Watching television on a computer is a fairly easy thing to do thanks to modern computer technology. TV tuner cards have been around for over a decade now, but with the upcoming HDTV transition many of those older tuner cards will stop functioning in the same way that many standard definition televisions will.

So what does a user need to watch television on their computer in today's changing technological landscape?

TV Tuner Card Options

While there are still a few analog TV tuner cards available on the market most buyers at this point will want to invest in either an HDTV capable tuner card or a hybrid tuner card that will decode both the old style analog and newer HDTV signals.

Most cards available today are hybrids, and some of the major players in this sector come from names such as Hauppauge and Pinnacle.

USB TV Tuner Cards vs. PCI TV Tuner Cards- What is the difference?

TV tuners now come in versions that can fit into an available PCI slot on the computer's motherboard or they can also come in the form of an external device that plugs into the computer via an unused USB port. Here are some important things to consider when deciding which style to purchase:

PCI performance and capabilities are often superior to USB based devices. Some models have additional processing capability that decodes the data on the chip rather than having the computer's processor do the work.
USB is much more convenient and easy to install for novice computer users. Just plug it in and go.
While both styles are normally able to connect to cable or an over the air antenna, USB style TV tuner cards often come with their own portable antenna that will receive HDTV content. However, while these small antennas are great for the traveller using a laptop, home users will not receive as good of reception as one would with an attic mounted HD antenna.

Features and Drawbacks Associated With TV Tuner Cards

Many people choose to purchase a TV tuner card in the hopes that it might turn the family computer into a fully functioning Media Center PC or be used as a low cost Tivo or DVR unit. Most newer model TV tuner cards come with bundled software that makes it easy for the user to flip through channels and access program listings, and through the use of special software most cards can be used to time-shift content (record it to the hard drive, fast forward, and rewind the video feed).

Whenever possible use the software that ships with the actual TV tuner card. When no media center software is provided an excellent alternative is the freeware MediaPortal software, a program that turns any tuner card equipped computer into a media center that can record and play live TV as well as DVD's, radio, and other media that is saved to the hard drive.

While using a TV tuner card with a computer is a convenient way to add new functionality to the system, users should remember that regardless of the card, the machine is still a computer and not a television. In past years the quality of TV tuner output was much worse than that one might receive through a stand alone TV set.

While these issues have improved slightly remember that the display format of a television is much different than that of a PC monitor. While the video will be viewable, people with an eye for detail will often find computer based TV to be lacking in quality. When used with a properly equipped video card and monitor however, these problems can be reduced significantly.

Computer based TV tuner cards are not for everyone. They have their drawbacks in terms of quality and ease of use when compared to dedicated TV sets, but they fill a niche that many individuals are anxious to use to compliment their existing office or home theater setup.