Hey all,

So today ends this week's experiment. Here are the 4 things I've learned from this one:

1. I watched less TV this week and I really liked it, so hopefully that will continue.
2. I won't give up watching TV on my cable box and DVR, but I will start to supplement it more and more with TV online.
3. Hulu is my favorite site for watching TV.
4. And the downside? I couldn't find a way - legally, that is - to watch live sports and premium channels like HBO online.

So can you watch all your broadcast TV online? Yes - if you're not a sports fan and don't care about watching a show the night it airs.

Thanks for reading and for being part of my blog. If you can take the time, leave a comment below on what you like and don't like about this week's "Tech Torture with Topher." And please suggest ideas for future "tortures" I can try.

Also, don't forget to hop over to my Twitter feed (TopherAtl) and join the conversation there.

Editor’s note: Topher Kohan is the search engine optimization (SEO) coordinator for CNN.com, a “Star Wars” aficionado, a tech dork and an all-around good guy. (No, really, he is — just ask him.)

Hello all,

It's Day 4 of this little experiment and I thought it would be good for me to expand my online TV viewing and look at some sites other than Hulu.

So I checked out Fancast.com and was very disappointed. I decided to watch the season finale of "White Collar," clicked on the link and found out it was just the show's embed from Hulu. The user experience was terrible - they added more ads and the full-screen option was pixelated.

So for comparison, I went back to Hulu and watched the same show again. It looked great.

I also checked out a show using Netflix's instant-watch feature, which I thought was really good. There are no commercials and it buffers really well.

The big thing I have come to realize this week is that I am watching a lot less TV then if I was just sitting on my couch in front of my cable TV.

OK, so tonight is Thursday Night Football on the NFL network. I'll try to follow along on NFL.com, which offers real-time updates. But I'd love to hear from you about your favorite places to follow live sports for fee on the Web.

Thanks for reading and watching, and please keep up the comments - the conversation on this topic has been great. Also, don't forget to hop over to my Twitter feed (TopherAtl) and join the conversation there.

Remember I'm working with the great folks at CNN's iReport to challenge our audience to try this tech torture themselves this week, then report back to us on how it went. View their challenge here.

Editor’s note: Topher Kohan is the search engine optimization (SEO) coordinator for CNN.com, a “Star Wars” aficionado, a tech dork and an all-around good guy. (No, really, he is — just ask him.)

Hello all,

So I flew back to Atlanta from Chicago last night, and with all the delays I got home after midnight on the East Coast. That meant I was able to watch Tuesday night's TV on Hulu.

So I watched the season premiere of "Better off Ted" and my first-ever episode of "The Good Wife," which came recommended by friends. One of the great things about watching TV online is that I can go back and catch past episodes of a show that I've heard good things about.

Correction from yesterday: Viewers, you are correct - CBS is not on Hulu. Some CBS shows are listed there, but the link takes you to CBS.com to watch them. I watched three shows on CBS.com the other night and the experience was not as good as Hulu - there were more ads, and the video player crashed twice.

Thanks for reading and please keep the comments coming! Also, don't forget to hop over to my Twitter feed (TopherAtl) and join the conversation there.

Remember I'm working with the great folks at CNN's iReport to challenge our audience to try this tech torture themselves this week, then report back to us on how it went. View their challenge here.

Editor’s note: Topher Kohan is the search engine optimization (SEO) coordinator for CNN.com, a “Star Wars” aficionado, a tech dork and an all-around good guy. (No, really, he is — just ask him.)

So it's Day 2 and I'm on the road for work.

Last night was not that bad. I watched Monday Night Football on NFL.com and, I have to say, it was a great experience. It wasn't as good as watching the game live, but I knew exactly what was happening the whole time.

Later, I caught some of my favorite shows, like "Big Bang Theory," on Hulu. I'm flying home tonight, so I'll try and catch up on some TV viewing if I can find Wi-Fi in the airport.

We still hope you'll comment below and keep the conversation going. Also head on over to my Twitter account (Topheratl) and join the conversation there.

To help you get started, I've made some short videos that walk you through the sites I'll be using to watch TV online. The first one is about Hulu.com

Editor’s note: Topher Kohan is the search engine optimization (SEO) coordinator for CNN.com, a “Star Wars” aficionado, a tech dork and an all-around good guy. (No, really, he is — just ask him.)

Welcome back you all!

This week I'm going to give up my TV! Not watching TV - just the TV set itself.

Instead, I'll see if between now and Friday I can watch all the TV I would normally watch - which is a lot - online, legally, on my computer or smartphone. I'm also traveling for work this week, which may throw a new wrinkle into this experiment.

To add some more fun to the mix, I'm working with the great folks at CNN's iReport to challenge our audience to try this tech torture themselves this week, then report back to us on how it went. View their challenge here.

We still hope you'll comment below and keep the conversation going. Also head on over to my Twitter account (Topheratl) and join the conversation there.

To help you get started, I've made some short videos that walk you through the sites I'll be using to watch TV online. The first one is about Hulu.com

Editor’s note: Topher Kohan is the search engine optimization (SEO) coordinator for CNN.com, a “Star Wars” aficionado, a tech dork and an all-around good guy. (No, really, he is — just ask him.)

Hello all,

Well after the trials of Tuesday and Wednesday, last night was easy: I went out and met some friends to watch the Georgia Tech game, so I didn't miss the Internet as much.

