How to Watch TV Online


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  • Introduction

    • Remember that old Burger King commercial? Have it your way? Well that idea has arrived in the world of television. Because today, you can have TV your way—when you want it and where you want it. In fact, many of you are already choosing to watch TV programming online. According to ChoiceStream, "65 percent of consumers who watch video on their computers...are watching professionally-produced TV programming." However, the study goes on to note that 45% of consumers have not watched video on their computers. If you've one of the people who has never watched TV online, here's a guide to help you get started.

  • System Requirements

    • The 24-inch computer monitor that you're creating text documents on can do so much more. But if you don't have the support behind the screen, you might be disappointed if you try to watch TV online. Check your computer to make sure you have the minimum system requirements to successfully download video. The requirements listed below are for Windows-based PCs and were gathered from information on ABC.com and NBC.com. The other broadcast channel websites had no minimums listed.
    1. Operating System: Windows XP or Vista. You might get by with Windows 2000.
    2. Memory: 512 MB
    3. Hard Disk: 20 GB or more of free space
    4. Screen Resolution: 1024x768
    5. Internet Connection: Broadband/High Speed, DSL or Cable
    6. Browser: Explorer 6.0 or higher, or Firefox/Mozilla
    • While broadcast television websites may support Apple computers, only ABC.com listed the minimum system requirements for a Mac.
    1. Operating System: Mac OS X 10.2 Jaguar, 10.3 Leopard, 10.4 Tiger
    2. Memory: 128 MB minimum (512 MB recommended)
    3. Video Card: 32 MB minimum (128 MB recommended)
    4. Screen Resolution: 1024x768 minimum (1280 x 1024 recommended)
    5. Internet Connection: Broadband/High Speed, DSL or Cable
    6. Browser: Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher, Safari 1.3.2 or higher, or Mozilla Firefox 1.5 or higher

  • Benefits and Limitations of Online TV

    • Watching TV online offers benefits over simply turning on the set in your den.
    1. HD experience—Perhaps you haven't entered the world of HDTV for your main TV, but you have an HD monitor. Here's a great chance to see what all the fuss is about by watching shows in HD.
    2. Extras—Most major networks provide extras, whether two minute recaps of story lines or snippets of your favorite shows available for download. For instance, with the Late Show with David Letterman, you can download Dave's nightly top-ten list and watch it on your computer.
    3. On Your Schedule—You decide when to watch the shows you want to watch.
    • There are some distinct disadvantages too, at least as online TV stands now.
    1. Commercials—No, you can't escape commercials. Most shows start with a commercial and have commercial breaks in the shows you view. And unfortunately, unlike with a DVR, you can't skip them when watching TV online.
    2. Limited availability—A network may only allow U.S. viewers to watch full episodes.
    3. Compatibility with your computer—Some websites may require an update or new viewer be added to your computer. While this isn't necessarily a negative, you should consider if you want another piece of software added to your system.
    4. Loooooong download time—The download time might exceed the actual viewing time, depending on your connection to and traffic on the Internet.

