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Will The Public Really Get To Watch TV Shows Online Free?

By Ben Sparks


Internet TV is emerging, but the big question is whether we can ever expect to watch TV shows online free. After all, there are big bucks to be made. Why should anybody give this service away for free?



That's not to say that there are a few legitimate online TV channels which are, indeed, free. Well, define "free." Is it free if you have to endure commercials and banner advertisements before your show will play? But the public is used to putting up to commercial interruptions every ten minutes or so.

So, is it really obnoxious if the ordinary ad breaks are gone -- but the viewer does have to watch a short 30-second "word from our sponsor" before the episode will play? Such quick ad times mean that users may not get as fed up as on ordinary TV. And face it, providers have to pay their bills. Online television isn't going to survive, after all, unless it can make a profit.

How does it work? Current providers of internet TV use a variety of technologies. For its British customers, BBC's service makes use of a commonly available player that can be downloaded free to offer streaming video clips. The software is provided free by its manufacturer. CNBC, Bloomberg Television as well as Showtime make use of live streaming services from another company to stream live TV to their users. Digital Rights Management software is also used by quite a few internet TV services. And increasingly, Internet TV is available on cell phones. But how good is quality? Can TV on your laptop ever compete with satellite or cable? Video quality can be a challenge. So can audio. Higher quality video such as high definition (720p+) does require a higher bandwidth as well as faster connection speeds. Dial-up really isn't going to give you the picture or sound that you want. The generally accepted kilobauds per second download rate that is needed to stream high-definition video -- HDT

But there are legitimate providers out there. They employ various technologies to provide free Internet TV. The British Broadcasting Company uses a very common video software -- which is available free from its manufacturer -- to provide its streaming video clips. But what about quality? Can television playing on your PC really compete with the networks? The quality of both the video and audio certainly suffer. Should you attempt high definition on your home computer, it will require faster connection speeds and a higher bandwidth. So, what will the quality be on your PC or cellphone? Nothing like what you'll receive at home on your living room television.




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