My first taste of online TV was Joost which is now in public beta, but it wasn't the best and so I deleted it. Now that it's in public beta, it is much better with clearer video, more TV and a more organized menu. The reason for the major update is there is much more competition now from major players like NBC and Fox who have released offerings from there own network and on other new sites. This whole chain reaction all started when NBC threw away its contract with Apple and it's one-price model. Now NBC has a deal with Amazon's UnBox to show programs from all of its networks on one cool location. UnBox now has 2600 current and past shows in its arsenal. UnBox is a creative way to offer cost-effective TV shows and movies in a fun, interactive website. It costs around 99 cents for a show like The Office and currently they are running a promotion for movies at the same price, 99 cents.
But that's not all NBC did, they also recently launchd NBC on NBC.com which just completed beta testing. At first, the TV shows they will offer on NBC Direct, will be downloaded to your hard drive, be ad-supported, and expire 7 days after the original airing. All the downloads will have DRM on it, but it's a small price to pay for quality programs that you missed or wanted to see again. The quality of UnBox and NBC Direct will be approxiametely the same with DVD-like resolution and 2.5 megabits/s. Future plans for NBC Direct include HD videos, free on demand, subscription, and download-to-own.
NBC still hasn't stopped there and has partnered with Fox to offer a website called
Hulu (which
is in private beta). Hulu is a great attempt to increase people's attention to free online viewing of TV shows. It has great navigation, a large selection of programs that last for a full 5 weeks, and simple design that makes it easy to use. It does however lack in video quality but definitly watchable. My only warning is it is currently not available for people outside the US and the shows are only streamed.
All of these contracts between different companies to offer their content gets confusing, just as much as who owns and is partners with automobile companies. It will make for more enjoyable experiences for everyone but only if you've found the right match.
is in private beta). Hulu is a great attempt to increase people's attention to free online viewing of TV shows. It has great navigation, a large selection of programs that last for a full 5 weeks, and simple design that makes it easy to use. It does however lack in video quality but definitly watchable. My only warning is it is currently not available for people outside the US and the shows are only streamed.