What's Worth Watching Online?

When it comes to free video, YouTube is the best-known choice, and for good reason — an incredible 48 hours of video gets uploaded to YouTube every minute. Many people don't realize that there's much more to YouTube than cute pet tricks and people harming themselves in creative ways. Whether you're looking for tips on hanging a picture on the wall, or information on Renaissance art, or video of Art Fleming hosting the original version of Jeopardy, you can unearth a wealth of video clips simply by using the YouTube search bar. There is also an entire section with full-length movies at www.youtube.com/movies (some paid, some free), lots of videos categorized into topical channels you can follow, and even live video streaming of concerts, sporting events, news broadcasts and much more from around the world by visting www.youtube.com/live.

YouTube is certainly not the only spot for free, fascinating videos on diverse topics. AOL Video offers a mix of professionally produced and amateur videos, with content conveniently organized by categories and channels. And if you're still feeling click-happy, the wide-ranging Veoh site has video clips, TV shows, movies, music videos and more, organized into categories ranging from Faith & Lifestyle to Celebrity & Showbiz, including many videos that would be too long for inclusion on YouTube.

Finally, there are all those sites offering free videos in specific categories. Foodies may flock to Chow, comedy fans to Funny or Die, folks eager for intellectual stimulation to the talks and presentations at Ted — the list goes on and on. Try using your favorite general-purpose search engine, try the "Internet Television Guide" at www.clicker.com, check your favorite magazine and news channel sites and, above all, have fun on the hunt. Every web video source you discover frees you from one more hour of dull mass-produced programming on network or cable TV.