Pay less and see more of what you want with these services that cut your cable provider out of the picture.

If you're like most people, you cough up way too much for a monthly cable subscription and you barely watch half the channels you pay for. The good news is that in this era of fast and abundant broadband, there are plenty of ways to see your favorite television shows and movies without paying Cablevision, Comcast, Time Warneror any other cable provider.

Look hard enough, and you can probably find any TV show episode or movie under the suneven those that are still in theaterswith a . The quality can be hit or miss, though, and, well, the legality is questionable, to say the least. Or you could tune in over-the-air television, even in HD, with a PC that's equipped with a TV tuner. Also game consoles like PS3 and Xbox offer video content you can rent or buy. You can even watch many of your favorite shows right on the networks' Web sites. But that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Below you'll find ways to watch shows and movies on a variety of devices including computers, handheld PMPs, and cell phones. In almost all cases, you don't even need to own a television. So if you're ready to kick your cable company to the curb, read on.

Amazon Video On Demand

The Numbers Approximately 50,000 titles (TV shows and movies), 2,000 in HD.

The Upside Pay-as-you-rent-or-buy model with no monthly fees. No software required; content can be viewed in any Flash-enabled browser. Movies and TV shows you rent or buy are placed in your Video Library, which can be accessed later from any Web-connected computer. The Sales and Special Offers section features $5.00 movies and some free content. Pre-order feature lets you access movies on DVD release day.

The Downside Interface isn't as simple to navigate as other services like Netflix or iTunes. HD movies aren't available for purchase on a computer. Unbox Video Player lets you watch offline, but isn't compatible with Mac or Linux computers. Downloaded videos cannot be transferred to Apple portable devices.

How Much? No subscription plans. TV shows to buy: $1.99 (SD) $2.99 (HD); discounts when you buy a TV Pass (a show's entire season). Movies to buy: $9.99 to $14.99. Movies to rent: $2.99 to $3.99 (SD); $3.99 to $4.99 (HD).

How to Get it On a PC or a Mac, , , Sony HDTVs and Blu-ray players with BRAVIA Internet Video Link, Panasonic HDTVs and Blu-ray players with Viera Cast, Samsung plasma and LCD HDTVs with [email protected], .

Apple iTunes Store

The Numbers No subscription plans. Approximately 8,000 movie titles, 2,000 in HD; 50,000 TV episodes.

The Upside A recent revamp makes the interface even slicker and easier to navigate. Very solid content selection. Pay-as-you-rent-or-buy model with no monthly fees. Quick SD and HD downloads, and you can start watching almost immediately. Easy to transfer to iPods or iPhones. Every HD movie purchase comes with an SD version formatted for portable devices. Weekly discounts on selected titles.

The Downside Requires iTunes software for purchase and viewing. Some titles are only available in HD on Apple TV. Can't transfer video content to non-Apple portable devices.

How Much? No subscription plans. TV shows to buy: $1.99 (SD) $2.99 (HD); discounts when you buy TV Pass (a show's entire season). Movies to buy: $4.99 to $19.99 (SD and HD). Movies to rent: $1.99 to $4.99 (SD and HD).

How to Get it On a Mac, a PC, , , various models

Read our full review of .

Blockbuster On Demand

The Numbers Approximately 10,000 on-demand titles (TV shows and movies).

The Upside If you want to avoid the monthly fee that comes with Netflix, you could give Blockbuster a whirl, but the selection isn't great, and forget about HD.

The Downside Unlike with Netflix's Watch Instantly, On Demand service isn't part of the Blockbuster by Mail subscription plan. No HD content. TV selection is fairly dismal with the exception of some popular Showtime series like Dexter, Weeds, and The Tudors. But if you're a Punky Brewster or CHiPs fan, you'll be pleased. No Mac support. Only works with Internet Explorer or Firefox with IE Tab Extension. Requires Blockbuster Movielink Manager software.

How Much? No subscription plans. TV shows to buy: $1.99. Movies to buy typically range from $7.99 to $19.99. (Though G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is $21.99, and that's in SD.) Movies to rent: $2.99 to $3.99.

How to Get it On a PC (not a Mac), the Blockbuster 2Wire Media Point , TiVo DVRs, select Samsung HDTVs, Blu-ray players, and home-theater systems. Some, but not all, movie purchases can be transferred to portable media players, but currently, the is the only supported device.

