Are you fed up fighting with your family members so that you can watch your favourite TV program? Well, technology advancements have put an end to this problem.
Majority of families possesses a computer at their home. Not surprisingly, many families even have more than one computer or laptop in their home. With improvements in technologies, computers and laptops can be converted to TVs to put an end to the tug-of-wars going on at homes.
Ways To Turn Your PC Into A TV
The simplest and easiest way to turn your PC into a TV is through the use of a TV tuner for PC software. This software is easy to download on any PC to watch your favourite show or movie without any disturbance.
If you are keen on converting your PC into a TV, here is a step-wise instruction guide to help you out.
1. TV Tuners
This device helps you connect a digital TV signal to your PC. It is not possible to watch and record live TV programs and shows. Generally, TV tuners are available in two basic models â internal TV tuner cards and external tuners. Internal TV tuner cards are usually installed inside the computer. On the other hand, as the name suggests, external tuner cards are used as a USB plug-in.
The steps to install an external TV tuner are listed below for your help:
a. With Windows running on your computer, plug the tuner device into the USB port.
b. Plug in the cable TVâs cable or antenna into the connector on the tuner. Many computers usually feature an antenna to receive over-the-air TV broadcasts. However, rooftop antennas offer better reception compared to rabbit-ear antennas.
c. If the tuner is video recording adaptable, you may need an AV cable available with the device. This cable contains audio RCA and composite video plugs. These are the red, white and yellow plugs. The cable may contain either composite plugs or a single plug, depending upon the design of the TV tuner.
d. After the connection is accomplished, you will see a pop up alert on the screen, saying âdevice foundâ. If this does not happen, try to reboot the PC. This would wake up Windows to the recently installed hardware. Either way, the pop up alert is the final step when it comes to tuner installation. Generally, it is a two-step process. While the first step installs the drivers, the second would install the desired applications for your device.
e. After the installation process is complete, the software will show a sequence of steps to start viewing TV on your PC.
2. TV signals
Your computer provides adaptation to an array of TV signal types. These include cable TV, antenna and satellite TV signals. However, the signal type that can be set up depends upon the following factors:
- The area where the signal is to be set.
- The subscriber for cable or satellite television provider.
- The type of TV tuner that has been installed on the computer.
3. Setting Up the Connection
This is the final and most important step in setting up a TV tuner in your PC. Before you watch and record live TV, it is essential to create a physical connection between the TV tuner and computer. The procedure is accomplished by connecting one end of a coaxial cable to the tuner. The other end of this cable is connected to the TV signal source. Most computers usually support standard definition TV signals as well as high-definition TV signals (HDTV). Some examples are a cable TV jack in the wall, a satellite TV set-top box, an over-the-air antenna, or a cable TV set-top box.
Now you know how to turn your PC into a TV. This should put paid to all the fights that take place in your home for the TV remote. You can watch your TV programs in peace!