A very good innovation concerning computers today is the TV-to-PC software program which enables anyone with a personal computer (PC) to watch television on a PC.
It actually converts your PC into a television set and you can watch around 3,500 channels from all over the world.
Local direct broadcasts, those aired within a limited area or a community via old-fashioned antennas, cannot be accessed, however, as they are not bounced off communications satellites.
Normal antenna signals cannot penetrate above the level of their horizons, if they can even reach that far.
But since you cannot watch all television programs simultaneously, and you will not be interested in seeing the local events of Timbuktu, for example (unless you are from Timbuktu), 3,500 satellite channels should be enough for you to choose one from.
They include those from the major TV companies, the best productions in sports, movies, educational, shopping, news, radio, weather, children’s cartoons, and a lot of others in perhaps a hundred different languages. It is a virtual smorgasbord of shows, wherever there is an Internet connection.
But the best selling feature of a Satellite TV to PC program is its portability. Imagine taking your TV anywhere you can tote your laptop and watch —airport, bar, park, highway, office (during breaks only, mind), and perhaps when you are in the middle of the lake waiting for the fish to bite…the possibilities are virtually endless.
You never have to lose track of your favorite sports game or drama, prices of stocks, trivia contests, news around the world and many others just because you are on a trip out of town. With satellite TV to PC software you can bring your television with you almost anywhere you go.
And it is inexpensive, since it is just one-time set-up and software fee, and then free after that. In the past, such a program would cost more than $300.00 plus monthly fees, but these days the $49.95 one-time set-up fee is all you need to spend.
It certainly beats cable with its monthly subscriptions or the prepaid versions that require loads purchased beforehand. This TV on PC idea uses the free-to-air (FTA) satellite digital broadcasting system to send decoded signals to your PC.
But your PC must be configured to at least have a Pentium4 processor or similar of 300 megahertz speed, have 520 MB RAM, any Windows operating system, and at least 56K Internet connection, or broadband or DSL.
This is because the quality of viewing depends on the speed the video stream is read by the PC. Otherwise you will see jerky movements and choppy dialogues.
With the fee comes the software that enables your PC to access the Internet TV feed. After downloading and installing the small software that comes with the fee, you are ready to watch television on your PC.
A different Satellite TV to PC system requires the installation of a PC-TV card as well as a software, and this may be as good as the other method that I described at the beginning.
However this method of watching TV on your computer requires hardware modifications and this is not always acceptable. You just have to comparison-shop if you want. Also beware of scams; remember you pay $49.95 only once and that’s it. A higher price than this is considered very expensive.
You never have to lose track of your favorite sports game or drama, prices of stocks, trivia contests, news around the world and many others just because you are on a trip out of town.