internet TV
Until a few weeks ago, I had managed to remain blissfully unaware of YouTube. Well, not completely unaware. I'd heard of it. But I had successfully avoided visiting the site until a friend and coworker sent me an e-mail. The message: "You! Watch this! Now!" And there was a YouTube URL.
I couldn't resist, and I'm glad I didn't. It was a cute little montage of scenes from "House" set to the "Pinky and the Brain" theme song. Harmless enough ... except for all the related links along the side. Hugh Laurie appearances on "Inside the Actors' Studio"; more homemade "House" music videos; even "Blackadder" snippets and "Jeeves and Wooster" clips. It was too much -- for me, and for my computer.
You see, Internet maven though I am, I still crawl online with a dial-up account. This means downloading and playing video or audio can take hours. Viewing even the minute-and-a-half "Pinky and the Brain" montage took half an hour of download time.
For this reason, I have always sighed and shrugged when I read about the NBC "webisodes" of "The Office." I knew I would never be able to watch them. I never bothered to check out the "Ghost Hunters" Web site, where they post captured footage for viewers to analyze themselves.
But now my eyes have been opened. The full power of the Internet, in terms of television, has been revealed to me.
My life will never be the same. At least, not once I get DSL.