Well, it’s true. I’ve officially morphed into a hybrid viewer – that is, someone who skips between watching content online and on TV, depending on what is most convenient.
I kicked myself when I discovered I missed the 60 Minutes episode featuring Barack Obama last Sunday. No worries – I found it online and watched it at www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/16/60minutes/main4607893.shtml. When I discovered that a football game interfered with my DVR recording of The Unit – yes, I watch The Unit – I flipped over to Hulu.com and got my testosterone fix. (I could have gone straight to CBS.com, but Hulu makes it so much easier.)
As a person continually frustrated with TV news, I was happy to find www.change.gov. Prior to the election, this was ground zero for the Barack Obama campaign. Now the website keeps readers up to date on the workings of the Obama transition team with video and blog content, including a new weekly address from Obama himself. It’s not particularly flashy, but that’s not what I’m looking for. Like a lot of other voters, I’m eager to see how Obama gets down to business, but I don’t want that information to be filtered through a chorus of talking heads. By watching it in its unadulterated form on www.change.gov, I can decide for myself how relevant or important that information is.
I’ve already sung the praises of Hulu in this column, but this week I thought I might hyperventilate when I found out about a new service called Boxee, which allows Hulu users to view content on their TV. I’m curious to check it out, but I’m willing to wait until the bugs get worked out. Apparently, there are many – at least, according to tech maven Daisy Whitney, who writes at length about her experience using Boxee at TVWeek.com.
And now Hulu has some competition, in the form of the upstart Sling.com. Like Hulu, Sling is another broadband video aggregation site. While Sling creators agree that Hulu has already set the bar high, they believe their site offers some intriguing bells and whistles, including Facebook-like social networking capabilities. Those who follow the media landscape closely already know that the precursor to Sling is Slingbox, which, like Boxee, allows viewers to view online content on their TVs. The difference is that Slingbox is an actual device you have to purchase and connect to your TV and DVR. From what I read online, using this device is not without its kinks as well, making the appearance of Sling.com an important development.
So what’s a viewer to do with all these choices? Embrace them. Hulu, Sling, Fancast, and – let’s not forget – YouTube (which is ramping up to become something more than the place to watch goofy shorts) are individually and collectively changing the future of media watching.
As always, stay tuned.
What Else Is On?
Austin-based ON Networks recently launched its online series Smart Girls at the Party. The series features Amy Poehler (Saturday Night Live), along with Meredith Walker (a former producer for Nickelodeon’s Nick News) and musician Amy Miles, seeking out ordinary girls doing extraordinary things. Each girl is interviewed in a roundtable format by Poehler, giving each a chance to speak candidly about what she does and why she does it. Following segments move away from the studio (so far, all episodes have been shot in New York) to watch the girls in action. A trailer and the first episode of Smart Girls at the Party are online now at www.smartgirlsattheparty.tv.
Cable access show Primetime Tejano, hosted by Jerry Avila, celebrates its 18th year with a special anniversary celebration and awards ceremony Nov. 23. The special event, featuring Sunny Ozuna Jr. and the Starlites, will be held at the H & H Ballroom at 4404 Brandt Rd. Call 845-3136 for tickets and more information.
A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All premieres Nov. 23 at 9pm on Comedy Central. Costumes and set pieces from the special will be sold on eBay to benefit Feeding America.
Rosie O’Donnell returns to TV as host of a new prime-time variety series called Rosie Live on Wednesday, Nov. 26, at 7pm on NBC.
E-mail Belinda Acosta at tveye@austinchronicle.com.
This article appears in November 21 • 2008.