2012 Tour De France Live

Content for Tour de France Live is presented in hi-definition through a technology called Smooth Streaming, part of Microsoft Silverlight. When watching a video with Smooth Streaming, the Bit Rate indicator (signal strength meter) on the right end of the control bar will indicate the quality. When the video is playing at optimal definition, the HD icon will appear.

System Requirements The Tour de France Live player requires the latest version of Microsoft Silverlight in order to access the high quality video presentation. Silverlight is a lightweight, cross-platform web browser plug-in from Microsoft that enables rich multimedia experiences like the Tour de France Live player. You can learn more about Microsoft Silverlight at http://microsoft.com/silverlight

Video is currently supported on the following browsers:

• Internet Explorer 6, 7, 8, 9 for Windows (2003, XP SP2 or greater, and Vista).
• Firefox 2, 3.x, 4.x, 5 for Windows (2003, XP SP2 or greater, and Vista) and Macintosh (Intel only)
• Safari 3, 4 for Macintosh (Intel only)
• Chrome (PC Only)

For all operating systems we recommend you have the latest services packs or updates applied.

Hardware and internet connection speed recommendations for viewing video in the TDF Live Player

For using the Tour de France Live player, we recommend the following minimum hardware and broadband connections:

• 2.4 GHz Pentium 4 or Intel-based Macintosh, 1 GB RAM, hardware acceleration-capable graphics card
• 768k broadband connection

For the best quality experience using the Tour de France Live, we recommend the following minimum hardware and broadband connections:

• 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 (Windows or Macintosh), 1 GB RAM, hardware acceleration-capable graphics card
• 2500k broadband connection

Machine and network conditions may vary during playback and affect the end-user experience.
Tour de France Live is only available within the United States

RECOMMENDED: Use Silverlight in the 32-bit Internet Explorer process on x64 systems. Most browser plug-ins (including Silverlight, Flash, Java and almost all ActiveX controls) only work in 32-bit browsers currently.

For more information about Microsoft Silverlight, see the official web site .

Who are the commentators for Tour de France coverage?
The commentators for the Tour de France are Paul Sherwen, Phil Liggett, Liam McHugh, Bob Roll, Todd Gogulski, Craig Hummer, Robbie Ventura.

Does the live stream coverage include background sound from the tour?
Yes the coverage will include the sound from the riders, crowds etc. and the commentators.

Will I be able to watch previous stages of the tour?
Yes we have a feature called Video-on-Demand (VOD). The live video player will contain VOD library allowing you to watch any part of the tour at your leisure.

Is the Tour de France live stream accessible to the International audience?
No. It's only available to the United States and its territories.

Does the Tour de France Live include the mobile apps?
No. The mobile apps are not included in Live. The mobile apps have to be purchased separately.

Is the NBCSports.com live player similar to Versus and/or Universal Sports live player?
No. The NBCSports.com player is an entirely different user experience.

I purchased TDF:Live why can't I log in!
Make sure you're using the same email and password you did when you purchased access.

I am having trouble getting the player to load
Some users have had a hard time getting their players to load because they are not yet fully up to date with "SilverLight" Silverlight is a Microsoft addition to your browser that will allow you to view the video player. (Even on Macs!)

Visit http://www.silverlight.net/getstarted/ to download the latest version. After that version is installed, clear your browser's cookies and cache and then refresh the browser you're using.

Then click "Watch Now" again, and wait for the player to load. (Slower internet connections will experience slower load times.)

In the event that the player gives you any further trouble, close it down and refresh the page then re-open the player.

Where can I see the full stage recaps?
We have put together a small review on how to use your player to help users get acquainted with the view's controls and options! With so many great features on the player we can understand how it might be overwhelming at first!

http://screencast.com/t/8OkGaSXH

This brief walkthrough will tell you how to find and use your video player!

The player window pops open but it never gets past loading HELP!
If your player seems to be stuck on "loading" simply close the player window, refresh your browser and then reopen the player (by clicking "watch now")

Also in case you haven't - please make sure you have the latest version of Silverlight - http://www.silverlight.net/getstarted

I'm not from the United States and I thought I'd be able to view the feed.
We appreciate you contacting us about the recent issues surrounding international users attempting to view the TDF:LIVE feeds. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and miscommunication that you might have experienced.

If you would like a full refund please contact our help support by clicking the button at the top of this page. Know that you have our heartfelt apologies. It may take a couple of days to process as we submit your request to our financial team, and they handle the credit.

I'm Upset with the video quality and I want my money back
We're sorry to hear that your video quality was less than expected. We strive to provide the best service possible to ensure our viewers receive only the highest quality product, and I'm so sorry to hear that this has not been the case for your experience with Tour de France: Live.

Here are a handful of troubleshooting tips to see if we might be able to get you a better feed.
1 - Ensure you're on a high speed connection
2 - Make sure your silverlight is up to date http://www.silverlight.net/getstarted
3 - Refresh your cache and cookies on your preferred browser
4 - Ensure you're not using Chrome (which does not work well with Silverlight)
5 - If the player seems to load forever, close it and refresh the page and then reopen the player
6 - Make sure you don't have too many tabs or other browser windows open (this may slow down the feed)

If you've tried all these things, please let us know and we'll forward your request for a refund to our financial team.

I can't log in - I'm stuck in some sort of loop.
First, double check that you've got the right user name and password. You can do this by going to https://www.mapmyride.com/auth/forgot_password/ and resetting your password. If you do NOT receive a password reset token then you may be trying to log in with the wrong email.

Try checking your other email accounts (work, spam, etc)

If you're sure that something is wrong and you feel like you're in some kind of loop try the following steps:
1 - Clear your cache and cookies out of your browser
2 - Close the browser window
3 - Reopen your browser and go to https://www.mapmyride.com
4 - Login with the account you used to buy your TDF:LIVE account.
5 - Go to http://tourdefrance.nbcsports.com

Still having issues? Go to http://tourdefrance.nbcsports.com/help/ and look for the login button in the upper right.
What are the minimum speed requirements for best viewing TDF:LIVE?
We recommend that users have at least 15mbps speeds in order to best view the live feed!