In case you haven't noticed: the 21st Century Internet...and the world's largest entertainment "network"...is finally here.

For the past decade, the Net has offered all kinds of original, entertaining media, but they have always been very limited by the speed at which people connected. While there have been other limitations as well (e.g., processing speeds of people's computers, limited software tools, incompatibilities among browsers and plug-ins, etc.), the largest factor was how long it would take to view something online. It was often quite painful to see a stopping-and-starting-and-then-hung-up postage-stamp-sized videoclip try its best to entertain you.

The pipe is now big enough for media-based entertainment. In the U.S., for instance, virtually all schools and businesses have high-speed connections, and the number of homes with high-speed is growing rapidly.

For those with broadband connections, file size is generally an issue now only for huge files—such as a full-length movie. (Sure, slowdowns and hang-ups of media works still occur sometimes, but they're no longer the norm.) The Net's distribution of music has, of course, changed that industry. Animation of all kinds are everywhere, films are widely available and even being made just for the Net, video-blogging is growing, podcasts are circulating, media-based games and online gadgets are common, and highly complex graphical environments are fostering virtual societies.

Even high-definition movies are available on the Net now. In short, the long-dreamed-about entertainment future is here... finally.

But be careful what you wish for: there is now so much original, Net-based media, in so many places, how do you find the very best?

• You could use a search engine for a given descriptive phrase or media type, and spend the rest of your natural life sifting through a few hundred thousand links.

• You could go to one of zillions of sites dedicated to particular kinds of short movies, or podcasts, or games, or whatever, and sift through a few zillion choices until you find something great... and then move onto the next of zillions of sites... each of which is dedicated only to... and often sponsored by... one particular kind of media or sensibility or content provider.

• You could wait until a friend emails you a link, hope that it's something great, and then wait again... until... his/her... next... email recommendation.

OR...

...you could see what's on this week's radar at PingRay.

As an independent Guide, we make our selections without promoting any particular media tool or company or content provider. We…and the people who send us recommendations... find gems buried in obscure sites made by creators working in their spare time, and gems buried in prominent sites run by huge multinationals. Because entertainment comes in many forms... video, animation, sound, games, environments... and many styles... witty, silly, serious, passionate, scientific and romantic... we cover many kinds of Net-based work... as long as it entertains your heart, brain, soul and/or funny bone.

But we are very picky. And we know that most people have very limited time. We focus on only 4 (out of 13) categories each week, so you can savor the selections... or, if you're still hungry for more of the best, you can check out All PingRay Issues for previous PingRay issues. And, when you want to rave about or criticize them... or share your vision of what Net-based entertainment can be... you can join us in our blog, On The Radar.
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Just as radar scans for targets or “pings,” so PingRay uses our “radar beam” to scan for the best in Net-based entertainment.
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• We choose entertaining, Net-based works that make us want to say “you must see this.”

• We select the best Net-based entertainment. This means creative works made specifically for the Net, such as interactive animation or on-line toys, as well as works that, while not made specifically for the Net, for all practical purposes appear to be available primarily through the Net. An example of the latter: a great short film that had been shown in a theater or two, but is available to most people only through the Net.

• We don't select works whose sole purpose is to promote offline work, unless it is truly extraordinary and is available only on the Net. And we don't select TV shows or movies that are simply being re-purposed for the Net. So, we wouldn't choose a trailer for a new movie or a Net-delivered episode of “I Love Lucy”... although, if a new movie (or “I Love Lucy”) had an amazing, Net-only work to accompany it, we might choose that. For example: the groundbreaking, hidden-all-over-the-Web game that accompanied Steven Spielberg's “A.I.: Artificial Intelligence” movie.

• We don't receive payment in exchange for promoting anyone's work. And, similarly, we are not out to promote any particular technology, style or company. As an independent Guide, we place the highest value on our complete editorial independence... and your perception of it. This is one of the things that makes PingRay unique.

• The primary emphasis is on works using moving media (animation, film/video, sound, interactivity). So... you would best have high-speed access, the latest Flash animation plug-in, and at least one of the video players (QuickTime, RealVideo, Windows Media Player). Most people have this configuration. (See FAQs if you have questions about this.)

