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WeedsBehindTheScenesOnShowtime

Behind the Scenes http://www.sho.com/site/weeds/bts.do

One of the things I liked best about Weeds:Behind the Scene was that I could watch it on my Mac. I don't have Windows on it, so for most the websites that I visit regularly, like CNN and Food Network, I don't have the necessary plugin. Fortunately, Weeds doesn't require it. Although, there is this weird glitch that happened when I used my Mac. The clip navigation bar at the bottom kept flashing, like it was loading and couldn't quite get there. I don't know what the problem, but something funky was going on that didn't happen when I looked on a computer with Windows. Now to give Showtime the benefit of the doubt, I looked at the website on different computers at very different times, so maybe the glitch was only temporary and not a permanent Mac thing.

I also thought the menu bar was one of its better features. If you don't like the clip or are finished watching your current one. You can easily switch among the clips in that category. You can also navigate to other portions of the site. I could watch old segments of Dead Like Me (the best show on tv that nobody watched, so showtime cancelled it) or any other Showtime programming.

It was also nice to not have prerolls. When you click on a movie, you get a few second showtime graphic, but that's it. This graphic appears before EVERY piece of footage you watch. The more you watch, the more tired you get of that graphic, but still it's better than a 15 or 30 second commercial. Although, there should be something said for variety. In terms of advertising, when the video ends or you're currently not watching anything, a poster for some showtime event or show appears in the viewer. I thought that was a clever idea, not as obtrusive as an actual commercial. Also along side the video viewer, there was more advertising. This is where outside advertisements, but even then they appear between showtime ads.

The video viewer was pretty standard, which is good because it makes it easy to use. However, with the maximize option, the larger video is not that great quality-wise.

As an overview, i think it's a pretty standard application. Many of the same functionalities and features as most players. The one difference is the lack of preroll and postroll outside advertising. Advertising, in general, doesn't seem to be a big part of the site. Even the outside ads on the side have very little eye-catching quality. They're basically subdued posters.