With increasingly busy schedules, it is often impossible for viewers to sit down and watch a television show at its scheduled time. Online television gives viewers the ability to watch their favorite shows at their own convenience. If you wish to have some control over your television viewing, this guide will help you find out how to watch TV online for free.

• TiVo and other digital video recorders (DVRs) soared in popularity when viewers realized they were able to have so much control over their TV viewing. Unfortunately, the use of such recorders costs a monthly fee in addition to the charges that the cable and satellite companies levy for their services. However, some television stations post entire episodes of their series online for free after the programming has aired.

• Successful TV watching on your computer requires an audio and video program such as Windows Media Player and a recent operating system like Windows XP or Vista. Check to see if your computer is powerful enough to provide optimal viewing.

• Your computer will need to have at least the minimum requirements, but preferably will have more than the minimum. System requirements, or their equivalent, that are needed for viewing are:

1. A Pentium II or better processor
2. 64MB-512MB of random access memory (RAM)
3. 32MB-128MB video display card with a minimum resolution of 800x600
4. A DSL, satellite or cable Internet connection
5. Adequate sound card and speakers
6. A recent browser version of Internet Explorer or Firefox

(Creative Commons photo by dnwallace)

• The networks have ramped up their online sites to include not only the show itself, but often behind-the-scenes offerings, recaps and celebrity interviews. Having the shows online is a benefit if you missed the original airing, want to watch your favorite shows at your convenience or just want to revisit your favorite episodes.

• Many online viewing sites provide illegal or spam-filled content. The best way to avoid those web pages is to begin your search on the network's website. Once you are on the home page, look for the "free episodes," "full episodes" or "video" links. Some network sites, such as FOX's and ABC's, will require that you download their video plug-in or player prior to viewing a show.

• Other full-episode offerings can often be found on the following sites:

1. YouTube
2. Hulu
3. TV Land
4. ABC
5. CBS
6. NBC
7. FOX
8. The CW
9. MySpace Video
10. AOL Video
11. Joost
12. IMDb
13. Yahoo! TV
14. Dailymotion
15. TV Links
16. StreamingTVEpisodes.com

• Online TV is a growing business, and the free offerings have expanded with viewers having only to watch short periodic advertisements for the privilege.