Three Pointers on How to Watch TV On The Computer
By: Marc Sandford
Not all that long ago, there was one and only one source of television viewing: your TV set. You had to be content with whatever programming the three major networks decided was best for you.
If this is your current situation, you might try some of the methods outlined here on how to watch TV on the computer.
1) One popular way to watch TV on the computer is to use BitTorrent networking to download a movie for free onto your PC. BitTorrent networking has been around for years and is a type of Internet peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing used to download movies and music.
When a movie is downloaded in a P2P network, it is first split up and distributed in small bits to the various people in the network. Then everyone proceeds to supply each other with the missing parts that they need until everyone in the network has a completed file.
The original intact movie that made the whole process possible was supplied by a person known as a seed. In order to use P2P networks for downloading movies, you first have to install what is called bitTorrent client software onto your PC.
One client software that is reliable and has been in use for many years now is BitComet. Now you will look for a movie to download by using a torrent search engine such as torrentz.com. Enter a search query, hit return and you're on your way.
Click on whatever search result that you like. After this, you will find a page with the movie title and a 'Download Torrent' link or button.
Click on the button and the download will start. When you have finished your download, be a good citizen and allow others to use your file as the next 'seed'.
This is done simply by leaving your client software running for several hours. Note that this description is just an overview and leaves out some of the details of the process.
It is important to realize that downloading copyrighted material is illegal and that some individuals using peer-to-peer networks for illegal downloads have had lawsuits brought up against them.
2) If you want to transfer the TV programming from your TV set to your PC, it can be done with very little fuss with a USB TV tuner. The USB TV tuner is external to your PC or laptop and has ports that connect to both your PC and TV set.
This is very different from the TV tuner card which must be installed inside your PC. TV signals from the output ports on your television are transferred into the input ports of the USB TV tuner.
The modified signals are then sent to your laptop or PC via its USB port. With most USB TV tuners, TV shows can be fast forwarded, paused, rewound, and saved to your PC hard drive.
Some models will also allow you to burn TV shows to DVD. The price can vary from $50 to $200.
3) One quick and simple way to watch TV on the computer which doesn't involve hardware or steep learning curves involves downloading specialized software. This software allows you to access thousands of streaming TV stations that exist on the Internet.
Other than the basics of having a computer with a fast Internet connection and a few common and free media players, there are no requirements. So that leaves us with the cost of the software itself which varies from $50 to around $100.
So now you have information on what is out there and how to go about getting it. Next step: go get it! Hopefully, this article has made very clear, the entertainment opportunities that are there for you to take.
Article Source: http://www.ezarticles.info
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