Free TV Series anyone?

[Source: Technologyforgirls.com]

Would you pay to watch your favourite TV Series online? What if it can be found for free? I'm not sure about you, but the latter definitely sounds more appealing to me.

Try it. Just Google "Gossip Girl", surf through the countless searches and you're bound to find a website that has the latest episode uploaded online to be watched with no cost!

In an interview with James McQuivey, he says that in the States, the move to offer popular TV programs as downloads has been something of a stampede. Majority of prime time programs are available online for free, and we will just see each network continue to add more and more of its programs. In fact, some websites are adding programs that they've decided not to put on the air, but instead are only making them available on the internet. This is their way of testing new shows that they might want to develop later (ABC.net 2007).

Some websites that have streaming online without any cost are Project - Free TV and TVFreeload.

TV Stations and studios fear that the Internet has now become many people's alternative of delivering TV shows to them quickly. Production companies are becoming increasingly aware that the Internet is taking their audience (Delahunty 2005).

Personally, I agree with Delahunty (2005) that this is the "new form of piracy". However, there are also reasons behind why viewers prefer to download their favourite TV Series. For people outside America, it is impossible to catch up with the latest TV Series episodes as it is shown much later. DVDs are also produced after a whole season, and released after a very long time. So, the best alternative would be to download it for free!

References

Delahunty 2005, Channel Five to offer legal TV show downloads, viewed 10 November 2008, <http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/6237.cfm>

Downloadable TV is on its way, Media Report, ABC.net, viewed 10 November 2008,<http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2007/2042890.htm>