TV Tuner
How you can watch TV on your PC
A TV turner card enables you to watch TV on your computer by allowing it to receive television signals. TV tuner cards generally also work as video capture cards, allowing the recording of television programs to your computer's hard drive.
A PC TV tuner plugs easily into the PCI or PCI Express slots in your motherboard. Coaxial cables are most often used to allow the transmission of the television signal and can be attached directly to the tuner card. Tuner cards also come with CDs off of which drivers need to be downloaded in order for the TV tuner to function.
If opening up your PC intimidates you, TV tuners also come in an external format; an external USB TV tuner connects to the PC through USB cables. A PC that uses USB 2.0 ports will provide for smoother, faster video than older USB 1.1 ports. USB tuners are also an effective solution for a laptop TV tuner.
TV tuners can be analog or digital; the former encodes television signals to MPEG (motion JPEG) while the latter does not require encoding. Hybrid tuners can function as both a digital and an analog tuner.
Must-Have Features
• You'll need a program for flipping channels, such as Windows' WebTV.
• If your computer can support it, PCI Express is much faster than PCI.
• Make sure you can receive digital broadcasts at your location.
Major Considerations
• Will my motherboard support a PCI Express TV tuner card?
• Do I need a card that can receive HD digital cable?
• Is it worth it to upgrade my whole display card and spring for an all-in-one card with video and TV capabilities?
• Do I need help to install the TV tuner card?
Top Manufacturers
• ASUS
• ATI
• NVIDIA
• D-Link
• Hauppauge
Common Accessories or Add-Ons
• Software for channel surfing
• Compatible remote control
Price Range
An acceptable price to pay for a TV tuner card is around $65, but they can go as low as around $30 or as high as $200.
Summary
Gaming, shopping, socializing and dating: today, the modern individual wants to do everything from the comfort of their own home office. TV tuner cards add television-watching to the ever-growing list of computer capabilities and can provide all the luxuries of TiVo at an affordable price and with simple installation.
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