Boxee

The Numbers N/A

The Upside Free, open source software works with Apple and Windows Media Center remote controls. Streams your own content (including music) from your hard drive, network storage, or RSS feeds. Supports HD. Robust file-type support. Integrates content from Digg, Flickr, Hulu, Last.fm, MLB, Netflix, Pandora, and YouTube, to name a few. Facebook, Twitter, and Friendfeed integration. Automatically downloads related artwork, reviews, and lyrics. Expandable with apps.

The Downside Not terribly user-friendly. Getting around the UI isn't easy, and many features aren't readily apparent. But the next iteration, Boxee Beta, is launching in December and promises a revamped user interface and improved navigation. Also, Boxee plans to release a so you can stream the site's content to your TV without a computer.

How Much? Free

How to Get it On a PC, Mac, or Linux box, or on an HDTV (if it's connected to your computer).

Read our full review of .

Hulu

The Numbers More than 1,700 current primetime TV programs; movie selection is slim and on the obscure side.

The Upside Content can be viewed in most flash-enabled browsers; no software needed. Programming includes popular shows like Family Guy, Glee, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and The Office. Easy-to-navigate interface. Channels are grouped by genre, such as Food and Leisure, Comedy, or Drama. Downloadable Hulu Desktop software is available for PC, Mac, or Linux and lets you navigate with an Apple or Windows Media Center remote.

The Downside It's free, but you'll have to watch commercialsthough it's typically fewer than you'll see on network television. Hulu is all about TV: The movie selection is thin. (But you'll find some fun titles like The Blob and Revenge of the Pink Panther.) No HD; resolution tops out at 480p. for content as soon as next year.

How Much? Free (for now)

How to Get it On a PC, Mac, or Linux box, or on your HDTV (if it's connected to your computer).

Read our full review of .

Netflix

The Numbers: 100,000 movies and TV shows on DVD; 17,000 streaming titles.

The Upside Clean, easy-to-navigate interface. Various monthly plans let you rent DVDs or Blu-ray discs via mail and also stream content on your computer or your HDTV via several supported devices. 100 disc-shipping points in the U.S., so most customers get their DVDs in 1-2 business days.

The Downside Subscription-based pricing means you're in for at least $5 a month, but you can cancel at any time. Watch Instantly movies are mostly Indie or Classic titles. Microsoft Silverlight plug-in is required to stream to a computer. Video resolution can be noticeably downgraded to suit your network's bandwidth.

How Much? Subscriptions range from $4.99 to $16.99 per month; pricing depends on how many DVDs you have out at one time. All plans offer unlimited streaming, except for the $4.99-a-month plan, which limits streaming to 2 hours per month.

How to Get it On a PC or a Mac, Roku Digital Video Players, TiVo DVRs, Xbox 360, , Selected Insignia, LG, Samsung, and Sony Blu-ray players, and selected LG and Sony HDTVs.

Vudu

The Numbers 16,000 titles (mostly movies), 2,300 in HD or 1080p HDX.

The Upside Highest picture quality available from an Internet video-on-demand service. Supports full 1080p HD and 5.1 surround sound. Offers adult content (with parental controls). Integrates YouTube, Picasa, Flickr, Pandora, and Rotten Tomatoes movie reviews. iPhone app lets you rent or buy titles and download them directly to your Vudu box from your phone.

The Downside Hardware is required; you can't watch content on a computer. TV catalog is very limited, most of the content is movies. 1080p (HDX) movies require download time and can't be watched instantly, but you can start downloads remotely from a Web browser. No way to move content to a PC or watch on a portable device.

How Much? Cost of hardware plus rental fees ranging from $1.99 to $5.99 and purchase fees ranging from $12.99 to $19.99.

How to Get it or VUDU XL set-top boxes, LG LH50 and PS80 HDTVs, , Mitsubishi Unisen Diamond 249 Series HDTV.

Broadcast Mobile TV

The Numbers N/A

The Upside Some cell phones and the handheld let you take your TV on the road. Access to full-length episodes on networks such ABC, CBS, and NBC, as well as Comedy Central, ESPN, MTV, and Nickelodeon.

The Downside You need a signal to watch and coverage is only available in select cities. Channel availability varies by provider and includes a mixture of live, simulcast, and time-shifted shows. Only available on a limited number of devices; you can only get on two phones, while is available on four handsets.

How Much? Varies by device. The Flo TV Personal Television is $249 and costs $14.99 per month (the first 6 months are free). Verizon V Cast Mobile TV costs $15 per month on top of the monthly voice and data plan on the $199 (with contract) smartphone, for example.

How to Get it Flo TV Personal Television, supported phones from AT&T and Verizon Wireless.