Okay, here's how I use the following guide. Normally I just make this for myself, but I figured I'd share. In another window, I open up my Gmail account, and bounce over to the "reader". I then go down each show, right click the "RSS" link (copy it), and paste it into the reader under "add subscriptions"
When the reader lets me know there is a new show to watch (and I have time), I usually watch it through the Streaming player (Fox / Hulu). Otherwise, I grab The Pirate Bay link (about 24 hours after the show airs) - using uTorrent (if you forget the process, check one of my past posts). I try to do this as infrequently as possible as I really do want to support the streaming media idea so that other networks (CBS, ABC, NBC) get on board in a much more useful way.
So, the ones without a "Hulu or Fox" link require a download and waiting. I will continue to update this list and re-post it from time to time. If there is a show you absolutely love, and you think I'll love...let me know.
In order of how much I enjoy them:
The Daily Show --- HULU --- HULU RSS
The Colbert Report --- HULU --- HULU RSS
Top Gear --- TPB Season 12 --- MyTVRSS Episode Reminder
Boston Legal --- TPB Season 5 --- MyTVRSS Episode Reminder (plenty of 'online' support for this show, but no good way to stream it. The ABC Player is way too annoying)
House --- Fox On Demand --- Fox RSS --- TPB Season 5 (There is an 8 day "lag" on streamed Episodes, hence TBP Link for a Fox Show)
How I Met Your Mother --- TPB Season 4--- MyTVRSS Episode Reminder (plenty of 'online' support for this show, but no good way to stream it)
Grey's Anatomy --- TPB Season 5 --- MyTVRSS Episode Reminder (plenty of 'online' support for this show, but no good way to stream it. The ABC Player is way too annoying)
30 Rock --- HULU --- HULU RSS
Chuck --- HULU --- HULU RSS --- TPB Season 2
Lipstick Jungle --- HULU --- HULU RSS
Fringe --- Fox On Demand --- Fox RSS
Family Guy --- Fox on Demand --- Fox RSS
Heroes --- HULU --- HULU RSS --- TPB Season 3
Dancing with the Stars --- TPB Season 7 --- MyTVRSS Episode Reminder
Celebrity Apprentice --- HULU --- HULU RSS
The Office --- HULU --- HULU RSS
The Amazing Race --- TPB Season 13 --- MyTVRSS Episode Reminder
Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles --- Fox On Demand --- Fox RSS
Cops --- Fox On Demand --- Fox RSS
9.29.2008
9.21.2008
Sunday - September 21st
First one of my attempts at a "weekly" Sunday post. We'll see how long I can keep this up. Thank you for everyone that filled out both communication profiles for me. Its made me realize when they said the MBA program is a collaborative effort with not only your classmates, but your family and friends - they were not just talking about married people, and their kids. I'm sure this will not be the last time I call for your collective input. Thank you in advance.
Some of you might have noticed a little "Twitter" thing off to the right side of the blog. Its my attempt to make sure if you don't hear from my for 6 days, you know I'm not dead. I can update that part of the website from my iPhone (with Twitterific), including pictures and google map links to location. Each update takes easily less than 30 seconds, which is something I hope to be able to continue through my MBA process.
6 days from now, I have a 35 minute presentation on Web 2.0 and business communication. Luckily its with 4 other people, so its not nearly as daunting as it sounds. For me, I've always thought I had a pretty good understanding of Web 2.0, but trying to explain it to someone that doesn't, and in a way that seems meaningful has proven to be a bit of a challenge.
Then I came upon a video from a professor from the Kansas State University. Leave it to a cultural anthropologist to really bring you into the difference and the RESPONSIBILITY of web 2.0. This is one of the better videos I've seen on youtube, ever.
I know I promised the 'full TV' episode list for this week, but so many shows are not in full swing yet, it is hard to make the link complete enough and/or useful enough to warrant posting it yet. There will be one.
A couple random pictures from the week that made me smile:
Some of you might have noticed a little "Twitter" thing off to the right side of the blog. Its my attempt to make sure if you don't hear from my for 6 days, you know I'm not dead. I can update that part of the website from my iPhone (with Twitterific), including pictures and google map links to location. Each update takes easily less than 30 seconds, which is something I hope to be able to continue through my MBA process.
6 days from now, I have a 35 minute presentation on Web 2.0 and business communication. Luckily its with 4 other people, so its not nearly as daunting as it sounds. For me, I've always thought I had a pretty good understanding of Web 2.0, but trying to explain it to someone that doesn't, and in a way that seems meaningful has proven to be a bit of a challenge.
