The days of the television could be numbered. Statistics show that men and women are spending increasingly more time in front of their computers, viewing movie which could soon replace the trusty TV as the nation’s number one form of entertainment.

As the potential of web video happens to be apparent, but it not until recently which it has begun to match more traditional visual entertainment with regard to quality.

And the fact that computers offer so much 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 may have everything on demand at the internet.

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. However, that is changing fast and internet TV is hitting the mainstream.

With fast connection speeds and technologies such as DivX you may 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 allow you to stream TV shows if you have missed them on television. They can be often posted on websites about one day after it airs on television.

This is ideal if you miss an episode while you can go back and watch it any time. On the flip side, these streams are really popular and 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 United States residents.

Another option is Peer to Peer TV (P2PTV). The emergence of web pages for example joost.com has made these a popular choice 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 could experience some lag at peak times.

It’s now also possible to stream live television as it happens. Like P2PTV you need a client to do this and because it is live, shows are not available on demand. These services are specifically popular for live music and sporting events.

The net being what it really is, there are many options for watching TV shows and movies online. Torrenting clients are hugely popular although 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.