What I am watching

Hulu Invites no longer needed

2008-03-13T09:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, all you folks looking for hulu.com invites can now rejoice. Huu.com is now open to everyone, so go on over there and sign up!

Not only is hulu.com open to everyone, but they have added movies and some HD video also. The HD video is now just movie trailers, but it is a start.

Now that hulu.com is open, what should you watch? I recommend if you are looking for some easy cheesy viewing to check out the 70's hit, Nanny and the Professor.

LOST in streaming HD

2008-03-04T13:13:00.000-08:00

I am a huge fan of the televison show LOST. As a matter of fact, it is this show that got me started on the whole "Watch internet shows on my TV". We had rented season 1 and watched it and then, as soon as season 2 came out on DVD we watched that. Season 3 had just started it's regular run on TV, but we had no cable, or rabbit ears to watch it with. Then I discovered it was available on the ABC.com site and we could watch it there. That is when I figured out how to hook up the TV to the computer and the rest is history.

LOST has not only inspired me to watch the computer through the TV, but now, it has inspired me to go to the next level. High-speed internet. I recently signed up for Comcast high speed internet and have been lovin it! No more jerky playback! Also, now I get to watch LOST in streaming HD.

So, if for some reason, you have not seen LOST yet, here is your chance as all the episodes are posted at ABC.com. Go check it out!

Joost Show to Watch: Star Trek

2008-02-23T19:32:00.000-08:00

Wow, looks like CBS has posted all episodes of the original Star Trek on-line. You can view them on the cbs.com page, but it is not full-screen. If you want the full screen goodness, you have to go to Joost. So, go to Joost and get your Trek on! Here is the link.

http://joost.com/09401ty

Live long and prosper!

Joost Show to Watch: Twilight Zone.

2008-02-07T20:16:00.000-08:00

It seems that everyday Joost adds more and more content to their library. The latest show I noticed on there is the classic Twilight Zone episodes. They don't have them all, but there are quite a few. We just watched our own mini-marathon the other night with the classic "One Drink, One Bar of Gold".

I had thought I had seen them all, but it seems that there are still a few I did not recognize. One of the ones I really liked that I had not seen before was. "The Obsolete Man". I mean you can't really go wrong with Burgess Meredeth.

Anyway, check out the Twilight Zone on Joost for some good old fashioned entertainment.

Joost Show to Watch: Worlds Apart - Birmingham Meets Ghana

2008-01-09T17:53:00.000-08:00

So, you are looking for a good show to watch on Joost, since they have like a ton of shows, and it is a bit overwhelming.

One reality show that I have found that I like is the National Geographic show, Worlds Apart. I especially enjoyed the episode Worlds Apart: Birmingham Meets Ghana. The description from the site is "An Alabama family is transplanted from a comfortable southern home to a mud and stick compound." Don't let that fool you, this show is great! It is produced by National Geographic, and while some may morn their descent into the hell that is reality TV, the very fact that it is produced by National Geographic, makes it watchable. This episode is the first one I stumbled on, and was very entertaining. When I watch shows, I like to be entertained. I think you will too, so go and check out Worlds Apart: Birmingham Meets Ghana. What do you have to loose? I mean it is the internet, if you don't like it you just click away.

Where to get your Hulu.com fix.

2008-01-08T11:33:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post. There are other sites that are showing hulu.com's content that aren't hulu.com. These sites are great for all you folks that want to watch some really great network TV, but did not get a hulu.com invite. Check these sites...

Openhulu.com
Veoh.com

Oh, do you live outside the United State and want to check out hulu.com? You can read this article from TechCrunch on how to do just that.

No More Hulu Invites, but here is an alternative.

2007-12-26T17:43:00.000-08:00

Wow, looks like there are no more Hulu.com invites. That is 10,000 invites that are snapped up. Well, if you did not get yours, but still want to see all the great content on that site, then head on over to OpenHulu.com. OpenHulu has ripped off, I mean provided links, to all the great shows that you can find on Hulu. Go check it out right now, as there are tons and tons of shows there.

Show to Watch: NOVA Intelligent Design on Trial.

2007-12-26T17:34:00.000-08:00

I just finished watching the NOVA show Intelligent Design on Trial. This is a very fascinating show about Darwin's theory of evolution vs. the bunk that is Intelligent Design. As always, NOVA has lots of good info and if you are looking for something to watch that you might just find very entertaining, then Intelligent Design on Trial is something you should check out.

