Free Internet Tv

Radio and television have long been popular sources of news, information, and entertainment, so it's interesting to see how these more traditional media sources have tried to take advantage of the Internet.

Playing audio and video over the Internet

Until recently, a significant barrier to providing radio and television programs over the Internet has been the large size of audio and video files. But as high-speed Internet has become much more common in larger population centres, online audio has become much more readily available. Online video, on the other hand, remains a challenge, since video file sizes still outstrip the capabilities of many high-speed Internet connections.

If you want to listen to the radio or watch videos over the Internet, your web browser will need to use a special media player. Which media player you need depends on the format(s) in which the audio or video you want to play is offered.

The two most common media players and formats are Windows Media Player and RealPlayer.

Windows Media Player is included for free with all Windows operating systems. You can also download a "Mac OS X" version for free from the Microsoft website at www. microsoft.com. Windows Media Player can be used to present both audio and video content.

RealPlayer media player can be downloaded for Windows, Mac, and Unix/Linux operating systems from the RealPlayer website at www.real.com. In addition to a basic, free version, the site offers a premium version that includes a media player with more features, as well as premium online audio and video content.

A word of warning: RealPlayer has been notorious for using heavy-handed techniques to encourage users to pay for its premium add-ons instead of just downloading its free media player. That said, some recent reviews I've read for RealPlayer 10, the latest version of its software, suggest that the company has changed its strategy, making it much simpler and more convenient to use its freely downloadable media player. (Having not used the program much myself, I can't offer you a first-hand review.)

Audio/video that is available in Windows Media Player format must be played back using the Windows Media Player; similarly, anything available in RealPlayer format must be played back using the RealPlayer media player. Links to where these players can be downloaded are usually available on any website that requires them.

Radio over the Internet

Radio requires much smaller file downloads than audio, so many radio stations also allow you to listen to their programs over the Internet. Note, however, that these file downloads are still quite large, so you'll want a high-speed connection (DSL or cable) to enjoy them.

To check whether your favourite radio station is available online, you can "Google it" at www.google.com, or you can try to guess it's online address by adding a "www." before the station's name and a ".com" or ".ca" after it (for example, CFOX is available online at www.cfox.com). You can also check the Media Job Search website at www.mediajobsearchcanada.com, which lists radio station websites by province and territory.

And note the latest trend: Some new radio stations, like www.icebergradio.com, www. sputnik7.com/radio, and www.totallyradio. com, are bypassing the AM and FM spectrum altogether, broadcasting solely via the Internet.

TV over the Internet

Since video requires such large file downloads, TV over the Internet is usually only available in small clips, which are used to expand on text articles. Even though these video clips are short, you'll still want a high-speed connection to enjoy them.

The more popular news programs commonly have online websites where you can read a text article of important news events, and many of these articles will have a "speaker" or "move camera" icon after the title. The "speaker" icon means the article comes with an audio clip; the "move icon" indicates a video clip. Some TV stations with online news presences include: the CBC (www.cbc.ca/news), the BBC (news.bbc. co.uk), and CNN (www.cnn.com/).

If you want to watch music videos, check out the websites for MuchMusic (www. muchmusic.com), and MTV (www.mtv. com). By virtue of their short length, most music videos lend themselves well to viewing over the Internet.

Other TV shows and movies aren't usually available over the Internet, but television production companies are well aware of the Internet's marketing potential, so you'll find an increasing amount of online features and information. The best place to find information about your favourite television show is on the website of the network that owns it (for example: www.ctv.ca, www.pbs. org, and www.hbo.com).

Unlike radio, television over the Internet just isn't very convenient at this point in time. The video files are too large, and the video and audio quality is too poor to really make it enjoyable. But if you're travelling, or for some reason don't have access to a television and need news in a hurry, the Internet is a handy standin-you'll at least be able to catch up on the news, and maybe find a bit of entertainment.

By Rita Mikusch, Webmaster

Any favourites you'd like to share?

I have to admit, I don't usually watch TV or listen to the radio, so if I've missed an interesting or useful online resource that you'd like to share with your colleagues, please send it to me at mikusch@ica.bc.ca for publication in a future instalment of Web Works.

Website Features

Is there anything you'd like to see added to the ICABC website? Email your suggestions and ideas to me at mikusch@ica.bc.ca

Copyright Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia Jun/Jul 2005
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved

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