Here are some options on how to hook TV up to your computer and the benefits and downsides of each.
Using A Capture Card
A common way of doing this is by getting a video capture card. These are devices that connect to your computer. They will be installed inside the computer if you have a desktop, or outside using USB or Firewire if you are using a laptop.
These cards can be from $80-$300 depending on the quality that you want. You can then hook up your cable or satellite box to the computer and start recording and watching TV. This is really not the best way to do this for many reasons:
1 – You are paying for both the capture card, and your monthly TV bill. This is a very costly option.
2 – The TV must always be connected to the computer, you are limited by cables.
Using A Media Center PC
Media center PC’s or MCPC’s have been around for only a short while. They are usually powerful with a very good video card to play and record high quality video. Most of the time they can be connected directly to your satellite or cable box and provide intuitive controls and interfaces, as well as giving the ability to browse the web on your TV.
These are great to have, however there are some major setbacks:
1 – They are very expensive. You are lucky if you find a MCPC for less than $1,000
2 – You are limited to where it is. The PC must stay in one place and your TV content must stay in one place. Still not solving the limitations of TV’s accessibility
3 – Still, you cannot get away from that monthly bill!
Using TV To PC Software
Satellite TV to PC software is a new concept. This is literally how to hook TV up to your computer. The tool will stream local, national, and international TV directly to your computer through the internet.
There are several options out there that actually provide good TV content and high quality, but there are even more out there that are a waste of time. Some will only stream a few hundred channels and the content is usually limited and poor. However the ones that provide thousands of channels and HD channels are the ones you want to go for.
Some key points to mention about this method of how to hook tv up to your computer:
1 – You will be able to change channels and search by category. Organization is key because if you choose the right software you can have over 3,500 channels to choose from.
2 – You never pay a monthly bill.
3 – There are very good services out there, but there are also very bad ones. Be sure to read an honest review on the best software out there. You can find more info below.
There is no right or wrong answer, however using satellite TV software cuts costs and still provides high quality content, without spending 100’s, or even 1000’s of dollars.
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