My DVR betrayed me and failed to record the new episode of Lost last Thursday.
Instead of gnashing my teeth, though, I fired up my XBox 360 Friday night and headed over to the Video Marketplace.
Microsoft had announced last month that ABC was now offering its content on Marketplace, including new episodes of Lost 24 hours after airing on TV. The shows are available in both standard definition ($2 per show) and high-def ($3).
I purchased the HD version, and within a couple minutes, I was able to start watching while the rest of the download finished.
I have to say, while I don’t think video downloads are ready for prime time just yet, the quality of the broadcast was amazing. While Xbox Live videos are shown only in 720p, compared to 1080i on television, I couldn’t detect a difference in visual quality.
The lack of commercials was also a sweet treat. Even though I normally fast forward through ads when watching a recorded show on my DVR, I still have to play “test your reflexes” to see if I can hit play before I’ve fast forwarded into the program I want to watch. Then I have to dance back and forth with the rewind and fast forward buttons until I find my spot.
So, no commercials = better.
Still, I probably won’t become a full-time video downloader until two things happen: 1) every show is available online (including streaming video of live sporting events) and, 2), I can simply pay a monthly subscription for all-you-can-eat access to every video.
Fortunately, those aren’t technical problems. And I don’t think it will be long before those problems get solved.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Entries (RSS)