  • Ready to Watch TV

    • You're running the latest system, all signs point to go, and you're ready to start watching video. It seems to be available anywhere and everywhere on the Internet. Company home pages, YouTube, the broadcast networks... These are just some of the sites where you can find video.
    • But what if you're looking for a specific show, like the latest episode of Reaper? It becomes much more challenging, not only to find the show but also to find it through a reputable outlet. According to Matt Creamer (Editor-at-Large for Advertising Age) in an interview on NPR, you have to be careful in navigating legal and illegal content providers to find the content you're looking for.
    1. Legal—Think of this as content from the original source.
      1. Mainstream content—A great place to begin is with the major broadcast networks, especially if you're looking for a recent TV show.
        1. Websites may have reruns of shows, so if you missed an episode of The Simpsons, you can catch up online.
        2. In 2008, CBS invited viewers to watch live March Madness basketball games online. More opportunities to watch live TV may result from the success of these types of programs.
        3. TV Land is just one site that offers downloads of some older shows. A Google Video search can also help you find the specific episode you're looking for.
        4. If you're looking for mainstream U.S. TV online, check out these sites:
          1. ABC
          2. AOL Television—Clips and full episodes from different networks.
          3. Cartoon Network—Mainly episodes from newly developed cartoon shows.
          4. CBS
          5. CWTV
          6. Fancast—Broadcast TV from different networks.
          7. Fox
          8. Hulu—Broadcast TV from different networks.
          9. Joost—An array of TV choices.
          10. NBC
          11. TV.Com—Clips from TV shows.
          12. TV Land—Reruns, some of which are full episodes.
          13. Yahoo TV—Full episodes and clips from different networks.
      2. Esoteric—Want to watch BBQ TV for the next ten hours? You're in luck! There's a channel devoted to that. In fact, there are channels out there devoted to just about anything you can think of. Here are some links to help you get started:
        1. Dave.TV—Esoteric TV.
        2. MySpace—Homemade videos, snippets from TV shows, movie trailers, etc.
        3. YouTube—Homemade videos, snippets from TV shows, movie trailers, etc.
      3. International—Ever wanted to see other slants on the news? Trying to find that soccer match from Portugal? Don't limit your offerings to just the major U.S. networks. There's TV content from around the world available for viewing:
        1. BBC Television—A listing of BBC channels available.
        2. BeelineTV.com—Free online television channels from around the world.
        3. France 2—France 2, with links at the top of the page to other France channels.
        4. WorldWide Internet TV—TV from around the world.
    2. Illegal—At some sites you'll find video available through peer-to-peer networks. Chances are, if you find a commercial TV show available through the peer-to-peer service, it may be there illegally.


  • Beyond Online TV

    1. SlingBox—You had to fly from LA to New York for a meeting. When you arrived, you found the hotel TV was on the fritz. The good news is you had installed a SlingBox on your TV back home.
      1. SlingBox is a hardware device that allows users to watch their TV remotely on an Internet-connected computer.
      2. It allows you to change channels on your TV back in LA from your computer in NY.
      3. Only one remote computer can access your TV at a time due to copyright concerns.
      4. SlingBox connects to the Internet through your router. Is your router near the TV or down the hall? Do you have a cable box? Do you want HD connectivity? SlingBox offers a step-by-step guide to help you determine exactly what you need.
      5. Depending on the model, the cost for a SlingBox ranges from $129.99 to $229.99. Check around online for sales and potential deals.
    2. Simple TV Connections—You can use your computer to watch live broadcast shows like you do on your normal TV too. You will need:
      1. A TV tuner—Your computer may have arrived with a TV tuner installed. Or you can add one as an expansion card or connected through a USB port.
        1. PC World tested several TV tuners and ranked the Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-150 and ATI TV Wonder USB 2.0 as their top choices for putting TV on your PC.
        2. Three tuners that you might want to investigate for the Mac are Miglia's TVMax+, Plextor's ConvertX PVR PX-TV402U, and Eskape Labs MyTV.PVR.
      2. A signal—Usually, you can connect to an antenna with no problems. However, connecting through cable or satellite may require a set-top box.
      3. Software—Most Windows and Apple computers arrive with software to help you manage this.
        1. Windows Media Center can help you set up TV connections on your computer.
        2. Macs ship with the Leopard operating system featuring Front Row, a program that can help you "enjoy all your media full screen."
    3. Mobile Devices—While not strictly online TV, you can also watch TV using a mobile device. The iPod might be the best known, but you can also download shows to other cell phones and PDAs. Each will have different requirements for downloads, as will the different networks and content sites you visit. The best bet is to:
      1. Visit your provider's website and see what they offer. For instance, Verizon offers VCast, that can provide you with live TV on your cell phone.
      2. Grab content. Shows for the iPod can be downloaded at iTunes and at some of the broadcast network websites (as well as other general sites). Many of the sites have a "Mobile" heading on the download page that you can click to learn more.
      3. If the screen is too small, you may be able to connect your mobile device to your TV for wide screen viewing.

  • The Future of Online TV

    • Of course, everything is in flux. AT&T is expanding their U-verse product, which is a move toward the marriage of TV and the Internet. Other companies are creating these systems too. In his interview on NPR, Matt Creamer stated that eventually you might watch a show—like 24—on a 24 MySpace page, where you can interact with other fans while you're watching. Even if you're alone, you would feel like you were watching with other people. Whether that's a move in the right direction is up to you.

 


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