I just found out that HBO is running a free preview on Directv this weekend. So I set the DVR to record the first episode. As best as I can tell, I've read enough of the first book to be able to watch it.
Watched the premier last night with the free weekend on DirecTV. I haven't read the books but have been following the discussion in the threads.
I hope I don't piss anyone off, but I found the premier a bit underwhelming. Lots and lots of setup, but not a whole lot of action, and unfortunately the setup seemed to be mostly around power plays to control the throne, which didn't really grab my attention yet. I also found all of the characters, their lineage, motivation, and alliances a little hard to follow after just one hour.
I think they might have been better served with a two hour premier to get you deeper in to the story, get you more interested in the characters, etc., and show some action. Seriously, it was 60 minutes of talking with maybe 90 seconds of action (unless you count the random T&A). But at this point I don't feel too bad about not having HBO to see this. If everyone raves about its greatness I might eventually track it down on Netflix.