TV on your PC

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I have just obtained a new pc (Dell XPS 420) and would like to watch TV through it, which I always did with my old computer but which was already built in so I had no choice in the matter. My question is, which is the best route to go, should it be by inserting a suitable card in a vacant slot on the motherboard, or by way of a USB stick. Obviously I will need a freeviw setup but am wondering if anyone out there has any views or recommendations in respect of these two options. Also, can anyone recommend a particular product, or even any suggestions as to what to steer clear of! Many thanks.
 
I use www.tvguide.co.uk and I don't need any additional hardware or software. This is purely for watching freeview channels - I can't record etc.
 
You are probably better using C4oD, BBC iPlayer etc It is more hassle than it is worth. Now that they are stopping transmitting UHF (our transmitter goes in 2 days) you will need a digital TV card and a decent ariel. If you really do want to do it then make sure you get one that is compatible with windows media centre if you are running W7. I have used the hauppagge range and found them reasonably good in the past but don't use them anymore.
 
I use a hauppage DVB-T card in a PCI slot with media centre on windows 7. Works fine for watching TV and as a PVR... not that i use it much for that.
 
You could just invest in a monitor that doubles as a TV, admittedly its a bit more expensive than a TV card - we have one in daughters room, it has aVGA socket, plus aerial, scart etc and it was no more expensive than a normal monitor, albeit that she can't watch TV crap whilst chatting on MSN :lol:

Check what slots you have available on the motherboard first too, make sure you get the right fitting.
 
Hello rugrat, thanks for coming back on this. Are you able to watch live TV via this or is it just a catch-up system?
 
Not being that good on the old pc, I'm not sure if it will fit and I think that I might have a problem with the software to drive it!
 
I don't have a TV, just a computer with a TV card and a large 28" monitor.

I have a Happauage TV Card that plugs in to the motherboard. The one I have has Dual Digital Receivers on a single card with single aerial input. This allows me to either record 2 channels at the same time and watch something that I recorded in the past or watch one channel live and record another. I use the Vista Media Center Application with the Windows Media Centre remote. This also allows you to pause live TV, very handy when the call of nature comes during a long film on BBC :D

I can also format shift (using free add on software) the recordings made using Media Centre so they reduce in size and can play on my iPod or on my Laptop when I'm away, alternatively I can burn to DVD which is viewable in any DVD player. Although as with all video related things this is quite slow.

There is software that will also automatically take the adverts out of programs when you are watching them back so even ITV movies are uniterupted.

I also rip my DVDs to the Hard Drives (2x 1TBs) so if I want to watch a movie all I do is press play.

Another thing I can stream live TV over the internet using a free addon called WebGuide. This also allows me set a program to record over the web and also let me watch anything I have recorded on the computer (in set folders) again streamed over the internet.

Think of this as Sky+ on steroids.
 
Im sure it will fit.. mine has gone from computer to computer as I have bought new! Like Robert's, its a Hauppage and works perfectly.

As for drivers just look on the website of the manufacturer of your card and see if they do software for that model for the windows you are using.
 
SimonTALM said:
I don't have a TV, just a computer with a TV card and a large 28" monitor.

I have a Happauage TV Card that plugs in to the motherboard. The one I have has Dual Digital Receivers on a single card with single aerial input. This allows me to either record 2 channels at the same time and watch something that I recorded in the past or watch one channel live and record another. I use the Vista Media Center Application with the Windows Media Centre remote. This also allows you to pause live TV, very handy when the call of nature comes during a long film on BBC :D

I can also format shift (using free add on software) the recordings made using Media Centre so they reduce in size and can play on my iPod or on my Laptop when I'm away, alternatively I can burn to DVD which is viewable in any DVD player. Although as with all video related things this is quite slow.

There is software that will also automatically take the adverts out of programs when you are watching them back so even ITV movies are uniterupted.

I also rip my DVDs to the Hard Drives (2x 1TBs) so if I want to watch a movie all I do is press play.

Another thing I can stream live TV over the internet using a free addon called WebGuide. This also allows me set a program to record over the web and also let me watch anything I have recorded on the computer (in set folders) again streamed over the internet.

Think of this as Sky+ on steroids.
Click to expand...

It'd have been quicker to tell us what you couldn't do ;):D
 
Yes I'm with you now. I have just moved about from channel to channel. It would appear that I don't need to buy a card and I can watch pretty well anything that is on TV. Do you know if it is possible to change to full screen viewing? Also, not being a computer whizzkid, can you tell me if any of the programmes that I watch are being saved to the disk and taking up space? thanks for your help.
 
Hi Janice, you may well be right, it could fit but one thing I'd forgotten is that is isn't a Freeview Card so probably wouldn't work anyway as we have 'gone over' down here in Devon. Thanks for your input though.
 
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