The days of the television could be numbered. Statistics show that men and women are spending increasingly more time in front of their computers, which will 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.

And also the idea that computers offer so much 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 it all on demand at the web.

The mention of watching TV shows and movies pop over to these guys the internet still can still have some connotations of shady practices for example torrenting pirated material and poor quality products. In contrast, that is changing fast and internet TV is hitting the mainstream.

With fast connection speeds and technologies for example DivX you can watch top quality television and you can do it with a clear conscience.

Television networks have come to recognize the potential of the web 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 may be often posted on web sites about one day after it airs on television.

This really is ideal if you miss an episode while you will go back and watch it any time. On the flip side, 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 United States residents.

Another option is Peer to Peer TV (P2PTV). The emergence of websites 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 could experience some lag at peak times.

It really is now also possible to stream live television as it happens. Like P2PTV you may need a client to do this and because it is live, shows are not available on demand. These services are especially popular for live music and sports events.

The internet being what it is, there are lots of options for watching TV shows and movies online. Torrenting clients are hugely popular although the legality and ethics of this practice are questionable, which is a notorious way of infecting your computer with viruses. Many TV shows will also be available to stream from ‘unofficial’ sources, but again this practice is questionable.