Content:  

AOL Video can show you almost anything because it pulls videos from other Internet TV sites. You can find videos to most of the shows on the air as well as a bunch that have been off the air for years. In fact, AOL Video has so much content at its disposal that it actually becomes a problem.

When you search for full episodes of a show, you’re likely to get results that include a bunch of short clips and even a few YouTube videos. That’s the result of AOL Video indexing so many sites. And it’s ultimately why it doesn’t rank higher as an Internet TV site. It has all the shows you want, but it just has too much other junk as well. 

Ease of Use:  

AOL Video has a layout similar to other video sharing sites, but it looks a bit cluttered when compared to Internet TV sites. This is partly due to the text and image ads that populate the site. There are several categories of videos that you can use to narrow down your search, and fortunately there is a link to popular TV episodes so that you don’t have to sort through a bunch of clips.

However, finding specific episodes isn’t quite so easy. Using the search function can turn up a bunch of clips and user-generated content instead of the full episodes you were looking for. After you find what you’re looking for, you also have to find out if AOL Video will stream the video to you on the site or send you to a different site where the clip is located. You will end up seeing the clip you want, but not without jumping around a bit. 

Advertising:  

As we mentioned above, AOL Video is littered with text and image ads, more so than other sites we reviewed. Whenever you do a search, the results page will have text ads scattered among the results with an image ad on the side. Ultimately, it makes the site look pretty unprofessional and cheap.

When you watch videos, there will also be video commercials laced throughout. The number depends on the source and the length of each video. 

Features:  

There are several features that make AOL Video easier to use. It’s easy to share videos on AOL Video with other people. You can send email invitations, embed clips on your own site and save your favorite videos to your favorites list. AOL Video also enjoys a large community, partly because AOL has had one in place for so long. The community allows you to comment on videos, rate them and discuss them with other viewers. 

Help/Support:  

AOL Video has the best options for getting help simply because AOL already had an established customer support service. You can consult the FAQs page and the user guide for help in using the site and fixing small problems. You can also get more personalized help through the email support and the live chat. 

AOL Video has plenty of entertainment, with more videos than you knew existed. But it doesn’t make the best Internet TV site simply because it has too many clips and user-submitted videos mixed in with the full episodes you’re looking for. For more entertaining options, try TopTenREVIEWS' top three selections: Hulu, Fancast and Modern Feed.