The great thing about the TV, is you just turn in on and there is something to watch... or is there? If you are like me you can sit flicking the remote, channel after channel and fail to find anything to hold the attention for longer than it takes to press the remote again.

The passion and excitement of what you might find on TV has long since gone, but perhaps now there is a new alternative growing'

Welcome to Online TV. In the days of dial-up, it was impossible to even consider watching Internet Media on your computer. But now with broadband content as standard, 'Click 'n Play' TV is beginning to come of age.

No Software, Just Open Firefox...

I am Mac user, when anything new or interesting happens on the 'net, I ask myself will they bring out the Mac version? And for PC users any new software comes with it's own risks of bugs, spy ware, and conflicts to other applications.

Well, one of the great features of some Online TV sites, they run from within your web browser, so there is nothing to download and install, and you can start watching TV within seconds.

An example of this can be found at NetChannels.tv, I opened Firefox and was instantly transported to TV Heaven. Suddenly the excitement long since lost of flicking through channels was returning.

NetChannels.tv like other online TV sites is free. There is nothing to sign up to, or even need to part with an email address. And there is a lot of content, which thankfully is neatly organized into sections such as 'Movies, Music, Videos, Entertainment' and even 'Adult'.

Already I am impressed, my attention has been grabbed for longer than the normal 30 seconds. Suddenly I am watching classic Sci-Fi, setting phasers to stun and beaming straight to me from the computer.

Next I jump to a list of music TV where The Ministry of Sound channel is showing bright lights and bikini clad girls gyrating to the beat. And then off to extreme sport where snow boarders defy gravity and perhaps common sense... In all there were more than 90 TV channels albeit some more better than others. Saving the best for last? If online TV isn't enough, there was also a massive collection of online videos to entertain, with comedy shorts from Monty Python and Ali G, Classic Cartoons including Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. But perhaps the biggest find is the vast music video collection, covering every artist from ABBA to ZZ Top.

There is a certain feeling of excitement watching TV on your computer, the random unknown of what you will find next, the temptation to see if the 'Adult' channels are really what they say they are, and best of all; there are practically no adverts to spoil the fun.

One can only wonder as more stations come online how long it will be before subscription fees and adverts creep in. In the mean time, I'd say 'Get it while you can!'