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There are numerous reasons why watching TV on your computer is a good idea, not least because its a lot cheaper than buying a second TV. It's also possible to catch up on programmes you might have missed due to your hectic schedule or poor memory, or possibly its just a good space saving option. Why have two screens in one room when one will do the job of both?

Browsing the internet will quickly provide you with websites dedicated to streaming television content, examples include http://www.joost.com/ and http://www.youtube.com/. The advantages of these kinds of sites are they provide more than just television shows. YouTube imparticular has been described as a means of empowering the individual, providing content that takes the decisions of what people can watch away from TV corporations.

There have even arisen a number of YouTube successes where individuals have become renown in their own right for their content and there are also examples of media professionals choosing to put their productions directly onto YouTube
rather than following the traditional path of TV broadcasting.

A possible downside to the nature of these kinds of websites is that adding TV content can contravene copyright laws and it has to be said the quality of content is not always that good. Picture and sound quality is also another issue, so as yet YouTube cannot really challenge the primacy of watching TV: it simply does not have the same feel' as watching .your favourite programme.

The relevance of websites such as YouTube is in part due to the way they have begun to shift the nature of the medium of visual entertainment. A number of media companies are very aware of this and keen to remain connected to their audience's
changing viewing patterns, and the need to utilise new technologies to do this. For this reason some channels have begun to make their programme content available to view online.

Two prominent examples of this here in the UK are the BBC and Channel 4 who both offer options for viewers to download programmes to their PC's for later viewing. This is a very convenient way of watching TV especially as picture and sound quality is always good. Both stations also offer options for shows to be streamed from the internet which is fine if you are prepared to compromise on visual quality.

So, does the ability to watch good quality TV shows directly on your computer sound too good to be true? The answer to this type of question is generally yes and no. Although Channel 4 has a large online

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