The days of the television might be numbered. Statistics show that people are spending more and more time in front of their computers, that can soon replace the trusty TV as the nation’s number one type of entertainment.

While the potential of web video has always been apparent, but it not until recently which it has begun to match more traditional visual entertainment when it comes to quality.

And 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 series, or ruing the loss of an episode missed, you can have everything on demand at the web.

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. On the flip side, that is changing fast and internet TV is hitting the mainstream.

With fast connection speeds and technologies such as DivX you may watch top quality television and you’ll do it with a clear conscience.

Television networks have come to recognize the potential for the net as a medium for broadcasting television shows. Networks like NBC, ABC and CBS enable 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 really is ideal if you miss an episode when you can go back and watch it any time. On the other hand, these streams are extremely popular and also you may experience bad lag while attempting to stream the show if it aired recently. Shows usually stay online for about every week and also are only available to USA residents.

Another option is Peer to Peer TV (P2PTV). The emergence of web pages such as joost.com has made these a popular option for watching TV online. You will normally have to download a special client to watch these as the technology is similar to 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 since it is live, shows are not available on demand. These services are specifically popular for movie live music and sports events.

The internet being what it is, there are numerous options for watching TV shows and films online. Torrenting clients are hugely popular although the legality and ethics of this practice are questionable, and it is 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.