What is PCTV?

Your television used to be for watching television and your computer used to be for using computer programs. But now in the ever changing world of technology you can use for computer for more than just PAC MAN. Now you can watch satellite TV and listen to satellite radio on your computer. Now what will you use your television for?

To watch satellite television and listen to satellite radio on your PC you will be able to do so, but you may need some minor adjustments and/or new equipment. There isn't however a whole new set of products to buy so don't be deterred by the set up costs.

The first thing you will need is a PCTV card. There are two types of PCTV cards, the first is inbuilt in your computer and is installed. The second type is an external device that generally is plugged into the USB port on your computer.

PCTV cards use different methods for acquiring satellite channels, free to air television and satellite radio. Some cards will allow you to watch television in a separate window and still work with other programs, normally these kind of cards run off their own processors. Other cards use the existing PC infrastructure to decode signals and stream television. All cards require a good Internet connection and using broadband is normally best. Some cards use a satellite and phone line.

To run PCTV on a computer, you will need to meet certain technological requirements. Starting with a broadband Internet connection. Then you need to make sure that your PC has a minimum processor that is Pentium II 333 Mhz. Your operating system will need to be around the Microsoft Windows 98/ME/2000/XP phase. You will also need the basic hardware functions like a sound card, spare USB slot and CD drive. And while you don't necessarily need one but a Windows media player, real player, or quick time player would probably be a good idea.