Free Internet TV
It is now possible to watch TV, both free and legally on the Internet. In most cases, you watch recorded programming directly within a popular media player such as Microsoft’s Windows Media Player, Apple’s Quicktime Player, Adobe’s FLV Player. or Real Networks’ Player. Live television is harder to find and is typically delivered as a Webcast.
There is a wide range of programming available for viewing on the Internet. Whether your preference is news, music videos, movies, comedy, or sports you can find loads of sites offering this programming and a lot more.
For news, you can watch content specially created for the Web by the big three American broadcasting channels: NBC, ABC, and CBS. The big cable news channels such as CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC also offer Internet news content.
All this is now possible because of the widespread availability of high-speed Internet connectivity as well as the increase in computing power available to the consumer.
You do need to be aware that Internet TV does not compare in quality to cable TV and Satellite TV viewed on a larger screen television set. But considering how much time we now spend online and front of our computers, it’s only a logical extension of the online experience.
The basic forms of Internet TV are channels that are exclusively offered on the Web and programming the supplements mainstream programming. The latter is most typical of news and sports channels.
The major TV networks realize that having a presence on the Internet increases their market exposure and like their mainstream programming, their online programming is also subsidized by advertising.
Websites that offer non-mainstream programming as well as content from other countries typically monetize their sites with banner and contextual advertising. Access to the programming may be free, but the site owner still has the opportunity to make some money from visitors looking for free Internet TV.