Where can I download TV shows and movies for free?

Firstly, before downloading any TV shows from the internet, make sure that it's not illegal. Unless you know for a fact that the film studios have given their permission to a specific website to make their TV shows and movies available for free, then it's most likely not legal.

Secondly, we here in good ol' SA have two wee problems called "bandwidth" and "download speeds" — or the lack thereof. The chances are very good that you'll bust your monthly cap in one sitting by downloading a movie or TV show and up your frustration limits considerably due to the long time it takes to download. Unless of course you are in the fortunate position to have unlimited bandwidth and a super fast connection.

And then lastly, at the moment all the well-known international online movie and TV show libraries are not yet available to us here in SA. In fact, I don't know of any website where South Africans can legally download movies and/or TV shows from yet.

However, if you're a resident of the US, then there are some options available to you.

Joost:

Joost is an ad-supported website which makes a bunch of movies, TV shows and indie music videos available. You might not found the latest movies and TV shows on here, but they are free. And if you're a classics or sports fan, you'll find a lot to like on Joost.

To use Joost you need to download and install their software onto your computer.

Hulu:

Hulu was founded by News Corp and NBC Universal and makes their money through advertising. At the moment Hulu is only available for US residents.

Its main advantage over Joost is that that it offers a wide range of popular movies and TV shows. You also don't need to subscribe to be able to view content. It is, however, free to subscribe and by subscribing you get to save your favourites.

With Hulu you don't need to download and install any software. You merely watch the movies online through streaming.

(If you know of any other free and legal online movie and TV show services, please tell us about it by commenting below.)