Snow need to be missing your favourite TV shows this Christmas

Worried about missing your favourite TV show this Christmas? Have you tried catching up on your favourite shows by watching online? Over a quarter (28%) of people recently surveyed by BroadbandChoices.co.uk have made use of online TV, but this means a massive 72% of people still missing out.

The key UK terrestrial channels all now offer online streaming of their most popular TV shows and some, like Channel 4's 4oD, also offers movies and past ‘classic' shows. For TV viewers with broadband it's an opportunity to catch up on their favourite shows, generally, for free. The most popular online TV channels in the UK include BBCiplayer (for your Strictly or Doctor Who fix) and 4oD (if you missed Hollyoaks, the latest Desperate Housewives or just want to watch your favourite Peep Show episode). Channel 5 and ITV have each recently updated their online TV media streaming offerings.

Parents, busy juggling work, social lives and entertaining their children were the least likely to make use of the TV download services available to them; whilst male students living in London were the most likely to use this service.

Michael Phillips, Product Director at BroadbandChoices.co.uk comments: "People who don't have a digital or DVD recorder, or who may be cancelling their subscriptions to multi-channel TV packages to save money, don't need to miss their favourite TV shows. Online streaming offers a wealth of free and cheap to download TV and film content and with a good standard broadband package most users should be able to watch their favourite shows on their home computer or lap top quite easily.

"There has been a lot of investment in the online TV streaming made available by channels like the BBC, Channel 4, ITV and Channel 5. In the past viewing shows online was an unpleasant experience, with fuzzy pictures and digital hiccups but most of these problems have now been ironed. Providing they keep an eye on any download limits, for broadband users with high speed internet access catching up on their favourite shows online should be a breeze."