To Watch TV on a PC. Any Ideas How?

Just wanted to find out if you have any ideas on Vga cards for watching Tv on a Pc. I don't mean internet tv but like using your PC as a TV set.

You'll need to buy TV tuner. Read here

yeahhh demmy z rite!! u'v gatta get a tv tuner....hope u nat gonn b on your computer all night watchin tv!!! uhh lol remember your light out!! 

nice try tho.. but none of d above.. i ain't on d bed, in d kitchen norrr in d bathroom.. soo where u think i'm at?? anywayzz bk 2 buzznezz.a tv tuner also supports a laptop.. what u gatt 2 do is 2 check your RAM bios if itz compactible with your laptop.. because d more RAM u'v gatt.. d better .....u'v also gatt 2 do sum other configurations if u know what i mean.. i'll b bk with this!! i ain't sayin u sld start unscrewin your notebook!!!

heh codec...chillin, y'all don't get my unscrewed. which is best, most convienient and most user friendly?

heyy swish where u @?? u said sumwhere on earth!! lol kk anywhere you're on earth.. i guess u can get on this webbsite http://www.baber.com/baber/graphics/tv_tuners/laptops.htm  lol since u dey earth lol... i guess u can order it online!! yawnnsss... i'm out!!

keep you posted when i've gotten one.

also, to my knowledge, there are no pcmcia tv tuners.

na wa.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=pcmcia+tv+tuners&meta=

I don't really understand what you are trying to say here.

for a laptop, you have 3 options:

pcmcia (or PC card). plugs into the pc card slot, usually close to the front, and to the side.

USB. plugs into the usb slot- normally used for flash drives, etc

Firewire. plugs into the firewire slot, like USB but smaller.


PCMCIA will give the best performance. USB will be good if it is USB 2.0. Make sure you verify before you go ahead, because a USB 1.1 slot is MUCH slower and will give a much lower quality picture. Firewire should give similar performance to usb 2.0

You'll need fairly recent laptop to really enjoy this. Older systems will still function (tv tuners have been around for a long time)  but you may find they are unable to do anything else while you are watching TV. Also be advised that battery consumption will increase while watching.

If you want to use PVR software to rewind/fastforward while watching TV (yes, it is possible. ) or to record while watching, make sure your laptop has a good amount of RAM (256 meg passable, 512 meg ideal) and some nice hard disk space. (no recommendations here, use common sense)


Now that ive completed my braindump, I'll put forward a question to the house:

does anyone know how to multiplex the output from a DSTV decoder so that the RF cable carries multiple channels? Like what is done at hotels etc where they have an RF cable and you can change channels on the TV rather than changing channels on the decoder. I'd like to be able to watch one DSTV channel on my computer while recording another in the background. It works for local TV but not DSTV.  Also its a pain not being able to change channels on the PC, i need to change channels on the decoder which is irritating.

Would wish to know how much the cards cost here in nigeria,and how available is it in our silicon...computer villade here in lagos.

you guys av said it all, you are all pretty right. Almost nothing is impossible when it comes to computer, the fact that one doesn't know the way round it doesn't mean it isn't possible. just ask a couple of guys, u'll be suprised. you can watch anything watcheable on earth anywhere, lappy, notebook or even the monter on your table, but not 486 or p1 sha.