Five ways to watch live TV on the computer (video sample)
By Mary: blog.bluemediaconsulting.com
Can we watch TV on our computer? This is a question that has been around for quite a while, and a technology everyone has been waiting to happened. So far, the technology hasn’t been fully developed yet, but the good news is that it does exist. Let’s stop for a moment and think about the following: why should we have a digital TV when our 12 inch LCD monitor or computer laptop could do just the same function? Well, for those who share the same though, here are five ways to turn your computer or laptop into a television set.
1. There are a lot of free services out there that allow you to watch TV on your computer. One of which I have tried is a software based system call TVU (adware/spyware free). TVU is one of the most popular ones out there. The technology was developed by a Chinese company call TVU Networks.
REVIEW: It has tons of channels from all over the world including USA. By the time I wrote this article, there was no membership fee require to join in, and it’s a free service. The signal comes from air signal encoded into the TVU technology, and it’s broadcast throughout the internet. The TVU player allows full screen viewing and looks great, too!
Cons: Some channels signals come from different USA states. If, for example, you are in New York City and want to watch NBC, you could wind up watching California’s NBC channel which is three hours behind New York time. In other words, you would have to wait till 3am to watch the David Letterman Show.
Links: http://www.tvunetworks.com
- Watch TV on PC – 12,000 TV Channels and Movies
Get 12,000 TV channels and movies directly to your PC or laptop from anywhere in the world. - TVNow.com
- InternetTV.com 3000 + channels
- TVPC.com
Here is how it works (video).
For Europe you can use: http://wwitv.com/
Other USA sources: FreeTV.com, sopcastcom, and joost.com (web based–not live), Livestation.com, lifetv.com, abc.com (no software, free none-live episodes).
2. Another option is a component call TV Tuner Card. This card works based on computer hardware.
Tech info: A TV tuner card is a computer component(hardware) that allows television signals to be received by a computer. Most TV tuners also function as video capture cards, allowing them to record television programs onto a hard disk. In other words, you can install the TV tuner card into(inside) your computer motherboard. This will open an external port to connect an antenna or cable into your computer.
Review: It works pretty well and some come with remote control. The cool thing is that currently there are four kinds of tuner cards in the market: analog, digital, hybrid, and combo TV tuners. If you want to know more about it, Google it. I’m sorry, don’t expect me to get all technical here. I’m a consumer, not Wikipedia.
Cons: You need to open the computer to install it. If you are not that computer savvy, then you need a computer expert to install it for you, which means more money out of your pocket.
Link from CNet: http://reviews.cnet.com/1990-9332_7-6381535-1.html
3. The other way around to avoid paying a computer guy is to set the TV tuner externally instead of internally (as mentioned in option two). This one is called, you guessed it, USB TV tuner. They salle for about $60 dollars and up, so they cost more than the internal one. But with this gizmo, all you need to do is simply plug it into your computer USB port and you are ready to go.
Review: It works pretty well, and some of them even come with remote control.
Cons: It will cost you a little more money.
Link:http://www.bizrate.com/videoeditingcapturecards –or you can search on google, “USB TV Tuner.
4. Turn your computer monitor into a TV screen with an special multi-function adapter. This converter has a video output which allows you to connect your cable TV directly into your computer monitor.
Review: For those who are planing about buying a new flat TV, this gizmo saves you tons of money. The Multi-Function Converter is an ideal solution for any crowded dorm room, small apartment, or home office! It turns a PC monitor into a dual-purpose screen for both computer and TV video, eliminating the need to have multiple monitors in one room.
Cons: You need to buy the adapter with prices ranging for about $50 dollars.
Link:
5. COMPUTER MONITOR (LCD) AS TV.
Monitors have higher resolution than Televisions, and believe it or not, you can save almost $200 when you buy a computer monitor instead of a Digital TV. And yes it is even possible to use an old monitor or any LCD computer monitor as a TV. There are two ways to do this:
A) Get an external TV Tuner box. These boxes comes in two types digital and analog.
Review: A digital tuner receives DTV and HDTVe signals when attached to a compatible antenna, cable, or satellite connection. An analog tuner receives the same UHF and VHS stations as a regular TV. Further, more analog boxes can interface with standard cable or satellite boxes as well any VCR, DVD player, or video game console.
Cons: They work great, but you need to buy the TV tuner box. Prices ranges around $70 to $200 dollars.
VIDEO:
B) Get the news monitors equipped with TV tuner. If you don’t have a LCD (flat) screen monitor and you are considering getting a new one, I recommend getting the newest computer monitor which comes with HDTV tuner built in. Yep, you heard this one right. There are monitors already equipped with TV tuner adapters.
Review: Very easy to use, only connect your Dish/Cable signal to the monitor and you are ready to go.
Cons: You need to buy the monitor where prices could range around $160 dollars for a 19 inch LDC monitor.
Link: I found a list of them on google
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