3 Tips to Watch or Record TV Shows on Your Windows 7 Laptop

The Holy Grail of entertainment in your home is the mesh between TV and laptop. Since the processors in computers today are much more powerful than the set top boxes that offer the majority of programming, it is quite possible to use your PC to record TV programs and replay it later.

To watch or record TV shows on your Windows 7 laptop, you must have three things:

1. A TV tuner

There are many types of TV tuners, such as expansion cards, TV tuner cards for external TV tuner, which is known to connect to your computer via USB interface or IEEE 1394 interface.

Some computers are equipped with TV tuner. If your computer does not have a TV tuner, you may be able to insert one. Go to the Windows 7 Compatible Hardware Compatibility Center for the List of TV tuners which are compatible with Windows 7.

2. A TV signal connected to your computer

Depending on your TV-tuner capabilities, it may be possible to connect a TV signal to your laptop from an over-the-air antenna, a cable jack in the wall, or a set-top box. Types of TV signals available in your area will be different, contact your local cable or satellite provider for the information.

3. Software for watching and recording live TV

3.1 Window Media Center

There are several options for software that will allow you to view and record TV programs on your laptop. If you are running Windows Vista Home Premium or Windows Vista Ultimate, you already have what you need: Windows Media Center.

3.2 A third party software

If you dont have Home Premium or Ultimate, you are running Windows 7, Windows XP, all you need is to install a third-party software: HDTV Player, you can watch digital TV, analog TV shows and real-time record live TV shows on your hard disk for playback later. Whats more you may listen to FM radios with HDTV Player.

Related Posts :

Four steps to convert the latest TV shows to your PSP

Why analog TV signal looks even worse on HDTV than on standard analog TV?

What is DVB-T?

What is NTSC?

The connection between computer and TV set watch live TV on computer

Prepare for an iOS-powered Apple HDTV, says previous exec

3DTV to be Better Than HDTV ?

What is DTS and its relationship with Dolby Digital?

How to show widescreen movies on standard televisions

What video standard(NTSC/PAL) does my country use?

Tags: dtv player, hdtv, record TV shows, watch or record TV shows on Windows 7, watch TV shows