Online TV to the Rescue

by Jon Kenton

It was approximately a month ago that a catastrophe of global proportions was unleashed upon our household. As I walked through our living room, I could hear an incessant “tick, tick, tick” noise. At first, I couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. As I honed in closer to its source, I was drawn towards our TV and media setup, and the devastating realization of what had happened became crystal clear. “Nooooooooo!” I screamed, as it was now obvious that the sound was emanating from our DVR and the hard drive had crashed!

Although not nearly as ubiquitous as the TV itself, the Digital Video Recorder (DVR) is now commonplace. According to a recent study by the TV and media researchers, the Nielsen Company, approximately one-third of households now own a DVR. This is closer to 50 percent when digital cable, satellite, or fiber is the TV source. DVRs are now, for many, as much an intrinsic part of the TV and entertainment experience as the TV itself. Freedom is the key, and because we’re living in the Land of the Free, it seems entirely reasonable that one can watch what we want when we want and not necessarily be tied to the broadcaster’s schedule when it may interrupt other important activities in our hectic lifestyles.

So, back to our hard-disk crash and the resultant impact on any DVR user. Setting aside the issue of any lost programs, we find that now, without the magic box, we have to watch regular network TV—OMG! Not only must we now revert to the near caveman lifestyle of having to rearrange our schedule to match the TV listings, but we also have to watch the adverts. It’s also not possible to pause regular TV, so how on earth do we manage to go to the bathroom or grab another beverage? Ah, yes, now we remember the benefit of commercial breaks. I know, I know—it’s just TV, but as the ever-growing DVR statistics show, it is important to a lot of people. Should one miss an episode of one’s favorite new program for whatever reason, there are alternatives.

Other than the DVR, there is a variety of ways to catch up on missed programming or follow two programs that compete for the same time slot on different networks. Not surprisingly, the Internet comes to the rescue. Although it will cost you money, the nice folks at Apple have an extensive selection of TV shows that can be downloaded from iTunes, including many of the major broadcast and cable network’s latest seasons. An individual episode will cost $2 or $3, and you may also purchase an entire season pass. Buying your favorite shows does give you the advantage of watching it over and over, much as you would with a DVD, but if you don’t care about keeping them, there are ways to watch for free (yes, legally). Founded in March 2007, Hulu.com is partly owned and supported by NBC Universal, News Corp. (FOX), and The Walt Disney Company (ABC). As well as access to some back catalogue classics such as The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Kojak, or Knight Rider, you can also watch streaming versions of the latest episodes of the current season of many shows (e.g., House or Family Guy). Typically, the latest shows don’t appear online until some days after the initial airdate, and they are only available for a limited time, so don’t think you can catch up months later. If you are a CSI or How I Met Your Mother fan, you will notice CBS shows missing from the Hulu lineup. There has been some friction here, in good part due to CBS’s competing site TV.com. The site is very similar but has a differing lineup and, of course, with CBS shows included. Not all episodes are available and sometimes you’ll only get clips, so you need to be careful and not assume you will always be able to find what you want.

The bottom line is that there are ways to catch up with your favorite shows if you miss one or your DVR has a coronary, so don’t panic. I am sure a few of you are saying, “But I don’t want to watch TV on my computer when I have a great TV.” Not to worry—there is a solution to that as well, but it will need to wait until our next issue.