Monday 5 October 2009

Watch HDTV On A PC

By Dorothy Grant

Have you ever considered using you PC to watch HD TV, well it couldn?t be more easy. In order to watch HDTV on your computer then you most choose one of two methods. You could either opt to watch TV over the internet by using one or more of the many websites that provide TV services. Alternatively you could buy a PC TV tuner and effective transform your PC into a television.

To turn you computer into a television you will required to spend some money on hardware. You will need a PC TV tuner card, they can either come with USB or PCI interfaces. You can use the PCI version with a desktop PC, the USB versions can be used with a laptop or desktop (as long as you have a free USB port). The adaptor is used to decode the TV signal and display it on you desktop or notebook.

There?s a lot of choice when it comes to buying a TV tuner adaptor. Though they all have the same basic purpose, they also have optional features and capabilities. Be certain that the type you buy is capable for use with the TV signal you want to watch.

Some models have a receiver built in to receive the television signal, if the signal is too weak then most models allow you to plug you aerial or satellite cable into them. Once connected and receiving the signal then you will have to use the software that comes with the adaptor to tune and store the channels that are available. The software will then allow you to view the 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 second method to view high definition broadcasts on your computer is by using the internet to watch HDTV online. There are many websites online that stream TV channels over the internet for viewing on your PC.

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.

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