MS Silverlight To Stream Obama Inauguration Events

Ilgaz writes in to let us know that we will have to install MS Silverlight 2 to watch the US President's inauguration online. Everyone running Mac PPC, Linux, and FreeBSD has been left out, as there are no working Silverlight 2-capable alternatives on these systems. Here is Microsoft's press release announcing the selection of Silverlight yesterday. Streaming of various events around the inauguration begins today at the Presidential Inaugural Committee site, which touts its "inclusive and accessible" coverage.

Comments

So much for a tech savvy Whitehouse.

[retech]

That certainly didn't take long to have the rhetoric fail and the reality take charge.

Re:So much for a tech savvy Whitehouse.

[Joe Jay Bee]

From these events, it is obvious that the new administration either does not know about or does not care about the passion this community has for free ideals.

A very tiny community, compared to the overwhelming majority who a) don't give a toss about "free ideals" and b) have seen this story for the bullshit it is, in that only one website requires Silverlight to watch the inauguration, whereas YouTube and many others will be showing it in Flash video.

Re:So much for a tech savvy Whitehouse.

[Tubal-Cain]

Any chance of WikiMedia or someone else hosting an OGG for Firefox 3.1 and Opera users to enjoy the tag?

Re:So much for a tech savvy Whitehouse.

[Anonymous Coward]

People who spell that company's name "Micro$oft" give me flashbacks to 1997. Firstly because they need to grow up, and secondly because they haven't moved on since then.

On the other hand ... neither has Microsoft.

Re:So much for a tech savvy Whitehouse.

[Q-Hack!]

I did find this. The senate claims that you only need Flash to view the ceremony.

Re:So much for a tech savvy Whitehouse.

[pur1ty]

yep. that's why I like MICROS~1 spelling better.

Or alternatively

[jonbryce]

You can watch it using flash video here

Re:Or alternatively

[Anonymous Coward]

There's another list available here:
http://newteevee.com/2009/01/14/where-to-watch-obamas-inauguration-online/

Re:Or alternatively

[Waffle Iron]

There's another alternative, too. It turns out that streaming coverage will also be available using a wireless, thin client protocol.

I've set up my wireless client gear, and it's pretty sweet. For only a few hundred bucks, I got a 34-inch diagonal screen, WXGA resolution, and stereo sound. It streams video over a new protocol called "ATSC" in the ~500MHz band. And it all works for free without needing a subscription!

This event in particular will be delivered by multiple, simultaneous video streams that they call "channels". I encourage anyone who's not familiar with this technology to check it out.

Re:Or alternatively

[oracleguy01]

Hulu will also be airing the actual inauguration and they use flash: http://www.hulu.com/spotlight/obamapresidency

Huh? What?

[Frosty Piss]

Boy, talk about cherry picking a slanted conclusion...

The actual copy from the references story is...

Microsoft's Silverlight technology has been chosen to stream U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's swearing-in ceremony live on the Presidential Inaugural Committee's Web site...

Nowhere does it say that all the networks will be using Silverlight exclusively.

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