How can i watch my cable on my computer?

[jasonpf1123]

hey there i dont have room to put a tv in my bed room but i have a computer in there, along with a cable jack. What exactly would i need to watch my cable tv on my pc. i know probaly a tv tuner not sure what program i need. i have basic cable running through my cable line could anyone give me some guidance. thank you for your help.

 

[Traildriver]

TV tuner cards come with software you can use to watch TV. I personally use a Hauppauge brand card in my Win 7 64 bit system. Comes with a IR remote for the card

 

[AM2A]

If it's only basic cable it might not even be worth it. check out hulu.com and netflix, there's a lot of TV content on the internet.

 

[Wolfshadw]

If you're running Windows 7 Home Premium or Windows XP MCE edition, then you already have the necessary software installed to view cable content. You do, however, still need the hardware.

Pretty much any TV Tuner card that has at least one Clear-QAM tuner will work for your needs. I would also recommend tuner cards from Hauppauge as well as those from AverMedia. Which ever one you get, I'd recommend getting one with an MCE Remote Control.

-Wolf sends

Edit: @AM2A - True that much of basic cable is available online through applications like Hulu (I don't think Netflix is all that current in their content), but I prefer a TV Tuner to watch live TV and there's plenty of content that simply isn't available elsewhere (live news, sports).

 

[AM2A]

^ I completely understand, and agree 100%. I still have an antenna hooked up for the sports. If it wasn't for that, however, I would probably never watch live TV. Many people don't realize that there are options out there.