I blame my wife. She went on a two-week research trip and left behind her 24-inch flat screen display with the cord dangling there forlornly.
Naturally I had to plug it into my laptop ... and next thing you know I was watching the season finale of “Lost” in high-definition video off ABC.com.
Last year three new Internet video sites promised to move the world of streaming beyond YouTube. Hulu and Joost were created with partners from the big TV networks and movie studios, while Miro reflects more of the user-generated content that has helped make the Internet the Internet.
All three were in more or less beta mode a year ago, so with my fancy borrowed flat screen I decided to check them out again. You’ll want to as well, because pretty soon you’ll be able to beam anything online to your 55-incher in the living room. And then you can prop your feet up on your old DVR and browse the Inter-tube.
Hulu ( www.hulu.com). With the announcement this week that Comedy Central’s two biggest shows — “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” and “The Colbert Report” — have joined NBC and Fox shows at Hulu, this site is the winner in the “best networking” category. From archival episodes of “I Spy” to full-game telecasts of the 2008 BCS bowls to this week’s “In Plain Sight,” Hulu makes new and old shows alike easy to find, easy to watch and easy to share. Its HD gallery is limited but will only grow over time.
Joost ( www.joost.com). CBS, MTV and Adult Swim are all on board here, but Joost suffers from overdesign. Click “What’s on” and you see a wall of thumbnail shots — no words, just images — and you must hover your mouse over each image to see what show it’s from. Joost’s 480 “channels” bear no resemblance to the actual CBS channel or MTV channel, which is confusing.
I searched for “CSI” and clicked “Watch now,” which launched a separate Joost program that clung to my laptop’s menu bar ... which meant I couldn’t move it over to my nice flat screen ... which kind of killed the fun of watching online.
Miro ( www.getmiro.com). You download Miro’s browser, then “subscribe” to channels offering niche (Al-Jazeera English), non-network (Onion News) or overlooked network content (like “Wired Science,” a great PBS series no one seems to watch).
If you’ve never worked with RSS feeds, Miro will be non-intuitive at first, but its built-in channel of video tutorials will quickly get you up to speed. RSS means that Miro happily features thousands of users creating their own TV shows. You can even subscribe to the TV Barn channel and discover a shocking truth: My lips move!
2. FX. It canceled “Dirt” and set an airdate for the return of “The Shield” (Sept. 2). Brilliant!
3. The “Naked Gun”-Eliot Spitzer mashup. Google it or get the link at TVBarn.com to this very funny NSFW marriage of two video classics.
... what’s not
1. Mike Wallace done? The 90-year-old CBS legend is in fragile health (bypass surgery in January, a recent fall at home) and tells U.S. News he is “over with TV.” No one can grill world leaders like Mike, so let’s hope this works out like his previous “retirements.”
2. Nonstop ads for ABC’s “Wipeout.” OK, we get it. World’s silliest obstacle course. Most people don’t finish it. The dumb chick shouldn’t have had that burrito. Put the show on already!
3. Instant replay for baseball. Here’s a shocker — many ESPN commentators favor the use of TV cameras in overruling calls by the umpire. This just in: Dogs favor being given more treats.
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