Issue 25.11
DVRs (Digital Video Recorders) are very cool ways to record any TV programs you want to watch later and are fairly standard with contracts from the satellite companies. However, for those of us who don’t have one or for those who have chosen to not have TV programming coming into the home, there are a number of nice ways to view TV programs after they have aired.
The first is to sign up for a viewing service such as Netflix, I-tunes, Hulu or others that offer movies and TV episodes for a fee. One minor drawback is that series episodes are often not available for some time and there is usually a cost involved, either monthly or per download.
Another option is to go to the source. Many networks (even less known ones that may not be available with your cable or satellite plan) post their series episodes and many of their specials on their websites for a limited time after they have aired. You simply have to go to their website and find the video or full episodes links and the selection will play. The advantages are that you don’t need to remember to record it, you can watch when you are away from home if you have internet access and there is no cost. The disadvantages are that you still have to watch a number of commercials and there are occasional glitches that can slow down the video or cause viewing problems. It is also true that some series are not aired in full episodes, usually because of contract restrictions by the producers of the show (they want everyone to have to buy the DVDs to see their episodes).
There are a few things that you will need, in order to enjoy “watching” TV on your computer. You need a good video card, speakers and fast broadband internet access (usually 4mbs or faster – your supplier can tell you what speed your account allows). The more speed you have, the less you will experience pauses in the playback or degraded picture quality.
Finally, you need to know where to go to find the content. All of the major (and many less-known networks) have websites with viewable content. I won’t list their links here, but you can find them with any search engine. The ones I have personally used include NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, USAnetwork, Syfy, CWTV, A&E, the History Channel, TNN, etc.
For me, this has been a good alternative to having to pay for cable or satellite every month and still getting most of the programming I actually care about seeing. Happy viewing, and remember, always make sure you have a backup of anything important.
Shaun McCausland has been in the computer industry for 30 years (locally with Musicomp & Bits ‘N’ Bytes) and currently does in-home and on-site computer consultation, service, training and repair. If you have questions, you can reach him through his website at www.bitsnbytescomputers.com or at 668-7118.