Remember me pleading with NBC to make the final episodes of The Book of Daniel available for downloading via iTunes?
As it turns out, NBC is making The Book of Daniel available … for free! (Yay!)
But not via iTunes. (Boo.)
And it’s not downloadable; instead, they’re streaming one episode a week from NBC.com. (Boo!)
And to watch it, you must use Internet Explorer and Real Player. (BOO!)
On a Windows-based PC. (BOOOOOOOO!)
Talk about doing the right thing the wrong way! I should note, however, that Clyde and I did find ourselves curled up on the couch in front of his stylish thirteen-inch Averatec laptop watching this week’s episode in all its streaming glory.
Take it from us: don’t sit down until you’re ready to start watching, because the badly programmed web page where the show resides starts playing the file the second you arrive. Even over a fairly fast connection, the full-screen image is grainy and the video often stutters. If you’re still living in the land of dial-up, don’t bother tuning in.
Oh, well. I suppose at the end of this little foray into doling out a cancelled show in the stingiest, kludgiest way possible, someone at NBC will release a statement saying, “We couldn’t even give The Book of Daniel away for free. The age of digital broadband entertaining simply hasn’t yet arrived.”
Not to be beaten out for this year’s Worst Way to Distribute Digital Programming awards, CBS announced tonight that they will be making Survivor: Panama available as a $1.99-per episode download. (Yay!)
But from CBS.com — not from iTunes. (Boo!)
In fact, the video won’t even play on an iPod. (Boo!)
And 24 hours after you pay for it, the video “expires” and can’t be watched any more. (BOOOO!)
Somehow, even before this particular game has begun, I already feel as though the tribe has spoken. Thanks, CBS, but at this rate, I’ll get my Survivor fix from my trusty Tivo and save two bucks.
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