The days of the television may be numbered. Statistics show that individuals are spending an increasing number of time in front of their computers, that could soon replace the trusty TV as the nation’s number one type of entertainment.

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

And the proven fact that computers offer so far 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 web.

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. Alternatively, 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’ll do it with a clear conscience.

Television networks have come to recognize the opportunity of the net as a medium for broadcasting television shows. Networks like NBC, look here ABC and CBS enable you to stream TV shows if you have missed them on television. They are often posted on websites about one day after it airs on tv.

This really is ideal if you miss an episode when you can go back and watch it any time. In contrast, these streams are quite 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 are only available to United States Of America residents.

Another option is Peer to Peer TV (P2PTV). The emergence of websites 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 similar to torrenting. Unlike torrenting the content is streamed, and not downloaded onto your hard drive so you might experience some lag at peak times.

It’s now also possible to stream live television as it happens. Like P2PTV you will 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 sporting events.

The web being what it is, there are lots of 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 are usually available to stream from ‘unofficial’ sources, but again this practice is questionable.