I figured this would be the year I could watch the olympic opening ceremony on my big screen, streamed over the Internet -- instead of my 22" tv set. And CTV proved me right... but then flubbed it.
This week, the private Canadian broadcaster released an Android app for watching all of the olympics on Android devices. There were two catches: the Android has to be in Canada (OK by me), and it has to receive the video streaming over wireless (odd one).
Video does not work on Androids
I eagerly downloaded the app (with trembling fingers, you might say) to my Google Nexus S smartphone, started the first video, watched through the ad, and then a black screen. Turns out lots of other Android users are having the same problem. No video playback.
Video does not work on Android 4G
Other users are wondering why video is limited to WiFi when (1) there are plenty of 4G networks and phones and 6GB data plans around these days and (2) Bell, the owner of CTV, should be showing off its 4G network at this time.
Video does not work on Android ethernet
I had bought an Android TV Box for my entertainment room, and so I installed the software there. As I clicked on the first video, a message popped up: "Video available only through WiFi." Here's the catch: the TV Box has only an ethernet connector, no WiFi. CTV's third-party programmers never thought about Android media boxes.
Video does not work in Android Web browsers
Logical next step was for me to fire up the Chrome browser on my Android devices, and watch the videos direct on the CTVolympics.com Web site. A small overlay on the screen invited me to download Microsoft Silverlight. Silverlight!? That's technology even Microsoft has abandoned -- and is available for Windows PCs, not Android smartphones.
Video does not work in Android Web browsers over WiFi
I switched to CTV's mobile site for the olympics, and picked a video to watch. Again the msg: "Video is available through a WIFI connection," even though it was through WiFi.
So, yah, CTV seriously screwed up. As I write this, it is 27 hours before the pre-show to the opening ceremony, and I can't see CTV and its third-party programmers fixing this massive collections of problems in time.
Better luck four years from now, I suppose. Although, the way the olympics is mishandled worse each time, maybe I won't care four years from now.
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