The technology for satellite TV has advanced so much that many people are turning to watch satellite TV on PC. It even allows you to watch any live program, and the technology can also be used anywhere in the world. But first, special satellite television hardware has to be installed on the PC, for viewers to be able to watch satellite TV. This hardware is called a PCTV card.



This can be installed externally or internally. The external card allows the viewer to attach it to the PC with the help of a USB. The broadband connection will also be necessary, and the other end is required to be connected to the cable line or telephone line. Viewers may also use wireless versions to watch satellite TV on the PC.

With the help of a PCI express slot, the internal card would be installed in the computer. The analog signals are then decoded into signals that are digital, and users may then listen to the radio as well as watch TV on PC. Two factors will decide the quality of the TV channels. One will be the broadband speed, and the other the computer configuration.

The broadband speed is very important when it comes to watching satellite TV on the PC, and the speed has to be excellent. If DSL is used, then the speed needs to be at least 512 kbps. If the speed of the broadband is higher, then the quality of the satellite TV is much better. The PCTV cards will relate to a minimum configuration.

The operating system has to be Windows 98 and above, and the CPU has to be at least 1GHZ. The RAM needs to be about 128 MB. The card needs to be installed with the CD along with the viewing software. A sound card is a must for the computer, if audio is required. There are also some high-end PCTV cards available that can record TV shows for the computer.This will however require a lot of storage space on the computer’s hard disk.

Watching satellite TV on PC is a versatile concept, as you can do all other activities such as surfing the net or paying your bills simultaneously. While watching TV, you can also keep working through commercials.

This discovery still amazes people, as there are so many channels that one can access through this. No doubt, this is a unique way to surf online as well as watch satellite TV on PC all together. In case you are not in the know, there is an emerging cutting edge technology that has appeared to rival the PCTV cards – the PC satellite TV software which does not require any hardware setup at all. Discover more about this amazing technology through my TV blog.