I found this blog assignment particularly nice since, like most, I go on both hulu and YouTube multiple times in a week. For this assignment I picked an episode of Modern Family to watch (the most recent episode, "Chirp") and the video short "Red Helmet" from the Nissan Outdoor Games film contest. Watching the TV show on Hulu represents to me how the age of "appointment TV" is coming to a conclusion or at least waning severely. There is no single television show that I make a point of sitting down on my couch to watch anymore because I can watch them all on hulu and if a show is not on hulu and I am intrigued by it I will still probably not sit down to watch it, just let it go and never pursue it. I also have gone back to watch SNL clips on hulu such as the Celebrity Jeopardy clips because they are easier to find on hulu versus YouTube where you have to sift through the clips to find the legitimate and complete one. The easy conclusion of this assignment would be that hulu is the professional site while YouTube is more amateur. And while this is very true, that anyone can post on YouTube while hulu is "closed" to everyone posting videos, I think that YouTube carries both the professional and the amateur videos and clips, one just has to sort through them to find what you're looking for.
The YouTube clip I chose, "Red Helmet" won notoriety at the Nissan Outdoor Games Film Contest and without a site where everyone can post probably would not be so wide spread even though it is a semi-professional film (and very awesome as well, if anyone is into extreme sports check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Dcx4bcBfWo ). Likewise, I tend to watch professionally made music videos on YouTube that I would not be able to see anywhere else. Thus, both sites are or at least have the potential to put out professional quality videos and clips, and both now have advertising, but YouTube is a catch-all outlet for professionals and amateurs to exhibit their work.
I agree that "appointment TV" is on it's way out. Sites such as Hulu and YouTube contribute, but I believe that there are other reasons as well. TiVo is also a factor in the decline of appointment TV since you can watch the shows whenever. It is true that you have to set it to record at a certain time, but there is no appointed time to watch it. I also believe that networks themselves conttribute to the decline of appointment TV since networks like CBS post full episodes and clips of their shows to be viewed at anytime online.
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