Watching the Winter Olympics in English

This is probably old news to some, but I was very happy today to find that the TV channel Eurosport, which I get as part of my rent, is giving dual language broadcasts for the winter Olympics. They might do this for all their sports broadcasts, but I'm sure I've tried it before and had no luck.

To get it, you need a compatible television. I'm sure that someone will be along later to explain what it is technically called, but the thing to look for is a button on the remote that looks like a triangle and two circles, and then "I/II/I+II". Press this a few times and you'll be able to watch the winter Olympics in English without needing a satellite package.



EDIT: I've just found the discussion which Topsy mentions later, you can have a read at Dual language TV, Normal German TV in English

Thanks benpanter!! I hadn't thought to check for the alternate lanugage channel. Works like a charm!

it's old news, they do it for all sports - there was a thread about it somewhere (yonks ago, mind)
but i suppose it's always good to repeat these things periodically for the newbies

@Topsy: That'll be why I put it in "Sport in Munich" rather than "Munich News" . Whichever - I was pleasantly suprised.

Excellent. Thanks for the tip!

Well, pleased with my new found button I tried all the other channels last night, and it seems that Eurosport is the only one that offers English. Pity... I guess the extra cost of the royalties doesn't get covered by the extra custom for everyone else.

Thank God for the dual broadcast. Can you imagine a snowboarder performing a "half-flakie reverse wim-wam with a heelback spiral" in German?

i quite often watch the german commentary and tbh when it comes to sports like snowboarding there really isn't that much difference - they use the american terminology for just about everything.

YOU WATCH THE COMMENTARY IN GERMAN WHEN YOU HAVE ENGLISH COMMENTARY AT YOUR DISPOSAL TOPSY???

Hang your head in shame. I bet you like filling out tons and tons of forms as well. Or mispronounce your th's.

And I bet you go around saying things like "Oh! I'm sorry! I speak SOOOOOOO much German now I have forgotten how to speak English richtig. See??? I did it nochmals! Ooops! Silly me again! Hee hee hee!" DON'T YOU???

Anyway. Where was I? Oh yes. That dual button thingie works for certain films on ARD apparently. Just look in the TV Guide for that symbol and Fanny's Your Uncle

piddle off, smart arse
I sometimes watch the Olympic coverage on ARD rather than Eurosport, if Eurosport is showing something I'm not keen on, and there's something different on ARD - may I humbly ask your permission to do so

I've been watching on the German channels mainly (prefer ZDF to ARD) unless eurosport is showing something that isn't on ARD/ZDF at the time (such as short track last night). Seeing as we Brits are a nation not known for our winter prowess and winter sport experts, I sometimes find the eurosport commentators a bit clueless.

I think they're alright, but I quite often switch over when they insist on doing stuff like bringing a telephone interview with the Brit who finished a creditable 53rd in the men's downhill, or the like...
I mean, really, does anyone except him and his mum give a toss?

The Brit eurosport commentators are quite humourous sometimes I must admit
(ex-(top GB)biathlete Mike Dixon commentating during a World Cup event when someone missed all five targets): "well I've never seen anyone miss all five in competition like that...except me of course"

Is there any place broadcasting highlights on the internet? I tried seeing stuff on msnbc, but they don't have the actual footage of the events, just people talking about it and/or pictures. More annoying is the nbcolympics.com which has a message "viewing is not allowed in your country" or something like that. WTF?

Not sure if this was mentined already, but we had a TV that was not compatible but were able to switch the audio when watching via our VCR.

Nothing racial, but I really prefer the Scots on Eurosport for commentary instead of that American black dude who should instead be working at Disneyland Country Bear Jamboree.