Ok, I posted the earlier link to AOL’s U.N.C.L.E. episodes without some of my caveats, so here they are:
Damn you, digital rights management!
I mean, I spent hours downloading episodes and then I had to watch it through the AOL browser window, without the ability to watch full screen . Ugh. I did – quickly – find a workaround: Locate the hidden video files in you documents directory, start playing the episode through he browser (to get the playback rights) and then pause that and start playing the full file through Media Player. You not only get full screen playback, but you also are not shown the annoying commercials AOL intersperses throughout their playback.
Yes, I know, it’s free, I shouldn’t complain; BUT, “free” to me means, well, “free:” no strings attached. These episodes have strings, lots of them, in the form of DRM. Look, I’ll be the first one in line to buy an U.N.C.L.E. Season 1 DVD set, and I’ll gladly pay $2 an episode for a more flexible playback model (a la put it on my ipod and play on my TV), but right now this is the ONLY way I can watch this show, so the hoops I have had to jump through have been, well, annoying.
Well, on the bright side, at least I HAVE the ability to watch the show again…