The BBC iPlayer service is currently free to all residents of the United Kingdom. But should the BBC start charging now that the service has proved its worth and kick started the online television sector in the U.K.? Ashley Highfield, thinks so.

Ashley Highfield?

Who is Ashley Highfield? Only the man who as director of future media and technology at the BBC did more than anyone else to push the iPlayer through from being a mere concept to a reality.

Highfield left the BBC shortly after the iPlayer launched to become managing director of consumer and online at Microsoft U.K. While there he has helped launch the MSN Video Player, which quite frankly pails into insignificance against the iPlayer.

(more…)

Epix has now launched, four months after it was originally announced. The new premium movie channel with accompanying Web site is hoping to gain viewers on both media by offering free weekend passes, but will it be enough for the venture to be successful?

Epix Coming Soon

June saw a new venture announced by the name of Epix. It’s a premium movie channel from Lionsgate, MGM, and Paramount which will be available to watch on cable and, if you are a Verizon FiOS subscriber, on the Web as well.

At the time I described it as a Hulu for movies but that was slightly over the top. It is only available to U.S. residents, the same as Hulu, but it’s a different animal altogether by virtue of being inextricably linked in with a cable subscription. Something which Hulu is not, although even Hulu could soon start charging for selected content.

(more…)

Shikabane Hime Synopsis

Based on the manga by Yoshiichi Akahito, Shikabane Hime follows the efforts of the undead Makina Hoshimura in getting into Heaven.

To do so, she has been enlisted by a group of Buddhist monks to hunt down 108 undead corpses.

“Shikabane Hime” is Japanese for “Corpse Princess.”

Watch Shikabane Hime online

• Watch Shikabane Hime on Hulu (US, all episodes)
• Watch Shikabane Hime on FUNimation’s website (US, all episodes)
• Search for Shikabane Hime episodes
• Find Shikabane Hime torrents

(more…)

The Good Life Synopsis

The Good Life is a situation comedy television series produced by BBC that first premiered in 1975.

The Good Life follows the story of Tom Good (played by Richard Briers) and his wife Barbara (played by Felicity Kendal). When Tom Good turns 40 he decides to quit his job and concentrate on living a sustainable and self sufficient lifestyle. This decision sees them raising animals, turning their garden into a vegetable patch and producing their own electricity much to dismay of their neighbors.

The Good Life aired four seasons and was voted number 9 on the British Best Sitcom list. In the United States it went under title Good Neighbors.

• Watch The Good Life on Amazon On Demand (US residents, $1.99/episode)
• Watch The Good Life on iTunes (UK link)
• Search for The Good Life Episodes
• Find The Good Life Torrents

(more…)

The Lost World Synopsis

The Lost World is an adventure television series that premiered on WB Network in April of 1999.

Inspired by classical adventure story by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World was a joint Canadian-Australian production filmed on New Zealand. It following the adventures of Victorian explorers on the lost plateau populated with dinosaurs and lost civilizations.

The Lost World aired three seasons.

• Search for The Lost World Episodes
• Find The Lost World Torrents

(more…)

Samurai Jack Synopsis

Samurai Jack is a cartoon television series produced by Cartoon Network that premiered in August of 2001.

Created by Genndy Tartakovsky, Samurai Jack was highly stylized cartoon featuring adventures of ancient nameless samurai trapped in the psychedelic post-apocalyptic future Earth, ruled by an evil overlord Aku. Viewers could follow Jack battling various monsters from other comics, movies and cartoons all the while searching for a way home.

Samurai Jack aired four seasons and ended in September of 2004.

• Watch Samurai Jack on iTunes
• Search for Samurai Jack Episodes
• Find Samurai Jack Torrents

(more…)

On Sunday, U2 played a gig at the Pasadena Rose Bowl in California as part of their current world tour. It streamed live on YouTube and managed to rack up 10 million viewers. Which is a huge success for both Google and the Akamai content delivery network which handled the event.

Live Success

YouTube is no stranger to live streaming, having experimented with the method of broadcasting a few times since being acquired by Google. However, Sunday night’s U2 concert was a hit like the site has never experienced before.

When competing with the bread and butter of YouTube – the viral videos generated by users – the U2 concert was a relative failure, but gaining such a large audience for an event such as this is nothing short of spectacular.

(more…)