I've been asked two questions about this experiment:
1) What was the hardest part? and 2) Was I able to go without Web access for 5 days?

As for number 2: Yeah, I did it, but it was only for a week. I'm not sure I would want to change my life that way for much longer.

The answer to the first question surprised me. I like to have a set routine in the morning, and part of that is spending half an hour on the computer before I leave home - checking my e-mail (work and personal) and then responding to messages from CNN's international units.

Not doing that this week really threw me off.

So that's it for this week. I want to thank you all for reading and taking the time to comment. Please drop me a comment about what you thought of this "Tech Torture" and what you'd like to see in a future TTWT.

Also, hop on over to Twitter (Topheratl) and let us know what you think.

Editor’s note: Topher Kohan is the search engine optimization (SEO) coordinator for CNN.com, a “Star Wars” aficionado, a tech dork and an all-around good guy. (No, really, he is — just ask him.)

Welcome back all,

Just a quick update to go with the video: Last night was maybe the hardest I've had this week. I know I'm being a bit of a whiner, but I kept thinking of things I needed to get done - and all of them involved my computer. I think I felt extra motivated to go online because I knew I couldn't.

I love all the comments I am getting, even the ones just blasting me. I appreciate both sides, because we want TTWT to be a conversation. I want you all to keep telling me what you think about my experiment, and about your experience with giving up tech.

Ok hop on over to Twitter (Topheratl) and let us know what you think.
If you start to follow me on Twitter, please take the time to say hi and let me know you found me through this blog.

One more night of this unplugged misery left! We'll see how it goes.

Editor’s note: Topher Kohan is the search engine optimization (SEO) coordinator for CNN.com, a “Star Wars” aficionado, a tech dork and an all-around good guy. (No, really, he is — just ask him.)

Hey all and welcome back!

So Day Two is done and I am well into Day Three by the time you read this.

My big takeaway from this experiment so far: I love being connected, and even if I did not realize it before, I like to live my life online.

I was bored out of my mind last night and had no idea what to do with myself without my computer. Lucky for me, my wife and I went out with some friends for dinner - that got me out of the house, and I had actual human interaction.

But I'm finding the times right before bed and after I get up in the morning are the hardest. I want to check in and see what’s up, read Facebook, check my work and personal e-mail. I am not doing that, so I feel a little lost.

I'm also doing the Weight Watchers thing, and so I use the online version of the tools. Because I cannot get on the Web after I leave work, I have to change the way I track things. I know this does not sound like a big deal, but it really throws me off.

So clearly I am having issues with this. Question of the day: Can cutting down on my time online make me a better person?

Let me know in the comments below, and as always jump over to Twitter (Topheratl) and join the conversation there.

Editor’s note: Topher Kohan is the search engine optimization (SEO) coordinator for CNN.com, a “Star Wars” aficionado, a tech dork and an all-around good guy. (No, really, he is — just ask him.)

Hello everyone.

Day One is in the bag, and it went pretty well - except for the part Monday night where I had to briefly break the TTWT rules.

Until last night, I didn't realize how many times at home I just get up and go to the computer for no reason. I'd just sit in front of my computer and mindlessly surf the Web or log on to WoW and play - not because I really wanted to, but because it was there.

Several times last night I started for the computer, then caught myself and sat back down on the couch. I felt a little antsy - I didn't know quite what to do.

So instead I watched some TV and then read a book before I went to bed. Yeah, I was in bed and asleep a lot earlier than usual - not a bad thing, really. I could always use more sleep. Can't we all.

I confess: I did have to break the rules for half an hour last night because of the death of Patrick Swayze, which was big news on the Web. Because I'm the search-engine optimization guy for CNN.com, I sometimes have to do my job at all hours. Once I was done, though, I logged right off.

So far I'm noticing myself getting to work earlier and staying later to get stuff done I would have taken care of at home. But it's all good.

So what do you all think? Is this way too easy? Do you ever disconnect from the Web once in a while?

Let me know in the comments below or check out the conversation on Twitter (Topheratl). Thanks for reading!

Welcome back everyone! It's time for a new Tech Torture with Topher, and this week's torture is gonna be a tough one.

From now until Friday night, I'm trying to give up all Web-based technology when I'm out of the office. That's right: No home computer, no iPhone Web surfing, no World of Warcraft, no Twitter updates, no tinkering with my fantasy football teams.

Gulp.

In the digital age we're all used to staying connected in our off hours, whether it's answering e-mail, working on freelance projects or just goofing off on our computers or smartphones. So once I leave CNN here in Atlanta I won't use my iPhone for anything but making and receiving phone calls. And I'll leave my home computer turned off.

Two exceptions: Since I can't do my job without the Internet and I don't want to get fired, I'll be allowed to be online here at the office. And if there's a work-related emergency when I'm at home, I may have to get on the Web for a few minutes.

So, let me know what you think. Does this sound easy or hard? What will this teach me? How should I spend my newfound free time?

Drop me a comment below and lets start a conversation. And as always, jump on over to Twitter (Topheratl) and join the dialogue there. (If it's nighttime on the East Coast, though, just don't expect me to tweet back.)

Editor’s note: Topher Kohan is the search engine optimization (SEO) coordinator for CNN.com, a “Star Wars” aficionado, a tech dork and an all-around good guy. (No, really, he is — just ask him.)