How to Legally Watch TV and Movies Online
Pay a one time fee to rent a program., Pay a one time fee to own a copy of a TV show or movie., Subscribe to a streaming service.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Pay a one time fee to rent a program.
In a modern-day version of the video store, online rental services allow viewers to watch a program once in a specific amount of time.
Obviously, services, titles, and costs vary but renting a TV show or movie is a good option if you only want to watch a title once, as it is cheaper than purchasing the program outright.
A few examples of popular online sites that provide program rentals are: iTunes.
Apple's iTunes store has a ton of television and movie content available for download, and downloading the necessary software is free and easy.
Prices vary but renting an individual TV show will cost about $1.99, or an entire season will cost around $30.
TV shows are usually available on iTunes within a couple days of having been broadcast but not all TV series are available.
Amazon also provides a rental program for TV shows and movies.
Rental costs are pretty comparable to those of iTunes, but if you have Amazon Prime, Amazon's paid membership, many titles are free to stream.
Unlike iTunes, most titles are available for streaming instead of downloading, although programs can be downloaded onto Amazon mobile devices. -
Step 2: Pay a one time fee to own a copy of a TV show or movie.
Buying a movie or TV show for download or streaming will cost you as much as buying a DVD but it gives you the convenience of watching it on any number of devices.
You'll be able to watch them whenever you like, for as long as you like, and they won't expire the way that online rentals do.
Remember that even though you have bought the title, it doesn't guarantee you will be able to make hard copies of it or send a digital copy to a friend.
Some sites that sell digital copies of movies and TV shows include: iTunes gives you the option to buy or rent all of their TV and movie titles, although one option may be available before the other. iTunes purchases are downloaded straight to your computer and can be accessed through the iTunes program.
When buying a TV show or movie, you will have the ability to watch it as many times as you like.
Amazon also allows you to buy copies of TV shows and movies.
Unlike iTunes, however, Amazon gives you the choice of downloading the content, so that you can play it when not connected to the internet, or keeping your access through streaming from their site.
The second option is great if your computer's memory is getting full and you don't have enough storage room for a big file, like those of movies, but requires specific software from Amazon or an Amazon mobile device. , Pay a monthly fee to access TV and movies online.
These services allow viewers to watch a wide variety of programs without the hassle of paying for each program individually.
Whether you are concerned about watching the latest episode of your favorite show or you want to watch all of the episodes of an old obscure sitcom, there are different services for you.
Netflix started out as a DVD rental service that operated through the mail but they have switched their focus in recent years to their instant streaming service.
Netflix now allows you to watch TV shows and movies on your computer, or on your television through an approved device, without having to wait for the mail to arrive.
There's a monthly fee but with Netflix you are able to watch as many streaming movies and TV shows as you want.
If you love to watch TV shows and movies, but aren't particular about seeing the very latest releases, then this paid subscription might be for you.
Huluplus is a subscription that greatly expands the amount of videos you can watch on the free content website Hulu.
It has all of the free content available on the basic Hulu site, but includes many more TV episodes and movies.
Huluplus also gives access to many TV shows the day after they originally air, while Hulu takes approximately a week to make shows available.
For up to the date episodes, paying for Huluplus may be worth the cost. -
Step 3: Subscribe to a streaming service.
Detailed Guide
In a modern-day version of the video store, online rental services allow viewers to watch a program once in a specific amount of time.
Obviously, services, titles, and costs vary but renting a TV show or movie is a good option if you only want to watch a title once, as it is cheaper than purchasing the program outright.
A few examples of popular online sites that provide program rentals are: iTunes.
Apple's iTunes store has a ton of television and movie content available for download, and downloading the necessary software is free and easy.
Prices vary but renting an individual TV show will cost about $1.99, or an entire season will cost around $30.
TV shows are usually available on iTunes within a couple days of having been broadcast but not all TV series are available.
Amazon also provides a rental program for TV shows and movies.
Rental costs are pretty comparable to those of iTunes, but if you have Amazon Prime, Amazon's paid membership, many titles are free to stream.
Unlike iTunes, most titles are available for streaming instead of downloading, although programs can be downloaded onto Amazon mobile devices.
Buying a movie or TV show for download or streaming will cost you as much as buying a DVD but it gives you the convenience of watching it on any number of devices.
You'll be able to watch them whenever you like, for as long as you like, and they won't expire the way that online rentals do.
Remember that even though you have bought the title, it doesn't guarantee you will be able to make hard copies of it or send a digital copy to a friend.
Some sites that sell digital copies of movies and TV shows include: iTunes gives you the option to buy or rent all of their TV and movie titles, although one option may be available before the other. iTunes purchases are downloaded straight to your computer and can be accessed through the iTunes program.
When buying a TV show or movie, you will have the ability to watch it as many times as you like.
Amazon also allows you to buy copies of TV shows and movies.
Unlike iTunes, however, Amazon gives you the choice of downloading the content, so that you can play it when not connected to the internet, or keeping your access through streaming from their site.
The second option is great if your computer's memory is getting full and you don't have enough storage room for a big file, like those of movies, but requires specific software from Amazon or an Amazon mobile device. , Pay a monthly fee to access TV and movies online.
These services allow viewers to watch a wide variety of programs without the hassle of paying for each program individually.
Whether you are concerned about watching the latest episode of your favorite show or you want to watch all of the episodes of an old obscure sitcom, there are different services for you.
Netflix started out as a DVD rental service that operated through the mail but they have switched their focus in recent years to their instant streaming service.
Netflix now allows you to watch TV shows and movies on your computer, or on your television through an approved device, without having to wait for the mail to arrive.
There's a monthly fee but with Netflix you are able to watch as many streaming movies and TV shows as you want.
If you love to watch TV shows and movies, but aren't particular about seeing the very latest releases, then this paid subscription might be for you.
Huluplus is a subscription that greatly expands the amount of videos you can watch on the free content website Hulu.
It has all of the free content available on the basic Hulu site, but includes many more TV episodes and movies.
Huluplus also gives access to many TV shows the day after they originally air, while Hulu takes approximately a week to make shows available.
For up to the date episodes, paying for Huluplus may be worth the cost.
About the Author
Gregory Peterson
Enthusiastic about teaching hobbies techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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