TV? On the internet?
NO WAY! They have TV on computers now?
If you are younger than about 30 and spend more than about an hour a day on the internet, you have probably heard of a website called Hulu. If you are confused about why there is a website called Hulu, then you should probably Google it. If you are confused about why there is a website called Google, then I’m not sure exactly who printed this article off for you to read, but I’m glad they did.
When you think of online video, the first thing that pops into peoples’ heads is YouTube. However, YouTube consists mostly of user created videos. Did you crash your scooter into a walrus? Let’s hope you video taped it because that is about 1 million views on YouTube and 15 minutes of internet fame.
Hulu, on the other hand, consists of network television (both clips and full length episodes) as well as movies. Some of the shows available are Family Guy, The Daily Show, Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and I could go on and on.
In addition to all the great content, it has some great features such as higher quality video (not High Definition however), full screen mode, and the ability to find out about your newest episodes via RSS feeds. If you don’t know what RSS is, look for a post on this tomorrow.
But I have a teevee.
What are the main benefits to this form of television? After all, you probably get all these shows on your TV, either through your antenna, satellite, or cable. Well, what if you can’t be at home when the show actually runs? This allows you to watch at your convenience. But what if you tape or use a digital video recorder (DVR)? Of course then you can watch these shows at your leisure, however, you would have had to know about them being on before hand. Occasionally, I’ll show up at work and a co-worker will say, “Hey, did you see the new drama about the former silent actor who tracks down bad guys and promotes justice? Its called Anti-Crime Mime!” Suddenly, you have a sinking feeling because you love mimes and you love crime dramas, but you missed the first episode! Hulu can rescue you from your dilemma.
Alright, good point, but what about other shows?
Yes, you are right, Hulu doesn’t have it all. But you can almost have it all. Below is a list of other places you can look online to find the shows you love. Some you have to pay for, others are ad supported. Most of it is available in High Definition:
- ABC.com – Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty
- Amazon Video on Demand – Law and Order, Pushing Daisies
- Apple iTunes – One Tree Hill, Scrubs
- Netflix Watch Instantly (requires Netflix subscription) – Heroes, 30 Rock
Why do I have a TV again?
So now that you know that you have all these shows at your disposal, why do you even have a tv at all? Cancel you cable and toss your television in the trash, right? Not exactly, but you are halfway there. While it is nice to be able to have access to all this content and boot your cable provider, it is not much fun to have the whole family gathered around the 13″ laptop screen. Plus to take full advantage of High Definition shows, you really need to watch it on a nice big display.
What we need to do marry the computer and the television. It seems like setting this up would be arduous and the results would be awkward to use. Future posts on the blog will discuss how this is accomplished through Home Theater Personal Computers (HTPCs) or purpose-built devices such as the Roku device from Netflix.
However, if you want to get started on this sooner and cancel your cable, you need to hit The Digitante home page and contact me via email or phone. I can help you meld the internet and TV into a single, seemless experience.
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