Can You Get Cable TV Over the Internet?

YouTube and Dailymotion allows you to choose from millions of video clips and watch short form videos for no cost. You may be able to watch some cable programs in entirety or snippets of programs by typing in certain key terms into the provider's search engine. New and hard-to-find music videos abound on these sites as content is uploaded by users from around the world. If your goal is to forgo a monthly cable and Internet bill, you can connect to free Wi-Fi hotspots and watch as much content on these and similar sites as possible.

Hulu's site allows you to watch full movies, documentaries and television episodes without cost. Like cable programming, you may be subject to advertising during the programs. Advertising is one of the ways that the provider is able to offer the service at no cost to online viewers. Hulu also has an upgraded version that you can subscribe to for a nominal monthly fee to get access to even more content, as well as high-definition programming. Through Netflix, you can watch entire movies online for a nominal monthly fee or stream them to your television with a gaming device like an Xbox 360, Wii or PS3.

All the major networks offer full episodes of popular series online. While not all shows are available, your favorites most likely are and you can watch them right from the network's website whenever you choose. The episodes are provided online free, but you will be subject to advertisements just as if you were watching the shows on regular television. Most if not all the major networks are also adding exclusive online content only available to a Web audience. So, you may even get perks for making the switch to online viewing or using it as a supplement.

Before making a decision to drop your cable TV and start viewing cable programs online, check that your bandwidth speed will allow you to do so seamlessly. It can be frustrating when a television show pauses frequently because of network congestion or is not available for you to view online. While file-sharing sites may allow you to download new and classic movies in entirety, there may be ramifications if the content is pirated. Using free Wi-Fi networks to view cable programming may also pose problems because of the bandwidth requirements for streaming video content. Establishments may impose restrictions on this type of activity, especially if it places a drain on or poses a risk to network resources.