Jay Taylor is a Senior Developer Relations Engineer at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
Give Me Online Video or Give Me Death!
Show me the content!
For those that have been following this blog, you have heard me share thoughts on the value of the Home Theater PC and all the great things it can do. I have talked about the MSI 7411 platform (a.k.a. “Maui”) and the unique features it offers to this space. I have even dropped a few hints about all this wonderful content that exists online. But where do you find it?
Well, today I thought I would share info and links to some of the content that exists online. Some content is in high definition (HD)* while some is standard definition (SD) and in many cases, you can find full length episodes of your favorite TV content. You can even find older syndicated shows that may not be available from broadcasters in your area or on any station today. Whether you are looking for reruns of Star Trek from the 1960′s, cop shows from the 1980′s (TJ Hooker anyone?) or (sticking with the William Shatner theme) the latest episode of Boston Legal, you can probably find just about all of it online.
This is not to say that every episode of every show is available, but there is a very, very large amount of content to be found with just a little bit of effort. Much of it is free or ad revenue supported. In addition to this ad revenue-supported content, there are also subscription services where you can access even more content and services.
This list is not all-inclusive by any means and is somewhat regional in nature due to my location here in the U.S. For those folks in other regions, make a comment on this blog post with your favorite content providers and we will add to this list.
What I am hoping to show here is just how much content can be found with minimal effort. After all, it is content that we are all ultimately interested in and what helps make the HTPC a valuable part of your entertainment system.
Most of what I have discussed previously involved a remote controlled interface through Windows® Media Center. When you add a keyboard, mouse, and an Internet connection to your HTPC, you increase the amount of content available to your HTPC. It is important to note that broadband Internet connections are very helpful for viewing online content. Most of the links to content below are found through ordinary web searches using your preferred browser software.
Now, enough talk, on with the list:
| Sports(mostly subscription services) ESPN 360 CBS Sports Golf Channel MLB NBA League Pass NFL Rewind NFL Game Pass |
Networks and Broadcasters ABC ABC Family NBC CBS Fox The WB (Warner Bros. TV) The CW PBS |
News ABC News CNN Podcasts CNBC CSPAN CNBC+ (Subscription service) BBC National Public Radio |
| Cable/Satellite Channels TBS USA Network Lifetime Network Hallmark Channel Spike TV (full episodes) Tru TV A&E TV Current TV Sci Fi Channel TNT TV The Daily Show with Jon Stewart The Colbert Report FX Networks E! Channel BET My Network TV TV.com TV Land |
Educational/Specialty Channels AMC (mostly clips) BBC America Speed TV (mostly clips) Discovery Channel / TLC National Geographic Channel Earth Touch (mostly clips, many in HD) History Channel (Full Episodes under Video Tab) Military Channel Bio Channel (Full Episodes under Video Tab) Documentary Channel (click on Screening Room) Travel Channel (Mostly clips and highlights) Home & Garden TV Food Network DIY Network Better TV |
Content Catalogues (Original, syndicated, and user-generated content) Crackle Hulu MSN TV Fancast Veoh iTunes (Fee based) Revision 3 Joost Blip TV Vimeo Nextnewnetworks Crunchyroll Revver YouTube Break Taker Online Video Guide Toma Internet TV |
| Music Videos iTunes MTV MTV Music VH1 Fuse TV |
Kids/Teen Programming Cartoon Network Nickelodeon Disney Channel The N-Channel |
TV & Movie Streaming/Download (Subscription/Fee-based services) Amazon Blockbuster Online Netflix Cinemanow iReel Reeltime |
So, as you can see, there is a whole world of content out there to be enjoyed on an HTPC. Stay tuned for the next update, where I will discuss where you can get your own HTPC.
*HD monitor or TV required to view HD content
Till next time, happy trails!
POSTED IN: Digital Lifestyle, Home Theater
TAGS: HTPC, Internet TV, Maui, Online Video
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COMMENTS: 12
Great job! I think this blog contains some of the most crucial aspects of a HTPC. Whether you are starting from scratch or already have a HTPC setup but are experimenting different capabilities or functions. Keep up the good work!
A recent personal experience. To my dismay, I failed to record the last episode of 24, however I found out Fox makes available the three last episodes and with their player you get very very good quality and full screen (almost HD if not HD) video. I was able to stay up to date on 24!!
It is too bad that a lot of the US contient that we already get on cable in Canada is not avilable to us via these sites.
Hey Jay, Thanks for this expansive list, and thanks for including Crackle! Let me know if you ever need any info…. Cheers! http://www.twitter.com/crackledotcom
Sorry man, not strictly on topic.. trouble is that some AMD software, towhit AMDDLL64.SYS causes BSOD in vistax64 ID you have a phenomIIx710 cpu fitted.. Wouldnt post here EXCEPT I cant find a way to post direct to AMD..keep being sent aroubd in circles..a simple contact us link allowing a problem post without jumping through hoops would be nice:-) Anyway this is a headsup regarding the problem with AMDDLL64.SYS and new 3 core phenom2′s
@Cliff, Hello Cliff, if you are in North America, you should be able to reach our support team at (408) 749-3060. Ask for Jesus Canseco, he should be able to assist you with this issue.
Regards,
Jay
This list is just what I have been looking for!! Thanks, Jay.
Hey Jay, You ever heard of a company called Reeltime (www.reeltime.com)?
They also seem to have some great HD streaming movies. They also are doing hotels in conjunction with Ethostream (ethostream.reeltime.com).
They have been at this for four or five years now.
@Frank Harris, Hello Frank, no I had not heard of them before. However, I have added a link to their site.
Thanks for the tip.
Jay,
Great list. I think that each of the content holders and services like Netflix will ultimately offer a unique and rich 10′ experience, BBC is blazing the trail and others will follow.
Pingback: Online Video Content for Your Acer Revo 3610 HTPC | Paul J Roberts
Nice site and yes a very nice list. We have also been working on an Online Video list / directory at OVDirectory.com and are always looking for more suggestions. We’d also love to be added to your list! Thanks!