After not being able to find a suitable online stream of this event (I don't have cable), I gave up and built a rudimentary antenna for my TV. Basically, I just wound a bunch of copper wire around a piece of cardboard and stuck it in the window. The other end of the wire went into the cable port on the back of my TV. Surprisingly, I was able to pick up the game in crystal clear, digital 1080p!
Antennas made of a straight bit of wire of about 1/4 the wavelength usually work well. Think FM radios: freq about 100 MHz -> lambda = c/freq = 300 cm -> antenna of 75 cm (30 in).
After not being able to find a suitable online stream of this event (I don't have cable), I gave up and built a rudimentary antenna for my TV. Basically, I just wound a bunch of copper wire around a piece of cardboard and stuck it in the window. The other end of the wire went into the cable port on the back of my TV. Surprisingly, I was able to pick up the game in crystal clear, digital 1080p!
For the sake of clarity, could you explain the set up? How many channels could your copper wire pick up?
After not being able to find a suitable online stream of this event (I don't have cable), I gave up and built a rudimentary antenna for my TV. Basically, I just wound a bunch of copper wire around a piece of cardboard and stuck it in the window. The other end of the wire went into the cable port on the back of my TV. Surprisingly, I was able to pick up the game in crystal clear, digital 1080p!
That's pretty impressive, mind sharing a photo with us? I just want to understand what this level of awesome looks like.
After not being able to find a suitable online stream of this event (I don't have cable), I gave up and built a rudimentary antenna for my TV. Basically, I just wound a bunch of copper wire around a piece of cardboard and stuck it in the window. The other end of the wire went into the cable port on the back of my TV. Surprisingly, I was able to pick up the game in crystal clear, digital 1080p!
Before I signed up for cable, I built this and had pretty great reception. Just a couple of parts from Home Depot/Radio Shack and you're good to go:
Watching Watson's avatar gave a little insight about what the software may have been doing. The results, based upon that avatar. The % is its confidence in its #1 response.
Category Clue Watson#1Resp % rsult otcm
----------- ------------ ------------ -- ----- ----
Alt Meaning belief view 70 right Brad
Alt Meaning horse foot shoe 68 right won
Lit Chars split person Hyde 71 right won
Beatles guy pain Jude 98 right won
Olympic Odd 2008 perfect Michael Phelp 93 right won
Name Decade Disneyland 1950s 87 right Ken
Final Front black hole Event horizon 97 right won
Lit Chars Beowolf Grendel 97 right won
Final Front Michelango Last Judgemnt 97 right won
Beatles title gal Lady Madonna 90 right won
Olympic Odd 1908 city London 69 right won
Name Decade Emp St Bldg 1930s 50 right Brad
Beatles Silver Hammr Maxwell 98 right won
Lit Chars his victims Harry Potter 37 wrong Brad
Alt Meaning piece wood stick 96 right won
Final Front Latin ending finis 97 wrong lost
Beatles John mother Julia 97 right Ken
Lit Chars Les Miz Jean Valjean 76 right won
Olympic Odd 1976 epee Pentathelon 85 right won
Name Decade Klaus Barbie 2002 11 wrong Ken
Olympic Odd George Eyser leg 61 wrong lost
Alt Meaning bent arm Knee 40 wrong Ken
Name Decade Oreos 1920s 57 wrong lost
Final Front paper limit Envelope 61 right Brad
Alt Meaning students chic 82 wrong lost
Final Front summit peak 65 wrong Brad
Name Decade Kitty Hawk 1900s 17 right Brad
Olympic Odd sole member Olympic Games 20 wrong Ken
Beatles died church Eleanor Rigby 98 right won
Lit Chars evilness Sauron 74 right won
The longer the question the longer Watson has to generate an answer. Isn't that an important advantage?
I'm not sure I understand your point. All of the contestants "see" the answer at the same time, and none of them are allowed to buzz in until the magic light goes on.
Video: Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PSPvHcLnN0 Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtHlxzOXgYs
Thanks for the links. I love the bits when Trebek visits Watson in the lab - it's the sort of thing where kids in 20 years will giggle at the fact that their pocket computer is more powerful.