Be sure to check the system requirements of the TV tuner to ensure that it’s compatible with your computer. Check a website such as or to find user reviews for the specific TV tuner you’re considering buying. User reviews can also help you to choose a TV tuner for your computer. The reviews are unbiased and, in most cases, based on actual experience with testing the TV tuner in question. To find the best one for your computer, check out the TV tuner reviews on a website such as CNET or. There are many different brands of computer TV tuners. Make sure to compare several different products to find the best TV tuner for your computer. However, an internal TV tuner card is a great space-saver.
#INTERNAL TV TUNER FOR PC INSTALL#
An external TV tuner is also much easier and quicker to install than an internal TV tuner card.
#INTERNAL TV TUNER FOR PC UPGRADE#
An external tuner is best if you want to upgrade your laptop computer, if you want to use the tuner with multiple computers or if you have run out of expansion slots in your computer. An internal TV tuner card is your best bet if you want to adapt your desktop computer to receive television and if you have a free PCI slot. To use an external USB tuner, you should have a free USB 2.0 port on your computer. External TV tuners are usually small boxes that connect to your computer by USB. Internal TV tuner cards for computers typically come in the form of a PCI expansion card. Trying to make an older computer work with a TV tuner will only result in frustration. However, you’ll have the best results with a late-model home entertainment computer with at least a 2 GHz dual-core processor, 2 GB of RAM, a 500 GB hard drive and Windows Vista.
If your computer didn’t come with a tuner, you can probably upgrade it without much difficulty. Using your computer with a TV tuner, you can receive, watch and record live TV. To receive HDTV or digital television on your computer, you must install a digital tuner. You can determine which antenna to buy by reading Choosing the Best Digital Television Antenna. To receive free-to-air television signals, you will also need to use an antenna, just as you would if receiving broadcast television with a television set.
You can use your TV tuner to receive free-to-air television or to connect your computer to your satellite or cable receiver box. There are both internal TV tuner cards and external TV tuners, as well as analog and digital TV tuners, which can be installed on a computer. A TV tuner is a device that allows your computer to receive television signals.