Do you ever wish you’d waited to watch Lost? Do you wish you’d let the seasons pile up, so you could sit and watch at your leisure? I do. Right now I feel like I’m in a long distance relationship. If only I’d nipped it in the bud and recognized that it wasn’t going to work out if the basic infrastructure of the relationship stood. I should’ve said “When you have time to be with me, I’ll be here, but I’m not going to wait with baited breath for these eight week trysts!” If only. So, by way of finding my center, I’m going to give you a few sites to visit for shows with full streaming seasons. The three used often enough to make it onto my bookmarks bar, in descending order:

1. Project- Free TV : Not a pretty site by any means, this is still the easiest to use, and most comprehensive of the bunch. Once you click into the “Tv-Shows” section, you’re greeted with a list of Upcoming New Episodes and Recently Aired new Episodes. If you keep up with certain shows on the network sites, a number of these will be useless, but for shows like Dexter, Weeds, Entourage, and Californication, this site is great. Once you click into a show you get a list of source links with a “Speed” rating that is pretty accurate. Most of the fast links go to a Megavideo user site, and the caching time is VERY good.

2.   tvshack: A little prettier than Project-FreeTv, and a little less user friendly, TV shack gives you a little bit of the old lists and ranking type stuff, with a list of top searches, top videos of the day, recommended content, and a list of top “Link Hunters”. Clearly a little more socially orients, it doesn’t really offer anything FreeTv doesn’t, and it’s more distracting.

3. TV-Links.cc: Super stripped down, very easy to use, very very ugly. It’s got annoying ads, once you open a link it’s got a very simple page with a synopsis, genre, and actors list. Right below that is a list of links to sources. I don’t even look at this page unless the other two are down.

Clearly the top two are the best, and all of them serve up something in that they require no download. I’ve got two full seasons of Weeds to go, and a few shows in the docket suggested by good friends, hopefully these links and a little patience will tide me over until Lost comes and rears it’s pretty seductive head. 

There are many ways to watch TV programs online, you can stream it from the networks site (ABC.com,NBC.com, CBS.com) you can stream from link aggregators (projectfreetv, tvshack.net, tvlinks) or you can download the torrents and watch them on an offline player. The first two options are clearly the simplest, but often (unless you are streaming from the network) the quality of the stream can be horrendous, and waiting for each episode to cache can be annoying. This is where the value of the third option comes in.

Miro (formerly known as the democracy player) allows you to subscribe to RSS feeds from outside the list of channels within its player. The full potential of this can be reached by combining that knowledge with this site. Here you have a list of just about every show that gets posted as a torrent on the internet. Most shows are updated within a day or so of airing, so you can keep up fairly well.

Once you’ve downloaded the Miro player, click on the link for the show you want to subscribe to, then right click on “Search-based RSS Feed” and select “copy link location.”

Select the Channels tab in Miro and then add the channel, past the link location into the box, and then rename the channel from whatever weird numbers and dashes it is to the name of the show. Depending on how you have your preferences set on Miro, the show will update every day, or even while you’re sleeping. The Setup is ridiculously simple, and with tvRSS, you have access to a HUGE number of shows. I looked up some of my favorites (Dexter, Big Love, Lost, House, Heroes) and they were all there, and all updated. Keep in mind, WE ARE NOT ADVISING YOU TO ILLEGALLY DOWNLOAD TELEVISION SHOWS. But if you don’t have cable (like me) and you want to watch the shows you love, this is how. Don’t ignore the channels preloaded into Miro though, I discovered TED talks there, and a few other more educational programs. All in all, this is a fairly comprehensive solution to the problem of consistency in Internet Television. 

Over the past few years video has completely revolutionized the way we use the internet. Videos are popping up on websites and blogs just about everywhere online. However an important question that webmaster and internet surfers alike ask is what is the best web video format? The three main video formats on the internet are Flash, Quicktime and Divx.

Before we get into taking a closer look at Flash and Divx, If you are looking for the easiest way to upload your videos to the internet you probably want to stick with uploading to YouTube. If you are developing a website or blog with video and are looking for more advanced and professional options then read on.

