It has never been easier to get cable TV on a computer than it is today. While people have been connecting computers to TVs for years, they were usually trying to watch on a TV screen something they had already saved to their computers. Today it's possible to make the whole process work the opposite way, by using a computer as a de facto cable-TV system.
Instructions
Get Cable TV on a Computer
1. Make sure your computer system meets the minimum requirements to run cable TV without interruption of the signal. You will need a DSL Internet connection, Windows XP or Vista and the latest version of Internet Explorer or Firefox.
2. Obtain and install a TV tuner card or similar adapter program. Without the appropriate software, you will have trouble watching shows in real time. However, you may still be able to watch prerecorded programs or those that are available to download from a server. You can get a TV tuner card online or at an electronics store.
3. Decide between an internal and an external TV tuner card. The internal tuner card is plugged directly into your motherboard, while the external card is accessed via USB. Both work equally well, but internal cards may be harder to install and are not the right choice for laptops. External cards tend to be more expensive.
4. Ask your cable provider if a particular subscription system or software program is needed before you can access the system's programming. Access can be completed through the use of special access codes given to you by the cable company or by installing software directly from a CD.
5. Download a good player to watch TV programs, rather than using the player provided by the website itself. Not only are downloadable players such as TVU Networks more effective, but they also provide a more even stream (see Resources below).
Tags: tuner card, Cable Computer