It isn’t just music which can be downloaded from the internet TV shows and films can also be viewed, downloaded and bought online. Websites such as youtube.com and alluc.org enable users to watch episodes of American (and British) shows over the internet. All that’s required is a computer with enough speed to download such files, and viewing software such as RealPlayer, Macromedia Player or Windows Media Software.

There are a range of other free websites which provide extracts ranging from 1950s TV shows to modern day dramas pcplanets, TVland and dailymotion. Seabreezecomputers provides a detailed list of television shows which can be viewed over the internet; this is broken down into episodes and series allowing you to mix and match for easy viewing.

Before you start downloading television shows or films, ensure you check your broadband contract's small print to determine your download allocation. Downloading a large amount of data could inflate your bill massively (especially shows which feature on BBC iPlayer or 4oD). Those on unlimited download packages will still be subject to “fair usage policies”.