This week, we're taking a look at a website that's trying to bridge the computer/living room divide - from "the tube" to "the series of tubes": this week's Arts+Labs review is for ABC.
As with all TV networks, bridging the divide means putting their existing content on the web. ABC's video player handles that task quite well. ABC showed up early in the race to get mainstream content onto the web, and their playback quality has been exemplary from the beginning.
The quality changes during playback to account for your system performance, but even the standard resolution video holds up well when expanded to full screen. If you have the proper setup (especially a high-speed connection), the quality climbs right to the top.
As for quantity, ABC is showing full episodes for 17 of its 24 primetime and late-night shows - 23 total, if you don't count Scrubs, which ABC acquired for the show's upcoming eighth season. Episodes for nine of those programs can be viewed in HD.
These numbers are lower than those for the other major networks, but a big part of the reason for that is ABC's near-total reliance on hour-long shows--and Dancing with the Stars, which occupies two and a half hours of prime time each week. Another reason is that ABC doesn't stream full episodes of its daytime programming online.
To complement their programming, ABC has made moves toward something all of the networks are attempting to some degree: keeping viewers connected to their favorite shows even when they aren't in front of the television.
To that end, ABC has created individual pages for 28 of its shows. These 28 shows account for almost all of the 31 message boards they've set up, and 13 of those account for most of the 20 blogs run by ABC. The website even includes podcasts for several of the shows, as well as some show-themed games and widgets.
It doesn't end at the web, either. ABC wants you to connect through your mobile, too: fans of both primetime and daytime shows can sign up for text alerts, and various shows have ringtones and wallpaper available.
Again, this is all clearly designed to reach out for viewers even when their favorite show isn't on - keep them connected to fellow enthusiasts, provide them with extra material surrounding the show, perhaps give the viewer some input (voting on reality show contestants, for example) and otherwise frequently draw their attention back to the show. Involved viewers are repeat viewers.
Having top quality content is a significant advantage for sites such as ABC, and they have the quality content because they have a clear business model that protects the creators and the viewers. By making its content easily accessible online, ABC is making their creative content even more valuable for consumers.
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