Internet TV: Growing Stronger Each Year

Internet TV, a wave of future TV programming, is becoming a growing trend on the information superhighway. From animations and cartoons to music, news, movies and popular shows, there is free online programming for all consumers to enjoy.

For Trekkie fans, many Star Trek episodes are available to watch. If you are a nature guru, National Geographic is on the list of the many Internet Television networks. ABC, NBC and FOX all broadcast their prime time shows online. FOX offers full episodes of shows such as Hell's Kitchen and House. If you missed an episode, you can go to their respective website to watch.

Some examples of Internet TV Web sites are Hulu, Veoh, and Joost, which are easy to use and navigate. Depending on which Internet TV source you choose, you can get live feeds from CNN or prerecorded shows from networks like ABC, CBS, NBC, MTV, TNT, A&E and many more. Joost has more than 28,000 TV shows and more than 480 channels and is viewable in full screen format. Since I have high speed internet and a 22" monitor, the quality of the videos is not bad at all.

Some critics say that FOX, ABC, CBS and NBC online programs are not Internet TV, while others dispute the statement. Because Internet TV is still in its infancy, many argue over the definition of "Internet TV" itself. With many technological advances, it will be interesting to see which major networks and companies will bite on the new Internet TV technology and who will make it a standard. If it is less expensive for advertising, companies will be more apt to sponsor online programming.

Even though Internet TV has been surfacing for the past year or so, many internet users have never heard of it. While major networks are trying their new ventures on digital internet, the most important aspect is the formation of an Internet TV enterprise. Hulu, founded by NBC Universal and News Corp has more than 50 content providers and makes videos available through AOL, MSN, Comcast and Yahoo, to name a few. Many people like the ease of the television remote control to switch between channels and the convenience of the onscreen TV Guide with scheduled listings. Hulu makes it much easier for internet viewers to find their favorite shows and movies in one place rather than having to dig around.

After viewing old episodes of Gilligan's Island and movies like The Big Lebowski on Internet TV, I am hooked. Once others learn about Internet TV, they too will enjoy the benefits of watching shows and movies On Demand. If you have not tried it out yet, get on the information superhighway and watch your favorite shows now.