Watch TV on Your Computer

Want to watch TV on your computer? From streaming your favorite TV shows to recording live TV for later viewing, your computer offers almost unlimited TV viewing options for any budget. If you have a TV tuner installed, you don't even need an internet connection to watch your shows.

Steps

Watching Free Streaming TV

  1. Install an ad blocking extension. Streaming TV sites often have a large number of ads, and you will find it much easier to find the right links by installing an ad-blocking extension for your browser.
    • AdBlock is one of the most popular ad-blocking extensions, and is available for Firefox and Chrome. It is not available for Internet Explorer.
  2. Find a streaming site. There are a variety of sites online that allow you to watch live streaming TV without the need for a subscription. Because of the dubious legality of these services, you will likely need to sift through several different streams and endure a few popup ads to find what you want. Popular streaming TV sites include:
    • TubePlus
    • AllMyFaves
    • Stream2Watch
    • Many live streaming sites are usually primarily focused on sports, though you can find sites that host videos of all the episodes of your favorite shows.
  3. Find the program or channel you want to watch. Most streaming sites are organized by category, though many have search functions as well. Browse the categories until you find a channel or program that you want to watch.
    • The availability will vary from site to site.
  4. Look for a working stream. When you select a program or channel, you will often be given several options for streams. These are the feeds you can select for watching your program. Oftentimes these are taken down due to legal requests or poor connections, so you may have to try several before you can find one that works.
    • Often these feeds are actually hosted on different sites, so you may be required to connect to several different sites before you can find a working stream.
  5. Wait for ads to finish. When you select a stream, and ad will usually be playing over the video player. You will need to wait for the ad to finish, and then click the “X” in the corner to close it. You may have to close multiple ads to see the video.
  6. Visit local station websites. Many local sites will stream their original content on their website at the same time it airs on TV. This is usually just the news, but you may be able to find some additional programming.

Using Subscription Services

  1. Use Hulu to watch recent TV shows. Hulu allows you to watch programming from the major broadcast networks, and usually have new shows available the day after they air. Hulu is only available in the US. You can use any browser to watch Hulu programs.
    • There are a variety of programs that you can watch without a Hulu+ subscription. If you want the latest episodes for your favorite shows, you will need to sign up for the monthly subscription plan. Hulu is run by the major broadcast networks.
    • Most Hulu shows still have commercial breaks.
  2. Use Netflix to watch entire seasons. Netflix has a large selection of TV shows that you can choose from. For older shows, you can often find the entire series to watch. Since Netflix is based on DVD releases, new shows often aren't available until a while after they air.
    • Unlike Hulu, there is no free option for Netflix. The flipside to this is that there are also no ads.
    • Netflix has started to release its own television programs that are only available with a Netflix subscription, or by purchasing through iTunes or the Google Play store.
  3. Use HBOGo to watch HBO programming. If you are an HBO subscriber, you can use the HBOGo website to stream the entire HBO library on your computer. New episodes are available an hour after they air on television.
    • HBO is OK with sharing accounts with friends and family. If your parents or friends are subscribers, ask them if they would mind if you used their account to watch shows.[1]
  4. Use your cable provider's streaming service. Most cable providers allow you to watch live and recorded TV through their streaming services. Some examples include Comcast Streampix, Time Warner's TWC TV, and more. The selection of live channels varies depending on the cable service and your subscription package.
    • You will need to be a subscriber in order to access these services. If you are just an internet subscriber, you will not have access to the streaming TV services.

Using a TV Tuner

  1. Purchase an external TV tuner. A TV tuner allows you to connect your antenna or cable box to your computer, and then play the video and change the channel using onscreen controls. Many TV tuners allow you to also record footage and save it to watch later, much like a DVR. An external USB TV tuner is much simpler to install than a TV tuner card, and is just as powerful.
    • You can find TV tuners at most major electronics retailers or through online outlets such as Amazon and Newegg.
    • You can also install a TV tuner card into a spare PCI slot on your computer, though this is fairly difficult compared to plugging in a USB tuner. See this guide for details on installing PCI cards.
  2. Connect the tuner via USB. Connect the tuner directly to a USB port on your computer, or use a USB extension cable if the ports are too tight. Avoid plugging the tuner into a USB hub, as they usually don't allow it to draw enough power.
  3. Connect your antenna or cable box. Some tuners come with an antenna built-in. Your cable box or external antenna can be connected using the coaxial connector on the tuner.
    • If you wish to keep your cable box connected to your TV, but also want to connect it to your computer, you will need a Install-a-4-Way-Splitter-for-Cable-TV
  4. Connect an external A/V source (optional). Some tuners allow you to connect an external A/V source, such as a DVD player, to your TV tuner. This allows you to turn your computer into an all-in-one entertainment center.
  5. Install the tuner software. If necessary, you may need to install the software that came packaged with the tuner. Most tuners come with the software on the disc, though you can usually download the software as well from the manufacturer's support page.
    • Windows Media Center supports TV tuners as well.
  6. Scan for channels. Start the TV tuner software and follow the instructions to scan for available channels. If you are using an antenna, the channels you receive will depend on the signal strength.[2]
  7. Record a show. Many tuners allow you to record what you are watching to your computer hard drive. This can take a lot of space, but allows you to watch your shows again whenever you want.



Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://techcrunch.com/2014/01/20/hbo-doesnt-care-if-you-share-your-hbo-go-account-for-now/
  2. ↑ http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/adding-tv-tuners-media-center#1TC=windows-7
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