AOL In2TV Offers Free Vintage Television Shows Over a Broadband Internet Connection

A high speed broadband Internet connection simply helps you get more out of the Internet. This is especially true now that AOL has released an online television service, AOL In2TV, which allows anyone with a broadband Internet connection to watch full-length streaming television shows online. Even better, this new service is entirely free and includes shows you already know and love coupled with exciting interactive and community-oriented features.

AOL In2TV Broadband TV Network

AOL In2TV is the first broadband TV network broadcast entirely online, and it boasts the largest collection of free shows anywhere on the Internet. Dozens of old television shows owned by Warner Brothers are available online and free of charge to broadband Internet users courtesy of AOL In2TV. These shows are grouped into “channels” by genre, such as “Vintage TV,” comedy, action, drama, and animation, but AOL In2TV’s model of operation is dramatically different from a traditional television network.

For one, the shows are entirely free and are available to anyone on the Internet with a broadband Internet connection. Secondly, the shows are organized by episode and are viewable at any time; a visitor may watch one of the many episodes and shows whenever they want and in any order. These shows are supported by about a minute of paid advertising time per half hour of content; a far cry from the 10-to-15 minutes of advertising per hour on traditional television networks. Finally, each show is the topic of a community-building feature, such as a themed message board, game, or other fun interactive online applications.

AOL In2TV and Interactive Television over Broadband Internet

The main appeal of AOL In2TV is not only being able to watch favorite old shows online for free with a minimum of advertising. Viewers can also participate in a wide variety of topic discussions about their favorite shows. After viewing the pilot of Growing Pains, for instance, a fan can visit the “Vintage TV” message boards to discuss the Seaver family growing up, or a host of other vintage shows, such as ‘Alice’, ‘F Troop’, ‘Maverick’, and ‘The FBI’.

AOL In2TV has another exciting option for frequent viewers; if you are particularly fond of a show, you can choose to get new, DVD-quality wide-screen episodes sent directly to your computer as they are published with AOL In2TV’s Hi-Q subscriptions. Because of the size of these files, and the fact that standard AOL In2TV is streaming, viewers must have a high speed broadband Internet connection in order to enjoy AOL In2TV. Otherwise, Hi-Q downloads will be slow and streaming video quality will be exceptionally jerky.

AOL In2TV is a much-anticipated test of whether Internet viewers will be willing to embrace full length television shows online. Previously, online entertainment has been restricted primarily to short, 1 or 2 minute video clips on the assumption that many users will not have the high speed Internet connection necessary to watch longer shows. As broadband high speed Internet becomes more popular, however, it is likely that additional services featuring more full-length television shows will appear.