How to Legally Watch TV online - for free! (Television online)
Have you heard of people who watch all their television online - even top-rated shows such as Lost and House?
Many people rely on illegal means for watching their shows online. But many companies are starting to tap into this craze, and offering legal alternatives that don't infringe on copyright.
I'll tell you where to find them!
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Things You'll Need
- Relatively modern computer
- Broadband internet connection (at least DSL)
Instructions
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*Hulu* - Point your browser over to http://www.hulu.com!
This pioneering site is run by the folks over at NBC, and it's an excellent resource for free TV and movies online.
Hulu does not only feature NBC shows. You can currently watch hit shows such as 24, House, Family Guy and many more from a variety of networks and producers.
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*Joost* - Try visiting http://www.joost.com!
Joost works a little bit differently than many of the options, and offers some more obscure shows. Head on over to Joost to watch popular internet videos, as well as popular animes (Naruto is a notable appearance) and music videos.
Joost has a very "social" interface, and is linked with Facebook.
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*ABC.com* - Pop over to http://www.abc.com (or http://abc.go.com/player/index)
ABC's offerings are possibly the best one can get out of any online TV experience. Not only do they offer their most popular shows, but they offer old episodes and THEY OFFER THEIR VIDEO IN HD.
Head over here to watch cult-hit Lost, Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives, and many others.
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*Fox.com* - Point your browser to http://www.fox.com/fod/index.htm?src=menu_item_full_episodes for Fox TV!
Fox also has a great lineup of their network's shows available online, in excellent quality. You can watch House, 24, Prison Break, The Simpsons, and just about anything else currently airing from Fox, right here!
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*Comedy Central* - Laugh your way over to http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/
Comedy Central kindly offers many full episodes online for your viewing pleasure. Go here to see Jon Stewart, the Colbert Report, and other satirical favorites.
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*Food Network* - Yum! Try http://www.foodnetwork.com/video-library/index.html
This one has been a long time wish for me, and the thing I missed most about cable - but it's finally here! Food Network is now offering a video player with full episodes, not just clips!
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*Discovery Network (includes TLC, Animal Planet)* - Head on over to http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/ for selected episodes of Discovery favorites! (The full episodes links are on the left)
Another long time wish of mine, you can now stream Jon and Kate Plus 8 right to your computer screen! There are some other TLC and Animal Planet shows mixed in with the offerings from Discovery Channel itself.
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*TV Land* - Head over to http://www.tvland.com/
TV Land streams many of your classic favorites from the TV Land/Nick at Nite lineup (as well as, apparently, Extreme Makeover:Home Edition). Nice sized lineup.
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*HGTV* - Go to http://www.hgtv.com/full-episodes/package/index.html
Wanna-be domestic goddesses (and gods) such as myself will be delighted to learn that they can stream their favorite home improvement shows on demand! -
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Check back often for even more websites as I find them!
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Tips & Warnings
Most of these shows will benefit from a bit of "buffering", which means you allow your computer to temporarily download the content before you watch it. In most players, you can begin the buffering by pressing Play and than Pause quickly. You might see a progress on the loading bar, indicating your buffering progress.
If you experience lag or choppy video, try buffering first (see above), closing any other open programs, or restarting your computer.
It is entirely possible to hook most current LCD TVs up to a computer (we do this at my house, instead of cable). With a sufficiently powerful computer, you can watch your favorite shows on your TV - online!
Resources
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Comments
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MegapixelPro
Jan 16, 2009
I didn't know that Hulu was legal or illegal...lol. Just watched movies from there. Great article though :-)