Then I came upon a video from a professor from the Kansas State University. Leave it to a cultural anthropologist to really bring you into the difference and the RESPONSIBILITY of web 2.0. This is one of the better videos I've seen on youtube, ever.
I know I promised the 'full TV' episode list for this week, but so many shows are not in full swing yet, it is hard to make the link complete enough and/or useful enough to warrant posting it yet. There will be one.
A couple random pictures from the week that made me smile:
9.19.2008
I need your help
Okay, so I need *your* help in writing a paper. Please, if you have a couple minutes to waste, answer either one of the links below. If you have a couple MORE minutes to waste, do both.
*******IMPORTANT INSTRUCTION******:
Answer as if you were ME. So, when its say, I find it hard to imitate the behavior of other people, it means "Bryce finds it hard to imitate the behavior of other people".
Please be brutally honest. All I need is the scores at the end; so I'll never know exactly what you said. :-)
This one is a PDF File: Communication Profile #1 (I need the XX / XX / XX score)
This is a website, and faster: Communication Profile #2 (I need just the final number at the end).
Thank you. And remember, answer all questions as if it was asking it about me. If you want, you can take it a second time for yourself and I'll be glad to tell you what it means about you.
*******IMPORTANT INSTRUCTION******:
Answer as if you were ME. So, when its say, I find it hard to imitate the behavior of other people, it means "Bryce finds it hard to imitate the behavior of other people".
Please be brutally honest. All I need is the scores at the end; so I'll never know exactly what you said. :-)
This one is a PDF File: Communication Profile #1 (I need the XX / XX / XX score)
This is a website, and faster: Communication Profile #2 (I need just the final number at the end).
Thank you. And remember, answer all questions as if it was asking it about me. If you want, you can take it a second time for yourself and I'll be glad to tell you what it means about you.
9.15.2008
Hah, I'm already putting off homework.....
So, I killed my cable - but I love some of the prime time dramas. I'm going to post how I keep them all straight, but first I thought it would be interesting to go through the options. Also, I figured this background will be necessary before I just throw my whole "list" up here that I use.
ABC Player: No way to tell if the episode is available in HD, unless you go to the "HD Showcase". If you select "full screen", the episode looks like CRAP. The first commercial breaks required a "click to continue". Absolutely unacceptable. I'm not even going to spend the time to link you to them as an option.
Sadly, if you the HD, the commercials still require you to click to continue and though if you want to watch in "full screen" (you know, because its a nice beautiful HD Picture) - it just maximizes the window and you still the start bar on the bottom and the window bar on around the picture. Yeah, thanks for the help ABC. You suck. Full screen should be FULL SCREEN.
ABC's Grade: D+
NBC - I had to install the "Windows Media Center Plug-in for Firefox" in an attempt to use their new DirectNBC service, which supposedly lets you download episodes. After it completely failed to work, I tried it in Internet Explorer as well; but just got so frustrated with the whole process I gave up.
The normal NBC player isn't horrible. The commercials advance on their own, and full screen goes full screen. Sadly if you want HD, you can't stream it - you have to go through that bullshit process above. They at least stream "normal" broadcast quality, which is nice enough for me.
NBC's Grade: C
CBS - Worthless. HD picture the movement was blurry, and the frames were jumpy - not to mention I couldn't find a single full episode on their site. All "clips" and such.
CBS's Grade: F-
Hulu - The saving grace to the legal online streaming. RSS (so you can setup a single place to check for new episodes), good full screen, lots of shows, easy to jump around between times - if you make an account, it'll keep track if you close your browser where you left off.. its nearly perfect. (HD is still limited to a "gallary" and not linked into the shows; though most allow you to up to 480p - which looks pretty darn good).
Hulu's Grade: B+
Fox - Okay, I wrote about Hulu before hitting Fox (I almost forgot!). Wow, Fox is brillant too. They let you bounce between HD / non HD seamlessly, RSS your shows, watch them easily, etc. Nearly perfect. I even signed up (which was absolutely easy). Kudos to Fox for not making me go through a bank level signup process. I will actually RSS my Fox shows here over Hulu.
Fox's Grade: B+
The Pirate Bay - Illegal, and the best. I'd gladly download all my shows from the broadcaster WITH commercials intact. Why they haven't figured out an easy way to do this, I dunno. Obviously the biggest problem here (besides being illegal) is that you don't get to watch your show immediately. Trade off is super high quality, and no commercials.
TPB Grade: B- (yeah, just B-. It can be a pain waiting. RSS sucks / doesn't work, and there isn't any "quality control".) This is why I use Fox / Hulu over it.
