Review: Online Episode Player - ABC

ABC's online episode player has the best set up of all the major networks. They allow for feedback on the same page as the show listings and it is the easiest to move from one episode or show to the next. ABC makes it easy and enjoyable to catch up on all you've missed.

ABC is now making episodes available in HD online: Private Practice, Grey's Anatomy, Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives!

Shows Currently Available:

Big Shots
Brothers And Sisters
Carpoolers
Cavemen
Dancing With The Stars
Desperate Housewives
Dirty Sexy Money
Extreme Makeover Home Edition
Grey's Anatomy
Lost
Men in Trees
October Road
Private Practice
Pushing Daisies
Samantha Who?
The Bachelor
Ugly Betty

How To Use ABC's Full Episode Player:

1. ABC's Full Episode Player's web address is: http://www.dynamic.abc.go.com/streaming/landing

2. The listing of shows are on the left side of the page and advertisements for what is currently available is on the right side of the page. There is a large button on the lower right half of the page that will launch the Full Episode Player. This is the button that you should click. There will be several other options, but if you want to go straight to the player itself, click that button.

3. The player will open into a separate page. The shows will fan out horizontally across the page and you can circle around until the show you wish to watch comes up.

4. Once you click on the show you wish to watch, thumbnails of the available episodes will appear. Click on the thumbnail of the episode you wish to watch and the video will begin.

5. The video will open up on the top half of the page. You can use the controls to make the screen larger and adjust the volume.

6. ABC has good controls on their advertisements. An advertisement will open up into another screen and you will notice a timer on the upper right hand corner. When that timer runs out in thirty seconds, you can click to continue viewing your episode, even if the advertisement is not finished. You will also notice small white dots on the player in the area where it shows you the progress of the video. Those white dots are advertisements, this will allow you know when they are coming and plan for your breaks.

My Experiences With ABC's Full Episode Player:

I find that this player runs better using Internet Explorer than my favorite browser. Knowing when the advertisements are coming is a great help in that it lets me know that I can wait a minute longer to take my bathroom break and not have to pause the video. I have not had any difficulties with using this player. My biggest complaint is that they do not keep a full season of episodes up on their website.