Watch TV on the Computer
With more and more of us on the go, it’s becoming common to catch our favorite TV shows on a computer screen instead of a television set. Some networks offer shows online for you to watch in your browser, and it’s also possible to catch over the air broadcasts using your computer as a DVR. Setting these things up can be tricky though, as you need the correct software drivers and more.
Support.com can help with your computer-to-TV connection problems.
Do You Want to Connect Your Computer to the TV?
If you have the compatible hardware inputs on your television set, and many HDTV sets do, just follow your HDMI or “video out” from your laptop or desktop computer to your compatible input on your TV. (It should be clearly marked if you have it.) You’ll then be able to use your television as a monitor for your computer.
One of our Personal Technology Experts® can help you with software issues you may encounter with a “connect computer to TV” setup. We may also be able to help in other ways as well. Just tell us what you need.
Other technology problems we fix include:
- Hooking a computer to TV
- Securing your computer privacy
- Desktop and laptop driver issues and updates
- Wireless hook up computer to TV
- Device connections
- Wireless security issues
- File recovery
- Connecting a computer to TV
- System restore
- System start-up problems
- System memory problems
- Advanced laptop and desktop repair
- Computer security issues
- Malware removal (e.g., computer virus, spyware, adware)
- Optimizing laptops, desktops and netbooks
- Software and app installation
- Operating system issues (e.g., Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP)
How Can I Watch TV on My Computer?
“I want to watch television on my computer for free.” It’s a common request that pops up quite often. Fortunately, thanks to technology now, it is possible (as long as you don’t count your Internet service cost).
The most common way to do this is to visit sites that offer TV programs. Some of the most popular ones include:
- Hulu.com
- Joost.com
- Crackle.com
- Fancast.com
- And the networks themselves (ABC.com, CBS.com, NBC.com, Fox.com, etc.)
Keep in mind, you will need a broadband Internet connection to watch these shows without experiencing performance issues, and you should make sure your computer is optimized for speed. As you use your computer, its performance tends to degenerate over time as you fill up your hard drive and it becomes fragmented.
Support.com can help keep your computer running as good as it did when it was new—all by using our proprietary 50-point diagnostic tune-up. Just contact us and tell one of our Personal Technology Experts™ that you need your computer to run as smoothly as it can so you can watch TV on the computer.
Do You Have a TV Tuner for a Computer?
As we mentioned earlier, it’s also possible to watch OTA (over the air) broadcasts on your computer monitor as well. You can even use your hard drive as a DVR (digital video recorder) to automatically record programs. If you have Windows Vista (Premium Edition or up) or Windows 7, you already have Windows Media Center installed. You’ll just need a TV tuner installed on your computer. For your TV signal, you can use your cable or antenna. It works either way.
By doing this, you can finally put that “How can I watch TV on my computer for free” question to rest and never miss your favorite shows.
Should you need any help setting the software up for this, please contact us. We’re here to help you get the most out of your technology.
Support.com strives to make using your computer and devices as easy and problem-free as possible. When you contact us, everything we do for you happens remotely, right over your broadband Internet connection. You won’t need an appointment, and you won’t need to invite strangers into your home.
Just contact us and we’ll take care of everything.
To ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible, we require all of our Personal Technology Experts to first earn their title by passing a series of incredibly rigorous tests. By doing this, Support.com assures you that they know how to get the job done right the first time.
Contact us now and see for yourself.
Ask Support.com about your computer television.
