I watch all my TV on the Internet now. Two years ago I had no idea what Hulu, Sidereel, or IMDB were. Cable was once our means of access, but the times they are a changin'.
It can be frustrating to learn how to use these formats, especially given that they have a horrid tendency to experiment with the commercials, making them more annoying and less avoidable. Sidereel carries links to video sites on which you can watch your shows, but be forewarned: Not all links are safe, or connected to the correct episode let alone the show you are attempting to view. Some links will try to divert to media unsuited to a PG audience though not often in my experience.
Hulu.com pauses for commercial breaks at least on the free site. Sidereel has them on each page as you search for your content, and more and more they block the controls so they play at volume with no pause enabled.
On Sidereel.com you are given links to the actual video hosting sites such as Videobb, Megavideo, and several others. Each has its own faults and querks, making viewing either a hassle or an even bigger hassle depending on if you choose to pay for their services or take the free, but much more heavily commercial route. Videobb has begun running commercials before the video begins that are not stoppable, mutable, or vaguely endurable... Any attempt to abort their play, re size the screen, pause, or otherwise change the experience usually winds up getting them restarted all over again.
Free is free though so I guess I'll live with it until I can afford better.
Also the free services are timed, normally they time out around 72 minutes. (The exception is Hulu which will play non stop.) After they timeout there is a waiting period also usually 72 minutes. Using careful planning one can switch to the other provider to weather the wait time while still viewing your show. Plan on utilizing your right to fast forward by clicking ahead on the load line at the bottom of the screen.
Quality of the video is varied and may cause swearing and switching to other links... audio probably will drag on a few links, and some are grainy in the video department. Hulu is normally very high quality but the commercials are mandatory.
One of the perks to these services is the library of videos available. Not all TV programs are there, but you will be surprised by the number of old programs at hand. New shows vary as to how soon the become available. A few are next day. Others are anywhere from a week to a month later. The CW is one (As far as I know) that is only available on their own Website.
No comments:
Post a Comment