Satellite TV on Your PC - The Truth Behind The Technology

Most of us have heard all about high definition television sets, plasma and LCD televisions and digital broadcasting, but did you know there is an amazing emerging technology that is allowing us to watch free satellite TV via the Internet? not only that, but you can record any of these satellite TV shows on your PC and come back and watch them later, and plug your computer into your big-screen TV and watch it there.

What Kind of Hardware Do I Need?

To watch satellite TV on your computer, you need either a PCTV card or Specific Satellite TV Software. There are two types of PC TV cards for internet satellite TV. One type has a built in processor that allows you to watch satellite TV on your PC in a designated window, while the PC continues to run other programs. Other PCTV cards use the PC's infrastructure to decode satellite signals, allowing you to enjoy free-to-air digital TV and radio. Both kinds of PCTV cards are compatible with broadband internet via satellite.

To watch satellite TV on your PC, you will need a relatively new computer. At worst, you'll need a Pentium II 333 MHz processor, and you will need to be running at least Windows 98/ME/2000/XP. For satellite TV on PC, you'll also need a sound card, a spare USB port and a CD-ROM drive.

How Do I Gain Access To The Satellite TV on PC Network?You can access PC satellite TV in a few ways. First, you can directly connect your PC to a satellite dish using a designated product, such as Hauppauge 3000, or directly through your internet cable. It's also possible to connect via the satellite box of your network provider. Several satellite TV companies recommend that you use their proprietary satellite TV receiver box when setting up satellite TV for PC.

One important factor you must be aware of when choosing a satellite TV for your PC provider, is that there are no free lunches!  It seems nowadays everywhere we look people are advertising "free satellite TV on PC".  But, is it really free?  And in short the answer is yes and no! What I mean by that is that some PC satellite TV vendors to provide software that streams satellite TV over the Internet to your computer and gives you a selection of hundreds of channels.  This software is not free, but he is very inexpensive and typically costs less than one months subscription fee to the likes of DirecTV.  The best part is the top satellite TV on your PC vendors do not charge any monthly fees at all, and the very best providers offer regular free updates to their service.

What Do I Need To Be Aware Of?One example where you may see " free satellite PC TV" that you need to be very wary of, is an example where a pirate company will hack into a legitimate satellite TV signal from a company such as DirecTV and steal that signal.  This of course is very illegal and does catch a lot of unsuspecting people out, one of the problems with this is the fact that it is illegal, and the pirate company has to buy equipment to allow them to hack into these satellite TV signals which of course costs money.  One way to know is if you are asked to purchase and access card as opposed to using Satellite TV for PC software on your computer.  What may and start out as a seemingly free service will most likely turn into an expensive one because the companies that provide the signals like DirecTV regularly hit these cards and scramble the signals, this requires reprogramming to access the satellite TV signal again and can become very expensive for you, the end user.

Final Thoughts; Satellite TV for PC is a great, straightforward way to access digital television, especially if you a computer geek with a great screen and sound on your PC!