I have been very confused about this subject. I kept seeing products that will transform your computer monitor into a television screen, watch TV on your computer, and convert your PC into a personal DVR. Being from the good ole days of 8-track players and banana seats, I just couldn't wrap my mind around converging TV with a PC.
The Why
I realize this is the building wave of the future. Our computers are not just data machines anymore. They handle our lives. Our money, bills, shopping, research, games, communication, news, socialization, music, video - we use it for virtually every media form. It is perfectly natural and predictable that television would be gently pulled under the PC tent.
What confused me was the how of it, not the why. The why makes perfect sense and hey, if I don't have to buy ten different machines to satisfy my audio and video needs, I'm all for it. If all I need is a computer and a nice monitor or two, that would be just downright dandy.
Sounds good to you too, right? So, how exactly do you turn your computer into a household TV? Well, this is the part that got confusing for me. I could pay someone a lot of money to just set it up and hope I never had any problems. Or I could learn a little and at least have some control over what I can and can't do.
The How
As technology goes, of course, you have a couple of options. There are boxes, or standalone tuners, that are like little command centers for all your equipment. You plug your cable or satellite signal into them, then plug whatever else you want like stereo, DVD player, including your monitor. This kind of system is probably the easiest, bypasses your PC, and acts as a receiver for all your ins and outs.
There are also cards that will go directly into your computer making your PC the brain for your media. You can then choose to do anything or everything on your system. If you love your TiVo and all it can do, but hate the extra costs to operate it, there are also cards that will turn your PC into a DVR. The nice thing about those is that you can pause, rewind, and fast-forward, just like your DVR.
Some of these units, cards and tuners that is, have remote controls and wireless capabilities. Some of them even have their own hard drive and speakers and will also act like a DVR. There are lots of choices from the very simple to a full blown media extravaganza. The basic thing to remember is the difference between an outside box and an inside card to do your converting.
The Details
The part that confused me the most was where the signal would come from. You still have to have satellite or cable coming in, like DirecTV, regardless of how you decide to hook your stuff together. (There are some sites out there that offer TV, but I couldn't tell you how reliable they are and the ones I've looked at seem to offer only older shows.)
You'll have to check your RAM and hard drive memory quantity if you use your computer as the brain of your media operations. Your PC will be required to do a lot more work and memory makes a huge difference in the sound and picture quality you'll get.
All of these options are fairly simple. If you've been thinking about converting your computer into TV or vice-versa, go ahead and make the leap. We're headed in that direction anyway and it does make sense. With the emergence of multiple monitors, computers capable of carrying loads of information, and wireless networking, you can do more with less.
Shawn is an experienced freelance editor, proofreader, and writer. An award-winning journalist, columnist, and trumpet player, her knowledge of performance will enhance your copy. Visit Editing, Proofreading and Writing With a Punch! for grammar, punctuation, and spelling snippets, a trade talk blog, and superior services for help with all your writing needs.
For some fun and entertainment, visit Shawniverse for stories, poems, and an unusually entertaining blog.
More information about computers, electronics, and stuff to buy at great prices backed by excellent customer service can be found at sewelldirect.com, where Shawn was the former editor.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shawn_Shearer
No comments:
Post a Comment