I missed an episode of Grand Designs a week or so ago and so thought I'd mosey over to the Channel 4 website and try out its On Demand service, which allows you to view programmes you missed via the internet for free.
This is a brilliant idea, and one the BBC is also exploring: it got the go-ahead for its iPlayer (which sounds like something Apple might do but is nothing to do with them) from the BBC Trust on Monday. Under this scheme, you will be able to catch up with programmes you've missed over the past week and even download multiple episodes of a series.
But I hope the BBC's iPlayer ends up being a little less picky about the computer you're using. Having found my way to Channel 4's website, all set to enjoy Kevin McCloud umming and ahhing over the latest ambitious building project, the website rather abruptly told me that my choice of operating system and web browser weren't compatible with the software you have to download on to your computer.
Which was kind of annoying. I'm running Vista, the latest version of Windows, and more and more people will be using this as they ditch old computers and buy new ones. But no, that's too damn new for Channel 4. And if you're a Mac user, you can sod off, too. 4oD will only play with Windows XP - and to add insult to injury, it will additionally only play with Internet Explorer, Microsoft's own web browser, and not Safari (the default Mac browser), Firefox (an increasingly popular alternative) nor Opera (a less popular alternative).
So bollocks to that. For the duration, I'm going to be sticking to my old-fashioned, low-tech but effective version of on-demand TV: my VHS recorder.
