In this article I'm going to show you how you can watch live TV on your computer or laptop or any other smart device for that matter. This is a lot easier than you may think! That said, you are going to require a little bit of setup and hardware in order to be able to stream and watch live TV on your computer or any other smart device in your home.
The easiest way to watch TV on a personal computer-and the one that's most popular now-is to view programming over the Web. The major networks, a number of cable channels, and general sites such. If monitor have a 2 inputs, connect HDMI cable for set-top boxes and connect again VGA/DVI cable for computer. Connect an VGA/DVI cable to computer (If your monitor have a 2 inputs). Attach a male to female RCA adapter to each audio jack on the AV cable. Watch live and On Demand shows, and manage your DVR, whether you're home or on the go.
As you can see, I am streaming the 'Family Fued' live on Fox using my Windows 10 computer and it comes complete with a channel guide!
How am I doing it you ask??? Keep reading and I'll tell you everything you need to know in order to stream crystal clear HDTV to any computer, TV, laptop or smart device in your house!
- You can watch live TV on your computer with a subscription to Sling TV or Hulu's Live TV beta program, and now YouTube has launched YouTube TV in select cities offering streaming live TV for a flat monthly rate. You do not need a cable or satellite TV subscription to use Sling TV or Hulu, both of which have more than 50 available channels.
- How To Watch TV on a Monitor with a TV Tuner or a Cable Box 1. Check Your Monitor and your Gear. The first thing you need to know is if your monitor can support TV signals from a Tuner or your cable box. By today's standards, most of these devices use HDMI as the main signal input/output line.
How To Watch Live TV On Your Computer – Network Tuner
In order to be able to stream free live TV to any device in your house you are first going to need to invest in at least one network tuner. I highly recommend the SiliconDust HDHomeRun EXTEND HDTV (2-Tuner) for your setup. Once you pick up one of these guys up and pair it with an HDTV antenna, you'll be streaming live TV to your computer and every other smart device in your house.
Warning
Governments and ISPs across the world monitor their users' online activities. If found streaming copyright content, you could get into serious legal trouble. Currently, your IP [ipt_address] is visible to everyone. I strongly recommend that you get the best VPN for streaming and hide your identity so that your entertainment doesn't take a turn for the worst.
How To Watch Tv On Computer Fios
Here are the reasons why you must use a VPN all the time.
How to edit videos using imovie on ipad. I personally use and recommend you use one of ExpressVPN, NordVPN, IPVanish or PureVPN. They are the fastest and most secure VPNs in the industry.
If you want to see my exact setup, I did an article The Best HDTV Antenna Setup Right Now! In this article I go over my exact setup that shows you everything I am doing to receive free live TV to every device in my house.
Back to the hardware… So you're going to need to pick up at least one SiliconDust HDHomeRun EXTEND HDTV (2-Tuner) for each antenna you have or plan to have.
Yes, sometimes it is advantageous to have multiple antennas pointed in different directions. The advantage of having multiple antennas is that you will not have to reposition your antenna to pick up different channels from different broadcast towers.
In fact, I have two! Living in the Buffalo area I have one antenna pointed towards Jametown NY and another pointed towards the CN Tower in Toronto Canada.
However, at no point do I split these signals. Both antennas run directly into their own SiliconDust HDHomeRun EXTEND HDTV (2-Tuner). This means not only can I keep the antenna runs short, but I can also ensure I have maximum signal strength because I'm not putting them into a tuner.
How To Watch Live TV On Your Computer – Antenna
If you don't already have an HDTV antenna, then you are going to need at least one of these as well. I've reviewed many on this site! Depending on your geographic region and whether or not you need to go with an indoor antenna or an outdoor antenna, I will list a few top performers here. When at all possible
I highly recommend an outdoor antenna. The fewer obstructions, bricks, mortar, trees, mountains, valleys you have in your way the better. So here are the antenna I recommend for both indoor and outdoor.
Recommended Indoor HDTV Antennas:
1. Mohu Curve 50 TV Antenna Amplified 50-Mile Range MH-110567
The Mohu Curved HDTV Antenna will allow you to access all HDTV channels and will be ready to receive 4K OTA Broadcasts in your area within a 50 mile range without the need for cable or satellite subscription. This list of channels should include local stations plus all the major network channels such as, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS and Fox. This antenna is also backed by a 1 year limited warranty, so if there are any issues or you're not satisfied with the performance, simply return it for a full refund.
