I don't know when I'll get a chance to try it out properly, but supposedly there may be a competitor for my affection for hulu. I'm talking about Joost.
Joost is a video content site that has a deal with Viacom. Previously users had to download a plugin to view content on Joost. As of today Joost uses Flash video, eliminating the need for the plugin.
Evidently YouTube also has some sanctioned full episodes available with advertising.
In both cases - YouTube and Joost - I don't find it as user-friendly as hulu. Neither site makes it easy to view only full episodes. That is, I can search for a show and get a list of all video segments for that show, but the list includes maybe one or two full episodes scattered in a haystack of short clips. I can't find any easy way to get JUST a list of full episodes. I can't even find a way to list the clips by length, which would group the full episodes together.
Hulu lists full episodes separately from clips, which I quite prefer. It's like they actually understand that I'm trying to watch a TV show or something.
We'll see. I'm sure competing sites will become more user-friendly over time. We'll see how much of the online viewer marketshare hulu can grab before this happens, though.
UPDATE: Tried to watch something on Joost from home just now, and it wants me to create a login. I don't have to log into hulu. I'm spoiled, I suppose. Still, until further notice I'm sticking to hulu over this login issue, as well as hulu's better user-friendliness.
2 comments:
Dear Chuck,
If you're watching TV on the internet ... you're still just watching TV. Which kind of defeats the purpose of the internet, eh?
Love,
Eric
Well, with my laptop and my wireless network I can carry the "TV" from room to room. I can also pause, which is nice. There are also fewer and shorter commercials. That's the case with hulu, at least.
You're not wrong - the content is largely the same - but the experience, for me, is improved by being less limited in space and time. I don't have to sit on my couch at an appointed hour.
That being said I watched Chuck on NBC in real time last night, flipping around during the commercials (which drives my very significant other absolutely CRAZY.)
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