Thursday, January 11, 2007
10 Ways to Watch TV Online with Your PC
There are times when you just can't make it back in time to watch the latest episodes of Lost, or maybe you forgot to program the VCR (do people still use those?) to record Heroes. You can either go to ABC or NBC's website to catch a replay, purchase the episode from iTunes, find someone to trade tapes with, or, as a last resort, look around online to get your TV fix.
If you choose the fourth option, the following sites will get you started on your journey. Some let you watch TV in your browser, but many others require you to install a program. You'll need Windows Media Player in that case.
If you're looking to brush up on your foreign language skills, there are hundreds of channels spanning dozens of languages you can watch using the following sites.
On to the shows:
1. Peekvid: This site offers hundreds of TV shows like Prison Break, movies like Happy Feet, and anime. Videos are hosted on video sharing sites.
2. Viidoo: This site is partnered with TVU Player and offers ABC, NBC, FOX, Comedy Central, and other channels. You'll need to download TVU Player.
3. Simplistic's Movie Links: Watch movies, not TV shows with this clever site. Movies are divided into multiple chunks and uploaded to sites like YouTube. Watch one chunk after the other to get the whole thing.
4. Tvants (Google translated): Hundreds of TV channels are available from Tvants. The translated links might not work so use it as a guide to the non-translated page.
5. WeeTeeVee: Like NewTeeVee except with links to the actual shows (kidding Om). You can even add code to your MySpace profile to search for shows on WeeTeeVee. On a side note, it may also be the first TV sharing site to be put up for sale. $7000 if you're interested.
6. TV Links: This UK-based site hosts links to TV shows like 24, Heroes, and Battlestar Galactica. Shows are ultimately hosted by video sharing sites like Dailymotion.
7. SopCast: You'll need to download the SopCast WebPlayer to view the shows. Top channels on this China-based site include CCTV5, Star Sports, ESPN Sports, and Telecapri Soccer. You can also embed SopCast videos in your blog or site. They're also working on offering CPM advertising and VoIP.
8. PPLive (Google translated): China-based PPLive offers mostly Asian TV channels. You'll need to install the software to use it.
9. PPStream (Google translated): Another Chinese site that offers a broader selection of channels than PPLive. You can either watch online or download the software. 
10. Tioti (Tape It Off The Internet): Still in private beta, but looks to be an attempt to build a Web 2.0 business out of sharing TV shows. Tagging, sharing with friends, and chatting about the latest episode of Lost are all part of the social framework around TV watching they're building.
If you choose the fourth option, the following sites will get you started on your journey. Some let you watch TV in your browser, but many others require you to install a program. You'll need Windows Media Player in that case.
If you're looking to brush up on your foreign language skills, there are hundreds of channels spanning dozens of languages you can watch using the following sites.
On to the shows:
1. Peekvid: This site offers hundreds of TV shows like Prison Break, movies like Happy Feet, and anime. Videos are hosted on video sharing sites.
2. Viidoo: This site is partnered with TVU Player and offers ABC, NBC, FOX, Comedy Central, and other channels. You'll need to download TVU Player.
3. Simplistic's Movie Links: Watch movies, not TV shows with this clever site. Movies are divided into multiple chunks and uploaded to sites like YouTube. Watch one chunk after the other to get the whole thing.
4. Tvants (Google translated): Hundreds of TV channels are available from Tvants. The translated links might not work so use it as a guide to the non-translated page.
5. WeeTeeVee: Like NewTeeVee except with links to the actual shows (kidding Om). You can even add code to your MySpace profile to search for shows on WeeTeeVee. On a side note, it may also be the first TV sharing site to be put up for sale. $7000 if you're interested.
6. TV Links: This UK-based site hosts links to TV shows like 24, Heroes, and Battlestar Galactica. Shows are ultimately hosted by video sharing sites like Dailymotion.
7. SopCast: You'll need to download the SopCast WebPlayer to view the shows. Top channels on this China-based site include CCTV5, Star Sports, ESPN Sports, and Telecapri Soccer. You can also embed SopCast videos in your blog or site. They're also working on offering CPM advertising and VoIP.
8. PPLive (Google translated): China-based PPLive offers mostly Asian TV channels. You'll need to install the software to use it.
9. PPStream (Google translated): Another Chinese site that offers a broader selection of channels than PPLive. You can either watch online or download the software. 
10. Tioti (Tape It Off The Internet): Still in private beta, but looks to be an attempt to build a Web 2.0 business out of sharing TV shows. Tagging, sharing with friends, and chatting about the latest episode of Lost are all part of the social framework around TV watching they're building.Labels: Technology