Entertain the releatives this Christmas with Mormons

2007-12-25T07:58:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post. Merry Christmas! I hope you are having a good time. So, you have a house full of relatives today and don't know how to entertain them? That is easy, you can have them watch the Frontline show about Mormons. This episode is informative and entertaining and something that even the Grandparents will like. Of course the kiddies will be busy playing with their new presents, so you will have lots of time to fill. Anyway, click on over to the Frontline episode about the Mormons and keep them all happy!

Video Podcast to Watch: Flush TV

2007-12-24T12:41:00.000-08:00

Flush TV is another very well done video podcast. Flush TV is a video podcast about a family plumbing business and it has a very "documentarian" feel to it. The podcast is released every so often and they just started season 2. Flush TV is great as it really gives you some good insight about what it takes to run a family business. Oh, it also gives you plenty of insight about the trials and tribulations of the plumbing business, because let's face it, when you have to call a plumber, it is never a good day. I first heard about this podcast via Robert Scoble's blog and I have been a fan from the beginning. If you are looking for something funny and fresh to watch, then Flush TV is something you will enjoy.

Hulu invites are everywhere!

2007-12-20T12:03:00.001-08:00

I got my hulu.com invite a couple of months ago and have been enjoying episodes of House. Hulu.com, if you don't know is soon to be the premier site for watching TV shows on the web. Hulu.com has lots and lots of shows that you can't find anywhere else. (It has current episodes of the Simpsons! Whoo Hoo!)

Until today, it was really hard to get a invite. This has all changed. You want an invite to hulu? You can find them at thise links.

GigaOm
TechCrunch
Mashable
ReadWriteWeb

Commercials done right: esurance.com

2007-12-19T15:27:00.000-08:00

I have always had a love/hate relation with commercials on the TV. Back in the day, I liked commercials. I felt that they were always a peek into “The Next Newest Thing”, since they were able to be filmed and broadcast fairly quickly. I was also a fan of the “viral” commercials from those days and still quote some of the lines 20 years later. Of course we all know “Where’s the Beef”, but do you remember such gems as “Don’t take the car, you killlll youselllff!”, or “That’s OK kid, I never could say Chevrolet”.

Now that all the web based shows have commercials, I still have this love/hate relationship with them mostly boarding on the hate. I love the fact that there is just one commercial every “break” instead of like five for regular TV. The thing I hate about these commercials is that they take f-o-r-e-v-e-r to load. A 30 second commercial sometime takes a minute to load on my slow connection. All the while it is stuttering, and spurting and very annoying. It seemed that the advertisers just did not “get it” and have made the web commercials too slick and download heavy. Of course, since the same stupid commercial is played every break, by the second and third views, it is downloaded and actually plays fast, but that first time… Aaaaarrrrrgggghhh!

This all changed yesterday when I saw a bunch of different commercial for esurance.com. These were killer! They were made with flash animation and loaded super quick. No stuttering, or skipping. Not only that, but the animation was really killer. I want to see a whole show based on the main character! Yes, the commercial had nothing to do with car insurance, but who cares! It was kick-ass and loaded fast. The best part for the advertisers is that I actually I remembered the company, and that is all that really matters

Video Podcast to Watch: Midwest Teen Sex Show

2007-12-18T17:47:00.000-08:00

The Midwest Teen Sex Show is a great example of how you can produce quality content using nothing more that a couple of friends, a great idea and brilliant writing. I have been watching this show since episode 3 and suddenly a bunch of new episodes showed up in my RSS reader, so I just got another dose, and it is still quality.

Now, be warned, the Midwest Teen Sex Show is not for the weak of heart, as this show talks about sex in a very frank and up-front manner that would make some people very uncomfortable. Frank and up-front are the key terms here, so be warned. With that said, I find this show very, very funny and super clever. Almost every episode I have thought to myself, "no, they did not just say/do that". Very cutting edge in the presentation of the material.

This show is like a 1964 Sex Education film mashed with that one scene from National Lampoon's Vacation. You know the scene, with the kids, in the Midwest, and that question? Yeah, THAT ONE.

Anyway, if you want to see video blogging / User created content that is done the right way, go and check out the Midwest Teen Sex Show. I wish all of America was this enlightened.

NBC gets new player (s)

2007-12-13T19:25:00.001-08:00

It looks like NBC has upgraded its 24|7 player and added download capabilities. We decided to catch up on Heroes since the season is now over and I thought I would check out NBC to see how the viewing experience was. My loyal readers will know that usually Heroes is watched via Netflix Watch Instantly, but this time I decided to try the NBC 24|7 site. Well, the NBC site has changed and the streaming video quality is really great! It also seems that it streams better on our slow-ass DSL connection, so that was really nice. However, we did still have problems viewing it, as it would pause and then jump back to the beginning, which was very annoying.

