33 ways to watch TV online (is 32 too many)

by Brad Linder Jun 19th 2007

At this point, television networks have made some prime time content available for free online. We're not talking about $1.99 downloads from iTunes. We're talking free streaming episodes from networks like ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, and the CW.

But you can usually find just few episodes of a few programs. Mashable has put together a list of 33 services that provide online access to TV programs in one way or another. Some are 100% legal, like Joost and Babelgum. Others are a bit shadiers, like TV Links, which doesn't host any copyright-infringing video on its servers, but provides links to sites where you can (probably illegally) stream video.

Thing is, TV still wins. You've got one box that you turn on, and you have access to all the programs you can eat. Get yourself a personal video recorder and you can tape shows that air at inconvenient times to watch later. Sure, you might not get BBC America on your cable plan, or you might not even have cable. But not a single one of these services is as easy to navigate as a TV set with your remote control.

In large part, that's because none of them are as complete. Who wants to go to a network website to watch video for just that network? And who wants to turn on twelve different applications to see what content's available?

Sure, you can add a bunch of those icons to Windows Media Center in the hopes of tricking yourself into thinking you're controlling each application from one interface. But you're not.

How hard would it be for the cable and broadcast networks to come together and design a web page, or an application like Joost that lets you access all the content they're making available for free anyway? It wouldn't be that hard to split the advertising revenue, and consumers would be a lot more likely to use it than your current website.

Tags: babelgum, internet video, InternetVideo, joost, tv

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Jake said 3:59PM on 6-19-2007

TV Links is WONDERFUL - especially now that they're updating everything to Stage6 divx streams. Season 1 of Lost looks nearly HD quality. It truly is fantastic.

DWayne said 4:39PM on 6-19-2007

don't forget business traveller and military personnel stationed God knows where. I use TV links all the time just to get a taste of home!

Benjamin said 10:30AM on 6-20-2007

I love this post! I'm not such a big TV fan, but if I can select what I want to see and just click in, I'm all the happier...

For the moment, it's the 4400 I'm hooked on.

if you want to visit me: http://youretime.wordpress.com

Paul said 5:30PM on 6-22-2007

I prefer TV because of one simple reason: closed-captioning. I am hard-of-hearing and I need the subtitles to follow the show. Internet doesn't do this.

mr7512mr said 9:19AM on 7-16-2007

It’s a free TV portal where you can watch more than 3250 online TV channels.
http://www.theycool.com

Jngo said 2:17PM on 7-19-2007

The notable ones on the list were already reviewed by DownloadSquad you have yours Joost, FreeTube and tv links. Nothing new except for some imitations that have spawned off of those sites. Take a look at the comments around me to see what I'm talking about.

Ophelie said 2:47PM on 8-23-2007

Try to this website :

http://www.tvonline.2ya.com

It’s free with nothing to download & install. Just need Windows media player.

Lot of webradio & webTV like MCM, MTV, Eurosport, ESPN, CNN, ABC, SKYNEWS, Discovery channel, Sci-fi channel, NASA TV, Research channel, and more.

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