A couple weeks ago, I forgot to tape the new episode of Lost that was on TV. Actually, I didn't forget to record it so much as I forgot to leave the TV on the proper channel.
It wasn't all that big a deal, initially, because, as I've said, the show isn't nearly as good this year as it was last year. But it has been picking up a bit. Thankfully. And, when some friends told me how good that particular episode was, I became a bit upset that I had missed it.
Then I remembered...
Lost is one of the shows that they sell individual episodes of on iTunes! And I now have a new iMac with OS X.4 and Quicktime 7 (two of the required pieces of software to view videos purchased at iTMS).
I had read on some sites that the videos purchased on iTMS, since they are intended for the new iPod, are not that great when viewed on a computer screen. But I wanted to see this episode. And the desire to do so was rapidly building.
Yep, it was time to dish out my first $1.99 for a TV show on the Web.
Let me tell you, it was worth it. No, you cannot blow the video up to full screen. That becomes a bit pixellated to say the very least. But I was able, after playing around with different sizes, to get the episode to fill about one-third of my monitor. And, that's perfect. I'm sitting right in front of the thing. It doesn't need to be larger than life and in my face.
Here are some screen caps (I've shrunken them a bit to minimize loading time)...
Okay, so maybe they're not the most flattering shots of Evangeline Lilly and Michelle Rodriguez. But, they'll do.
I could keep watching some shows this way. And since iTMS has expanded its offerings to include some stuff I really want to see like Monk, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and The Office, I might really get into it.
Sorry, I'm not much into torrents and other forms of illegal downloading. I once was a huge aficionado of services like the original Napster and Limewire after that. But, when the place I work blocked out all gnutella clients and I was still on dial-up at home, I gave up. And I just haven't gone back. I guess that makes me an RIAA and MPAA posterboy... nah, not really ;-)
I don't look down on those that do use it, I simply don't have the patience to wade through all the crap out there in hopes that it will be a viable version of what I want and not some crap-quality rip or a recording of Madonna yelling "STOP STEALING MY MUSIC!" (yeah, she did something like that at one point).
Now, if only iTMS could get classic Twilight Zone...