I also checked out the new download service. You can download specific shows to your computer and then play them back on the special NBC player. The shows only play on the NBC player and they obviously have DRM built in. I tried to convert the file into something I could watch on my Sansa, but no luck. Also, I never did see the show I downloaded, as it only sticks around for 48 hours and I was not quick enough and now the show is gone. Now I see why everyone hates DRM.

In conclusion, NBC 24|7 is better, but it still sucks and the download service just pisses me off. Hey, at least it is progress. I am sure they will get it right soon.

Joost launches Facebook integration.

2007-12-07T13:46:00.000-08:00

Last night when I was watching Kid Nation on Joost, I noticed a new feature. Somehow Joost had been talking to Facebook and knew that I had a Facebook profile. Then Joost automatically told Facebook that I was watching Kid Nation (actually it say I was enjoying Kid Nation) and wanted to post it to my Facebook News Feed for all my "Friends" to see. I of course said "yes", so it did.

I like this feature! Facebook is all about "showing off" to your friends about what you are up to on-line and this is just another way to do this. Next time you are watching Joost, check out this new feature for Facebook, as it is way better than that zombie thing, or even super wall, or favorite friends, or magic 8 ball or...

Google Video: The Boy with the Incredible Brain.

2007-12-02T08:24:00.000-08:00

Looking for something interesting to watch? I suggest "The boy with the incredible Brain" on Google Video. Google Video? I thought they were going to pull the plug on that one, but I guess it is still around. The Boy with the Incredible Brain is a documentary about a boy in England that has unbelievable powers of computation and memory. He learns a new language in a week! This video goes in depht about his skills and you get to learn how his brain visualizes numbers. Totally amazing. This kid needs a job in a think tank or something. Anyway, if you are looking for something good to watch, you will like this show, as it is a preview of what we can all become.

Joost Show to Watch: Aqua Teen Hunger Force

2007-11-30T16:38:00.000-08:00

It always surprises me how many people are not familiar with this totally hilarious Adult Swim TV show. Aqua Teen Hunger Force is about a Shake, Frys and Meat paddy that are supposed to be private detectives. Of course the whole private detective thing was dropped very early in the show and now it is just bizarre adventures that they have. This show can be a bit crass, but all in all, I think it is very clever. This is a show that you have to watch a couple of times before you really start to find it funny. The Mooninites and Carl are really great side characters, so make sure you watch the show until you see them.

For those that still are not familiar with the show, remember the bomb scare in Boston that was created by characters for a TV show drawn in a home made light bright? Well, the characters were the Mooninites.

Anyway, if you are looking for something new, or if you are already an Aqua Teen Hunger Force fan, check them out on Joost.

Better Bad New

2007-11-29T12:04:00.000-08:00

Better Bad News is a video podcast that is produced every couple of weeks. It seems that this show is produced out of UC Berkeley, and is a very unique, “inside joke” kind of show. The more you are tuned into various internet stories, the more you will like this show. Whether it is controversy within the YouTube users or the conspiracy of 9-11, there is always a strong point of view that the producers manage to get across. One of the more clever episodes on 9-11 can be found here.

I have been watching BBN for over a year now, and they have kept the same characters. I am not sure who these people are, but they do a pretty good job. There are four main “characters” that all have their different opinions. The show’s main character is a “News Anchor” who is very believable and does a great job reading his lines. It also has a “panel of experts” that always has something interesting to say. The show is produced with many quick and short cuts. These cuts usually depict the “panel of experts” with different opinions, but when they are all spliced together and edited always makes a very interesting point. Better Bad News does a great job of exposing the hypocrisies that you find in today’s major news stories.

If you are looking for something a bit different, that is well written and will make you think, I suggest you check out Better Bad News. "Half true more or less 100% of the time"

It's Jerry Time

2007-11-15T22:28:00.000-08:00

I have been watching It's Jerry Time for about a year now and I really enjoy it. The show is consistently funny, that is if you like that kind of humor. What kind of humor? The "A Funny Thing Happened To Me Once" humor. I don't know who Jerry is, or what kind of background he has or if he is a professional funnyman, or whatnot. It's Jerry Time is created in a very cool animation style that looks like it takes quite a while to create. Who creates the animation, I don't know. Maybe Jerry does it himself, or maybe he has a team of animators working around the clock. I don't really know. What I do know about Jerry is that he is a bad roomate, sometimes has communication problems, and used to live in a town where a turkey ran wild.

