The days of the television could possibly be numbered. Statistics show that people are spending a growing number of time in front of their computers, which can 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 regards to quality.

And also the proven fact that computers offer so far 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 everything on demand at the link web page.

The mention of watching TV shows and movies on 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 excellent television and you can do it with a clear conscience.

Television networks have come to recognize the potential of 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 are often posted on 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 quite 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 United States 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 much like torrenting. Unlike torrenting the content is streamed, and not downloaded onto your hard drive so you may experience some lag at peak times.

It really is 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 especially popular for live music and sports events.

The net being what it is, there are various 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.