In2TV is AOL's rough diamond.

AOL's big move from Internet access provider to Internet content provider has, in my view, been generally well thought out. There have been hiccups -- that horrible public release of search results last year, for instance -- and there is certainly resistance against the AOL brand from disgruntled customers and veteran Internet users who still recall with horror the first deluge of the AOLers upon their once pristine network. Nonetheless, AOL offers a lot of good services and still has positive name recognition among millions of users. Like Yahoo!, AOL is too focused on safely providing to users what it thinks they want, an attitude which can hinder innovation sometimes. In2TV is a nice example of AOL innovation at work: the content is terrific, the idea is superb, and the execution is flawed.

In2TV is essentially Internet video's answer to Nick-at-Nite. It is an increasingly vast repository of old television shows and some public domain films. Its strength is the quality and quantity of its library: its offerings range from the Hanna-Barbera classic Scooby Doo to the anime classic Bubblegum Crisis, from the philosophical drama Kung Fu to the slapstick comedy of the Three Stooges, and from the recent flop Joey to the perennially popular Gilligan's Island. Episodes are viewable on demand and registration is not required for viewing. With a lineup like it has, In2TV can rival many television stations. How, one might ask, could it possibly go wrong? Actually, if In2TV works for you, you'll probably be delighted with it -- it's certainly one of my favorite web sites! The trouble it is it may very well not work for you. Windows Media Player is a requirement, a definite minus for non-Windows users! The video content is only licensed to be viewed inside of the United States, so that restriction alone eliminates most of the world's population from the potential In2TV audience. Playback is not always smooth -- I've experienced my fair share of frozen videos, endless ad loops, and other unpleasantness. Serious problems have even required me to reinstall Windows Media Player twice. I keep coming back, though, because In2TV's content rocks, and on an average visit I don't experience too much difficulty in seeing what I want to see.

I'm not sure the problems I mentioned will ever be "resolved." Since In2TV is advertising-supported, it makes sense that it be targeted to an American audience so long as that is what the advertisers want to target. Perhaps with time the appeal of a world market will also draw in internationally-minded advertisers. It is also doubtful that In2TV's restrictive technology will change any time soon -- since AOL doesn't own the rights of the video content it is broadcasting, DRM-friendly solutions are necessary to keep the copyright holders happy. Nonetheless, as long as there are plenty of media hungry American Windows users out there, In2TV ought to thrive. I know I'll be watching!