How to watch satellite tv on pc

Today, with the rapid advancement of satellite television technology, anyone can watch any television program around the world. You can even watch live TV coverage of major sporting events from the comfort of your own home.

To watch satellite TV, you need specialized hardware known as PCTV cards installed in your PC in order to receive the satellite TV signal. There are 2 types, one is external, the other is internal. External PCTV cards usually come in a box where you can connect them to PC via USB. The other end will be connected to your phone line or cable line depending on the type of broadband access you are subscribing to. Wireless versions are also available.

The internal TVPC card will be installed in your computer through the PCI or PCI Express slot.

PCTV cards will decode analog signals into digital signals so you can watch TV or listen to the radio on your PC.

The quality of the TV channels will depend on 2 factors.

1) Broadband speed

To enjoy good quality TV on your PC, you really need to have broadband speeds or DSL speed of at least 512 kilobytes per second. The higher the broadband speed, the better the quality of satellite TV channels.

2) Computer configuration

Most PCTV cards have a minimal PC configuration. You generally need a Pentium III CPU of at least 1GHz or higher, 128MB RAM, Windows 98/2000/XP, and have at least 1 USB port for external PCTV cards. You will also need a CD-ROM to install the PCTV card drivers and display software. You also need a sound card installed on your PC if you want audio.

Some PCTV cards also allow the ability to record shows on your computer, but be aware that it requires a large amount of available storage space on your hard drive.

Watching satellite TV on your PC while simultaneously checking your emails and surfing the Internet is really unique and totally cool.