You 'rent' the video files, can store them up to one month on your hard drive. Once you start watching you have 48 hours to finish watching that episode of David Starkey's 'Monarchy'.

Publius was mighty impressed with the service, which while limited is the merest taste of things to come.

Some software is required to download, but other than that it was relatively simple to start playing around with over a decent broadband connection of 2MB.

One thing that caught our attention during the install process was the option to select 'Eire' as a residence . . . so Channel 4 are targeting the Republic.

American TV networks like NBC have started to make an increasing percentage of their content available online, whether streaming versions of American professional football, specially-made fiwebisodesfi of firstrun programming like the US version of The Office or other programmes.

The practice has already begun to disrupt the traditional economics of TV content distribution in the US, where the local TV station gets its content from its affiliated network and sells advertising off the back of it. While it may look seamless to the casual viewer, the whole schedule is the end product of a complex negotiating process to secure the legal right to distribute content. Until the advent of online distribution the agreements were normally exclusive to within a particular geography.

International distribution has been done much the same way, with RTE buying exclusive rights to distribute certain programmes here at certain times. But with online, ondemand viewing, all those negotiations become that much more complicated.

Hence earlier in the week we saw BT launch its Vision service . . . in the UK and Northern Ireland . . . which will set it up as a distributor of content.

Eircom signed some content deals earlier in the year to deliver some sports programming from Setanta . . .

BT says it will be distributing Setanta's premiership rights, just not to this territory. Magnet Entertainment has ambitions to be a content distributor. UPC (the merged and yet to be rebranded chimera of NTL and Chorus) is also in the distribution business.

Meanwhile, RTE is rumoured to be negotating a number of content deals with alternative distributors.

The Channel 4 service launch is a reminder of how far RTE will have to come, quickly, to see if it has a place as a distributor in future. And that's before the regulators try to get involved.

If all of this sounds confusing, that's because it is. Old business models start to look nonsensical.

Distributors (whether TV stations or internet providers) that could promise advertisers a set of eyeballs who want to watch a certain bit of content . . . say Lost or Desperate Housewives . . . need to know whether their contracts are exclusive. Will Channel 4 sell you an episode of Lost before it appears on RTE? Or will the American network that made it cut a deal with BT? How on earth will there be a ratings system for any of this?

One thing's for sure. If you're not sure who to bet on, the safe money would be to invest in a digital media rights law firm.

SETANTA AND TV3 TIEUP There was still no official confirmation as of Friday close of play from Setanta of its 315m investment from Goldman Sachs and private equity firm Doughty Hanson, which earlier this year bought TV3 in a deal that valued the station at 265m. There was some question remaing about whether the investment would see TV3 hold the stake in Setanta or if it would be retained by Doughty Hanson. Either way, it seems certain in the short term to give TV3 access to a variety of Setanta content. The money will go towards paying for some of Setanta's splurge on rights including certain packages of matches from the English Premier League.

Rumours of a TV3-Setanta tie-up had been circulating as early as September when we reported on them, but the scale of the deal took many by surprise.

WHERE'S PAT KENNY IN THAT CD SUIT?

The RTE Guide was named Consumer Magazine of the Year at the 2006 PPAI Awards. While we're pleased for our friends in RTE publishing, we're a bit disappointed that the new cover does not feature a shot of a) Pat Kenny wearing that ridiculous CD-suit from the Toy Show, b) Pat Kenny being confronted by the guy who fortunately did not have one for everybody in the audience or c) the same guy driving his car into reception at RTE TV Centre.

PR TIPS OF THE WEEK 1) Think before you ring to complain about things that are not errors of fact. Then think again.

2) Entire corporations do not get 'disappointed' or depressed about negative coverage. Coporations may be legal persons, but cannot receive psychotherapy. Yet.

3) Seriously.

WE. . .GOT. . . .THE. . .RELEASE.

GIFT IDEA OF THE WEEK Rupert Murdoch will still be sitting in a corner wearing a funny hat after the OJ Simpson book/TV debacle and may need cheering up. Send him this shirt from tshirthell. com (pictured).
TIS THE SEASON FOR TIPS, CHRISTMAS BRIBES & ABUSE all welcome at rdelevan@tribune. ie.