Last October, a survey by the Conference Board Consumer Research Center determined that one out of every 10 online consumers watches TV on the Web. The survey did not say where all this online viewing was taking place, but you can bet it didn't happen in a quiet room with a couch in the corner and a deadbolt on the door.
When you watch TV on your home or work computer, you sacrifice art and comfort for convenience. The screen is small and the distractions – kids, pets, bosses – are many. But if you missed the latest “Heroes” cliffhanger, online viewing can save your entertainment life.
During a recent lunch hour, I went to the CW network's Web site to catch an episode of “Supernatural” that I missed last fall. Because the CW had been streaming full episodes for less than a week, the shows were still commercial-free. But as you will see, I still managed to give plenty of time away:
12:50 p.m.: I plug in my headphones and fire up “Bloodlust,” a goth-y episode about kindly vampires. Does Type O go with vegetarian quesadillas? I'm about to find out.
12:59 p.m.: Ghost-hunting brothers Sam and Dean Winchester (Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles) examine a severed head. The picture is a little too clear. I hit “Pause” and grab some stomach-settling 7Up.
1:08 p.m.: A hair-raising fight scene ends with Dean beheading a vampire with a big saw. The mood is broken by my cell phone. I hit “Pause” again and wonder if there is room under my desk for a big saw.
1:20 p.m.: What's scarier, that the vampires have just kidnapped Sam, or that my boss has just materialized out of nowhere? Good thing I'm supposed to be watching TV.
1:25 p.m.: Can I read an e-mail without losing the show? I can. Can I answer the e-mail when Sam is in danger? I could, but I don't want to.
1:32 p.m.: A co-worker stops by my desk, takes one look at the handsome Winchester brothers and the pretty female vampire and backs away.
1:40 p.m.: Sam and Dean save the pretty vampire and drive their black Impala to the next job. The music swells, but the clattering of a dozen keyboards reminds me that I've got work to do.
Time spent watching a 43-minute show: 50 minutes. Number of interruptions: 6. Second thoughts about spending lunch hour with two hunks, one vampy vampire and no couch: None.
