Clicker Content Overview
Watching at Clicker.com vs. Destination Sites
Clicker does not produce any TV shows, Web shows, or movies ourselves. We don't host any shows on our
servers either. Clicker's purpose is to let you know what's available to watch online, let you
know where to find it, and help you decide what's worth watching. Sometimes destination sites, i.e., the
producers of online programming, offer "embeds" of their shows, so you can watch them directly from Clicker.
Other times, they do not (the ratio is about 50/50 right now). Why not? The answer varies, but
the bottom line is that it is early in the life of online television, and many content owners are still figuring
out where they want to make their shows available. Some want to let you watch it wherever you are, some want
you to come to them. Clicker wants to get you to the right show, right now, wherever it may be playing.
Program Availability
Why are some programs unavailable online? When will you get them?
The answers to these questions are a moving target, and one of the advantages of using Clicker is that we stay on top of which shows are available at any given time, as well as where to find them as they switch homes on the Web from time to time.
As a general rule, videos are usually unavailable because the content distributor has decided to take them off the Web, either temporarily or permanently. We don't exactly know why in all cases, but we've seen some patterns:
- 1. Evergreen Sources
Our favorite! These sources have a solid archive of video that stays online indefinitely.
Examples:
Charlie Rose - More interviews than you can shake a stick at.
South Park - Did you know you can watch every episode of South Park online for free? Genius.
Clark and Michael - A great original Web series that has stayed online since it debuted in 2007. Unfortunately we're still waiting for Michael Cera and Clarke Duke to make season 2!
- 2. Scheduled Takedowns (or "Windowing")
The major broadcast and cable networks have internal policies on the number of episodes they'll make available online at any given time (and for how long). This is known as "windowing", and it's difficult to predict, let alone keep track of. Some shows keep the newest 5 episodes of the current season and the last 5 episodes of the previous season. Others have different rules. These rules often change what's available at the end of each season. Over time, we expect these rules to become more consistent, but for now, Clicker has to stay nimble, and you have to stay patient and be content with what actually IS available online!
- 3. Random Takedowns
Some TV networks offer a grab bag of videos that do not follow any discernible pattern and are usually limited to a handful of episodes. Again, we hope to see them become more consistent over time, but looking at the bright side, they are better than #4 below.
Examples include Nickelodeon and Adult Swim.
- 4. Not Available At All
Our least favorite! Sometimes networks do not make any shows or videos available online. Clicker still offers show pages for these programs, since it's better to know something is unavailable than go searching all over the Web on a wild goose chase only to come up empty-handed. So if you wonder if something is available, come to Clicker and we'll tell you.
Examples, unfortunately, include many of your favorite HBO shows like The Wire.
Paid vs. Unpaid Content
In order to be truly comprehensive, Clicker catalogs the programming from paid content sources, from Netflix to iTunes to Major League Baseball. This way, while you can't watch The Sopranos or Big Love for free online, at least you know where you can watch them online, for a price. In addition, Clicker can be helpful in letting you know whether you need to pay to see a show, since it may be available for free online -- so make sure you check with Clicker first before hitting Buy Now!
Legal vs. Illegal Content
While there is plenty of illegal video out there on the Web, Clicker wants no part of it. We make best efforts
to only direct you to legal content from the best possible source. (If you believe any piece of content
cataloged on Clicker is illegally online, please let us know at
help@clicker.com so we can remove it and notify the content owner.)