Classic Flicks In Web 2.0 Format

Just yesterday I spent some time in the evening going through an assortment of digital notes and memos I managed to amass over the last several weeks. Throughout the years I’ve come to realize how forgetful I can be, so whatever I’d like to keep in mind but can’t - for whatever reason - I jot down.

One of the memos I found in the “pile” was a line concerning a website upgrade I read about weeks ago, which I intended to cover here on Profy. Considering that “bigger” things most likely needed mentioning at the time, I pushed the topic aside. Then days passed. Then weeks. Today, it finally gets a plug.

The site: TurnerClassicMovies.com. The news (however belated): It now offers free “screenings” of feature-length films.

Alright, even today the news that TCM is streaming classics over the Web isn’t front page stuff, but it was this or something or other about MySpace and how much various analysts think the network’s worth. I figure Murdoch and his Web 2.0 moneymaker can wait. Besides, I’ve kept this story off Profy’s pages for too long.

TCM.com, even revamped, isn’t the most captivating site on the Net, by any means. It’s a nice supplement to the television operation, but it’s got quite a way to go before it starts winning awards. That said, I must say I like it. Quite a bit, actually.

Firstly, there exist nothing but the classics in TCM’s repertoire. Whether you’re viewing trailers, clips, or full-length features, everything is pre-Pixar. That alone is a wonderful departure that really doesn’t receive enough praise. Sure, it’s good to move on and experience the fresh, the new. But it’s nice as well to look back once in a while.

Also, the general presentation of video at TCM.com is tasteful. While the site’s main page is toned somewhat lightly, the Media Room is shaded mostly in shades of gray, while the area in which the videos themselves are shown is black. The films shown are by default sized rather small, similar to dimensions one would find at sites like YouTube, Photobucket, MetaCafe, etc. The window can be expanded several inches, though image quality suffers. Of course, one isn’t dealing with high-definition content to start, so all in all the pictures relatively viewable, even in enlarged form.

TCM.com is not going to take eyes away from big players in the online video arena. It’s too small and too specialized to produce large, or even medium-sized waves. But there are bound to be folks roaming the Web searching for Hollywood’s oldies. TCM.com appears to offer the most complete selection of such provisions.