However, unlike ITV's Catch Up service and BBC's iPlayer, not all shows on Demand Five are free. Popular programmes like House, CSI and Grey's Anatomy cost 99p per episode.

A paid-for programme will be stored on your PC for 14 days after you've downloaded it. You can watch the video as many times as you like for 48 hours after you first press play.

However, the majority of programmes will be free. Viewers can watch shows such as Neighbours, The Gadget Show and The Hotel Inspector without paying a penny.

Apple Mac users will be disappointed, though. Demand Five can't be watched on Macs because the Mac version of Windows Media Player - the software used to play the videos - does not support Channel Five's security features.

Meanwhile, there is further evidence of how BBC's iPlayer has revolutionised the way people watch TV. According to ISP PlusNet, streaming is now 168.9 per cent higher per day than it was a year ago, when the iPlayer launched.

"The use of the iPlayer and similar services is rocketing. I wouldn't be surprised to see more and more records broken," said Neil Armstrong, PlusNet's products director. "In five years time it's likely people will watch Eastenders on their computer, whenever they want. TV schedules will be thrown out of the window."

WATCH THE BEST TV CLIPS ONLINE

www.five.tv/demandfive
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer

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