Watch TV on your computer

Jun 26, 2008

GONE are the days when a computer television card had to be installed by a technician for one to watch TV on a computer. Today, all one needs to watch TV on his or her computer is a pendrive TV tuner.<br>

By Vision Reporter

GONE are the days when a computer television card had to be installed by a technician for one to watch TV on a computer. Today, all one needs to watch TV on his or her computer is a pendrive TV tuner.

A pendrive TV tuner is a sleek portable external computer TV card that can be used in both laptops and desktops. The gadget has a provision for fixing a multi-video input cable at the side which has banana pins with three points and another pin to link it with other computers.

The pendrive TV tuner comes with a software CD, a multi video cable and a remote control. It also comes with a cable, which you can insert at the side and link to other video sources like a video cassette recorder (VCR), pay TV decorders and a digital versatile disc (DVD) player.

The pendrive TV tuner is compatible with Microsoft Windows XP and Vista, 512mega byte random access memory, a CD-ROM drive and one gigabyte hard drive space for the software operation.

Rogers Turigye, a technician with Genex Computers on Kampala Road, says: “To instal the software, you insert the pendrive TV tuner into the computer universal serial bus (USB) port and put the software CD which comes with the package into the CD-ROM drive.

“After the computer has sensed the CD, click install and follow the instructions to install the software. When it has finished installing the operating system for the TV tuner, you will be able to tune in to any television station. After this, just insert your TV tuner. The software is installed only once in a given computer.”

Turigye says: “The TV tuner card allows computers to tune in television programmes and even capture, store, manage and distribute a wide range of video content and still pictures. It can receive 125 cable (pay television) and 70 antenna (free) TV channels.”

Marion Najjuko, an electronics dealer at Capital Software Limited at Pioneer Mall, says: “With its advanced features, consumers can record TV programmes and watch them at their convenience.”

Najjuko says the tuner produces strong and clear signals, adding that it can also be used on more than one computer at the same time.

Unlike most electronic gadgets which require electric power to function, the pendrive TV tuner requires 2 watts to run and is powered by the computer through the USB port.

Like other electronics, pendrive TV tuners are made in different countries and they come with diverse brand names like epro and chronos. It is important to purchase known brand names or get a warrant from the dealer.

Pendrive tuners cost between sh135,000 and sh150,000 at Capital Software Limited at the Pioneer Mall in Kampala and other computer accessories shops.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});