Sitting here on a somewhat relaxed Friday thinking that Major League Baseball has done it right when it comes to adapting to new business models delivering their content in the new online reality.
Oh, sorry, had to pause there for a second because Albert just smacked a solo homer off Canadian Rich Harden. I'm watching the Cubs and Cards -- on my PC at MLB.com and at the same time on a iPhone 3Gs (surprisingly -- though maybe it shouldn't be -- the game playing on the iPhone is further ahead than the one on my PC).
This year, MLB Advanced Media, baseball's online wing, launched a new Flash player that continues to blow me away and a $9.99 iPhone app.
I've watched baseball online since it became available online -- actually, I even remember listening to broadcast.com years ago when they used to air live games via local city's stations -- and I've watched as MLB's online product crept closer and closer in quality to what you can get on your TV.
The player has near HD-quality video, and I mean that. In its launch window, which is 800x600, picture quality is remarkable, though you need a pretty fast connection in order to enjoy the best picture. The player automatically adjust the video quality to match your bandwidth. You can override the recommended setting, but if you do you risk stuttering. At full-screen on my 24-inch monitor, the video quality suffers but only marginally. I've attached a couple screenshots of my two 24-inchers side by side -- the horizontal on the left is full screen, but it's sort of hard to gauge. Trust me.
On the iPhone, video is dependant on your connection. Yes, you can watch a live game over Rogers 3G connection, but it's pretty pixilated. If you're hooked up to a quick WiFi source, it's as crisp as TV. The number of games broadcast in video is limited -- usually one or two a day -- but all games are broadcast in audio (your choice of home or away feed) and sound quality is just fine over 3G.
But aside from the tremendous video quality on the PC, other bells and whistles make the experience worth the annual fee, which is about $120 a year. You can get it cheaper the later you get into the season, but, if memory serves, watching the playoffs are not included, though you can listen to them (has to do with TV broadcast rights).
Anyway, bells and whistles: The web player and the iPhone player can act like a digital video recorder. If, say, I needed to interrupt the game for an afternoon meeting, I can just pause the Cubs and Cards on both devises and start them when I'm back at my desk. On the PC, I can also watch more than one game. The player can show as many as four games simultaneously, with audio broadcasting on one, or it can display a second game in a smaller window like a TV's picture-in-picture.
And if you find yourself looking for something to watch when there are no live broadcasts on, the player has an archived section that includes every game of the season, so if you'd like to check out Roy Halladay's May 6 start against the Angels, you can. Fast-forwarding and rewinding is simple, though not especially accurate, using a slide bar or forward and back buttons and there's a Jump-to-Inning feature lets you start watching, say, in the 5-run second.
Alternatively, the site also offers a treasure trove of archived games from years past, with video and audio that goes back to the 30s.
Of course, the service is limited because local games are blacked out. It's just a matter of broadcast rights and that geoblock has been in effect since the video service launched. You can, however, listen to the radio broadcast (or, I guess, drive to Pennsylvania). Makes things particularly frustrating, though, when the Jays are playing at noon in Tampa Bay and Rogers or TSN is broadcasting skateboarding or Texas Hold Em. You're SOL.
Still, the truth is, baseball is the only sport that has embraced the web to this extent and they're reaping the rewards. MLB.com launched in 2000 with the 30 teams investing $1-million a year over four years. It started making money in year two and is now a multibillion-dollar juggernaut and the model for subscription services.
If you're a fan, it's pretty fantastic for a lazy Friday.
Here are some archived Globe stories on sports and streaming media: