TV Trends

Jessie Atkin posted a new blog on Digital Landing! Read about the latest updates in tv on the internet.

The time has come, Lost and Heroes are both going to be on Hulu!

Disney has officially joined Hulu and thus ABC shows will be available on the great legal video streaming site. Supposedly ABC shows will start appearing this summer. I’m all for it, Hulu is simpler, clearer, and more convenient than most other video streaming services, but the truth is, if the shows aren’t there we all find ways to watch anyway (that’s why Disney was wise to join up).

Now, many shows appear on Hulu the next day already, but not all. House for instances does not post episodes until the week after they have aired. I understand that this is supposed to bottleneck viewers off to the network’s official web site, but the truth is it doesn’t. Lots of the time people don’t even wait until the next morning none the less the next week. On other less reputable sites shows often make appearances a mere hour after they air. When you don’t have a Tivo these sites are a big draw.

As always, as with the Disney deal, things continue to improve with network presence and availability on the internet, but if networks (and movie studios for that matter) want to really utilize the web as a distribution tool a lot of work still needs to be done.

To Blu-Ray or not to Blu-Ray

Chris McGinn posted a blog up on Digital Landing. Learn about Blu-Ray and the impact it's having on our DVD buying today.

I love the latest technology trends, but my budget is usually a few years behind. Case in point–Blu-ray. I would love to buy one this holiday, but I know the price will go down. Currently they run about $300+ although some makers already dip into the $200s.

One of my earliest money memories is of my parents buying their first VCR. It was about 1985 and it cost $700. It was fancy. It had stereo sound and special features for the nascent technology. Now, of course you can get a VCR for about $30.

Blu-ray, however, is smart. It has already beaten out its competitor HD DVD to be the next generation format of choice. Sony, who lost the Beta vs. VHS war, made its stand with Blu-ray and won out.

New movies are being released in Blu-Ray format and my neighborhood video store has an ever-growing wall of Blu-ray discs. Also, unlike DVD players vs. VHS, the new Blu-rays can play my current library of DVDs.

Now the real question in my family is do I invest in Disney Blu-Ray DVDs like the new release Sleeping Beauty or stick to the traditional DVDs. I know I am going to have them for years to come, and I really don’t want to have to replace them all a few years down the road.

I guess I may be checking out those Blu-rays sooner than I thought.