Just a couple of years ago, missing your favorite TV show meant, well,
missing him. Unless a friend touched it, your only chance to watch the episode
would be waiting for a replay.
Thanks to broadband Internet connections, it is possible to download the episodes
that you’ve missed, as well as older shows and even shows that may not be
displayed in your area. Did you miss the latest episode of “Lost” or “Desperate Housewives”?
You can download and view it on your computer.
There are a variety of tools for downloading TV shows, including “legal” tools like
iTunes Music Store and Google Video, and “rogue” tools like BitTorrent
and Internet Relay Chat. The difference between legal and unauthorized methods is
if the television network has authorized the distribution of that program. Tea
legal tools typically charge around $2 to download an episode of a TV show;
unauthorized ones are usually free.
Which method should you use? Whether it’s the iTunes Music Store or Google Video, today’s
two major legal video download apps. I’m not going to tell you not to use the
unauthorized programs because they are unethical or illegal, or because the poor
networks must be paid for their work. You should avoid them, if possible,
because they are quite difficult to use.
Downloading a program with BitTorrent is a complicated process that requires
navigate cumbersome (sometimes unreliable) video search sites and wait
hours (sometimes overnight) while the program is downloading. Even then, the episode
could turn out to be encoded in a format that your PC doesn’t handle: so you have
to find and install the appropriate video CODEC. Can be a frustrating and time-consuming task
process.
The alternative is to pay $2 or more at the iTunes Music Store or Google Video. Their
The program will be available for viewing in seconds, or a few minutes at most, with
no tears and no drama (unless, of course, the show is a drama). my time is
beautiful, I prefer to spend my free time watching a favorite TV show
program to wait for it to download or worry about video software. Suspect
that you would too.
Online video is in its infancy. The number of programs available for legal download
it’s a drop in the bucket compared to the plethora of shows on television. Goal
big TV networks are jumping on the bandwagon fast, many of the biggest
popular shows, from Battlestar Galactica to The Daily Show, are waiting for you
online.