• We choose individual works that are, in essence, “program experiences.” To us, this means that the Net is exploding as an alternative to television, and that people are looking for complete entertainment experiences (not just Web pages). We don't feel this means that Net-based entertainment is only a kind of television; it is different and, presently, as undefined as movies were when they were only 10 years old... just as the modern Net is.

• Because we are looking for program experiences, we do not choose entire Web sites, unless the site consists entirely of that work. The work needs to be a complete experience in some way, not just samples of skills, as one might find in a portfolio... although, of course, a portfolio might contain a terrific, complete work.

• Our weekly e-Guide... available on our Web site (www.pingray.com) and by email... offers a selection in each of that's week's 4 categories, out of a larger list of 13 categories. Previous e-Guides and their selections are available in All PingRay Issues. We also invite you to join our vigorous discussion of these works and the future of Net-based entertainment, in our On The Radar Blog.

• Most of the works we select are for general audiences. If there is some content in a terrific piece that is suggestive, violent or otherwise might offend some people or be inappropriate for children, we will provide a NOTE of caution in the description, with an indication of the nature of the content. (We do not even consider pornography or works containing gratuitous violence.)

• Selected works must be free, or, if registration is required, it must be a free registration. Alternatively, we might select exceptional works that charge for registration, but only if users are given a free preview without obligation. We do not select works that you must pay to view or sample.

• We want to help reclaim “entertainment” from celebrities, big Hollywood movies and industry gossip, which is how TV shows, pop culture magazines and some Web sites often define the word. For us, entertainment is expressive work that moves you emotionally, that delights you, that is fun, that stimulates your mind, and/or that challenges you. It's not shopping, personals, scientific research, or news, all of which are found in great abundance on the Net. It can be art, movies, new kinds of stories, games, environments, audio works, online toys or gadgets, experimental works, video blogs and anything in-between. Net-based entertainment is constantly evolving, but we…and you…know it when we enjoy it.

• We receive nominations from a wide variety of sources, as well as from our own extensive research, and we invite you to nominate your favorites. Final selections are made by PingRay. We also invite you to join the discussion about these works on the PingRay Blog.
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We choose the best works in 4 categories for each week's e-Guide. Previous week's selections are then made available in the All PingRay Issues section. The complete, current list of categories follows. If you know of Net-based entertainment that doesn't quite fit into these categories, please let us know... we're constantly modifying the list:

• Net Movies—Films, video or animation, made specifically for the Net, or distributed primarily over the Net. They are linear only—that is, they are play-though only and not interactive.

• Net Stories—Works that create original ways of telling stories, such as online comix, video blogs, hypertext fiction or interactive poems.

• Net Art—Works made by artists primarily to explore new visual, conceptual or experiential approaches, primarily for the Net.

• Online Gadgets & Toys—Original online activities that, in some fashion, elicit the kind of play or interaction that a good toy or tool does.

• e-Cards—We select e-cards that break through the saccharine approach of many greeting cards, and more closely resemble a good... if little... program.

• Alternate Worlds—Fan fiction, online communities, graphical environments, alternative history.

• Science & Sci-Fi—On the Net, science-based program material is becoming more imaginative… and science fiction is becoming more factual.

• Let's Get Animated—This category includes both interactive and linear animation. In general, though, if the animated piece is a linear story, we put the shorter ones here and the longer ones in Net Movies.

• Net Audio—The huge re-invention of the music industry created by the Internet has also begun to spawn many soundworks—music, audio art, audio books, podcasts—that are intended for distribution primarily through the Net.

• Games on the Net—The best games designed for use on the Net.

• Kid Stuff—Online, just-for-fun entertainment for kids.

• Smart Fun—Online experiments, multimedia primers, historical stories and other entertainment, sometimes intended for kids, sometimes for anyone. They are also educational... but don't tell the grown-ups.

• Mind-Benders—Works that give our minds a workout, such as a puzzle; that change our perception, such as a visual illusion; or that simply don't fit into any other categories.
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PingRay's Graphic Design is by Jackie Gregory at Venus 9 Design.