2. ClearStream ECLIPSE Amplified TV Antenna
The ClearStream Eclipse has one of the best performance ratings in its class and grips to your wall using its Sure Grip technology for easy installation (no screws or fasteners required). It also comes in multiple colors (black or white) so you can color coordinate the room you will be placing it in. The antenna is supplied with a 20dB In-Line Signal Amplifier, 15 ft. Coaxial Cable, 5 ft. USB Cable and USB Power Adapter.
Even though this indoor antenna is rated second on my list believe me, it's a very close second (I have a few AntennaJunkies.com friends who disagree with me on this one…sorry guys my website!). Just like the Mohu, this antenna will pull in all the local and major network channels such as, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS and Fox, in your broadcast area. It should be noted also that this antenna is backed by a limited lifetime warranty.
3. Channel Master CM-4001HD FLATenna Ultra-thin Indoor TV Antenna
As is the case with most Indoor HDTV Antennas, the ChannelMaster Flatenna will receive crystal clear HDTV signals from all directions and its non-intrusive design makes it a nice addition to a living room wall or window, and will be ready to receive 4K OTA Broadcasts at a range of 35 miles.
Recommended Outdoor HDTV Antennas:
Like I said above, when at all possible, in order to ensure you receive clear, crisp HDTV Antenna signals there is really no substitute to installing an outdoor antenna. Giving your antenna a clear, unobstructed view to the broadcast transmission towers in your area, free of walls, bricks and mortar, will pay huge dividends when it comes to the number of channels, picture quality and reliability you will receive.
Okay, so let's list the top 3 antennas we've rate here on AntennaJunkies.com so you have a shortlist that is sure to satisfy any Outdoor Antenna installation need.
1. RCA Compact Outdoor Yagi HDTV Antenna
I just love this little RCA Yagi Antenna. It continues to rank in the top spot on Amazon and any other reputable review site (including ours) on the internet today. The reason this is such a great little antenna is that it will easily pull in all your local HDTV broadcasts within a 60-mile radius. It's fold-out and compact design makes it a cinch to rooftop, chimney, attic or fascia mount.
This little guy, that will not take up more than a few feet in any direction, will pull in all local and major network channels in your area such as, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS and Fox. The RCA Yagi Antenna utilizes a cross-phase, multi-directional design that will deliver nothing short of stunning HD picture quality, noise mitigation and a beam pattern that will pick up broadcast towers from multiple directions.
At well under $100 for this antenna, it goes unmatched in its class and is my top pick and it will be more than ready to receive 4K OTA Broadcasts.
2. 8 Element Bowtie Indoor/Outdoor HDTV Antenna – 70 Mile Range
If you need a little more range, then look no further than the 8 Element Bowtie Outdoor HDTV Antenna from Antennas Direct. I have a small little cottage that is 80+ miles from the nearest broadcast tower and this guy pulls those HDTV signals with ease and I can be rest assured that this antenna will be ready to receive 4K OTA Broadcasts.
I should add that this exceeds the 70 mile range advertised and I can only surmise that this is likely due to the fact that I'm on a lake (lakes generally are flat!!!) and slightly perched up on a point. In addition, I have it mounted atop a 30′ mast with no viewable obstructions.
3. ClearStream 4 Outdoor HDTV Antenna
Third on my list is the ClearStream 4 Outdoor HDTV Antenna by Antennas Direct. This is another solid choice if you need a little more range than the Yagi antenna listed above. This antenna just looks cool and is a solid performer capable of pulling in high quality HDTV signal from 70 miles out and of course will be ready to receive 4K OTA Broadcasts when they're available.
How To Watch Live TV On Your Computer – Connecting It All
Now that you have your antenna installed connected into your SiliconDust HDHomeRun EXTEND HDTV (2-Tuner) you're ready to connect the tuner to your router! How to fix roblox studio not opening. I recommend you consider the location of all these devices. The nice thing about these tuner boxes is they don't need to reside anywhere near your computer, television or other smart devices in your home. For my install I've actually put the tuners in an upstairs office closet to keep my antenna coax runs as short as possible.
