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The days of the television may be numbered. Statistics show that individuals are spending more and more time in front of their computers, which could soon replace the trusty TV as the nation’s number one type of entertainment.
As the potential of web video happens to be apparent, but it not until recently that it has begun to match more traditional visual entertainment with regard to quality.
As well as the fact that computers offer so far more are making them an increasingly popular way to watch TV shows. In place of waiting with bated breath for the next episode of your favorite see series, or ruing the loss of an episode missed, you can have it all on demand at the web.
The mention of watching TV shows and films on the web still can still have some connotations of shady practices for example torrenting pirated material and poor quality products. On the contrary, that’s changing fast and internet TV is hitting the mainstream.
With fast connection speeds and technologies such as DivX you can watch premium quality television and you will do it with a clear conscience.
Television networks have come to recognize the opportunity of the internet as a medium for broadcasting television shows. Networks like NBC, ABC and CBS allow you to stream TV shows if you have missed them on television. They’re often posted on web pages about one day after it airs on tv.
This is ideal if you miss an episode while you can go back and watch it any time. On the contrary, these streams are extremely popular and you may experience bad lag while attempting to stream the show if it aired recently. Shows usually stay online for about a week and also are only available to USA residents.
Another option is Peer to Peer TV (P2PTV). The emergence of web pages for example joost.com has made these a popular choice for watching TV online. You will normally have to download a special client to watch these as the technology is much like 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’ll 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 sporting events.
The net being what it is, there are lots of options for watching TV shows and movies online. Torrenting clients are hugely popular however the legality and ethics of this practice are questionable, which is a notorious way of infecting your computer with viruses. Many TV shows are also available to stream from ‘unofficial’ sources, but again this practice is questionable.
