Currently one of the main problems I have with the process of watching television is the terrible service that is provided by networks while watching a previous episode online. The biggest problem I have with this idea is that while you are able to watch the content that you missed for free it is in piss poor quality that can lag and take away from the original feel of the show. The main problem with this is that viewers to not have the same experience watching a show online that they would in the comfort of their own home. The creators of the show and everyone involved in the process suffer the most in that their original idea has been butchered through the terrible quality of this viewing experience.
Certain shows, such as the ever-popular reality show American Idol, wouldn’t suffer any loss (in my opinion) due to the fact that the picture quality isn’t what makes that show popular. Viewers are not watching this show for the amazing spectacle that is Paula Abdul, but instead the drama behind each episode.
However, with a highly cinematic show such as Lost or Heroes the viewers concentrate on the choices made by the director through the use of lighting, costuming, sound design, or the script in general. When a show of this caliber has been degraded to the quality of streaming media, the viewers experience has lost the initial shock it once had.
For the even bigger question of how to overcome this problem…
Well, networks need to allow viewers to download the original show in its full quality with commercials to help pay for the cost of doing so. The creators could also encode a DRM that would allow the viewer to see the particular piece of programming once all the way through (much like iTunes movie rental service). The users could then watch this piece of video, while on their computer screen, in full quality instead of the blocky and pixilated form that they originally had to resort to.
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