The days of the television may be numbered. Statistics show that people are spending a growing number of time in front of their computers, that may soon replace the trusty TV as the nation’s number one form of entertainment.

As 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 much more are making them an increasingly popular way to watch TV shows. Rather than waiting with bated breath for the next episode of your favorite series, or ruing the loss of an episode missed, you may have it all on demand at the web.

The mention of watching TV shows and films over the internet still can still have some connotations of shady practices for see new movie example torrenting pirated material and poor quality products. On the other hand, that is changing fast and internet TV is hitting the mainstream.

With fast connection speeds and technologies such as DivX you may watch high-quality television and you will 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 should you have missed them on television. They can be often posted on web pages about one day after it airs on television.

This is ideal if you miss an episode when you will go back and watch it any time. On the contrary, 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 per 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 just like torrenting. Unlike torrenting the content is streamed, and not downloaded onto your hard drive so you might 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 web being what it really is, there are plenty of options for watching TV shows and films 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 will also be available to stream from ‘unofficial’ sources, but again this practice is questionable.