Require software:
ABC, FOX, Discovery, CW - Require "Move Network" player
uTorrent if you want to download any Pirate Bay Shows. VLC Media Player to watch them (you should be using this player over all other ones anyways).
***MOST IMPORTANT PART*** -- RSS -- Not a chance I can keep track of which shows are on when, and new episodes, and which ones I've seen. So, if you have a google account (yes, there are plenty of other RSS options, this is the easiest for most), you have a great RSS Reader.
Go to Gmail, click "Reader" at the top. (or go to www.google.com/reader and login)
Now, when you're at Fox or Hulu, just click the icon that looks like:
Then right click the RSS Icon, and click "Copy Shortcut" (in IE), or "Copy Link Location" in Firefox:
Finally, go back to reader, and click add subscription and paste in the link. Bingo.
Now whenever there is a new episode, you'll get notified of it in reader. Its a bit of work for one show, but once you have all your shows there - its golden.
Anyways next week I will put up a full list of all the shows I'm watching (or trying to watch), and the all the options to watch w/o cable TV.
********
Rant: So what would be the "A+" setup from a network? Well, they are getting there; its just a sum of the parts:
1) Offer all the shows in standard / HD (streaming)
2) There are no need for "clips" to be part of the download site when you have a player that lets people make their own custom (like Fox / Hulu). This is important to keep the site "clean". Let me know when they originally aired, and when you put them on the site. This should be an easy process. I don't want to feel like I'm playing freak'n Stratego with your clips.
3) Allow episodes to be downloaded in HD, in multiple formats (including ones that play on portable devices). Afraid I'll just skip the commercials? Yeah, I will. Make me watch a movie trailer before I get the download link, then let me download it without commercials.
Want another idea? How about linked to my login is "Fox Points". I get points by watching interactive 30 second commercials (yeah, I have to click on something so you know I'm there or better yet, so you know how a 28 year old male responds to said commercial). Hell, if you're good this might actually be fun. I then get to use those points to download OR watch episodes without commercials. Want to get really edgy? Make a Fox Point iPhone application (and soon to be Android App). While I'm taking a crap, I can watch commercials on my cell phone to get my points for when I get home. I'd do it. So would a million other people.
4) RSS / Subscription service. I don't want to guess if I have seen it or not.
5) Post them as early as possible. Part of the awesomeness of The Pirate bay is I can start the download of Heroes before I go to work at 7am, even when its still 13 hours away from technically "airing"... because you already aired it in Japan, and some great Asian dude posted it for me. If I come home for lunch, I get to watch it 8 hours before any of my friends. Remember those Fox Points? Yeah, guess how many the average user would blow to be able to watch their favorite show a bit early. You get people to actually WATCH and INTERACT with more commercials than ever.
Final Part: The most irritating thing to me is that all these ideas are VERY doable. There isn't anything in there that would make this problematic for any of the studios. Hearing them complain about Tivo and about piracy when all the normal consumer wants is for them to show a little innovation. And don't even get me started on the recording industry.
ABC Player: No way to tell if the episode is available in HD, unless you go to the "HD Showcase". If you select "full screen", the episode looks like CRAP. The first commercial breaks required a "click to continue". Absolutely unacceptable. I'm not even going to spend the time to link you to them as an option.
Sadly, if you the HD, the commercials still require you to click to continue and though if you want to watch in "full screen" (you know, because its a nice beautiful HD Picture) - it just maximizes the window and you still the start bar on the bottom and the window bar on around the picture. Yeah, thanks for the help ABC. You suck. Full screen should be FULL SCREEN.
ABC's Grade: D+
NBC - I had to install the "Windows Media Center Plug-in for Firefox" in an attempt to use their new DirectNBC service, which supposedly lets you download episodes. After it completely failed to work, I tried it in Internet Explorer as well; but just got so frustrated with the whole process I gave up.
The normal NBC player isn't horrible. The commercials advance on their own, and full screen goes full screen. Sadly if you want HD, you can't stream it - you have to go through that bullshit process above. They at least stream "normal" broadcast quality, which is nice enough for me.
NBC's Grade: C
CBS - Worthless. HD picture the movement was blurry, and the frames were jumpy - not to mention I couldn't find a single full episode on their site. All "clips" and such.
CBS's Grade: F-
Hulu - The saving grace to the legal online streaming. RSS (so you can setup a single place to check for new episodes), good full screen, lots of shows, easy to jump around between times - if you make an account, it'll keep track if you close your browser where you left off.. its nearly perfect. (HD is still limited to a "gallary" and not linked into the shows; though most allow you to up to 480p - which looks pretty darn good).
