Who needs TV when there’s Internet?

By Quinn Milton

For four months now, I haven’t had a TV. My 21-year-old Zenith tried its best but finally stopped working completely, and I just haven’t gotten around to buying a new one. Nowadays, it’s almost unheard of to be without a TV, especially for a college student. But when I tell people I do have a computer with neighbors whom I gratefully steal WiFi from, they seem to understand. The Internet has revolutionized the way people get their entertainment-and for me, it’s my main source.

Still, though, people are confused when they find out I am without a TV-I live alone, don’t cook and don’t have a TV? What do I do with myself? People almost seem concerned with my well-being, telling me I should really get a TV soon, as if something terrible will happen if I don’t. But these people must not know the capabilities that the Internet holds for them and the experience that comes with not having a TV. In an odd way, it is much more relaxing being able to weed out what you don’t want to watch online (the depressing game three of the Cubs playoff series, political commercials, etc.), and only watching what you really care about.

By using my computer as a TV, I have the capabilities that those with OnDemand Cable have-watching certain shows whenever I want. As the Internet is growing, more and more mediums are moving online to appeal to the younger generation-we want everything at our fingertips immediately. Magazines and newspapers have already been feeling out the option of online publishing, and now so have many television channels.

After four months without a TV, I’ve done plenty of research on what channels have shows online and which don’t. I discovered The CW channel has some of their shows on their website the very same day they air. However, other channels, such as NBC, don’t put shows online until after they have aired on TV. There needs to be some consistency. Because the Internet has become such an outlet for entertainment, one would think most networks would want to reach more viewers by placing their shows online quickly.

With a simple Google search of “free TV online,” you will find hundreds of websites to watch the newest and oldest TV shows without even having to download them.

So if NBC thinks not having their shows online the night they air will force me to watch TV (no doubt, so they will get more advertising dollars), they can think again, because we all know there are ways around this with the Internet. If I want to watch “The Office” on a Thursday night, it’s easy to go home and find it somewhere online rather than wait a few days for it to pop up on NBC’s website.

The music industry has already encountered the issue of the Internet growing, and they are finding ways to work together with the Internet by having free music on MySpace pages, free radio websites and other outlets. TV stations are doing this to a certain extent, but the organization and timeliness needs to be figured out. If they are afraid of losing advertising dollars, this shouldn’t be their main worry. Sites such as Hulu.com do have brief commercials, but their video quality is well done and they have a very wide selection of shows to choose from. For me, this is my preferred TV website, even though there are a few commercials. But the problem with this site is new episodes aren’t put online until a week after they have aired on TV, so you are constantly behind.

The Internet is great-we can know everything we ever wanted to know with a click of a mouse. However, I think there’s still a long way to go. The Internet and TV networks should be working together more effectively. Rather than finding the newest “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” episode on some sketchy website, FX should put it up the night it airs on their own site. And who knows, maybe by surfing their page I’ll find a new show to get hooked on.