To power them I just ran an extension cord with a power bar. The next thing you're going to need to do is run some Ethernet cable from your router into the back of the tuner boxes to have a solid 'wired' connection. This is why I said that careful planning should be taken. It may not be easy to run the wired connection and still keep your antenna coax run as short as possible.
Just for your information, for RG6 cable, you can expect losses as follows for every 100 feet:
Channel 2 (approx. How to open a zipped folder from an email. 60 MHz) …………… 1.5 dB/100'
Channel 13 (approx. 216 MHz) ………. 3.0 dB/100'
Channel 24 (approx. 536 MHz) ………. 4.5 dB/100'
Channel 51 (approx. 698 MHz) .….…. 5.6 dB/100'
So clearly keeping these shorter is better! So at the back of your tuner you will have a spot to connect your antenna, a power cord and an Ethernet cable that will run out to your router. Make sure all of these connections are made as shown.
How To Watch Live TV On Your Computer – Software Setup
If you've been following my recommendations and have picked up one of the SiliconDust HDHomeRun EXTEND HDTV (2-Tuner) and installed your HDTV antenna, and connected the tuner box to your router, you are ready to install the software and configure it. I'm going to be showing you how to watch live TV on your computer, and for me that means Windows 10.
To download the software navigate to the HDHomeRun website. Here you will be able to download the correct software for your device. If you're like me and setting this up at least initially on Windows 10, then choose that option.
This will allow you to download the app to your computer and install it. Once installed you'll want to navigate to the HDHomeRun Setup tool. This will allow you to scan for channels, and update firmware (more on this later).
When you first launch this application it is going to scan your network automatically for available tuners. Like I said, I have two SiliconDust HDHomeRun EXTEND HDTV (2-Tuner) and each one of them has two tuner.
This means on each antenna I can watch and record two different channels at the same time! Now navigate to the 'Digital Antenna' tab, choose your tuner device and click the scan button. This will pull in all the channels you are receiving from your antenna with good quality.
These tuners also have built-in DVR functionality. Simply navigate to the DVR tab and tell and check the box to 'Use this PC for making recordings' or if you prefer a NAS (which I recommend so you don't have to leave your computer on all the time) choose the 'Use Network Attached Storage (NAS) for making recordings. For a top-of-the-line NAS device, I recommend the Synology 2 bay NAS DiskStation DS218+.
You will need to buy the hard disk drives separately for this unit and I recommend you go with a minimum of two WD Red 2TB NAS Hard Disk Drives. If your budget can afford it go to a 4TB or even a 6TB. The nice thing about this NAS device is you can implement RAID technology, which means you can have data redundancy and it can double as a file storage device as well!
For the 'Advanced' tab, I generally don't change anything in here so you can just skip that tab. Now click 'Apply' and 'OK' and the configuration will be updated to your tuner. Sometime a picture (or video in this case) is worth a thousand words. Check out my YouTube video where I go over this as well as some cool tips and tricks that allow you to do some additional configurations.
How To Watch Live TV On Your Computer – Additional Setup
If you watched the entire video above then you likely already know where I'm going with this. Once everything is installed and on your network navigate to the following url: https://my.hdhomerun.com/. This will allow you to perform some additional configurations such as update the firmware, turn on or off channels for a particular tuner box and set the trans-coding configurations.
How To Watch Live TV On Your Computer – The Results
If you followed along with everything I have recommended in this article then you should be able to watch live TV on your computer, laptop, or any other smart device that is supported by HDHomeRun…which is pretty much most of them! Simply navigate to the HDHomeRun App on your start page and launch.
The initial launch screen will go out on your network to find your available tuners and you should be able to watch live TV on your computer in crystal clear HD!
How To Watch Live TV On Your Computer – Final Words
I hope you've found this article useful and I have answered the question, 'How to watch live TV on your computer'. The last thing you may want to consider is purchasing a VPN. VPNs provide fast, safe streaming while online and can get around certain geo-blocked content. If you're in the market for a rock-solid VPN, check out my recommendations below.
Recommended VPN Providers
| ExpressVPN | NordVPN | IPVanish | PureVPN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Speed Rating | 5/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| Traffic Logging | No | No | No | No |
| Support Rating | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| Price Rating | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Price | approx. $8.32/month | approx. $3.99/month | approx. $3.74/month | approx. $3.59/month |
And if you haven't already done so, be sure to check out my Top 10 Antenna Picks for this year and leave me a comment!
