This article appeard in the Wall Street Journal wsj today This is the future. Mcg is the one to watch. I believe it is a sleeping giant about to wake up.
How to Watch TV The Wall Street Journal Online By Peter Grant and Dionne Searcey
Flurry of Deals Gives Viewers New Options For Tuning In to Shows; Paying by the Program
Watching TV used to be the embodiment of mindlessness.
But now, deciding how and what to view is a surprisingly complex task, as a series of industry-transforming deals presents consumers with a host of new viewing options. Each approach requires a different device, and each charges viewers in a different way.
The upshot: It is easier than ever before to watch any show you want anytime you want, instead of watching scheduled shows. The move toward "time shifting" accelerated this week, when two big TV networks, CBS and NBC, agreed to make such prime-time shows as "Survivor" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" available for viewing anytime. The deal comes less than a month after Apple Computer Inc. and Walt Disney Co. made a deal that allows viewers to download episodes of popular TV shows, including "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost," on a video iPod.
Now, programs can also be viewed on cellphones, computers and practically any other device with a screen. Sprint Nextel Corp. last week announced a deal that will dramatically increase the amount of content available for viewing on cellphones. Already, Sprint and Cingular Wireless offer some live TV, and Verizon Wireless and Vodafone run a video-on-demand service called Vcast.
This changing landscape means viewers can often avoid commercials. But they may have to prepare for a future of paying fees for specific shows, such as the CBS/Comcast Corp. deal that will sell episodes of "Survivor" for 99 cents apiece. Here's a viewer's guide to the latest ways to watch TV.
Video on Demand
Cable companies now make movies and other programs available to subscribers who buy a higher "digital" tier of service, which costs roughly $10 to $15 a month extra. To start watching, all viewers have to do is press a few buttons on their remotes, tapping into thousands of hours of content stored in central offices. Viewers usually can reverse, pause or fast-forward the action so they can speed through commercials.
On-demand services have one notable plus: They usually include programs that aren't available on regularly scheduled TV. Operators offer everything from local high-school football games to clips of available singles in the area. Also, many cable operators give a special on-demand benefit to subscribers to premium channels. They can, for example, watch at any time any episode of Rome that's aired on HBO so far this season.
ADVERTISEMENT The Wall Street Journal Online
MCG Price at posting:
0.0¢ Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Held
