The days of the television could possibly be numbered. Statistics show that folks are spending increasingly more time in front of their computers, that may soon replace the trusty TV as the nation’s number one form of entertainment.

While the potential of web video has always been apparent, but it not until recently that it has begun to match more traditional visual entertainment with regards to quality.

And the fact that computers offer so far more are making them an increasingly popular way to watch movies online TV shows. Instead of waiting with bated breath for the next episode of your favorite series, or ruing the loss of an episode missed, you can have all of it on demand at the net.

The mention of watching TV shows and films over the internet still can still have some connotations of shady practices such as 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 good quality television and you’ll do it with a clear conscience.

Television networks have come to recognize the potential of the web as a medium for broadcasting television shows. Networks like NBC, ABC and CBS permit you to stream TV shows should you have missed them on television. They are often posted on sites about one day after it airs on television.

This really is ideal if you miss an episode while you can go back and watch it any time. On the flip side, 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 every week and 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 option 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 might experience some lag at peak times.

It really is now also possible to stream live television as it happens. Like P2PTV you’ll 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 sports events.

The internet being what it is, there are various options for watching TV shows and films online. Torrenting clients are hugely popular though the legality and ethics of this practice are questionable, which is a notorious way of infecting your computer with viruses. Many TV shows also are available to stream from ‘unofficial’ sources, but again this practice is questionable.