There is more than way to watch TV online. The protocol that gets the most publicity is Bit Torrent, since it seems like the majority of individuals have a Bit Torrent client and are more than pleased to torrent. The publicity and attention that torrenting has got over the very last couple of years has also put it at risk in much the way that Kaazaa was several years ago. Moreover, unfortunately, ISPs have started shaping their traffic and torrents have suffered as a result. There are actually other ways to determine your shows and I am going to speak about three here.
Before I list them I want to talk, just briefly, about the Internet and how it works. The web works by sending messages from one computer to another via a server. These messages come in the form of data packets. They can be small bits of information, and each packet can follow an alternative path. This really is helps when getting information from one computer to another because it means that areas of high congestion may be skirted around. All Internet protocols use packets of information. These packets are then assembled on your computer and also you see the image, or video, or website. Packets will also be used by online TV, but the way they may be assembled relies upon the client you are using and can also affect the quality of the image or sound.
Essentially, onto the 3 ways to watch TV online.
1. Streaming From the Network’s Website
Believe it or not, you may see a lot of shows on the network’s web sites. If you have missed the show during the week you may go the NBC, ABC or CBS and watch the show there. The networks depend on streaming technology, meaning that the packets are assembled and shown in order, and usually reside somewhere on a server. The shows are on demand. This is very good news if you miss the occasional show, and the show will most likely be there the next day that you should watch. You will discover few downsides to this way of viewing, though. If you watch during high traffic times you may get a lag as the packets will take longer to assemble, since the need to be assembled in order, and it is possible that the picture will become jerky due to damaged packets. The episode is frequently only up for per week, no more. Moreover, in case you are not within the country of origin you are out of luck, the networks don’t allow anyone from foreign markets to watch their shows.
2. Peer to Peer TV or P2PTV for short.
P2PTV, as the name suggests, uses the exact same technology that torrents use. The only difference is the fact that the picture is assembled in order so you may watch it while you go, where normal Bit Torrent clients assemble the file in a random order, taking the information from the different people seeding online at that moment. The two big players on the market with P2PTV are Vuze and Joost, which is in beta at the moment. The picture comes across clearly and the clients used are easy to operate, as you’d expect. P2PTV has the advantage of having the ability to get around network congestion more conveniently than streaming from, say, a network’s website, because of the way torrenting and peer to peer clients work. The main limitation is the fact that because P2PTV uses the exact same technology as Bit Torrent it also has the exact same inherent restrictions as the torrents do. Namely, if your ISP is shaping traffic or you are on a college or school network that restricts the usage of Bit Torrent, you are almost certainly going to obtain caught in the net with one of these clients.
3. Streaming Multiple Channels Via a Client
This is similar to the very first option of watching the show via streaming on the network’s website, but it takes it a step further. As with P2PTV it is important to download a client to watch the show, and with this technology you can watch the show real-time rather than later. As with the networks, the show is using streaming which looks like normal traffic to the ISP’s and college networks, and so is more likely to make it to your computer. The client allows you to pick the station you wish to watch from a list, and from there you watch the show. Additionally, it has the good thing about bypassing the restriction on foreign markets that watching the show on the network’s website has. There are lots of clients available online which you can use to stream TV channels to your computer. The disadvantages of using streaming via a client are basically the same as for watching via a the network’s website: During peak load times you may get lagging images, or maybe jerky images as a result of slow moving and damaged packets. This tends to mean that the picture and sound will be less than ideal.
You can find three main ways to watch TV online that will be not directly linked to Bit Torrent, although among the ways uses similar technology. It is determined by your situation and how much TV you really watch as to which one is best for you. You can either watch the show on the network’s website, use P2PTV or even an online movie streaming – visit this page, client. Each way has its advantages and disadvantages. If you don’t want to use torrents, then there are alternatives.