ABC Primetime Shows Now Online
As expected, ABC on Monday placed the first four episodes of its primetime shows online for viewing. The offering is part of a two-month trial announced by the broadcaster last month. New episodes will appear the day after they air, and are encoded in Flash 8, meaning both Mac and PC users are able to use the service.
Initial shows include a "Desperate Housewives" episode from April 30; new episodes from "Lost" and "Alias" from April 26; and a "Commander in Chief" episode from April 27. The standard viewing size would be 500x282 pixels, however a higher bandwidth version would be available at 700x394 pixels. Despite the free offering, ABC will continue to sell its shows without ads through the iTunes Music Store for $1.99 USD, the company has said.