Three years ago I pawned my last television. But there was no way to cure my addiction to Battlestar Galactica and The Daily Show. So I decided to fuse my computer with my television.
Why not? I have a nice big monitor, it's widescreen and high-res with a great contrast ratio. And then there's the environmental angle. Only one perpetually-on piece of equipment instead of four (computer, television, DVR, DVD player). Three years ago, it was somewhat complicated to turn my PC into a TV, but not anymore. Now, it's actually easier and cheaper to make your PC a TV than to have both in your house. Not to mention a heck of a lot simpler. And you need fewer comfortable chairs.
You can do this a few ways, with varying degrees of complexity.
- Unsubscribe from all cable services and simply download your favorite shows. That'll save you 15 minutes per show in commercial time, and it requires absolutely no installation of anything. Of course we suggest you do this legally at iTunes. You'll still save money over cable or satalite.
- Make your monitor a TV without a computer interface. Monitor manufacturers offer a variety of inputs for nice monitors now. Some have HDMI, RCA and S-Video built in! Just hit a button on the front of the monitor and you're watching TV.
- Keep your services going and get a TV Tuner. Hauppage just started selling a cable to USB converter for $99. Just plug it in and install their software and not only is your PC a TV, it's also a digital video recorder and DVD maker
- Keep your services and install a real-live capture card. Depending on whether you want RCA, Cable, HDMI, or all of the above, just get yourself a capture card with the appropriate inputs, and with a simple PCI installation, you're up and running. Here's a great service for finding the right capture card for you.
The world doesn't need more equipment, and as long as we've all got personal computers sitting around our houses, why should we have a complicated mass of wires and vampire power when our trusty boxes can take care of it all for us?
Image from KevinSteele on Flickr
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Comments (12)
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written by Andrew B., January 07, 2008
I have been wanting to do this for such a long time, although I am 17, when I move out on my own I defiantely will be using option as I dont need cable anyways, its just to expensive and I am not interested in most shows. ;D I have mentioned this site in my blog and I am very interested in your writing. Keep it up!
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written by Andrew B., January 07, 2008
This is a correction of my website, I spelt the address wrong in my last comment
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written by Beth, January 08, 2008
What would you recommend as the best TV that could also work as a PC monitor?
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written by recycle, January 08, 2008
HD-Television may work as a computer monitor. But it isn't made for close watching, it really works only the other way round. Use your pc as tv. Some computer screens have a tv tuner or some sort of analog input integrated.
The simplest way is, just don't watch tv. There are projects in the net to imitate tv.
Look there: http://www.getmiro.com/
In the future you wont need a tv anymore.
The simplest way is, just don't watch tv. There are projects in the net to imitate tv.
Look there: http://www.getmiro.com/
In the future you wont need a tv anymore.
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written by filip, January 08, 2008
what does a pc consume more instead of a tv per hour.
I believe my 15inch tv consumes about 50watts and my 19inch monitor alone uses 40watts per hour.
I have plans throwing out my pc and using my laptop as a desktop instead (with the 19inch branched), but still.
or am i wrong?
I believe my 15inch tv consumes about 50watts and my 19inch monitor alone uses 40watts per hour.
I have plans throwing out my pc and using my laptop as a desktop instead (with the 19inch branched), but still.
or am i wrong?
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written by Sarah, January 08, 2008
Me and my roommate agreed to do this the only prob. is you need to check the montor you are purchasing carefully. The one we got never turns completely off :( so we turn it off from a surge protector grid. A lot of electronics are like this.
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written by Kabuki, January 08, 2008
This is all fine and dandy for the shows you are currently watching, which are currently being produced. What about two years from now when BSG is done? How do you catch shows like Firefly before they are gone? Green this and green that, yes.... But what about a wife who isn't in to watching Gray's Anatomy on the PC? Or a six year old who watches shows that aren't available for download? Honestly, it doesn't work for most people.
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written by Virgil, January 08, 2008
Great, but DON'T buy an out of date PC TV tuner card... make sure it is ATSC compatible, so that when broadcast TV gets turned off in Feb' 09 you'll still be able to get digital TV.
Also, whatever you do, no matter what anyone ever says, NEVER, EVER build a media-center PC/TV based on windows vista... having to do a restart in the middle of a show because vista suddenly decides to start acting up, is not a good thing.
Also, whatever you do, no matter what anyone ever says, NEVER, EVER build a media-center PC/TV based on windows vista... having to do a restart in the middle of a show because vista suddenly decides to start acting up, is not a good thing.
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written by Bleeding_Llama, January 08, 2008
You leave all four of those things on all the time? =O What for? My laptop is on alot of the time, its about 9 hours in the average day. (Super nerd I know) But my TV is on for an hour a week maybe tops. We take sky out of the wall every night and make it all off. Shame on you xD
Also it seems pretty hard to make a PC a TV just for the sake of it.
Also it seems pretty hard to make a PC a TV just for the sake of it.
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written by James, April 21, 2008
I do this with my own computer as well. A good software package to use is Geexbox. www.geexbox.org
With a good tuner or video-in card you can get really good results.
With a good tuner or video-in card you can get really good results.
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written by Tom, October 22, 2008
Can I use a PC monitor as a tv with no computer? I want to either hook up a vcr or cable box and use it to watch tv. The vcr or box will supply the tv tuner but what connections do i need?
Thanks
Thanks
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written by Dans, May 07, 2009
this picture that comes to my mind bakdığım time working at home, dance hiphop, dance and breakdance in the same way an event that happened back in my head when my feet in the entry of television thanks nice sharing
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