25 Ways to Watch Free TV and Movies Online

By Guest Blogger Miranda Marquit

Miranda writes for Banlking, a new portal for personal finance information, which publishes a weblog, and resources section that contains tools like the highest online savings accounts rates, a free online mortgage calculator, and more.

Image: istockphoto

One of the expenses that many people complain about is the expense of entertainment. Cable and satellite television services cost money (sometimes a lot), and going to the movies can get pricey. But what if you could get all the benefits of watching TV and movies for only the cost of a high speed Internet connection? It’s possible, as long as you know where to go. You can watch on your laptop, desktop, or even your TV, if you have what you need to show the Internet on your set. (There are TV set boxes that can do this, but I like to access the Internet through my PlayStation 3, and watch that way.)

Here are 25 ways to watch free TV and movies online:

1. Network Web sites: Many TV networks provide access to television shows, or partial shows, online. NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox all offer some of their TV shows online after the airdate. You can also find access to shows on BBC, Comedy Central and the Cartoon Network, as well as other cable networks. Even if you can’t get the entire show from these Web sites, it is usually possible to see the best clips from the shows.
2. Hulu: You can watch a number of shows, in their entirety, on Hulu. Limitied commercial interruption is a feature of Hulu, and the latest feature is the ability to choose to watch a longer commercial at the beginning of the show, or shorter commercials during the presentation. There are also some movies available on Hulu. Hulu is jointly owned by NBC Universal, News Corp. and Providence Equity Partners, but an independent management team is in charge of it. Those ads you watch before or during the presentation are what pays for the site.
3. YouTube: This one is a little obvious. You can watch a number of television shows, clips, music videos and user-generated content on YouTube. The main problem with YouTube is that sometimes the copyright owners don’t like their shows distributed through the site. So you might run into trouble viewing some of the content. However, in many cases, you can go to the original source to find the show. After all, the main beef others have with YouTube is that it brings traffic away from their sites.
4. Dailymotion: One of the problems with YouTube is that the powerhouses have been suing the site like crazy. Dailymotion doesn’t have that problem. So you can still find plenty of TV shows. And more.
5. TvChannelsFree.com: There are a number of online TV channels available, from around the world, through TvChannelsFree.com. Including broadband Internet stations, and living streaming television, this site offers news, education, cartoon, sports and more. Videos are also available.
6. SurfTheChannel: Watch a number of television shows and movies for free with SurfTheChannel. You can find most of the popular television shows on this Web site, as well as some of the more obscure stuff. Documentaries and anime are available on SurfTheChannel as well.
7. Veoh: One of the cool things about Veoh is that it acts as a player. You can save movies and TV shows for later. The downloadable player is kind of like having your own mini-DVR on your computer. Access to a number of television shows, movies and even user-generated videos.
8. blip.tv: If you want different TV entertainment for free, blip.tv is the place to go. The focus is one television shows that are independently produced — without the aid of the millions that come from the “big guys”. Some of it really is creative and quite entertaining.
9. In2TV: AOL has put together an online TV Web site that offers access to classic television shows. Many of the free TV Web sites only share the latest in television entertainment. If you like classic TV, In2TV is the place to go.
10. TV Land: Another source of classic television is TV Land. Additionally, TV Land provides access to some of its “Prime” shows, many of which are newer and reality based.
11. TV4u: More classic television and classic movies. Yet another place to enjoy the classics from days gone by.
12. Newsfilm Library: If you are into classic newsfilms, you can access them for free from this Web site set up by the University of South Carolina.
13. Joost: This is a very easy to use site, since categories are prominently displayed. For those who are a little edgier, there is even a category labeled “sexy”. You can get news and gossip shows, along with drama, reality, culture, comedy and even gaming. This site comes from the people who brought us Skype.
14. IMDB: You know this site has information on TV and film stars, as well as television shows and movies. However, IMDB is more than just an informational site. It is also possible to watch full-length movies, free of charge, on IMDB.
15. Revver: Watch videos from professionals and amateurs. A number of clips from TVs and movies are available here. You can upload your own creations as well, and even use them to earn a little cash.
16. Babelgum: You can find a number of full length movies, videos and more from Babelgum. The content is free, and it comes from all around the world. There are a number of interesting and entertaining videos here.
17. Movies on Demand: I am, in fact, watching Star Trek — the new version in theaters right now — for free via Movies on Demand as I write this post. (I’ve seen the movie twice in theaters, but now I won’t have to pay to see it again.) I don’t claim to know how it works, and I don’t want to know. The quality of some of the movies lead me to believe…interesting…things about how they were obtained. You can stream or download. I’m streaming because, quite frankly, I’m not sure I want it physically on my computer.
18. CurrentTV: This is another television Web site that offers a great deal of user-generated content. Much of it is creative and entertaining. Even the news shows.
19. BeelineTV: If you are looking for world television, this is the place. BeelineTV features online television channels from all over the world.
20. FreeTube: While some complain about using FreeTube, it does work reasonably well in most cases. You can get access to TV shows in a number of genres, as well as movies and Web cams. Adult channels and children’s channels are available. Comes with the “Family Friendly” version so that your kids don’t accidentally stumble on something they shouldn’t.
21. Free Movies Cinema: This is a free movie site that is rather limited in its offerings, but most of what’s available is worth watching. Includes obscure and indie stuff, and can be a great way for you to expand your movie horizons.
22. TubeZoom: Get access to free movies and TV shows online. Some of them are even new. You can watch trailers as well.
23. Yahoo TV: One of the cool things about Yahoo TV is that it offers a look at show pilot episodes — sometimes before they appear on television. Other TV shows and videos are also available.
24. TV Shack: Watch popular television episodes and movies free of charge. Including new movies. My son might enjoy watching Up (which is the most popular movie right now on TV Shack).
25. Live TV Online: Get access to popular TV stations, including CNN, Discovery, SciFi (or SyFy or however they do it now) and History, as well as network TV. You can also find the television stations run by Forbes, E!, TMZ and more.