I’m watching last Wednesday’s recap episode of Lost in the corner of my screen. No $1.99 iTunes download. This is ABC’s streaming player with full episodes of Lost, Desperate Housewives, Alias and Commander in Chief (also watched today). I had both shows saved on my DVR, but I prefer to watch them on the computer in the background than take the time to watch in my bedroom where the shows are recorded.

The interface is slick, the commercials easy to deal with (since they’re movie trailers) and the quality sharp. The networks are sticking their toe in the pool, and they’re finding the water feeling pretty warm. I wouldn’t be surprised if next season, nearly every program was available to watch this way, with advertisers paying more for the “captive” eyeballs and the unskippable commercials.