Adobe Flash Video Player

With the fairly recent release of Adobe Flash 8 and Flash Player 9, a lot of sites are turning to the Flash Video Player (.flv video format) because they make it extremely easy to convert your video into the Flash Format with the Adobe Flash 8 software. Considering over 98% of internet users have Flash installed, you are basically insured that almost everyone will be able to view your video immediately. As a viewer of Flash Videos however, the format can really vary in video quality depending on the settings that are set when the video is encoded. I recommend Flash for people who are adding video podcasts to their blogs, and generally those who aren’t as concerned about the quality of the video.

You Can Find the Adobe Flash Software Here

Divx Web Player

If you need the quality of your video on the internet to be top notch then I highly recommend looking into using Divx. The Divx Web Player is personally my favorite when viewing streaming video online. The player itself has a very sleek and easy to use interface. The video quality is superb and I haven’t come across a web video format with better quality out there. The Divx web player also has a great feature call screen dimmer, that dims the area of your screen around the video, making the video really stand out and easy to watch. The Divx web player also allows for subtitles and multiple tracks as well as full screen viewing.

As for converting your videos to a Divx format, unlike Flash Video, most video editing programs will export to the Divx format so if you are already doing video editing you probably won’t have to buy any new software.

You can get started with the Divx Web Player here

The Winner Is…

In reality each format has advantages and disadvantages. I recommend using the Flash Video Player for a video podcast or anything that doesn’t require superb video quality. If you are looking to upload your movies or tv shows to the web (make sure your not uploaded anything copyrighted of course) you should use the Divx web player, which generally offers better quality than Flash Video Player.

I am a huge Lost fan, and with the new season premiering in a few days I needed to go back and catch up from where I left off which happened to be about halfway through season 2. Since I was in the office and had a lot of work to get done last few days I decided just to watch Lost on my computer instead of heading out and buying the DVDs.

In the process of looking for Lost episodes online, I came across some great sites, and some not so good sites. I have compiled a list of the best sites to catch up on Lost below. If you’ve never watched Lost before, and are just starting you may want to clear your schedule for the next week or so. Once you start watching Lost you just cant stop.

I recommend watching Lost through Netflix. They have all 4 seasons of Lost to watch. You can sign up for a 2 week free trial and watch movies and tv shows online as well as on DVD and Blu-ray.

Top 5 Places to Watch Lost Online

1. Netflix
My favorite way to watch Lost is through Netflix. Netflix has all 4 seasons of Lost as well as thousands of other television shows available to watch online and offline via DVD and Blu-ray Disk. Netflix currently is offering a 2 week free trial and after that plans start at just $4.99 / month.

2. Lost Stream.com
If you are looking to watch Lost online for free, Lost Stream is the place to go. This site has every season and episode of lost so far. The quality of the video is pretty good (for internet video) and they have included multiple versions of each episode incase one location goes down, or becomes broken.

3. QuickSilverScreen.com

You can find some, but not all episodes of Lost on this site. However most of the episodes linked here are in a Divx web player which has awesome video quality. You probably want to watch all of the episodes you can here because the quality is the best around.

4. Sidereel

Sidereel is like a giant video directory and has hundreds of links to episodes of Lost around the web. If for some reason Lost Stream, or QuickSilverScreen go down I would recommend using this. The downside to Sidereel is its a bit harder to navigate and locate episodes with.

5. Cucirca.com

This site has a huge list of links to just about every episode of Lost. The quality of some episodes are better than others because they are spread throughout the web on different sites.

6. TV-Video.net

TV-VIdeo.net has a fair selection of lost episodes, however the video quality is pretty poor. This site has a ton of other shows that you can watch as well such as Prison BReak, Heroes, 24, Smallville, and Grey’s Anatomy.

Watch Lost Season 4 Online

You can watch new episodes of Lost Season 4 through a streaming player at ABC.com. The video player offers a fullscreen mode, and the quality is a lot better there than any of the sites listed above. ABC will also be offering selected episodes in HD which will blow all of the sites above out of the water.

