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Monday, October 13, 2008

How to Watch TV on Your PC - Realistic Expectations

By John Eley

There are several opportunities to buy software that give access to online streamed TV channels. It is important to have a working knowledge of what is on offer, so one can make informed comparisons and choice between different products. Also it is necessary to have reasonable expectations, so you know whether this type of service can meet your needs.

What does TV on your PC offer? It enables the viewing of programs that are distributed via the Internet by the TV stations themselves via gateways. They may be offering the full service through the Internet, or they may be offering a reduced service e.g. by lowering the picture quality. That is their marketing choice, since they may be competing with their own paying terrestrial or satellite TV customers. It may or may not include all the content such as sport and movies etc that paying customers get. They may not give the full 24/7 service. If you have a TV on your PC viewing package you have to accept the quality on offer, particularly as you are getting the TV channels for free. However there are literally thousands of these streamed channels. Many of them are probably are there to provide advertising exposure for the paying service, some will be state controlled and so are essentially a form of propaganda, which may be subtle, totally biased or they could be impartial. Basically you have to take what you get. The thing is the more channels your TV on PC package offers, the more chance you might be able to access something that interests you.

Online Internet TV is a vast and growing store of information that can be of benefit to many people. If you travel or live abroad you can use it to both keep in touch with life back home or to learn about the country you are visiting. There are many news programs, movies and sport. Also if you are just a surfer that likes to explore on the Internet, or are researching an article for work or study, then PC on your TV may be just the thing. Some of the PC TV applications are now very powerful information portals.

There are several things to look out for when considering the purchase of Internet TV software. It should be legal to use without descrambling and with public domain TV stations. This should be clearly stated in the sales information. There should be a large number of channels available. The more the better and certainly thousands. Does it answer your specific viewing requirements? Ideally it should have a membership area with updates, so that it does not become outdated quickly. Technical support should be available and a guarantee. If the supplier has been around for a while they are more likely to be a solid company with a good product. Also your PC or laptop and operating system should meet the specification of the vendor and make sure your Internet conection is adequate. If bonus offers are also included, such as dvd burning, security software and other downloads then so much the better. Have fun!

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