ABC became the first network to roll out HD quality video online. And while they’re sure to be paying substantial bandwidth fees, the result as you can see below is pretty impressive.
The video shown above is VP7, running at the peak bitrate of 2,020k. The bandwidth meter in the lower right corner adjusts the bitrate to end-user capacity and fluctuates during play. Because it is progressive download, assisted by the Move Networks plugin, playback is very smooth but also highly taxing on the CPU.
While I’m a fan of this from a viewer standpoint, my biggest question is how can they afford to do this? Sure Move Networks is theoretically taking some of the load off of the CDN, but the economics are still hard to swallow.
At 2MBps, a 50 minute show like Lost will be a 6 Gigabyte 750 MB download. Assuming bandwidth charges of $.10/Gb (very low, but they’re ABC) this will run $.075 per (full) stream viewed. If 25,000 viewers watch that’s nearly $2,000 ABC shells out just in bandwidth fees.
When you consider all the costs, even with big-spending sponsors, it’s difficult to see ad-supported HD video online being profitable, at least in the near term. But I hope they prove me wrong.
Who cares about HD if it won’t play? Last season I watched online. Now I can’t get two seconds without the video stuttering… What are ABC’s bandwidth fees if I try three times to watch, get pissed off ten seconds in (when things start to skip), then log off and never watch again?
Jesse, I would bet that your issues are technical in nature and related either to your computer or your network connection. If anyone else has had issues like this, let us know.
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what is the main functionality of your site?
i am not clear
I have the stuttering issue also on streaming. I give up. Not worth the hastle. No problem with any other network, so it’s not my cpu.
Ditto on the stuttering issues on streaming. Very frustrating with same issue on both laptops; appears to be an issue with anyone using Move Media Player as have the same problem playing FX full episodes, but no issues with MTV or VH1.
I tried to launch the NEW media player only to get a blank screen. It won’t play at all
ARGH!!!!! I am glad to see that other people can’t get this stupid player to work either. That means it is not my laptop or connection. I can get other networks players to work. But ABCs??? All I get is constant stuttering. It is dreadful to watch and I give up in about 1 minute or less!! Sure I don’t have a new computer and I have the cheapest service, but I don’t have the budget for even cable tv. How do I keep up on lost??? I used to by watching it online, but no more. I am mad!! Guess I will just continue to watch The office on nbc.com because I can:-)
I can’t get the the ABC videos to play. When I hit launch ABC player all I get is a blank screen. It won’t play at all.
You’re right this player definitely taxes your cpu. I can’t even watch videos on this player. It spikes to 100% CPU usage and then just freezes. I have a pretty good computer but it’s like 3 years old now. Apparently they only want people with brand new computers to be able to watch their vids.
The commercial plays and blank screen, Nice upgrade abc, you guys suck.
ABC’s player blows dogs for quarters … my pc is fine and has no problem running other applications. Once in a blue moon the player will load but 99/100 times it does not. And ABC shows from other sites all link to their player making them impossible to watch.
ABC video player in full-screen HD has always run just fine on my macbook. Not fanboyin’, just sayin’.
I can’t even get it to load.. every time I try to launch it, I get the OOPS screen, telling me I need to upgrade my Flash Player, of which I already have FP 10, the latest version.. I also have installed MoveNetorks and still get the OOPS screen… so you guys that have actual video problems with the player are way ahead of me!
I really liked your blog!
I get to the online episode site then the commercials play and then a blank screen.
What is this site for if it will not post a fix to the playback problem?
For those of you who can’t get ABC’s player to work, You’re Lucky! It blows anyway. After each segment, there is a commercial. After you endure the ad, you must click “resume” for the show to continue. I think about how much I hate ABC and their advertisers every time I get up from the couch to go to the damn computer to click the freaking “resume” button. I realize you want us all to watch the sponsors messages but this is anal retentive to the max. Boot to the Heads of the programmers that thought up this piece of shit… You’re fired.
getupgetdowncommercialhell, if you goto the settings (upper right corner) it lets you auto resume after the ads. Check it yourself before you blame the “piece of shit”. It also rescales to fullscreen if that is how it was being watched originally.
And lastly, It’s frickin’ free. Quit whining.
Not a fanboy, I just enjoy not having to purchase the seasons DVDs, steam it in crap quality, and/or have half the episodes missing.
Thanks, Liggums! ..still think the player is an over-produced piece of crap tho. Much prefer Hulu’s set up!
So I guess no one has any help on how to get this to work? If someone does please post it here. Tks.
I have a dsl connection that consistently clocks at over 9 Mbps. I have no trouble viewing ABC’s shows in standard resolution with the regular browser screen, but when I switch to full screen, the show jumps and hesitates like mad. This is most certainly an issue with ABC’s/Move Player because I can watch an entire Netflix movie at full screen without a single hiccup. This problem did not exist until ABC switched to the new player. Very disappointing…
getupgetdowncommercialhell, if you goto the settings (upper right corner) it lets you auto resume after the ads. Check it yourself before you blame the “piece of shit”. It also rescales to fullscreen if that is how it was being watched originally.
My issue with the player is that it jumps to a commercial but provides no transition or option to view the video stream.
I had the previous player and it worked fine, now it says I need an upgrade which refuses to download. Thanks for the big improvement. I guess I’ll be watching cbs from now on.
Thank you for this great post. I really love this tv series. Can’t wait for the next season ! Keep up the good work with that
Since ABC upgraded their player cannot get to work just get a blank screen, and there doesn’t appear to be any way to get help in fixing the problem, anyone know what to do?
I rely on my computer to see abc. In the past I watched my favorite shows with no complications. Now it stops, it buffers, I keep trying….but I am so frustrated! I travel nurse and refuse to set up cable while I travel. I have internet, I watch netflix movies, it seems it is only with abc!!!! Is there anything I can do? And yes I plugged into the new move on.
I have the same thing happening as Traci reported. I had no trouble previously, now suddenly it’s a mess but only on ABC. Everything else plays fine.
All of these users are correct about the “New Player”. I am a Desktop systems engineer for a financial institution. My machines have the same issue as the posts before me. Everything on my machines function perfectly except your player. I can pull any video, movie, or tv show except the ABC videos. The beta you have deployed must not have been tested very well. In my environment this would cost me my job!
I really have no complaints with the exception of the player not staying in Full Screen during and after the commercial breaks. Otherwise, I’m very pleased with ABC. The quality alone makes me forget that it’s being streamed over the net. I can’t believe how quickly that technology has improved recently. I’m very impressed!
Oh, I might add that I’m running Snow Leopard Mac OS X and using Safari 4 AND I was surprised that I never had to download a plugin/extension for my browser to view ABC shows unlike what I had to do for my Windows XP machine.
I was stunned that upon first try, this new mac I just bought played abc shows without and additional configurations.