We miss out on a lot of things up in the great white north: White Castle, NASCAR, paying for healthcare, and most importantly, streaming versions of the latest and greatest television shows.

Luckily for our friends south of the border, ABC is letting users stream episodes of great shows like Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, or Ugly Betty, in all their 720p HD glory.

Of course, there are some caveats attached. ABC’s website suggests you have a fast connection (2Mbps or more) and a fast computer (dual core processor, 128 MB Video RAM, 1GB RAM) with a big monitor (at least 1300×770) to enjoy their shows at the best possible quality.

Those of you with anything less, will be run through a gauntlet of pixelation and stuttering.

Despite the steep system requirements and the commercial breaks, it’s hard to complain about on-demand streaming HD video.

After all, you get what you pay for.