The days of the television could possibly be numbered. Statistics show that people are spending more and more time in front of their computers, which will soon replace the trusty TV as the nation’s number one form of entertainment.
As well as the idea that computers offer so far more are making them an increasingly popular way to watch TV shows. As opposed to waiting with bated breath for the next episode of your favorite series, or ruing the loss of an episode missed, you can have all of it on demand at the internet.
The mention of watching TV shows and films online still can still have some connotations of shady practices for example torrenting pirated material and poor quality products. On the flip side, which is changing fast and internet TV is hitting the mainstream.
With fast connection speeds and technologies such as DivX you may watch premium quality television and you will do it with a clear conscience.
Television networks have come to recognize the opportunity of the net as a medium for broadcasting television shows. Networks like NBC, ABC and CBS enable you to stream TV shows if you have missed them on television. They may be often posted on web sites about one day after it airs on tv.
This really is ideal if you miss an episode as you will go back and watch it any time. Alternatively, these streams are quite popular and also you may experience bad lag while attempting to stream the show if it aired recently. Shows usually stay online for about every week and are only available to USA residents.
Another option is Peer to Peer TV (P2PTV). The emergence of sites such as joost.com has made these a popular option for watching TV online. You will normally have to download a special client to watch these as the technology is similar to torrenting. Unlike torrenting the content is streamed, and not downloaded onto your hard drive so you may experience some lag at peak times.
It’s now also possible to stream live television as it happens. Like P2PTV you will need a client to do this and because it is live, shows are not available on demand. These services are specifically popular for live music and sports events.
The net being what it is, there are numerous options for watching TV shows and free movies online. Torrenting clients are hugely popular although the legality and ethics of this practice are questionable, and it is a notorious way of infecting your computer with viruses. Many TV shows also are available to stream from ‘unofficial’ sources, but again this practice is questionable.