Use their consoles to stream the web or their downloads to their TV from their computer, using Orb, or so says TVOver.net (get it? one of those “clever” Web 2.0 names).
But not all sophisticated downloaders seem to know about such solutions.
We have received a communication from the mysterious folks at Free Tube, which somehow provides hundreds of TV channels (not all of them legal - shush) to your computer). Qulaity is spotty - as you might expect, but some of it is mind-blowing.
“Hi, we are a group, for now not really anonymous but more so undisclosed, that are syndicating live streams that are available from broadcasters. We have many independent broadcasters who have already expressed interest in sharing their content with viewers, while other broadcasters have unknowingly made streams available to viewers of one country, not realizing that these very streams could be made accessible elsewhere.
“Basically we’re trying to offer IPTV or synchronous streaming video in similarity to regular television, only we’re offering it for free. We are working with a few publishers and broadcasters, who are readily offering their content in order to reach a greater audience (they can monetize from this, and the end user can benefit from the free service). Our system still has a few small problems in compatability, but we’re actively working with users to try and increase the overall functionality of our site - and we appreciate all coverage and suggestions that users provide us with.”
The site’s FAQ has more information, and it offers a technical section, as well. But that doesn’t interest me. What interests me is that someone is doing this, that people are turning to it, and they are (still) (somehow) getting away with it.
So, what to do? Do we watch? Well, last night I tried to watch a free episode of “Who Wants To Be A Superhero” on SciFi. (Hysterically stupid show, by the way. Stan Lee is a kick.) But the download/stream was pokey at best and it crapped out after three segments.
I flicked on Free Tube and began getting a live stream of the station’s broadcast. I don’t really (want to) know how they do it. But it’s quite amazing (when it works). It leaves images and weird things across my screen - but it’s free, it’s untethered to cable, and it brings in TV from all over the world and in countries where the stations are not available in any form.
Flame me for copyright infringements, or worse. This is worth watching.
I asked a group of professional contacts and friends - all of them with some high-tech, Internet or media connections whether they are watching Internet, streaming or downloaded content on their computers - and whether any of them are shifting it to their real TV’s. With few exceptions, they said no. Maybe it reflects their age - they’re not 20somethings - but their answers suggest to me we’ve got a long way to go to streaming Nirvana. Below are excerpts of their answers (with more to come).
Anne Holland, Editor, MarketingSherpa.com: “In the past nine months I’ve become a downloaded TV junkie. I don’t think of it as watching video on a computer, I think of it as watching the TV shows I want to watch when I want to watch them. Best of all, without waiting through commercials, and being able to hit “pause” at any time when I need a break.
“The only reason we still also pay for cable TV in my household is that iTunes TV doesn’t include any closed captions, which another family member requires. Currently, I buy my favorite shows with a season pass, resting easy in the knowledge I won’t miss an episode. I’ll also try out new shows and even surf iTunes looking for new shows to try. Often the first episode is free as a taster.
“I just wish some Internet entrepreneur would offer online server space so I could download my purchased shows and play them from there rather than having to download to my computer and then worry about backing them up for saving. Now I buy it and then often delete after viewing, which seems like a waste. I actually went out and bought the DVD’s of my fave iTunes TV show recently even though I’d watched them on iTunes first just because buying a pre-packed DVD was more convenient for storage and retrieval than worrying about doing it on my own….”
(Editor: Anne’s was probably the most “turned on, tuned in” answer I have received so far.)
Amy Gahran, journalist and blogger (RightConversation.com, Contentious.com, IReporter.org, E-Media Tidbits): “I subscribe to several video blogs, and yes I watch them on my computer. No, I don’t feel any desire to watch them on TV, but I’m not a TV person anyway.”
Patti Hart, Interactive Media Director, Times Union, Albany, NY: My 11-year-old watches the Disney Channel shows on our computer. It works pretty well as far as she’s concerned. She can watch the Zach and Cody and Hannah Montana when she gets computer time. However, if she had the kind of parents who would spring for a better cable TV package, she would probably prefer to watch on a TV screen.”
Tom Regan, NPR news blogger: “I watch baseball almost exclusively on my computer, thanks to the mlb.com package. I’m a Red Sox fan living in DC, so it’s the only way I can watch games. I don’t like the site’s policy of blanking out certain games - which are based on real world and not virtual world considerations. But it’s a lifesaver.
“I would watch more sports on my computer if it was available, and probably pay for it. I have no desire to watch regular TV, however, as I rarely watch it as it is. I have managed over the past several years to not see a single episode of “Survivor,” “24,” “The Apprentice” or “American Idol.” And those few shows I do enjoy - “NOVA,” “NOW” and other PBS stuff - is available on video at their sites anyway.
“Tomorrow is about wireless and broadband media platforms.” - Motorola CEO Ed Zander
Proof:
Multichannel News reports that Hewlett-Packard in discussions with content providers to bring user-generated content, movie previews and TV shows to a new line of Internet-connected MediaSmart LCD TV sets (see pic below).
According to Multichannel News, HP has a deal with CinemaNow to offer MediaSmart users the ability to browse and purchase or rent more than 4,000 titles directly from the TV set. Videos are downloaded to a consumer’s PC, then streamed wirelessly to the TV.
HP official: “We knew TVs were destined to become connected devices. Sometime down the road, it will be unusual to see a TV that isn’t connected.”
Next up for HP: MediaSmart Server, a network-attached storage device that can hold up to 4 Terabytes of content and serve content to the TV and other devices in the home.
MCN also reports that Motorola is developing a product that will soon allow pay TV customers to transfer videos from digital-video recorders to mobile phones and other wireless devices.
No time-frame, yet.
USBTV, the enhanced thumb drive for video transfer to TV’s that was previewed at CES in January by SanDisk Corp. will finally emerge from testing and refining in Q3, SanDisk tells TVMama.
The product was debuted along with a raft of SanDisk media players and flash drives, and so didn’t make much of a splash outside the tech press. It got lost in the shuffle, which is what SanDisk seemed to want. It wanted to test the waters, get the word out to techies and the TV manufacturers, but not promise too much, as it clearly wasn’t ready for primetime.
Most of the people who got their hands on the early versions gave it a thumbs up. Engadget was somewhat skeptical. Read the rest of this entry »
