Online content streams have become the number one source of entertainment in 2019 and it seems like they are going to get even more popular in the upcoming years. According to Statista, the United States is going to count over 232 million digital video viewers by 2020. This statistic tells us how big of an impact online streaming websites have left on people’s lives and the entertainment industry as well. Here is what you need to know about online streaming and the best CouchTuner alternatives!
How Do Online Streaming Websites Work?
We all love watching popular TV shows and movies from the comfort of our homes but these commodities don’t come for free (except with Couchtuner and its alternatives). Paid streaming sources such as Amazon Prime require you to either pay a flat price for a specific movie or purchase a monthly subscription package to access streaming content. While people love the idea of streaming movies at home, they are not so hyped about having to pay for it.
Luckily, there are online streaming websites that offer their streams and services completely for free, meaning you don’t have to subscribe nor send any payments whatsoever. This might sound way too good to be true but, if you take a moment to think about it, it really does make sense. These online streaming services are able to offer you content for free because they make money off of advertising.
You have probably noticed that the majority of online streams have dozens of annoying adds popping up everywhere on the screen before the stream start playing. There is no reason to worry because, unlike many people’s beliefs, these ads have nothing to do with viruses. In fact, they are the source of income that the website owners use to be able to provide you with content for free.
Even though ads and pop ups might get annoying after a while, it is only fair to deal with them because the content you are watching is free (even though it is not supposed to be). Therefore, the majority of streaming sits make their money with advertisements, which is why you can stream their content for free. The only catch is that these websites use pirated content, which is not legal. Let’s discuss the safety of it all!
How Safe It Is to Stream Movies and TV Shows Online?
It’s a great thing that you can watch the latest movies at home for free without having to pay for a cinema ticket or subscribe to paid content providers. However, what these online streaming websites are doing is not legal. They stream copyrighted content without being authorized to do so. The biggest question is, can you get in trouble for streaming pirated movies and shows online?
Authorities are consistently working on bringing as many pirated online stream websites down as possible. They don’t always succeed because some of these websites have really good security systems and stay off the radar for a while. However, the authorities are chasing after the people who create these websites because they use the content for profit (placing ads next to videos), which means that you are not the primary target if you only use the streams to watch movies.
On the other hand, if you were to download copyrighted content and sell it for profit, you would be taking a major risk, as the authorities aim to put an end to these illegal acts. With all that said, you won’t get in trouble for watching movies via online streams. However, there is one thing you can do to make sure nothing goes wrong while streaming online movies and shows.
Start using a VPN or a Virtual Private Network to hide your identity and remain anonymous while streaming online content. If you’re not familiar with VPNs, you should know that a VPN is a private, encrypted network that routes all your data and traffic through a distant server while you’re connected to the internet. In other words, whenever you turn on a VPN, your real IP address gets masked and replaced with the address of the VPN server you’re using.
There are plenty of benefits to using a VPN when streaming online content or browsing the internet in general. For starters, VPNs are the best method to ensure security online and hide your data from hackers. When using a VPN, not even your internet service provider can track your online activities and see what you are doing on the internet. Therefore, you can use a VPN to stream online movies and TV shows anonymously, as well as connect to IP addresses in different locations to unlocked blocked content and streams.
Best Couchtuner Alternatives
Many people choose Couchtuner as their go-to online streaming service. The website is highly popular because it offers a wide array of HD quality movies and TV shows in different genres and categories. The site has a great search bar feature where you can search for the content you’re interested in using keywords or the categories section. A great thing about Couchtuner is that it memorizes your movie and TV show preferences and offers you recommendations on the homepage, which are based on the content you previously watched.
Some of the things you should expect when using Couchtuner for the first time is that there will be plenty of advertisements invading your space. After all, the content is free so you should simply ignore the ads and continue using the site to watch great quality videos. Unfortunately, one of the few downsides to Couchtuner is that it doesn’t have the autoplay option, which means that you have to manually search for the next episode of the show you’re watching whenever your current episode ends.
It is also important to mention that Couchtuner might block content or restrict access to users in specific areas. There might be stricter laws or regulations in certain regions, which is why online streaming sites have to avoid them in order to stay away from trouble. However, you can easily solve this issue by using a VPN. Simply connect to a high quality VPN server located in a country that has access to the specific content and you will be able to watch the blocked streams, as your IP address will be replaced with the address of the server.
Couchtuner is considered to be one of the best online streaming websites out there but, if for any reason you wish to find an alternative site that streams equally good content, here is a list of Couchtuner alternatives, including both free and paid options!
Paid Couchtuner Alternatives
Two of the most popular paid online streaming websites are Netflix and Hulu. These two sites allow you to stream online content on any device, from smartphones and tablets to PCs, Laptops, and TVs. With monthly subscriptions on Netflix or Hulu you can watch thousands of movies and TV shows, including original Netflix and Hulu series. It is also important to mention that both services offer a free trial period where you can stream content for free for one month.
Free Couchtuner Alternatives
If you would rather save some money and stream movies for free, you can use one of these five Couchtuner alternatives:
#1 Movie 4 U
A high quality online streaming website with advanced search options that help the user find specific content among thousands of movies and TV shows.
#2 Cucirca
Unlike the other four Couchtuner alternatives on this list, Cucirca only streams TV shows. While some might be disappointed by the fact that there are no movies on this site, TV show fans will love this stream provider because it makes it much easier to navigate through popular TV shows.
#3 Putlocker
Putlocker is another one of the most popular online streaming sites that features a massive movie library and just about any TV show you can think of. The best thing about Putlocker is that you don’t have to register to access the streams.
#4 The Dare TV
This online streams provider features a well-organized content library with thousands of popular movies and shows available every day. The site offers advanced search categories such as “recently added” and “recently updated.”
#5 RainierLand
Last but not the least, the RainierLand website is the only online streaming provider that has its own subreddit company. The website is easy to use and offers plenty HD video streams.
Conclusion
There are hundreds of online streaming websites available on the internet but the majority of them scam users in order to make money through ads and traffic. If you are looking for a website where you can stream movies and TV shows for free, Couchtuner and the alternatives we listed above are definitely worth your time. Don’t forget to use a Virtual Private Network while streaming online content in order to hide your identity and keep your data and device secure. Even though the sites we listed in this article are not risky to use, it’s always good to have some backup protection ready to fight malware and hackers.
