Internet television (otherwise known as Internet TV, or Online TV) is television service distributed via the Internet. It has become very popular during the 21st century with services such as Hulu and Revision3 in the United States, Nederland 24 in the Netherlands, ABC iView in Australia, and SeeSaw, BBC iPlayer, 4oD, ITV Player and Demand Five in the United Kingdom.
Internet television allows the users to choose the program or the TV show they want to watch from an archive of programs or from a channel directory. The two forms of viewing Internet television are streaming the content directly to a media player or simply downloading the program to the user's computer. With the "TV on Demand" market growing, these on-demand websites or applications are a must for major television broadcasters.
Accessing internet television is a relatively simple process. Using an Internet Service Provider, something which is common in many homes in the developed world, the user simply enters their chosen website address. For example, bbc.co.uk/iplayer or http://video.pbs.org . If the user has no select preference of streaming service, the name of a chosen television program can be inputted into a search engine followed by a phrase such as "online streaming" or "watch on the net".
With the exception of Internet connectivity costs many online television channels or sites are free. These sites maintain this free TV policy through the use of advertising, short commercials and banner adverts may show up before a video is played. This short advertising time means that the user does not get fed up and money can be made off of advertising, to allow web designers to offer quality content which would otherwise cost. This is how online TV makes a profit.
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