We really are living in an information age, and for me one of the coolest aspects of that is how accessible everything is, all the time. I’m the sort of person that has to start a TV or book series at the beginning and then I must see every episode, read every chapter. If I can’t, then I don’t even bother starting on the series. Usually this meant that as a kid I wouldn’t watch a whole lot of television. Sure, Saturday morning cartoons, maybe a show or two in the evening if my Mom and Dad let me but I was a busy kid and I didn’t have the luxury of rearranging my schedule to see the shows I really wanted to see.
Now I don’t have that problem. Online I have my pick of providers for content. You can stream some shows directly from their network sites, with many offering web exclusive features like games, “webisodes”, comics and community forums. Away from these network sites there are aggregates, generally costing a monthly fee, that compile movies and shows into large databases. Despite the cost these services are the most convenient, providing a much wider selection. Different businesses are going to specialize in different things. An aggregate that keeps up to date television shows will most likely have a more narrow selection of movies, and vice versa. By mixing and matching between these sorts of companies I was able to find a great combination that lets me see movies and watch up to date television any time I want, for less than twenty dollars more than I pay for internet alone.
The services are out there, and with wireless hotspots, internet cafes, wireless aircards and 4G cell phone connectivity television really is available anywhere these days either for free or at minimal costs.