TV over broadbandChannel 4 on demand
Channel 4's 4od service offers both free and paid-for content to watch online or download to your computer
Channel 4's 4od service enables viewers to download and watch most Channel 4 TV shows from the previous 30 days for free and pay to download and watch other premium Channel 4 content.
Some high profile TV shows airing on Channel 4, like Hollyoaks and Property Ladder, are free on 4od, but you'll have to pay for some of its most popular TV shows, such as Desperate Housewives. These cost 99p per episode, and you can watch them as many times as you want over a 48-hour period. Film rental downloads from 4od start at £1.99.
Channel 4 was also the first TV channel to launch a live, streaming service, 4od 'Simulcast', which allows you to watch much of its broadcasting online at the same time as it's shown on TV. You'll need to register your name, email address and password before you can start watching.
Some Channel 4 TV shows are unavailable on 4od Simulcast due to copyright restrictions. Films, sporting events and shows acquired from American broadcasters (for example Friends) often fall into this category.
Other content available from 4oD includes shows from FX, National Geographic and Discovery. 4oD is also available through some digital television providers including BT Vision, Tiscali TV and Virgin Media.
What you'll need to use Channel 4od:
- A PC running Windows: Windows XP and Windows Vista are supported.
- A broadband internet connection: Dial up users can find out more about upgrading to a faster connection in our Broadband report.
- Internet Explorer version 5.5 or above: Upgrading to the latest version of Windows Explorer is free through the Windows website.
- Windows media player version 10 or above: this is the program on your computer through which 4od programs will be played. It's free to download from the Windows website.
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