Watch the 2009 Presidential Inauguration without a TV

[Ichingcarpenter]

the Ars staff thought we would hunt around for ways to follow President-elect Obama's swearing in and the following festivities online and on-the-go.

Online video to the rescue!
Luckily, if you have an Internet connection and a fully-functional browser, the world is pretty much your oyster. The NBC-owned Hulu plans to offer a live stream of the Presidential Inauguration directly from its website (which can also be embedded on your own website or blog).

Hulu is undoubtedly going to be one of the most popular options for online inaugural viewing tomorrow; however, if you're looking for somewhere else to go in the event that Hulu comes crashing down, C-Span also plans to offer multiple video feeds on its website through the "C-Span Inauguration Hub." In fact, C-Span already has a few video feeds up as video crews test things out before the festivities begin.

Joost also plans to offer a live video stream of the inauguration (offered through CBS). Now that Joost no longer requires a special desktop player to watch, all you need is a working web browser with Flash installed. And, of course, CNN will offer a live video stream of the event, combined with relevant updates from Facebook users logged into Facebook Connect.

What if you're out and about?
Not everyone plans to be in front of a computer tomorrow during the inaugural activities. If you have a phone that can play Flash videos, then the above options are still available to you—hooray!

If you have an iPhone that can't play Flash though (boo, hiss), you still have a handful of video options. UStream.tv, which will offer a video feed of the inauguration on its website, also plans to release an iPhone application that will stream the event live. Previewed to TechCrunch last week, the iPhone app will not only display the live video feed in an iPhone-friendly format, it will also let users participate in the live chat about the video.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20090119-follow-the-2009-presidential-inauguration-without-a-tv.html

[Ichingcarpenter]

1. More sites;

Here's a partial list: From Cnet

• The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, which is in charge of all the inaugural activities at the Capitol, will stream the entire event at its Web site, complete with closed captioning. The site has a wealth of information about what happens on Inauguration Day, including a handful of inaugural videos dating back to President Dwight Eisenhower's 1957 swearing-in ceremony, as well as videos of presidential luncheons dating back to the inauguration of John Kennedy. (It also reveals, for those interested, the recipe for Obama's luncheon meal, which features a main course of pheasant and duck served with sour cherry chutney.)

• Our sister site CBS News will have day-long live coverage January 20 on TV and the Web, starting at 7 a.m. EDT. Katie Couric will also host a special Webcast that night with reporters and punditry, for which viewers can submit questions.

• CBS streaming coverage will also be Webcast on Joost's Everything Obama page, which also features interviews, campaign highlights, and satire clips.

• MSNBC will be live streaming the event on its home page and politics section, and visitors can embed the video into their own sites. Its inauguration page also features videos of inaugurations from decades past.

• Fox News will provide live streaming coverage via Hulu beginning at noon for about two hours. After the live stream, Hulu will provide on-demand access to the ceremony. The live stream is embeddable, as is an inauguration countdown from Hulu. The video site's Obama Presidency page also features related content like speeches, commentary, satire, and past inaugural speeches.

• C-SPAN will debut its Inauguration Hub on January 20, featuring an online "control room"--a multichannel grid designed by Mogulus with Webcasts of inauguration activities. Visitors will be able to choose from one of four live feeds featuring events like the swearing in at the Capitol, the parade, and a number of inaugural balls.

• CNN is partnering with Facebook to provide live streaming of the swearing in and Obama's speech. Viewers can "RSVP" for the event on Facebook, and as they watch, they will be able to provide status updates with their thoughts on the events. A Facebook window on the CNN.com Live channel will show viewers their friends' relevant status updates.

• Current TV and Twitter are teaming up, as they did during the election, to add real-time tweets to Current's broadcast and Webcast of the swearing in, which starts at 11:30 a.m. EDT and will be replayed throughout the day.

• The New York Times, the AP's online video network, and the Online NewsHour will also live stream inauguration coverage.

Once Obama is sworn in, he'll be party hopping through Washington that night. The Presidential Inauguration Committee has promised to Webcast some of the official inaugural balls--though there are plenty of unofficial parties, including some hosted by tech companies.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/01/16/inauguration.online/index.html

[SheilaT]

2. Oh, good.

Thanks for the link.