Jerry's show is really funny, but it just does not come out that often. I suggest that you subscribe to the RSS feed so you are alerted when each new episode comes out.

Show to Watch: The Elegant Universe.

2007-11-10T20:19:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for a very interesting and amazing show to watch on the internet, then the PBS show “The Elegant Universe” is a must see. This is actually more than just an hour show, but more of a three hour mini-series. The Elegant Universe is all about the latest theories on Physics. Wow, talk about a mind bender! This show simply and concisely explains the most way-out, cutting edge theories in a easy to digest format. This show will keep you riveted from start to end.

How does it look on the TV? PBS, while I applaud you for putting the whole series on the internet, I was a bit disappointed that I could only watch it on the teeny-tiny video screen viewer. Luckily, I have Windows XP “Media Edition” installed on the ol Dell and the Media Edition handles that problem well. What does it do? Somehow it automatically makes the video full screen on the TV. The video stays small on the computer screen, but on the regular TV it is all the way big.

So, next time you are looking for something to watch that will blow your mind, head on over to PBS Nova and watch “The Elegant Universe”. You will not be disappointed!

The IT Room advertising blitz finally snags me.

2007-11-06T22:00:00.000-08:00

I don’t know if you have noticed, but the “The IT Room” has been advertising on all your favorite video blogs, and everywhere else on the internet. I have wanted to check it out, whenever I see the ads on video podcasts, but I always forget to “look it up” and subscribe. The monkey tells me I “got to subscribe dude”, but I always forget. This however changed today as I saw an ad for the IT Room on a RSS feed. I was able to click on the ad and I was able to subscribe lickety split! I will have to start to download it and check it out. Anyway, congratulations to the folks at the IT Room as your have successfully pounded you show into my conscious brain. I hope the show lives up to the hype.

Mahalo Daily

2007-11-06T21:50:00.000-08:00

A new video podcast has launched this week. Mahalo Daily. Mahalo.com is the new “Human Powered” search engine from Jason Calacanis. So the question is “Do we really need another show about Internet Culture?”. The answer is yes! I feel there is lots of room for more video shows about all the weird crap that you can find on the internet. Especially now that Rocketboom has “moved on” and doing their own content. We need more internet culture podcasts as long as each video podcast reports on things that the other video podcasts aren’t reporting. So far it seems that Mahalo Daily is doing just that and not just copying the same info you can find on any of the popular blogs. The best thing about Mahalo Daily is the intro. Without a doubt Mahalo Daily has the best intro of any show. The animation is killer and I love the Hawaiian music. I also like the fact that the show is embeded in the RSS feed so you can download it to your portable device. I actually left a comment on Jason's blog and asked if he could do that. I guess he listened!

If you are looking for something new to check out, I would recommend Mahalo Daily, as it seems to be pretty slick.

Joost Show to Watch: What's Happining

2007-11-04T11:12:00.000-08:00

I found a great show that is now available on Joost. What's Happining. I watched the "Sunday Father" episode. It has been a mighty long time since I have seen a episode of What's Happening, but I see the show is still pretty good. Boy, you kids have it easy these days to learn about that 70's TV culture. What's Happening has some cheesy lines, but they are still pretty funny. Dee really gives some zingers. If you are looking for a good show to check out on Joost, then I totally recommend What's Happining.

Jetset show becomes Epic-FU

2007-11-01T21:49:00.000-07:00

I have been watching the JetSet Show for quite a while now. Zadi Diaz and Steve Wolf put on a weekly internet culture show aimed at teens. The weekly show is always full of interesting tidbits that you usually don't see in other places. I would recommend you subscribing to JetSet show.

However, now they are not the Jetset Show any more. Now and forever more they shall be called Epic-FU. Please make a note of it.

Rosie O' Donnell, Videoblogger

2007-10-30T19:03:00.000-07:00

Did you know that Rosie O' Donnell has her own video blog? It is true, not only does she have her own video blog, but she posts often, unlike some celebrities that have long since stopped posting (Darrel Hanna, I am looking at you).

So, what does Rosie vlog about? Pretty much the same thing as everyone vlogs about. What she does on her free time. Her paintings, her daughter, her adventures to the Zoo. The difference is that it is Rosie O'Donnell, and she is a pro. Being funny helps also, but she is not always funny. Sometimes she is tired, annoyed or happy, just like anyone. I also like that we get to see some of the issues she is faced with, like having to replace the OS on her mac. It reminds me of the US magazine section "Stars are just like US!", but instead of celebrates buying groceries, they have to deal with the headache of reinstalling your operating system. You go geek girl Rosie!