The Peacock Network has stuck another feather in its digital cap with NBC Direct, a free service that lets fans of “The Office” and other NBC hits download full episodes. But NBC Direct still has a ways to go before it sports some serious plumage.

NBC Direct is in beta, so I guess we should cut it some slack. Available at nbc.com/video, it only works with Windows and Internet Explorer, though NBC plans to share the love with Mac users in the first part of 2008 and Firefox users by the end of the year.

That downloads have ads is hardly an issue compared with NBC Direct's DRM (digital rights management). Forget about burning shows to disc or keeping them for too long — downloads self-destruct 48 hours from the time you hit play, although you can access a video for seven days from the date it's made available.

At least NBC Direct tries (emphasis tries) to give the DVR experience on your PC. Just download the NBC Direct player, and you can download an episode or subscribe to a show to get future episodes. The Direct player supports Windows Media Player (WMV) and Flash Video (FLV).

I gave “The Office” a whirl, and it played just fine both in normal and full-screen modes. And while picture quality was OK (I'm a QuickTime snob myself) I do like that you can fast-forward and rewind.

NBC Direct is a far cry from what NBC once had with iTunes — or presumably wants to have with the video site Hulu — but it is another way to (kind of) see shows on your own terms. Here's hoping NBC Direct improves as it takes more users under its wing.

René A. Guzman | 210SA Contributor