There are enough free television alternatives available to broadband subscribers within the US now to actually justify canceling your paid cable TV service.
Below is a roundup of 3 alternatives that are available:
Joost
We have covered Joost before and it remains a clear leader in the online TV takeover game. Joost is a standalone client that you download to your computer that streams in shows on demand at any time you want to watch them. They are currently working on multiple content deals with major networks to provide a large lineup of shows. Many claim there is not enough content – but this is slowly changing. Joost relies on a p2p network of users that are always online and help share the bandwidth needs of the software.
Pros: Content always on demand – no appointment viewing necessary. Organized by channel. Chat functions and widgets overlay video programming for an added interactivity not found within any other ITV program.
Cons: Standalone application running on your OS. Although currently in Beta, content is limited.
Innertube is CBS’s answer to controlling content that could be spread around the Internet. By placing ads in and around the video within the site, they are able to measure distribution of the shows online as well as monetize them. The largest problem I have found with using Innertube as a traditional TV replacement has been the amount of episodes of a show found on the site. There is clearly not a large amount of every show. I do not know if this is based on limited availability to help drive show DVD sales and iTunes purchases – or because they are literally trying to prevent weening people off their televisions. After all CBS is in the business of having people watch live TV with commercials, not drive them to a free website to consumer their favorite shows.
Pros: Official content – extra features and site enhancements can add to what you want to watch. Simple navigation (albeit within a pop-up window away from the initial site).
Cons: Content is streamed via RealPlayer. Parts of shows broken up into video segments that do not always stream properly and you are forced to sit back through ads and or show content twice.
You cannot mention internet video today without discussing YouTube. Purchased by Google in 2007, YouTube essentially is synonymous with online video. Content is limited to the length of time set by the TOS, but given the convenience and cost (free!) you cannot really beat this service. YouTube has started making content distribution deals with major networks and providers so that content goes beyond the typical unsteady webcam capture a skateboarding wipe out. YouTube has been used recently to extend the reach of commercials, propel careers of amateur actors, and of course propagate unlicensed content. Google has been working feverishly to avoid further lawsuits.
YouTube has come to mean the place you go to find the latest Internet sensation clip or funny meme, as well as the goto place for obscure content that you know will “probably be on YouTube”.
Pros: Free editing tools, free uploads, free bandwith, free social networking services. Content deals with major networks are increasing. Embeddable player for increased distribution. Ads within videos are coming to help monetize video for authors.
Cons: Limited video time. Ads within videos are coming to help monetize video for authors. (yes this is also listed above)
There are 3 options that I use…I also recently started using Hulu but have been surprised at the lack of content. Hulu has been the best quality so far and I will provide further thoughts on that later.
[tags] video, marketing.fm, youtube, ABC [/tags]
