THUMBS UP: No Television Required to Watch Your Shows

Lost

Entertainment Weekly

Law & Order: SVU

Survivor

You desperately want to see the latestepisode of on Wednesdayevening, but you have an importantdinner to attend. Instead of waiting forreruns, the busy physician can put theirfavorite shows in the palm of theirhand. The Apple iPod Video allows youto download your favorite televisionepisodes from iTunes.com for only$1.99 per episode. Although this greatlittle gizmo has been out since fall2005, only recently has a wide assortmentof viewing options been available.According to ,television networks are also strikingdeals with cable and satellite companiesto sell episodes that can be orderedfrom your favorite armchair for as lowas 99 cents each. NBC has teamed upwith DirecTV to sell popular shows suchas , while CBS willoffer select shows like throughComcast cable. Need a break fromonline bill-paying? This past January,AOL launched a free broadband networkthat streams videos of 30 classicprograms. Fearing the music industry'smistakes, television executives want tomake legitimate file-sharing part of theeveryday before it's too late. While payingper episode does mean no commercialbreaks, you will have to sit througha 30-second spot before your sponsoredshow begins.