1. Use Leverage to Get New Equipment For Free

Satellite and Cable TV companies will do WHATEVER they can to keep you. If your satellite equipment is old or outdated, call the company up and tell them you are going to be switching to a different company because they are offering you a better deal. Check your local newspaper or online for the current deals that are out there, you can use these as leverage against the current provider you are with. Most times they will match or beat deals the deals of their competitors. Enjoy your new equipment.

2. Eliminate Premium Channels by Renting

If you’re on a tight budget but still want to receive the movies that HBO and Showtime have to offer, consider trying out Netflix. Netflix plans start at just $4.99 a month which can be a third or less of what your currently paying for movies. Even though it will take about 1 day to get your movies now, you have access to more movies and shows that HBO or Showtime have, and you can always make a list ahead of time so you will automatically receive movies in the mail when you send the previous movie back.

3. Package Deals Save You Money

If have cable with a large provider such as Comcast you can get a bundled deal – Cable, Internet, and Phone service all through the cable company which may be less than getting them from different companies. Comcast has a promotion going called the Comcast Triple Play where you can get all 3 services for under $100.00 a month.

4. Keep Track of What Your Paying

Every now and then I like to check and see what the current pricing is for new customers. Often when a company introduces a new pricing scheme they will first introduce it with their new customers and keep current customers on the old pricing (if you pay more) as long as possible. If your company is offering service for less, give them a call and tell them you want to be included under the new rate.

5. Don’t be afraid to switch companies.

When you are with a specific cable or satellite company for a few years, you often get accustom to their services and are hesitant to switch companies for a better deal. If you see a better deal somewhere, and if the techniques above fail to save you money, don’t be afraid to try a new company. Don’t let your current cable or satellite company intimidate you into staying with them, or try to offer you a cheaper rate for a few months. Switching to a new company can often be refreshing and end up saving you a lot of money.

There are many different ways to watch live TV over the internet and with this guide we will cover the three most popular methods. To get the best results when watching TV on the internet it is necessary to have a broadband internet connection such as Cable Internet, DSL, or FIOS. Watching any type of video over the internet requires a lot of bandwidth and this is why broadband is necessary.

The first and most popular way to watch television over the internet is through TV on Your PC Software such as My New Satellite TV – Recommended. This software allows you to watch thousands of live channels such as NBC, FOX, ESPN, and more on your PC. You don’t really need any extra hardware, you just download the software and you are good to go. The software does cost money, usually its around $50, however there are no monthly fees. Honestly this is the best way to watch live television over the internet because its just like having satellite or cable service on your PC, plus the software is very user friendly and easy to use.

The second way to watch live television over the internet is through the actual TV channel websites. Some websites such as CNN have live streams that you can tune into and watch in your browser window. The picture quality from live streams like this will not be as good as TV on your PC software, however programming is often free. This method is probably the best if you just want to check the news real quick, its not recommended and pretty much impossible if you want a wide selection of channels.

The third way to watch live television on the internet isn’t really through the internet, ok so we lied, however it is through your computer. If you have a TV tuner card you can watch cable and satellite broadcasts through your computer. This method is good if you have pre existing cable or satellite service and TV tuner hardware in your computer. Most computers don’t have this hardware, so if you want to use this technology you will have to pick up a tuner card at best buy or your local computer store.

There are quite a few options for watching live TV on your computer, however the only one that is really possible for everyone is getting TV on Your PC software which is what we recommend. Through this software you will get the best programming and the picture quality is superior to just about everything else. A tuner card can work for some people and if you are just looking to watch news clips you may want to just check out cnn.com.

Recently we have getting a ton of questions asking about watching NFL games in HD. If you have an HD compatible television and a satellite receiver that can handle HD then all you really need to do is find the HD channel that game is on. You need to make sure your receiver can get HD channels.

If you have a system that can handle high definition then you should be good to go, your local channels such as NBC and FOX should be showing in HD resolutions such as 720p however the exact resolution varies per channel. Some channels are not in HD but have their own corresponding HD channels, the NFL network has a separate channel called NFL Network HD that displays in HD.

We have also heard that if your NFL team is not in a major city like Philadelphia or LA, then the game may not be shot in HD yet however they will try to upscale the resolution to “appear” like its HD. This really doesn’t work that well and definitely doesn’t look as good as true high definition. FOX apparently uses this technique the most and a lot of people have been complaining about it recently so hopefully they will upgrade their cameras soon.

