Hulu.com, the joint effort of media conglomerates to put TV and movies on the web free to viewers and sponsored by video advertising interruptions (i.e. to compete with free video sharing sites that can't completely control the illicit uploading of studio content), is out of beta with a substantial selection. Some movies are only clips, but there are plenty of full-length movies as well. Material intended for "mature" audiences requires a free account to view.

As 21st century content delivery goes, this isn't a complete space-shifting solution, since content isn't downloadable or transferable to portable or set-top devices. A web browser with Flash plugin and a high-speed Internet connection is required. In practical terms, it'd be sufficient for time-shifting for anyone willing to watch TV on a computer in a browser window, if the selection meets the needs of the viewer. The free instant access to movies and TV back catalog is genuinely fun for lazy rainy afternoons.

I feel completely entitled to continue to resent media corporations, especially NBC-Universal, for withholding participation from established space/time-shifting monetization platforms (iTunes), and especially for sabotaging personal video recorders (TiVo) with show schedules that extend past customary half-hour marks (episodes that last 1 hour and 2 minutes to prevent you from recording a show that airs the following hour on another channel).

And selection will continue to be spotty while the corporations experiment with new revenue models with projects like Hulu. Shows from the Sci Fi cable channel, for instance, are still completely unavailable through legitimate online sources, so if my TiVo's little IR remote control dongle fails to change the channel on my Comcast box (as it does about 1 time in 10), I have no legitimate way to watch the episode.

Ultimately, Hulu represents an uncomfortable compromise offered by the networks: "Let us control the content, the distribution channel and the method of use, and we'll make a few concessions on minor features that are otherwise provided by unfettered access to the content." Some kind of compromise (with "free HD commercial-free MP4s!") is necessary, of course, but I hope future for-pay models evolve from services like iTunes, and are not just expensive versions of Hulu.com.