Full TV Episodes: Free Options

This is convenient for those who watch multiple shows that are on during the same time period or for those who do not want to pay high prices for cable television.  For those customers who either can’t afford a digital video recorder or who live in an area where that service is not offered, watching videos online is a viable alternative.  All it takes is a computer, a broadband internet connection, and the desire to watch videos for free.

Free vs. Paid

For many years companies like iTunes® have been allowing consumers to purchase high quality video to watch on their computers or personal MP3 players.  While these sites do provide great quality picture and sound it can be very expensive to watch full episodes this way.  Those who want to take their favorite full episode on the go still choose this option, but more and more are looking to watch full episodes for free.

There are hundreds of sites where consumers can download full episodes for free.  Some of these sites are considered legal and sanctioned by the major networks while others may only show content for a short period of time before it is removed for violating copyright laws.  Most of the time free options for full TV episodes are low quality and have poor sound, however if you know where to look and what to avoid you can find full episodes of your favorite show that won’t cost you a dime and won’t be impossibly hard to watch.  Finding websites that allow you to watch free online videos isn’t difficult.

Network Sites

In recent years major television networks have made it possible for viewers to watch full episodes of their favorite show online for free.  Most of the top networks provide a web portal that can be accessed through their website for viewing videos.  Some require users to download free software in order to view the full episode online.  Some of these sites allow you to buffer the video to watch later though there are many that require an active Internet connection to watch the full episode from a computer.

Network sites across the globe are providing this service free of charge by placing short commercial breaks throughout the full episode of the show.  These short commercial breaks help to pay for the cost of broadcasting online so that the network can keep the service free.  Not all shows can be viewed on a network’s site though most do offer more than a dozen of their most popular prime time programs for online viewing. 

Third Party Sites

For those who would rather watch shows without the commercial breaks there are many other viewing options.  Third party sites take full episodes and host them without the annoying commercials.  Instead of it taking an hour to watch a full episode those who use third party sites can often view the whole episode in less than 45 minutes. 

Some third party sites will also let the consumer download full episodes to watch later.  In some cases these sites many only show a program for a limited amount of time before it is removed.  Strict copyright infringement laws are enforced by television executives so it’s important to be careful if using an unauthorized third party site to download full episodes of your favorite shows. 

Third party sites are popular with international users who don’t always have access to the major network viewing options.  In addition, there are some cases where a show will air in the United States months before it airs in the UK.  With third party sites UK residents can view the full episode soon after it airs in the US.  Another reason people choose to watch a full episode via a third party site is that not all shows air on the networks website.  If their favorite show can’t be found on the network site it can usually be viewed on the third party site for free.

Where to Watch

Finding full episodes online can be difficult, especially for those who aren’t sure where to look.  In the United States the major networks of NBC®, ABC®, CBS®, and FOX® offer full episodes of many of their top shows through their website the day after they air on television.  In addition cable networks such as Sci-Fi® make it possible to watch full episodes online of a few select shows.

Third party sites such as Surf the Channel (www.surfthechannel.com) and Sidereel (www.sidereel) are a great source for full episodes that cannot be found through the network sites.  Surf the Channel and Sidereel make it easy to find full TV episodes by providing multiple links to sites that host copies of the full episode in question.  Some are poor quality while others are high definition quality.

Tips for Online Viewing

When watching your favorite full episodes online it’s important to practice safety.  Remember to only use sources that you trust and to never download any additional software in order to get access to the full episode.  The only exception is when using the network television site to download full episodes.  This software has been tested by the provider and should not cause you any problems.

When you are using third party sites be sure to look for Divx links.  Divx provides excellent quality and fast buffer times for those using high speed connection.  Divx links tend to be high resolution, meaning that customers can watch the video on their full computer screen with very little degradation of the picture.  If your computer does not have a Divx player installed you can find one online for free and download it in just a few minutes.  Also consider sites like Hulu, which is owned by a major network.  Hulu provides some of the best quality full episodes that you can find online.