Getting Content
If we’re going to to disconnect CableTV then we’ll need some tools to collect and store the Internet shows we’re interested in. It’s worth spending a few minutes describing the best way to collect and manage content.
iTunes is the popular application for downloading and managing you audio and video collection. iTunes has a free podcast directory with literally tens of thousands of audio and video shows only a click away. In addition, iTunes offers premium paid-for content allow many of the popular US TV shows to be downloaded for a small fee.If we really need to watch ‘Prime Time’ TV shows then this is the place to go.
Azureus is used by tens of thousands of users worldwide to satisfy their TV, movie and music needs. In essence, Bittorrent is a network of users who upload and download files on a daily basis enabling the instant sharing of content. Read, sharing TV content. Azureus is a client application that gives us access to that network of users. With Azureus you can find the latest TV shows, Movies, Software and MP3’s. Typically, this is used to download legally questionable content, or content that does not require payment. Available on Linux, Mac OSX and Windows.
The Democracy video player is a freely available tool for subscribing, downloading and managing your TV content. Typically this is freely available content and it does a pretty good job of gathering and playing the many different video formats on the web. One of the most useful features is the seamless Channel Guide which allows you to review and select content for download with the single click of a button. Available on Linux, Mac OSX and Windows.
These are not the only tools. Stopping here would do a great injustice to applications like Fireant, TVTonic and Zudeo. These are tools similar to Democracy and are definitely worth a mention. Likewise, websites like tvrss.net, demonoid.com and thepiratebay.com are valuable resources for television shows from around the world, or just around the corner.
Why not download iTunes and go to the podcast directory and subscribe to some of the shows highlighted in the Great Shows section?
What tools should you use? It’s a matter of taste. I always recommend Democracy as the most interesting place to begin.
