NBC is joining in on a trend many networks have already undertaken and will begin allowing people to download free episodes of its various shows as of October.

Of course there are some rules.

• Videos are only available for one week after the initial broadcast.
• At the beginning, only a handful of shows will be available – “Heroes,” “The Office,” “Life,” “Bionic Woman,” “30 Rock,” “Friday Night Lights,” “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”
• The content is only available to PC users – sorry Mac enthusiasts, that’s likely fallout from the ongoing NBC vs iTunes debacle.