. Flash or Silverlight… I don’t care. The video has been rock solid and looks great.

  6. jerquiaga says:

    #3 – Microsoft has supported non-Windows browsers from the outset, for good reason. They want to get .NET apps on the web. There isn’t any indication that at some point they will stop supporting other OSs.

    And in terms of content, Google and Apple will never move to Silverlight, and they host a lot of multimedia content. Also, it makes sense that NBC would use a Microsoft technology, since NBC and Microsoft are already partners. (MSNBC, anyone?) There don’t seem to be any other content deals in the works. I don’t think we are in any immediate danger of Silverlight taking over the web. And as previous posters have said, with Flash and Quicktime both having significant market share, there is no anti-trust issue.

  7. Stephanie says:

    As an Apple owner, I was a bit pissed about this. But guess what… as soon as I am done getting my Olympics fix, Silverlight will be deleted off my computer.

  8. poet_will says:

    http://www.mono-project.com/Moonlight

    for the Linux version they were talking about in the article.

  9. Noam Sane says:

    Flash really, really, really sucks. Maybe this will be better. Either way, it’s just another program on your PC, easily uninstallable. I hope.

  10. ECA says:

    Lets take a different direction..
    has any one looked at the site..
    I have..
    And THEY DONT cover all the sports.
    They do have a good selection.

    But think of the TECH needed, to cover the event, and then CONVERT to silverlight.
    converting from ANYTHING to flash…is NOTHING, and very easy. Flash just uses AVI…MANY digital cameras will DO AVI format.
    Even if Silverlight handles AVI…WHY CHANGE..

  11. poet_will says:

    UPDATE: The streams will not work on Linux AT ALL. They are using a 2.0 version of Silverlight and Moonlight only supports version 1.0. So, you have to run Windows in a VM.

  12. Simon says:

    I have been watching the olympics on nbcolympics.com since saturday and I must say I like it. I use Firefox and have zero problems and the quality of the video feed is amazing compared to youtube and most other video sites. A lot of the videos don’t have any live commentary but that kind of lets you feel like being there. I didn’t want to download the silverlight plugin at first because I don’t like downloading plugins and I never heard of silverlight so I didn’t know if it was some sort of bloatware or what. I don’t get why people are bitching about this already though because it’s free and you get great content and a great selection.

  13. a says:

    #5.
    … And as previous posters have said, with Flash and Quicktime both having significant market share, there is no anti-trust issue.

    Please, give me your definition of “anti-trust issue”.

  14. OmegaMan says:

    How is it stifling competition if anyone can develop applications that use Silverlight at no cost?

    As a developer, why do I have to buy QuickTime or Adobe development kits and pay licenses for that or the usage of what I create? Support from Adobe…sheesh non-existent for the developer. I know, I posted and got zip.

    Why can’t what I create in QT or Real be easily converted to .divx? No dice….

    Maybe if those companies screaming Anti-Trust on MS would focus that lawyer money to development to figure how to make things work on Windows/Vista, their products might be the hands down favorites…but now pay the lawyers to talk, talk, talk, talk….

    Not until we all slink to the slowest ship in the convoy Linux or linus whatever it is; will the Nay saying Nabobs of Negativism be happy.

  15. I personally like the technology. What I hate on the NBC/Olympics site are the lame ads for GE.

  16. gquaglia says:

    UPDATE: The streams will not work on Linux AT ALL. They are using a 2.0 version of Silverlight and Moonlight only supports version 1.0. So, you have to run Windows in a VM.

    Exactly what I was talking about.

  17. moss says:

    I trust Silverlight about as much as I trust Real.

    I won’t allow the latter on any computer of mine – and I’ll wait and see if any of y’all succeed in uninstalling the former a couple of times without a “magic” reappearance.

  18. FRAGaLOT says:

    #3
    It’s still not a big fucking deal. Just because Microsoft is pushing their own technology won’t stop other websites from using Flash or Quicktime, nor stop users from using Flash or Quicktime.

    Unless Microsoft does something underhanded by making it cumbersome to use Flash and Quicktime (which is something they DID do to Netscape back 10 years ago) then it is a Big Fucking Deal.

    For now it’s just yet another webapp plugin we have to install to use the internet. Same with Flash, Quicktime, Shockwave, Realplayer, and any number of web-based multi-media apps. And in the case with Silverlight, it’s not proliferant enough for most people to care.

  19. ECA says:

    Frag,
    you are getting the point.

    WHO remembers when Windows media player, PLAYED alot of formats??
    I LOVe installing 6-8 programs JUST to play most things.
    It makes it so much fun that I could Puke.
    NOW we add another format to this selection.

  20. Chainring says:

    So, they were supposed to use flash and therefore require users to download a competitor’s product? That’s stupid. I don’t see anti-trust… besides, it’s not Microsoft’s “market muscle” they’re using. It’s NBC’s. So, you could accuse Microsoft of colluding with NBC to get Silverlight out into the world, but that’s not a monopoly. That’s a partnership.

  21. ECA says:

    21,

    read the PRINT..
    MSNBC
    MSN
    MS

    Flash is FREE. works on Any OS.

    22.
    Scott..
    When i first signed up..
    They wouldnt LET ME, as I had an antenna..
    I Bitched to them..
    I tried a couple different selections..
    Including the CABLe company HERE..and it wouldnt let me..
    Finally gave info to PDX, and it popped up..

    ITS STUPID..

  22. hhopper says:

    Silverlight beats the crap out of any Flash that I’ve seen. The picture quality is excellent and the streaming is faultless.

  23. bill says:

    I just watched the freestyle relay on my iMac… Silverlight is very impressive… I want a version form my iPhone..
    ha!

  24. gquaglia says:

    Unless Microsoft does something underhanded

    Oh, you mean like get everyone using silverlight, then pull the rug out and make it only viable for Windows. Remember how many sites required Active X to work right, how many still do. You people have to be blind not to see this is a long term plan to make users need to have Windows to enable to watch streaming video.

  25. ECA says:

    Flash dont need activeX, so WHY do so many sites REQUIRE you to use ACTIVEX to watch Flash?

  26. MLV says:

    #22 – M Scott

    They don’t stop you from viewing any of the online events just because of what cable/satellite provider you may or may not have. They only reason they ask for that is because they want to be able to show you listings for TV so you’ll actually tune in.

    Stop being paranoid.


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