It's a lazy afternoon and you need some entertainment. You figure, hey, why not pop in an episode of MST3K? It's high in fiber, low in fat, and tastes great with any beverage.
Problem: Where do you go?
Mystery Science Theater 3000 can possibly be credited for what we do today with anime - streaming, torrenting, downloading. In the days of the early internet and obscurity of the show, fans would "circulate the tapes" in order to spread the fun and get more people into it. People would literally mail tapes to one another across the country and around the world to expand their collection or get a hold of their favorites.
Nowadays, we have tricky copyright laws, and MST3K definitely falls into a strange middling ground. Although the series is being released on DVDs and collective boxsets, most of the show is still unavailable, and some episodes will never be released.
But what if you need your fix now? There are a few solutions:
YouTube: Don't count on this being your best bet anymore. In February of '09, Viacom, who at one point owned Comedy Central, did a massive sweep of nearly all MST3K episodes posted on the popular video site, claiming copyright. Fan outrage was high, as even Sci-Fi Channel-era episodes were gone. MSTies are valiant, doing their best to re-upload episodes, but the pickings are, sadly, few and far between. Many of the shorts are still up, and episodes are cropping up...
Google Video: A total roulette wheel. What made Google Video massively appealing to MSTies was the freedom given to videos. Unlike YouTube, Google didn't care if a video was 9 or 90 minutes, allowing for uploads of complete episodes. Many favorites are up on the site, along with whatever random episodes were posted up. Sadly, Google has stopped allowing uploads to their server (since they own YouTube), so whatever's up there is all we've got.
Other streaming sites: There are a handful of other video streaming sites, but as I have not researched them, it'll take some trial and error to see what's what.
Torrents: If you don't mind downloading and waiting, then Mininova is the way to go, as every episode of the series, plus shorts, specials, and other artifacts, have been uploaded here. They are in the seeds marked "DVD [x] of 35", with each link providing a list of what "DVDs" have what episodes.
Justin.tv: A live video streaming site, this particular channel is devoted entirely to MST3K. It's like watching TV - in other words, you have no control of what's on - but there is always a constant feed. The schedule is posted at the bottom of the page. At night (around 8pm EST), the channel sometimes airs a riffable movie or a movie that has been given the RiffTrax treatment.
DVDs: Oh no, BUYING things?! Come on now, this is an excellent show, so why not invest some money in it? The price of each boxset may seem a bit outrageous (MSRP $60 for 4 episodes), however one has to look at the statistics: Not only do they have to negotiate TV rights, but also movie rights. But if you're a smart shopper, then you'll never have to pay the full price. Bookstores and other places have the sets available, but if you want a good deal, then check out DeepDiscountDVD, where you'll pay $20-$30 less than the MSRP. And hey, free shipping.
Movie Sign: The weekly watch-and-chat right here at theOtaku is not only a nice way to get your scheduled fix (every Sunday at 8pm EST/5pm PST), but to meet fellow fans and just have fun. New to the show? We're here to lend a guiding hand. Just make sure you read the Commandments of Movie Sign before coming. Check out the Watercooler for information for each week's meeting.
