TV Viewing Is Changing

When my daughter married in March, she was lucky enough to get a husband who is even more tech savvy than she is. He has never had satellite TV or cable or any of the popular methods of watching TV. He streams everything from the Internet.

You probably know that you can watch television and movies online. I'm sure you know most of the popular network shows offer a few of the episodes on their website, i.e. ABC.com, etc. You've heard about Netflix and Hulu and know that they show episodes from TV series. You may even have started watching some of the made-for Internet TV originals like my friend Tom Townsend's Military Motor Pool on Hulu.

If you frequent Amazon, you know that your Prime account allows you to stream free movies and TV episodes too. Of course, if you don't have a compatible TV, you may need a set-top box like Roku. But there are many other ways to watch your television and movies. Here are a few, and they're free and legal.

YouTube Options

Yep, good old YouTube. You watch music videos, funny ones, and just plain weird vids here all the time, but they also have content that's not user-created and uploaded. There are full-length feature films from Hollywood -- classics and indie films. Use these links to get started, and be sure to filter your search for genre, free, and ratings.

OpenFlix -- YouTube with movie classics in every genre.

Screening Room -- YouTube with indie shorts.

YouTube Movies --full-length contemporary movies.

Big Five Glories

My daughter and I are old movie fans. For commercial-free classics of all the genres, films from what once were the powerhouses of movie production companies are perfect.

These films are in what drama buffs say is the perfect format -- black and white. They come from MGM, 20th Century Fox, RKO, Paramount, and Warner Brothers and go back as far as the silent film era and as recent as the 1970's.

I've used all the ones I've mentioned so I know they work well, but there are many other options with more being added every month.

Takeaway Truth

Entertainment is changing in areas other than the way we read and enjoy books. You might find that you're satisfied with some of these new free ways of TV viewing. Check out some today.