# Watching TV shows on the web
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-shows-on-the-web/511547
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [September 25, 2009, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-shows-on-the-web/511547 "2009-09-25T17:48:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 17
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@dflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dflower)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2009, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-shows-on-the-web/511547/1 "2009-09-25T17:48:06Z")
What is the best site to watch a TV show on line?
I tried a few to watch last season of House MD but either got only clips or had to go through 15 minutes of answering survey questions and still got nowhere.
I did not think this would be so hard.
Thanks for your help.
---
### Author:  [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2009, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-shows-on-the-web/511547/2 "2009-09-25T18:00:44Z")
> **[Stream TV and Movies Live and Online | Hulu](https://www.hulu.com/welcome)**
>
> Watch TV shows and movies online. Stream TV episodes of Grey's Anatomy, This Is Us, Bob's Burgers, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Empire, SNL, and popular movies on your favorite devices. Start your free trial now. Cancel anytime.
---
### Author:  [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2009, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-shows-on-the-web/511547/3 "2009-09-25T18:02:38Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#):
>
> [www.hulu.com](http://www.hulu.com)
That, or try the website of the network of the show you’re trying to watch. That and Hulu will almost always be the best _legal_ options.
---
### Author:  [@Claire\_Beauchamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claire_Beauchamp)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2009, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-shows-on-the-web/511547/4 "2009-09-25T18:05:14Z")
Also keep in mind that some shows just aren’t available in full episode format online. Those that are may only be available for a limited time.
If the network web site and hulu don’t pan out, try iTunes. For example, that’s how I watched _Mad Men_ last year. It cost something like $20 to buy the whole season.
---
### Author:  [@dflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dflower)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2009, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-shows-on-the-web/511547/5 "2009-09-25T18:08:39Z")
Maybe you can help me. I tried but can’t find anything but clips on house on hulu.
What am I doing wrong?
---
### Author:  [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2009, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-shows-on-the-web/511547/6 "2009-09-25T18:10:53Z")
> [@dflower](#):
>
> Maybe you can help me. I tried but can’t find anything but clips on house on hulu.
> What am I doing wrong?
Go here —\> [http://www.fox.com/fod/](http://www.fox.com/fod/)
---
### Author:  [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-shows-on-the-web/511547/7 "2009-09-25T18:48:06Z")
> [@dflower](#):
>
> Maybe you can help me. I tried but can’t find anything but clips on house on hulu.
> What am I doing wrong?
You’re trying to watch last season, and the season 5 DVD is out now, so they want you to buy that instead.
The new season will be up on Hulu, but it’s delayed by 8 days after broadcast (which sucks). Then they will probably have 4 or 5 full episodes up at any time (or maybe just 1). Every show has different rules.
---
### Author:  [@Erasmus\_Darwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erasmus_Darwin)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2009, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-shows-on-the-web/511547/8 "2009-09-25T18:51:48Z")
On the paid side, there’s also Netflix’s streaming service. It’s a crap shoot as to whether or not a given show will be available (and other than a few exceptions, it’s almost always stuff that’s old enough to be on DVD), but it’s essentially free and worth checking out if you’re already on a Netflix plan that provides for unlimited streaming. However, I wouldn’t recommend signing up for Netflix just for the streaming. Also, in the case of House, it looks like none of the episodes are available for streaming from Netflix.
---
### Author:  [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2009, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-shows-on-the-web/511547/9 "2009-09-25T18:56:22Z")
I’ve been seeing endless commercials this week for something called Fancast, at [fancast.com](http://fancast.com). I’m on my laptop which dislikes streaming video, so I won’t be able to try it until i get back to my desktop tomorrow evening, but I will be checking it out.
---
### Author:  [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-shows-on-the-web/511547/10 "2009-09-25T20:15:40Z")
I take it Google is blocked where you live? Because I’ve watched lots of House episodes online, simply by following the links I got by Googling “house md episodes online”.
---
### Author:  [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2009, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-shows-on-the-web/511547/11 "2009-09-25T20:18:25Z")
Bear in mind also that many sites are country-specific. For instance you can’t watch anything on Hulu if you live outside the US.
---
### Author:  [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)
#### Post date: [September 25, 2009, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-shows-on-the-web/511547/12 "2009-09-25T20:22:28Z")
Ah, right. Sorry, those of us in the US tend to forget that.
---
### Author:  [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2009, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-shows-on-the-web/511547/13 "2009-09-26T07:02:48Z")
> [@tumbleddown](#):
>
> I’ve been seeing endless commercials this week for something called Fancast, at [fancast.com](http://fancast.com). I’m on my laptop which dislikes streaming video, so I won’t be able to try it until i get back to my desktop tomorrow evening, but I will be checking it out.
Fancast is OK – the interface is a little clunky, and I prefer Hulu, but they have somewhat different offerings. The best thing about Fancast is that is they don’t have the show you’re looking for, they’ll direct you to the other sites that do carry that show. I think Hulu does this now too, however.
As to the OP – you’re shit out of luck. Not every show is available online for free. That cannibalizes their DVD sales.
–Cliffy
---
### Author:  [@Shig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shig)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2009, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-shows-on-the-web/511547/14 "2009-09-26T14:20:28Z")
I have never used any of these sites. In my opinion the way to go is xxxx Most new shows are available for download the day after they air, and previous seasons are usually available in full. I do my searches on [xxxx.org](http://xxxx.org) and download the files with a program calle xxxx ([www.xxxx.com](http://www.xxxx.com)).
---
### Author:  [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2009, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-shows-on-the-web/511547/15 "2009-09-26T17:12:20Z")
[Hulu.com](http://Hulu.com) has shows from several different sources. They appear either the day after or 8 days after the original airing. These days, the day after appears to be the standard.
[ABC.com](http://ABC.com) has their own shows available, though I think that they’re releasing to Hulu now.
If a show isn’t on Hulu, generally that means that you have to pay for it. This could mean iTunes, Amazon Unbox, or Netflix. I don’t believe that iTunes has a streaming option (i.e. you have to download the full episode to your hard drive). Amazon has both streaming and downloading. Netflix only has a streaming option. With Amazon and iTunes, you pay by the episode or by the season. Netflix, you pay a monthly fee and get access to everything they have. None of these have any commercials.
---
### Author:  [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2009, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-shows-on-the-web/511547/16 "2009-09-26T17:17:04Z")
> [@Shig](#):
>
> I have never used any of these sites. In my opinion the way to go is Bittorrent. Most new shows are available for download the day after they air, and previous seasons are usually available in full. I do my searches on [btjunkie.org](http://btjunkie.org) and download the files with a program calle xxxxx ([www.xxxx.com](http://www.xxxx.com)).
Even though it’s probably the best way, it’s also the illegal way… :smack:
---
### Author:  [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2009, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/watching-tv-shows-on-the-web/511547/17 "2009-09-26T21:10:20Z")
btw, the “Satellite on PC” thing is a total scam.