No HDTV? No Problem…
Eureka, CA, Feb 18, 2009 - Few things in life are free, to be sure. That especially is the case when it comes to HDTV programming. In rural areas like Humboldt County, where few (if any) local TV stations can afford the luxury of broadcasting signals in HDTV, the only real way to get HDTV programming is to pay through the nose via your local cable company or satellite provider. Add that to the cost of an average HDTV receiver, and you are talking about a sizable investment.
Apparently, broadcast networks are coming to the realization that their own investment in HDTV programming counts for very little, unless people can actually view them. To that end, FOX and NBC have set up a joint venture to make much of their HDTV programming available for free to anyone in the country via the Internet.
Assuming that you have a broadband Internet connection capable of keeping up with it and a computer monitor or display that isn’t from the stone-age, Hulu.Com may be just what you have been looking for for in HDTV programming.
Not even considering the fact that the service is absolutely free, there is a lot to like about Hulu.Com. Of particular interest to HDTV enthusiasts is the fact that a great deal of TV and movie content is available for free in 480i, which is the same HDTV broadcast format used by both the FOX and NBC TV networks for over-the-air programming. While it may not provide the same resolution as you would receive in the 1080i format used by Blu-Ray and some other broadcasters, the decreased need for bandwidth makes it much more accessible to the average broadband user.
In my own experience, trying to view streamed programming in 1080i via the Internet can be a fairly frustrating experience. Unless you have an extremely reliable connection that is capable of download streams that well exceed 3MBps, you can pretty much forget about viewing anything in 1080i. While many DSL and cable modem providers may provide speeds greater than this during occasional bursts, few are capable of delivering this much bandwidth in a sustainable fashion. The result is (a signal) that has reliability more akin to the shortwave band than one that TV viewers are used to putting up with. Unless you have fios, or other fiberoptic connection that runs directly to your home, trying to stream 1080i can be more of a headache than anything.
Back to Hulu.Com… Not all programming on this service is available in HD, but there is certainly a lot more than you will be able to receive here locally via over-the-air reception. Even their “standard” resolution is more than acceptable for most viewers, and there is much more programming available in that format.
Unlike YouTube, which mainly consists of short, low-quality amateur video “clips”, Hulu.Com is actually sanctioned by broadcasters and production companies, so nothing you will see is second-rate, insofar as quality. The most often viewed programs on the service seem to be sketch clips from Saturday Night Live. That’s followed by first-run episodes of The Daily Show with John Stewart, Family Guy, 24, Battlestar Galactica, House, Nip-Tuck and many others. The latter are all available in their entirety, unedited. In addition to the NBC and Fox networks, programming is also available from Comedy Central, G4, FX, Showtime, The Sci-Fi Channel, The USA Network and others.
Although the newest content seems to get the most attention, of particular interest to many viewers will be the site’s huge catalog of ancient TV shows and re-runs. Dozens of TV series are available, many of them from their pilot episodes until their final broadcast. Quite a number of them are from short-lived TV shows that few viewers will remember. Quite a few memorable TV shows are available as well though. Just a few include The Simpsons, ER, ALF, Married…With Children, The Bob Newhart Show, WKRP in Cincinnati, Hill Street Blues, etc.
While the selection of feature-length films isn’t anything comparable to a subscription from HBO or Showtime, you will find quite a bit of good material for free. Surprisingly, quite a number movies are available completely unedited, including a few that are Rated R. The latter requires website visitors to register (free) and login anytime they want to watch something that is “mature”. A sampling of some of the movies recently available are Robocop, Liar, Liar, Jumanji, Virus (shot in Humboldt County!), Rocky III and The Karate Kid. Obviously, not first-run material, but not bad for free.
So, by now, you’re probably wondering… what’s the catch? There are a few, but none that are too annoying. First of all, first-run programs like The Daily Show are generally only available the day after they first air on TV. The only exception to that rule seems to be news content from NBC. Secondly, you need a really good broadband connection in order to watch anything in HDTV resolutions. Even standard resolution viewing can be a challenge if your connection and computer are not well optimized. The inability to download any material is also a bit of an annoyance, especially when the stream you are watching gets interrupted by some sort of Internet glitch. While the service does provide a small memory “buffer”, it is not possible to control it in any way, and can make viewing a hit-or-miss proposition when bandwidth demands are strained. Commercials. Did I mention that almost all of the programming has commercials? Compared to broadcast TV or cable, the commercials are hardly noticeable though. Commercial interruptions are 30 seconds AT MOST, and take place infrequently. There is also an annoying JavaScript login that will NOT store your name and password from one TV show to the next. It only pops-up if you are watching R Rated content though.
Other than that, the service is remarkably catch-free. One of my biggest kudos for the service is the fact that it does not require any type of special software or operating system. I do almost all of my work on a laptop running Ubuntu Linux without any problems. Obviously, it runs on computers running Windows as well. It should also work on recent versions of the Mac.
While services like Hulu.Com will almost certainly never replace cable or satellite television, it definitely is a welcomed addition to one’s programming choices, especially for those of us who do not have access to local TV programming in HDTV. While the service may not be perfect, it certainly is worth far more than you will ever pay for it.
Topics: 1080i, 480i, broadcast, broadcast networks, California, Digital TV, DTV, Eureka, Fox, hdtv, Hulu.Com, Humboldt County, Internet, local tv stations, NBC, Northern California, programming, review, streaming, tv, tv networks, TV programs