Hulu's Grade: B+
Fox - Okay, I wrote about Hulu before hitting Fox (I almost forgot!). Wow, Fox is brillant too. They let you bounce between HD / non HD seamlessly, RSS your shows, watch them easily, etc. Nearly perfect. I even signed up (which was absolutely easy). Kudos to Fox for not making me go through a bank level signup process. I will actually RSS my Fox shows here over Hulu.
Fox's Grade: B+
The Pirate Bay - Illegal, and the best. I'd gladly download all my shows from the broadcaster WITH commercials intact. Why they haven't figured out an easy way to do this, I dunno. Obviously the biggest problem here (besides being illegal) is that you don't get to watch your show immediately. Trade off is super high quality, and no commercials.
TPB Grade: B- (yeah, just B-. It can be a pain waiting. RSS sucks / doesn't work, and there isn't any "quality control".) This is why I use Fox / Hulu over it.
Require software:
ABC, FOX, Discovery, CW - Require "Move Network" player
uTorrent if you want to download any Pirate Bay Shows. VLC Media Player to watch them (you should be using this player over all other ones anyways).
***MOST IMPORTANT PART*** -- RSS -- Not a chance I can keep track of which shows are on when, and new episodes, and which ones I've seen. So, if you have a google account (yes, there are plenty of other RSS options, this is the easiest for most), you have a great RSS Reader.
Go to Gmail, click "Reader" at the top. (or go to www.google.com/reader and login)
Now, when you're at Fox or Hulu, just click the icon that looks like:
Then right click the RSS Icon, and click "Copy Shortcut" (in IE), or "Copy Link Location" in Firefox:
 |
Finally, go back to reader, and click add subscription and paste in the link. Bingo.
Now whenever there is a new episode, you'll get notified of it in reader. Its a bit of work for one show, but once you have all your shows there - its golden.
Anyways next week I will put up a full list of all the shows I'm watching (or trying to watch), and the all the options to watch w/o cable TV.
********
Rant: So what would be the "A+" setup from a network? Well, they are getting there; its just a sum of the parts:
1) Offer all the shows in standard / HD (streaming)
2) There are no need for "clips" to be part of the download site when you have a player that lets people make their own custom (like Fox / Hulu). This is important to keep the site "clean". Let me know when they originally aired, and when you put them on the site. This should be an easy process. I don't want to feel like I'm playing freak'n Stratego with your clips.
3) Allow episodes to be downloaded in HD, in multiple formats (including ones that play on portable devices). Afraid I'll just skip the commercials? Yeah, I will. Make me watch a movie trailer before I get the download link, then let me download it without commercials.
Want another idea? How about linked to my login is "Fox Points". I get points by watching interactive 30 second commercials (yeah, I have to click on something so you know I'm there or better yet, so you know how a 28 year old male responds to said commercial). Hell, if you're good this might actually be fun. I then get to use those points to download OR watch episodes without commercials. Want to get really edgy? Make a Fox Point iPhone application (and soon to be Android App). While I'm taking a crap, I can watch commercials on my cell phone to get my points for when I get home. I'd do it. So would a million other people.
4) RSS / Subscription service. I don't want to guess if I have seen it or not.
5) Post them as early as possible. Part of the awesomeness of The Pirate bay is I can start the download of Heroes before I go to work at 7am, even when its still 13 hours away from technically "airing"... because you already aired it in Japan, and some great Asian dude posted it for me. If I come home for lunch, I get to watch it 8 hours before any of my friends. Remember those Fox Points? Yeah, guess how many the average user would blow to be able to watch their favorite show a bit early. You get people to actually WATCH and INTERACT with more commercials than ever.
Final Part: The most irritating thing to me is that all these ideas are VERY doable. There isn't anything in there that would make this problematic for any of the studios. Hearing them complain about Tivo and about piracy when all the normal consumer wants is for them to show a little innovation. And don't even get me started on the recording industry.
Blog when I have time? Neh.
So, I've realized if I wait to throw a blog up until I have time, there won't ever be a new blog. Therefore I'm going to try something as my schedule gets busier and busier: Sunday morning blog post. One post per week, on Sunday. Hopefully pretty long, usually on a slew of subject. For now, a slew of topics to "catch me up"
For those that don't know why I'm so busy (besides the obvious that I'm in a job that works very closely with the large financial firms that seem to be going tits up faster than rationally acceptable), I'm starting my MBA tomorrow (Tuesday, 16th). Oh joy.
