Review: ABC.com Full Episode Player

Hello, and welcome to my new blog. I have often thought "this is a great product/idea. I wish I could let everyone I know see how awesome it is." So naturally, this blog has come to exist as a result of that line of thinking. Now, with the pleasantries out of the way, I can write my first review; As you've probably guessed from the title of this blog entry, I will be reviewing ABC.com's Full Episode Player.

In an age where people are spending more and more time online, whether it be work or play, the internet is quickly becoming a maleable, customized solution for all of our needs. We have reached a crossroads where television and personal computing are, instead of competing for your affection, holding hands and playing nice for mutual benefit. Previously, you had to make a choice; Go about multitasking between that school paper and talking to friends, or take an hour-long break at a set time on a rigid schedule to catch your favorite show. But, ABC has finally come to a lovely solution to set schedule programming, and it isn't that on demand service you'll still have to quit IMing for--They stream media directly to you, the viewer, at no cost.

Yes, I said no cost. Not even a single advertisement, aside from their own shows. All you have to do is launch their player, which is built entirely in the oh-so-universal Flash Player and placed in a nice neat popup box.

From there, you can choose one of a number of shows (23 at the time I'm writing this) and pick which episode you want to see. The player even broadcasts certain shows in High Definition, which is damn good thinking if you ask me. There is a certain polished look to the series lineup across the bottom of the screen that reminds me of iTunes' "Cover Flow" interface, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The interface is clutter-free and intuitive, meaning your mother can catch up on "Dancing With The Stars" without bugging you for help with technical jargon., but has enough features tucked away to thrill even the biggest media junkie.


The only potential shortfall of the media titan's latest (And in my opinion, greatest) foray into the internet age is that it is indeed built for this information age. That is, obsolete computers and internet connections will be left pawwing at the door while those with broadband connections and Pentium 4+ processors are inside kicked back enjoying the show. Also, the "HD" episodes are just that--High Def. How can this possibly be a downfall? If you don't have an HD display, or just really don't care about the HD thing, you'll still be streaming it at the same rate, meaning your connection won't be spared anything by you watching in Standard Definition. If you have a file downloading in the background, don't expect completely flawless streaming either. Your connection can only go so fast, so if you share that connection with a WoW addict, I'd suggest killing him finding another room mate.

Weighing the pros and the cons, I have to give my score a disclaimer: If you still use dialup, or a low end DSL connection, get with the times and pay that extra $5/mo for higher speeds. It really is worth it.

Final score: 9/10