Missed a Show? Here's What to Do

This is an exciting season for TV fans everywhere who have patiently waited for new episodes of Lost, Heroes, Ugly Betty, and American Idol. Those four shows alone can tie you up Monday through Thursday, leaving you with little time for anything else. Of course, in a perfect world you'd never miss a show, but there's the occasional event you can't pass up, like happy hour, dinner with friends, or <insert unprecedented event here>. That leaves us with no choice but to miss our favorite shows. Or does it?

Friends, it's time to stop planning our lives around TV shows and take advantage of some of the following alternatives:

Go to the Network's site

Research has shown that online consumers spend equal amounts of time surfing the web and watching television. Last year, major networks paid attention and decided to experiment with what they called webisodes. Looks like their experiment proved successful, since now more and more networks have jumped on this trend by making their content available to online viewers. ABC offers full episodes of at least eight shows including Ugly Betty, Lost, and Grey's Anatomy, while Jericho, CSI, and Survivor fans can head on over to CBS to watch any missed shows. This year ABC even dedicated a special site to livecasts that will air before and after the Academy Awards, although it's not clear if the show itself will be available online.

I do have a word of caution: check the network's webisode offerings before you miss a show. NBC viewers are complaining about the Two-Minute Replays on some of their popular shows such as Medium, so do keep in mind that networks don't always offer full webisodes. On the other hand, I couldn't find any shows on Fox, although last year they announced that 60 percent of their prime time shows would be online. (Update: Thanks to our readers, I was able to find Fox full episodes on MySpace)

You'll love: That they're free and can be accessed from any computer connected to the Internet.
You'll hate: Only popular shows are online, plus you won't always find full episodes of your favorite shows.
Perfect for: Those who missed a show and want to watch it during a lunch break.
Cost: Free (if you can sit through a few commercials).
Source: Streaming video

Download it from iTunes

iTunes offers more than 200 TV shows for download starting at $1.99. They have a great mix of shows from various networks, such as MTV, ESPN, and Comedy Central. The video quality has improved, which means you can certainly watch them on a standard television set by using an iPod AV connection kit. Downloads are pretty fast, and you can even watch the show while it's being saved to your computer. You can purchase a season pass to a show, which means new episodes are automatically downloaded. The downside is that episodes begin to download a day after they've aired. The good news is that once you buy an episode, you can watch it on your computer, television, or iPod as many times as you want.

You'll love: You can load the show to your iPod.
You'll hate: You can't play them on other media devices or burn them to a disk which means you'll need a big hard drive.
Perfect for: Those who like portable, commercial-free entertainment.
Cost: $1.99 per episode
Source: Download

Catch it On Demand

Cable companies offer Video On Demand services to anyone with a cable box. They have a nice selection of TV shows and movies to choose from, but if you missed a show, the chances of catching it on demand are slim. Comcast, for example, offers a handful of shows from CBS and NBC only, and I have to say the list of shows is not spectacular. On the bright side, you can fast-forward or rewind content, it is commercial-free, and some shows are available in high-definition.

You'll love: You can catch up with a whole season of your favorite show, some in HD.
You'll hate: Shows rotate, so you better watch them before they're removed.
Perfect for: Those days when there's nothing good on TV.
Cost: Check with your cable company.
Source: Download

Friends with TiVo

TiVo can be programmed to automatically record any show you want onto its hard drive. If you're not a fan of commercials, fast-forwarding is a bonus on recorded content. The best feature is being able to control live television programming to create your own instant replays. Wait at least 15 minutes before every show, and you'll never have to sit through commercials again. TiVo keeps beefing up its options with programs like TiVo ToGo, which enables users to download their favorite shows to an MP3 player, personal computer, portable gaming device, or mobile phone. Shows can be saved to DVD, giving you flexibility to watch them anywhere. A Series 3 HD TiVo is available for high-definition lovers, and a dual-tuner Series 2 TiVo can record two shows at the same time. However, you do have to buy the TiVo tuner itself and pay a monthly fee, but in my opinion, it's worth it.

You'll love: TiVo ToGo, Tivo Unboxed, and the ability to fast-forward through commercials.
You'll hate: The monthly fee, as well as paying for the equipment.
Perfect for: Those who want to ditch the TV ball and chain forever.
Cost: $13 monthly fee with 3-year plan + equipment costs ($50-$799)
Source: Download

Streaming vs downloads: This is very simple. Streaming video requires a connection to a computer, while downloaded material doesn't after it's stored on a hard drive. This means it is also easier to rewind or fast-forward through downloaded content, as opposed to streaming media. I'm not a fan of streaming video because speed depends on your connection, and if you have a slow connection that fails, you'll have to watch the show from the beginning all over again. Streaming media is not stored on your computer either, so you can't copy it to other media devices without the help of special software.

All these media have their advantages and disadvantages, but it's all about having an option as opposed to waiting for episodes to be aired again. Once you determine what works for you, you'll be glad you're not tied to a TV schedule again.

I want to hear about your experience with any of these methods. Which one do you prefer?

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