Updated November 2008 - the major networks are lining up to serve your favorite TV episodes over the Internet. Some efforts work better than others, and some are simply a pleasant surprise. Here we take a look at online TV and how it has changed the dynamic of our viewing pleasure for the better.
While a certain segment of the technology news is filled with the legal maneuvering of the studios and their front men, the MPAA, against copyright infringement, the TV networks, without much fanfare, have been releasing quality episodes of popular TV shows online. There are still a few rough edges exposed, but the experience is getting steadily better.
Online TV means online commercials. Realizing that the online viewer may be flighty, the networks tend to make them brief and less obtrusive than we’re used to on network TV. What the studios receive from having their own online portals includes control over where their media goes. Sometimes it seems like the control is more important than the advertising – I recently watched several episodes of “House" with no commercials at all!
Here are the sites I visited.
ABC: http://abc.go.com/player
Available shows include Lost season 1 to 3 in “streaming HD,” Pushing Daisies, Grey’s Anatomy, and Ugly Betty. I watched an episode of Grey’s Anatomy. It started with a ten-second Cannon camera commercial, and then it STOPPED. I had to "click to continue." It also kept the logo of my local ABC affiliate at the top of the stream. It seemed to be a 148 KBs stream. The player refused to go full screen on my PC, but selecting “Big” got me a 420 x 300 viewing window. I also tried the HD showcase. Alas, my DSL couldn’t keep up. They do suggest that you have a 2MBs connection or faster and a high-end graphics card to view the 1280p stream. Selecting another episode crashed Firefox, but it restored correctly at restart. The ABC player is Flash based.
Update: When I came back to refresh this list, I found that "ABC.COM HAS A NEW FULL EPISODE PLAYER." (Their caps, not mine.) Clicking "Launch" launched a pop-up window that informed me, "ABC uses a plug-in you don't currently have. In order to fully experience the stunning video quality, you will need to complete a quick installation." Before this screen can be passed, one has to check-mark, "I have reviewed and understood all 12 paragraphs of the End User License Agreement and agree to be bound by them."
I actually read the entire EULA so you don't have to (unless you want to). It basically says that we are Disney and we own everything. Using our software doesn't make you own anything, and we can pull the plug any time we want. Furthermore, it may not work at all, and you can't blame us for that.
It also links to a separate page for the privacy policy, where I learn that Disney calls me a "guest." The first entry under what types of information they collect is "Information that you provide." This is usually enough to make me enter stealth mode, but I clicked "I agree." Then the next page said, "Why do I need to install something?" Firefox said it "prevented this site (fep.abc.go.com) from asking you to install software on your computer." (It's nice to be looked out for.) When I clicked "Allow," the link went to movenetworks.com. This is good news because the technology works great for Fox.com, and it should work great for ABC/Disney, too.
Then it said, "Restart Firefox to install the plug-in." Right. I'm actually typing this update in from . . . Firefox! (Sigh.)
And here's what the player window looked like at restart.
My rural DSL was not up to the task of running the player in full-screen mode, but the images below show the player running in SD (standard definition) and paused. When paused, the play window recedes to show an ad. I use Bitmeter to monitor my Internet throughput, and the pattern during playback reminded me of a lethal cardiac rhythm called torsades, which is French for "twisting of the points."
CBS: http://www.cbs.com/video/
This site features Survivor, several CSIs, Dexter, Jericho, and classics like Star Trek: The Original Series, The Love Boat, Twin Peaks, and MacGyver. I selected Jericho and found that episodes from season 1 #3 to season 2 #7 were available. It included short clips of “memorable moments,” promos, and full episodes. Some are available with and without commentary. Full-screen worked, but was fuzzy and lagged. The embedded player size was 643 x 514, and my DSL had no trouble keeping up.
The controls disappear after a few seconds unless the mouse is hovered over the picture. In the image below, the controls are dimmed.
Update: I detected no changes with the CBS player. It still appears a little blocky.
Next: NBC Direct, Fox, and Hulu.com