Do you think you'd like to watch TV online free? Quite a number of companies providing free programming already exist. A number of conventional TV stations have made use of the Internet as way to broaden their audience. Indeed, why not figure out how to serve the "All of My Children" and "The Young and the Restless" fan who is at school during the afternoon when these popular soap operas are broadcast? Why not utilize technologies that will permit the Jeopardy fan to watch in the middle night?

Indeed, why should anybody have to structure their life around the 6 p. M. News? If you want to watch ABC World News Tonight, why shouldn't you be able to do it at 2 a. M., when you get off the second shift? As a result, the major networks are offering free online TV. Well, you may not pay in terms of cash -- just in the time wasted watching their commercials.

Even so, care should be taken when sending your money to those services offering free Internet TV on demand. Just search the Internet and you'll find scores of them. Alas, some are complete rip-offs. Reviewers report with disgust that many of these proliferating "free online TV" providers provide very little.

They stream onto your home computer or your cell phone or your game console not only a low-quality image, but also garbled sound and jerking pictures. They have no customer support -- or else tech supporters whose English is difficult to understand. They promise far, far more than they can provide, such as a one-time $49.95 fee for which you can access thousands of shows from thousands of channels from any satellite or cable provider. They guarantee crystal-clear quality.

A quick glance across the Internet finds more than 25 such services. They claim that they will provide you with unlimited access to thousands of channels and the ability to enjoy shows from any satellite or cable television channel right there on your home computer. Most guarantee high definition pictures, crystal-clear quality and absolutely no distortion. They offer "lifetime access" for your one-time fee. They also claim to provide 24-hour, seven-days-a-week customer support and free, frequent software updates.

Well, there's an old saying: "Caveat emptor". Let the purchaser beware. Shop wisely. Read lots of reviews. Take care as you pursue your goal to watch TV online free.