Watching a video any time you want is easy for anyone with an Internet connection. Crafty TV allows viewers to watch streaming video from TV stations and online channels from around the world, from the Motor Sports Channel to the weather in Hawaii to the Bowling TV network in Germany. You can learn about earthquakes from NASA TV and starfish from Piranha TV.
Jeff Rautner of Irvine watches over-the-air and cable TV channels on his big-screen TV. He doesn't have satellite or cable, and he's saving money.
"Our cable bill was almost $100 a month and HD and a DVR and all that stuff," said Rautner. "And this thing, the highest price is like 20 bucks a month."
That thing Jeff is referring to is Sezmi TV, a new TV service that offers over-the-air and cable channels for a monthly fee that ranges from $5 a month for about 60 local and foreign language stations, to $20 a month, which includes about two dozen cable channels. On-demand movies and shows are extra.
You are required to buy an antenna, tuner, and remote and a DVR that records up to 1,400 hours, for about $300 total, although you can often find these devices on sale for about half that price from Sezmi or Best Buy.
You will need your own Internet connection, which will cost you extra, and not all the content is broadcast in high definition.
Hulu is the most popular online video service that offers new and classic TV series and movies. And with a computer, you can watch TV in almost any language for free.
By the end of the year, a company called Boxee will compete with Sezmi with their own set-top box that will allow users to watch TV and movies from various sites for free on their computers and TVs.