To answer the question 'can I watch TV programs on my PC', the first thing you need to know is that there are more options available today than a couple of years ago. More Internet TV hardware and software have sprouted across the Internet which in turn has given birth to a new generation of television.
The cost between the two can vary as well as the learning curve and that's where you need to decide which approach to take.
In fact, there's even a totally free approach without spending any money, and with time and effort will bring free channels to your computer. Taking this approach works best for those who have the do-it-yourselfer's mentally, and is willing to learn from trial and error.
Perhaps you've already watched an Internet TV channel or two coming from someone else's computer or read about it somewhere, and while all of that is find and dandy, you really would like to know 'can I watch TV programs on my PC'.
How Can I Watch TV Programs on my PC through Hardware?
That can be somewhat of an expensive approach to watching programs on your computer. There's a piece of hardware that's very popular today which may have heard about it already - Slingbox. Depending on which model the model, the cost be a little under/over a $100 or upwards of $200 and over. The learning curve is somewhat steep which requires some tech know-how.
But the reward is that once the Slingbox is connected to your receiver or set-top-box issued by your Satellite or Cable TV service and to the Internet, your computer (with an Internet broadband connection) becomes the go-between that allows you access to any and all of your home channels, videos and DVR recordings - from any location in or out of your home - even across the globe.
The other upside when taking this approach is the video quality - it's very good. You can also use Slingbox to access home channels through an ipod and certain types of cell phones as well as. Granted, there other types of hardware products out there to consider, but when adding the Internet to the mix, it simply makes you mobile.
How Can I Watch TV Programs on my PC through Software?
The other way is downloading and installing free or paid Internet TV software (or whatever name applies) which is actually a 3rd party TV player, pre-loaded with 100s or 1000s of online channels. This type of player generally offers live and on-demand channels, as well as radio stations from around the world.
Your decision centers around whether or not to download a totally free software (TV player) or paid one. Common sense tells you that anything that's totally free must be of little value and free for a reason. And the same goes for any free Internet TV software, yet some people rather that route for whatever reason.
The best way for you to understand why the free-way is a waste of your valuable time is to go right into the paid Internet TV software that comes with a service and package. Right at this point, you already know there's more value here just from knowing a service is involved. That in itself takes your question 'can I watch TV programs on my PC' to another level.
When buying into an Internet TV software service, you essentially get the fastest, easiest, and quickest gateway to free Internet media and connects you with 1000s of premium, live, on-demand, and HDTV channels with a stroke of a key. Which means mostly all of your favorite programs can be viewed on your computer.
You can watch live and on-demand TV shows/episodes/sitcoms such as many popular shows from the US Canada, Europe, Asia, UK, and over 80 countries altogether. Whether it's the news, sports or movies you want to watch or listen to radio stations and music, your computer becomes a worldwide media library that has the ability to retrieve virtually any type of entertainment online.
To put it another way, Internet TV software gives you the ability to harness the power of Internet television and deliver tons of free media to your computer with a click of a button.
Your only requirements are:
- Pay a small one-time (usually under $50 USD) for a lifetime membership, or'
- Pay a very small subscription free which is optional (not included with all software services)
- Desktop or laptop computer (Windows, XP, Vista or MAC) with either an Internet broadband or wireless connection (broadband is preferred)
And that's all there is to setting up a super computer Internet TV system within minutes.
The downsides to using Internet TV software are few. Starting with the video quality, this can be either good or very good - so expect some blurriness, as well as 'choppy' videos from time to time. Make sure to use a broadband connection if this ever happens to see if it corrects the issue.
During certain time zones, some channels will not play (temporary downtimes). This really is no fault of the TV player itself because the service doesn't own any of the Internet channels being delivered to your computer. Some channels may come and go, with some of them broken and never to work again.
Another downside involves downloading/installing the Internet TV software - although very rare, it can crash on any new or old computer. Sometimes this can be easily resolved and other times it can't.
The good news is the top leading Internet TV software services employ feature enhancements in the TV player that gives you the control to resolve some these issues. And, the iron-clad money back guarantee is your ticket out if all else fails and the software doesn't work on your computer - but once again, this is very rare.
What are the perks?
As stated earlier, a paid Internet TV service with a package that usually includes the software itself which is actually a hi-tech 3rd party TV player, pre-loaded with a truckload of Internet TV channels and radio stations, and offers more feature enhancements than a totally free software.
With the feature enhancements included in the TV player, it gives you the ability to record and schedule programs, add channels to favorites, add your own channels from the Internet, scan for channels, and other features. However, which feature you get totally depends on which Internet TV software service you go after.
The point here is that you can now see the value, perks and benefits that no totally free software can provide. Not only that, you also get a lifetime membership (when paying the small one-time fee), an all-in-one member's area where the complete setup actually begins, free on-going software upgrades, channels updates, and tech support.
In many cases, you also receive free bonuses such as, free software products that allow you to upload recorded media to an ipod, burn media to a DVD, security software, and/or links that connect you to 1000s of additional channels that also can be found on many of the popular Internet media websites on your own.
Now that you know the answer, the question to 'can I watch TV programs on my PC' can now be put to rest.
About the Author:
Philip Sumpter is creator of InternetTvDotCom and has author many Internet TV articles since 2007. He also writes product reviews, many include videos, to those who need answers and want to enjoy the next best thing to Satellite/Cable TV entertainment. If you want to continue this reading, go to How Can I Watch TV on my Computer
