How To Watch HD TV On A Computer

By Dorothy Grant

Watching HD TV on your PC is so simple even the most PC illiterate of us should be able to do it. There are two easy methods to achieve this objective. The 1st way is to invest in a piece of hardware which turns your PC in to a TV. The second way is to simply use one of the many internet HDTV broadcasters.

The fist way of turning your PC in to a TV requires the purchase of a PC TV tuner. This is a piece of hardware that takes a TV signal and displays it on your TV. They come in the form of a PCI card or a USB adaptor. Both do the same job and are easy to install. If you have a desktop PC then either type of adaptor should be suitable. However if you have a notebook or laptop then USB is the way to go.

HDTV adaptors come in a multitude of shapes and sizes. They have different capabilities and features, the most important thing is to make sure they are capable for use with the TV signal that you will be using (ie satellite, cable, RF etc). Some have features which you may find useful like ? live pause, recording timer and radio tuning.

Some TV tuner adaptors have inbuilt aerials and/or a connector for an external aerial that comes supplied. For the best result you might want to check if the adaptor has the right type of connectors to connect to your satellite or set-top box if that?s your chosen method of viewing. They normally come with software to tune the adaptor into the TV channels and allow you to perform other functions like recording and pausing TV channels.

TV tuner adaptors do not cost much (you can pick them up for less than $60). They are readily available online from most computer retailers. Makers of HDTV tuners include Creative, Leadtek, ATI and Pinnacle. When choosing the adaptor be sure to choose one which is HD capable if you require to watch high definition broadcasts.

The next option available to enable viewing television on your computer is via websites that stream TV channels over the web. The choice or providers is wide and there are over 3000 channels available online.

The advantages of using this method to watch HDTV online are that if you are already on the internet then more than likely you have everything you need to watch TV online. You do not require a fast internet connection or high specification computer.

If you do a quick search on Google for ?watch HDTV online? you should be provided with a host of results for providers of internet TV. You will have to research which is the best for you. Are you prepared to pay for a service? If so the quality of pictures and number of channels available will be better. There are however sites which are totally free to use.

If you are happy to watch TV online you could find yourself ditching the expensive subscription services that you pay your satellite or cable provider. You don?t need to purchase any hardware either, as opposed to splashing out $1000 or more on a high definition TV. - 29854

About the Author:

Sign Up for our Free Newsletter

Enter email address here