TV On The Internet
Sure, you may be sitting at your desk and not really daydreaming about 24, but why wouldn't you want to watch TV on your computer? Your LCD almost surely has better resolution than your TV, and while you're sitting in front of it, with two pretty decent speakers, it can be a pretty great way to check out a show or two. Online TV is rising in popularity across America. In reality, many people are already opting to watch TV programming online.
According to ChoiceStream, "65 percent of consumers who watch video on their computers...are watching professionally-produced TV programming." Still, the report goes on to note that 45% of consumers haven't watched video on their computers. If you're among the people who has never watched TV online, here’s a guide to help you get rolling.
Five Ways To Get Television On Your Computer:
1) TiVoToGo - If you own a Series2 TiVo, you need TiVoToGo, which lets you download anything you have recorded on your TiVo to your PC. The shows can't be shared with other computers, so if you're planning on watching TV while traveling, be sure to install TiVoToGo on your laptop. It's Free!
2) Official Web Downloads - : The TV network might keep copies of its shows online for free download. NBC, for example, has many full episodes of its prime time shows here, and CBS has full episodes of eight prime time series available to view online.
3) Classic TV - As in bad TV from the '70s and '80s...Check out In2TV, which has archives of dozens of old shows.
4) Overseas TV - Wanna polish up your Hungarian? Check into BeelineTV, which streams about 100 networks from countries ranging from China to Slovenia and beyond.
5) When in Question, Buy It - You can buy or rent television show episodes a la carte all over the web. Most popular is probably the iTunes Store: take note that you do not actually need an iPod to buy movies here if you just wish to watch them on your computer. An episode is typically $1.99. Amazon Unbox also has similar prices. In addition the famous Netflix and Blockbuster online do a brisk movie download business.
So that's five and we haven't even covered connecting your TV to your cable with a tuner card or a USB TV tuner. There's also the famed Slingbox, and you can always purchase or rent TV shows on DVD, too.
System Requirements To Watch Video On Your Computer
A 36" Monitor.The 24-inch computer monitor that you’re producing Word documents on can do so much more. But if you don’t have the support behind the screen, you may be frustrated if you try to watch TV online. Go over your computer to make certain you have the minimum system requirements to successfully download video.
The requirements listed below are for Windows-based PCs and were collected from information on ABC.com and NBC.com.
- Operating System: Windows XP or Vista. You might get along with Windows 2000.
- Memory: 512 MB
- Hard Disk: 20 GB or more of free space
- Screen Resolution: 1024x768
- Internet Connection: Broadband/High Speed, DSL or Cable
- Browser: Explorer 6.0 or higher, or Firefox/Mozilla
While broadcast television websites may support Apple computers, only ABC.com listed the minimum system requirements for a Mac.
- Operating System: Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar, 10.3 Leopard, 10.4 Tiger
- Memory: 128 MB minimum (512 MB recommended)
- Video Card: 32 MB minimum (128 MB recommended)
- Screen Resolution: 1024x768 minimum (1280 x 1024 recommended)
- Internet Connection: Broadband/High Speed, DSL or Cable
- Browser: Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher, Safari 1.3.2 or higher, or Mozilla Firefox 1.5 or higher
Keep these lists in mind when shopping for your next computer, since you may well be watching more TV on that new LCD monitor than on your current TV screen.
Benefits and Limitations of Online TV
Watching TV online provides benefits over just switching on the set in your den. Maybe you haven’t moved into the world of HDTV for your primary TV, but you have an HD monitor. Here’s a great opportunity to see what all the bustle is about by watching shows in HD. Virtually all leading networks supply extras, whether two minute recaps of story lines or snips of your favorite shows ready for download. A favorite benefit is, you choose when to watch the shows you wish to watch.
There are a few definite disadvantages as well, at least as online TV stands today. No, you can’t dodge commercials. Most shows lead off with a commercial and hold commercial breaks in the shows you watch. And regrettably, unlike with a DVR, you can't skip over them while watching TV online. Secondly, a network may only allow U.S. viewers to watch entire episodes. And finally, occasional Loooooong download times—the download time could exceed the actual viewing time, dependent on your connection to and traffic on the Internet.
Ready-to-Watch TV
You’re running the most advanced system, all signals point to "go", and you’re ready to get started watching video. It appears to be on hand anywhere and everywhere on the Internet. Company home pages, YouTube, the broadcast networks… These are just a few of the sites where you'll be able to find video.
But what if you’re searching for a particular show, like the latest installment of Reaper? It becomes often more challenging, not simply to find the show but also to locate it through a respectable outlet. You have to be cautious in navigating lawful and unlawful content suppliers to locate the content you’re searching for. Legal—Think of this as subject matter from the original source. A good place to start is with the major broadcast networks, particularly if you’re seeking a recent TV show. Websites may have rebroadcasts of shows, so if you missed an episode of The Simpsons, you will be able to catch up online.
TV Land is just one web site that provides downloads of many older shows. A Google Video search can also help you retrieve the particular episode you’re looking for.
Viewer Beware: virtually everything conceivable is out there for downloading, including some distressing images. If you visit the underbelly, be prepared for just about anything.
SlingBox—Say you had to fly from LA to New York for a meeting. When you arrived, you noticed the hotel TV was broken. The good news is you had installed a SlingBox on your TV back home. SlingBox is a hardware device that permits users to watch their TV remotely on an Internet-connected computer. It permits you to switch channels on your TV back in LA from your computer in NY. Only one remote computer can access your TV at a time due to copyright interests. SlingBox connects to the Internet through your router.
Simple TV Connections—You are able to use your computer to watch live broadcast shows like you do on your standard TV. To do this, you will need 3 things, a tv tuner, a signal, and software:
- A TV Tuner—Your computer might have arrived with a TV tuner installed. Or you can add one as an expansion card or connected through a USB port.
- A Signal—Connecting through your cable or satellite satellite provider, such as Roadrunner, or Comcast, may require a set-top box.
- Software—Most Windows and Apple computers come with software to help you manage this. Windows Media Center can help you set up TV connections on your computer and Macs ship with the Leopard operating system boasting Front Row, a program that can help you “enjoy all your media full screen.”
PC World tested numerous TV tuners and rated the Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-150 and ATI TV Wonder USB 2.0 as their top choices for putting TV on your PC. Three tuners that you may want to look into for the Mac are Miglia's TVMax+, Plextor's ConvertX PVR PX-TV402U, and Eskape Labs MyTV.PVR.
The Future Of Online TV
Naturally, everything is in flux. AT&T is expanding their U-verse product, which is a movement toward the union of TV and the Internet. Other companies are creating these systems too, most notable Verizon and their FiOS service. Two years ago, it seemed inconceivable that the internet could ever replace the television set as the hub of home entertainment.
Now it's standard to see groups of young people gathered around YouTube, or trading viral clips from Big Brother instead of bothering with the whole gaudy televised affair. Increased bandwidth from U.S. Internet Service Providers has made internet TV attainable; and for those who still favor their monster plasma screens to their PCs, new-generation televisions are arriving with web browsers built in.