Resolution Challenge (through August) - The battle gets closer:
Me: 23 Points (I lost a point for being overweight in August)
James: 23 points
Doug: 22 points
Kristy: 22 points
Wedding Photos - To add to the business, I also just finished shooting a wedding (and delivering the pictures). Went pretty well:
Pretty Pictures
WRC - New Zealand: By far the rally that is on the TOP of my list to see. English speaking country, BEAUTIFUL landscape, and historically a very close race (this one didn't disapoint).
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
New Week Main Topic:
What (to watch, in my opinion), and also Where and How to download it if you missed it (or don't have Cable).
For those that don't know why I'm so busy (besides the obvious that I'm in a job that works very closely with the large financial firms that seem to be going tits up faster than rationally acceptable), I'm starting my MBA tomorrow (Tuesday, 16th). Oh joy.
Resolution Challenge (through August) - The battle gets closer:
Me: 23 Points (I lost a point for being overweight in August)
James: 23 points
Doug: 22 points
Kristy: 22 points
Wedding Photos - To add to the business, I also just finished shooting a wedding (and delivering the pictures). Went pretty well:
Pretty Pictures
WRC - New Zealand: By far the rally that is on the TOP of my list to see. English speaking country, BEAUTIFUL landscape, and historically a very close race (this one didn't disapoint).
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
New Week Main Topic:
What (to watch, in my opinion), and also Where and How to download it if you missed it (or don't have Cable).
9.04.2008
Double Standards:
A couple great clips from the double standard that generate from the republican party:
9.01.2008
Was that my weekend?
Dark Knight, IMAX in Seattle
Crash Friday at 2am in Tacoma
Lunch with Nanhee in Olympia
Dinner with Parents in Olympia
Crash Saturday in Olympia
Baptism for Jack in Longview
Breakfast & Golf with Scott and Steve in Longview
Dinner in Longview
Crash Sunday in Olympia
Breakfast with Parents in Olympia
Lunch with Nanhee in Tacoma
Dinner with Alex, Scott #2, & Nanhee in Olympia
Tropical Thunder in Olympia
..
And somewhere in there I was attempting to learn my new 50mm lens so I can be a proficient photographer on Saturday for the wedding I'm shoot. I completely destroyed that 3 day weekend.
Sadly, for my resolution challenge the blogging and bar hopping always come easy - but for the first time this year, I'm going to lose a point. As of the end of the month, I was *way* over (165, to the goal of "under" 162.5). So.... there goes my lead.
Hopefully some of my hard work in pictures will makeup for the low blograte the last week:
Behind my house - just a short bike ride:
First couple shots with the new lens, its a fixed zoom, so the only way to get more or less in the frame is to ... move forward or back. The upside is the immense control of the depth of field (very low depth in this picture)
Again, more playing - I'm very happy with it.
As mentioned above, spent some time in Longview with Jack (and his tag-alongs). ;-)
Jack, "Psst Dad, even I know no sleeping in Church"
I don't think they are happy about being Grandparents. What do you think?
Jack, with a great-grandparent:
Sup.
I sure hope that camera tastes as good as my fingers.
And after many missed shots, finally.... a smile:
Cook meat - Men will come:
Even the little ones.
Crash Friday at 2am in Tacoma
Lunch with Nanhee in Olympia
Dinner with Parents in Olympia
Crash Saturday in Olympia
Baptism for Jack in Longview
Breakfast & Golf with Scott and Steve in Longview
Dinner in Longview
Crash Sunday in Olympia
Breakfast with Parents in Olympia
Lunch with Nanhee in Tacoma
Dinner with Alex, Scott #2, & Nanhee in Olympia
Tropical Thunder in Olympia
..
And somewhere in there I was attempting to learn my new 50mm lens so I can be a proficient photographer on Saturday for the wedding I'm shoot. I completely destroyed that 3 day weekend.
Sadly, for my resolution challenge the blogging and bar hopping always come easy - but for the first time this year, I'm going to lose a point. As of the end of the month, I was *way* over (165, to the goal of "under" 162.5). So.... there goes my lead.
Hopefully some of my hard work in pictures will makeup for the low blograte the last week:
Behind my house - just a short bike ride:
First couple shots with the new lens, its a fixed zoom, so the only way to get more or less in the frame is to ... move forward or back. The upside is the immense control of the depth of field (very low depth in this picture)
Again, more playing - I'm very happy with it.
As mentioned above, spent some time in Longview with Jack (and his tag-alongs). ;-)
Jack, "Psst Dad, even I know no sleeping in Church"
I don't think they are happy about being Grandparents. What do you think?
Jack, with a great-grandparent:
Sup.
I sure hope that camera tastes as good as my fingers.
And after many missed shots, finally.... a smile:
Cook meat - Men will come:
Even the little ones.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)