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The days of the television may be numbered. Statistics show that folks are spending increasingly more time in front of their computers, which can soon replace the trusty TV as the nation's number one form of entertainment.
While the potential of web video has always been apparent, but it not until recently that it has begun to match more traditional visual entertainment with regards to quality.
And the fact that computers offer so a lot 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 full series online, or ruing the loss of an episode missed, you can have everything on demand at the net.
The mention of watching TV shows and movies over the internet still can still have some connotations of shady practices for example torrenting pirated material and poor quality products. However, that is changing fast and internet TV is hitting the mainstream.
With fast connection speeds and technologies such as DivX you can watch top quality television and you may do it with a clear conscience.
Television networks have come to recognize the potential for the internet as a medium for broadcasting television shows. Networks like NBC, ABC and CBS make it possible for you to stream TV shows should you have missed them on television. They may be often posted on web sites about one day after it airs on tv.
This is ideal if you miss an episode when you can go back and watch it any time. On the contrary, these streams are popular and 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 websites such as 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 just like torrenting. Unlike torrenting the content is streamed, and not downloaded onto your hard drive so you could experience some lag at peak times.
It's now also possible to stream live television as it happens. Like P2PTV you may need a client to do this and since it is live, shows are not available on demand. These services are especially popular for live music and sports events.
The net being what it really is, there are various options for watching TV shows and movies online. Torrenting clients are hugely popular though the legality and ethics of this practice are questionable, and it's 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.