I’m a huge Eagles fan and one of my favorite things to do every Sunday is to sit down and watch a few football games. Recently however I’ve been very busy with work and I’ve found myself stuck in the home office on the computer for most of the day. I tried to catch football clips on espn.com, but thats not as good as actually watching the game.

A few weeks back I bought this great TV on Your PC software called Free-Satellite-Network. This software allows you to watch thousands of television channels on your computer directly through the internet.

TV for PC software like Free-Satellite-Network has a ton of sports channels including channels that cover sunday and monday night football like FOX, NBC, and even ESPN. This way I can now watch NFL games on my PC while I work, talk about a win – win situation. The more I use this software the more I love it, is easy to use, you get a ton of channels, and pretty much every and any NFL game you want. Most of my family are Redskin fans so this lets me watch Redskins games and keep track of all of their losses=) (joke).

If you are looking to watch NFL games or really any sports games on your PC or computer, this is probably the best route to go. Like most Satellite TV For PC software programs out there, Free-Satellite-Network doesn’t require any additional hardware, and all you really need is an internet connection.

You can check out Free-Satellite-Network Here.

When people buy satellite television, they rarely go back to cable. Obviously there are a ton of reasons for that, but that means that most satellite tv subscribers are in it for the long haul. When you first sign up for Dish Network or DirecTV its great having new shiny equipment. However in time new technology comes along and old technology becomes obsolete. This means that eventually you will need to replace your current Dish and Receiver to get new programming and a clearer picture.

Making the decision that you need a new dish and receiver can be a bit tricky because new technology is always coming out, when when you buy something one day, it seems to be almost obsolete the next day. However I have found that a good rule of thumb is to replace your Dish system when you upgrade to a new television. Most people replace their TV every 4 to 5 years.

These days many people are upgrading their old Dish systems so that they are able to receive HD (high definition) channels and programming. If you are with Dish Network you need to have a Dish 500 or 1000 system to receive the HD channels that they offer. Dish HD channels and programming also require one of the following receivers iP211, ViP222, ViP622 DVR or ViP722 DVR receiver.

The good news is that if you are upgrading your Dish system because you want to get the HD content, they are constantly running deals and promotions that might allow you to get a free HD DVR, and a new dish at no charge. If you are upgrading because you just bought a new television, you probably want to look into the HD programming and packages that Dish offers because your new television can probably take advantage of this new technology.

If you have just moved into a house which already has a satellite dish installed, you always want to check and make sure that it is the latest hardware the satellite company offers. If it isn’t and you are signing up to become a new customer, you always should request new hardware because you can often get it for no charge, and that way you stay up to date and can get the most programming for the best price possible.

I also recommend checking your providers website every now and then just to see what is new and if they are offering any new services. If these services require equipment that you don’t have, thats a good way to tell that your receiver or satellite dish may be out of date, and you might want to consider replacing it.

So you’ve recently bought an HD compatible television and your ready to take the plunge in the next generation of television. You called up Dish Network and made an appointment to have the Dish HD service installed, and you want the installation to go as smooth as possible. Well here are a few tips.

If Dish Network is just sending you an HD receiver, check with them to make sure they are also sending you an HDMI cable. This cable replaces the standard cable you are using currently to receive non HD broadcasts.

Call and see if there is an upgrade fee. If so you an often get the price reduced if you talk to them a bit and act like you are on the verge of just sticking with the regular service. I have heard of people getting starz and HBO free for 3 months as well when they are upgrading, you may be able to work something like that out with them as well. Again this really depends on how much you can haggle with them…and if you luck out with a REALLY nice customer support rep, who knows you may be able to get the upgrade free with no installation fees at all.

If someone is actually coming out to upgrade your service they may not be able to find a good HD signal where your Satellite Dish is currently mounted, so they may have to move it, but that is pretty unavoidable. However 90% of the time things go smoothly, and they shouldn’t need to move anything.

Overall my experience upgrading with Dish is usually positive, so sit back, relax, and get ready to see what your HD TV can really do.