In the 21st century, more and more people are channeling away from the big box with color, sounds and images snarling from it and finding new ways to watch their favorite television shows and movies.

In today’s society, people are growing up in a world where more things are available at their fingertips when they want them. Viewers are now tuning into their favorite television entertainment through the Internet.

With just a few clicks, people are able to watch movies and television shows, and while the battle still remains between Internet TV and standard television, there are plenty of Web sites that offer their services for free. The phenomenon of Internet TV has turned faithful couch potatoes into computer geeks.
While some viewers still enjoy watching regular television, most admit that the new Internet TV crave is all but avoidable.

Adonica Stanton, a student at Auburn University, said that she prefers to watch her TV shows on the television, but she said she admits that when she does not have time to watch it on TV, she will then go online to sites like Hulu or Megastic to watch her shows.

Antoine Brooks, a student at Alabama State University, said he watches his favorite shows online because it is more convenient than regular television.
“Watching TV online is better because I can watch it when I want to,” Brooks said.

With so many different Web sites to weed through, some problems are bound to occur.

Brooks said that Hulu and FilmHill have proven to be of great use to him, but the only downfall he has encountered with the two sites is that sometimes the videos take too long to download.

But Frankie Thomas, a student and employee at Auburn University, said that he has not had any major issues or bad experiences while using online television.

Stanton said the benefits of watching shows online are great if Internet is available, but she said there are still a few letdowns in Internet TV that you do not experience with regular television.

“The thing that I do not like about TV online is that the stream might be a little slow and may chop the show up,” Stanton said. “The other thing I do not like is that the quality of the picture is not as good as the television.”

Thomas said that on some occasions he finds himself scheduling his time around television, but that as he’s gotten older he has stopped, especially with the advance of recordable technology like TiVo and On Demand.

“I have fallen into the online television craze because it is so convenient,” Thomas said. “How many times have you missed your favorite show and had to wait for a re-run?”

Thomas said with online television, there is not a set time you have to watch it, which he said is what makes online TV better than network TV.
Thomas said if he had to choose between online TV and standard television, he would choose online always. What do you think? Let us know in the comment section.

Check out more on the top TV Internet sites:
The Corner did some research to offer more information on the top TV Internet sites. Ratings are based on a 1-10 scale.

Megastic (http://www.megastic.com): Though many people know about Megastic, the construction of their Web site is a little hard to use. Using Megastic, you are bound to experience many pop-up ads. On the flip side, Megastic features up to date televisions shows such as “Gossip Girl,” “Family Guy,” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” and also has newly released movies available for view. If you can deal with the pop-ups, this site is great for both TV shows and movie viewing.
Level of usability: 7
Choice of videos and TV shows: 8
Quality: 6
Fun Fact: With Megastic, you can download movies to your computer.

YouTube (http://www.youtube.com):
YouTube offers its customers a way to “broadcast yourself” to the world online. No account is needed to watch most videos on YouTube, but with an account, YouTube customers are able to not only watch homemade videos, movies and television shows, but they are able to upload their own videos. YouTube allows users to comment on videos and also choose your favorites to add to your channel.
Level of usability: 8
Choice of videos and TV shows: 8
Quality: 6
Fun Fact: Celebrities like Beyonce’, Jonas Brothers and Jordin Sparks have a YouTube channel.

Fancast (http://www.fancast.com):
For one stop to your favorite TV show cravings, give Fancast a go. Fancast features full episodes, a TV listing, movies, video clips and an On-Demand guide for your convenience. It also features the most watched videos of the day, most popular and the latest episodes. Fancast is free.
Level of usability: 8
Choice of videos and TV shows: 9
Quality: 9
Fun Fact: Fancast also offers The Daily Buzz:The latest news about TV’s biggest stars and hottest shows.

Hulu (http://www.hulu.com):
With a wide variety of channels, Hulu offers commercial-supported videos. Channel categories include Action and Adventure, Drama, Cartoons, Comedy, Horror and Suspense, Food and Garden, Sports, Reality, News, Sci-fi, Family and more. These categories also have subcategories such as College Sports,Soap Opera and more. Hula also has movies and movie trailers available for viewing. Hulu does not require an account, but to enjoy all the benefits, an account is suggested. Signing up for an account is free.
Level of usability: 9
Choice of videos and TV shows: 9
Quality: 9
Fun Fact: Hulu has released a beta version of Hulu Desktop, a standalone program that allows users to watch Hulu programming without using their web browser. Hulu Desktop uses a 10-foot user interface and is designed to be compatible with existing computer remote controls.

Other sites to consider:
FreeTube, Tape It of The Internet, TVshack and ChannelChoosers.