There are many great video streaming websites, apps, and services available these days. Whether you're watching Netflix, YouTube videos, Hulu, or another video service, there's always something new and fun to watch. Unfortunately, it can get annoying watching movies, tv shows, and other videos on a small computer screen.
If your TV doesn't have the ability to stream these services on its own, you may be looking for a way to connect your computer to your TV screen to watch your favorite videos. Luckily, there are a few ways you can go about this and we're going to tell you about them. We'll also give you some helpful tips for connecting your computer to your television, in case you find yourself facing any problems. Let's get into some of the ways that you can do this!
4 ways to connect your computer to your TV
1. Connect using an HDMI cable
This method of connecting your computer and television is one of the easiest. HDMI stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface. It requires only a single cable to stream high quality video and audio from your computer to your TV. Best of all, HDMI cables are the same on both ends, so it doesn't matter which end goes into which device's HDMI input.
To connect your computer to your TV with an HDMI cable, plug one end of the cable into your computer's HDMI port and the other into your TV. You can find the HDMI port on the side of your computer, and on the side or back of your television.
HDMI cables range in price from under $10 to over $20, depending on the brand and quality you decide to go with. Check out these ones on Amazon if you're looking to purchase one.
2. Connect wirelessly with Bluetooth
Another way to stream video from your computer on your TV is through a Bluetooth connection. Some televisions have Bluetooth capability built in, and almost all computers have a Bluetooth function. This method allows you to wirelessly connect your TV screen to your computer.
The specifics of connecting your computer and TV using Bluetooth will vary depending on the devices you have. Not all computers and TVs will have the same settings. However, here are some general instructions for this method:
To connect your computer to your TV using Bluetooth, make sure Bluetooth is enabled and active on both devices. Ensure your computer is a 'discoverable' Bluetooth device so your TV will be able to pick up the signal from your computer. Using your TV's Bluetooth settings, pair your computer to your TV.
Check out BestBuy's awesome selection of Smart TVs here.
How To Watch Tv On Computer Using Xfinity
3. Connect with a VGA cable
The third method you can use to stream video on your TV from your computer is using a VGA (Video Graphics Array) cable. If you have an older computer and/or TV, this can be used as an alternative to an HDMI connection. VGA cables will allow you to use your television screen as a larger screen for your computer. If you also want to stream audio through your TV, you'll need an auxiliary audio cable in addition to a VGA to send audio signal from your computer to your TV.
To connect your computer to your TV using a VGA cable, plug one end of your VGA cable into your computer, and the other end into your TV. Using an auxiliary audio cable, plug one end into your computer's headphone jack, and the other end into your TV or speaker system. Set your TV to the appropriate source.
4. Use a game console or Internet TV box.
The last way we'd recommend streaming shows and movies from the Internet to your TV is by using another device like a game console or Internet TV box. If your TV doesn't have Wi-Fi capability, you can use one of these devices to sort of transform your TV into a smart TV. This way, you don't necessarily need to connect your computer to your television at all.
Some examples of devices like this are Xbox, Playstation, Wii, or Roku boxes.
To stream videos on your television using a game console or Internet TV box, plug the provided cables into your device, and the other end of the cables into the back of your television set. Depending on the device you have, the types of cables can vary – it may use old school A/V cables, or HDMI.
Now that we've talked about four ways you can connect your computer to your television to stream videos, we're going to provide you with a few tips you may find helpful when going through the process.
Tips for connecting your computer to your TV
If you followed along with everything I have recommended in this article then you should be able to watch live TV on your computer, laptop, or any other smart device that is supported by HDHomeRun…which is pretty much most of them! Simply navigate to the HDHomeRun App on your start page and launch.
The initial launch screen will go out on your network to find your available tuners and you should be able to watch live TV on your computer in crystal clear HD!
How To Watch Live TV On Your Computer – Final Words
I hope you've found this article useful and I have answered the question, 'How to watch live TV on your computer'. The last thing you may want to consider is purchasing a VPN. VPNs provide fast, safe streaming while online and can get around certain geo-blocked content. If you're in the market for a rock-solid VPN, check out my recommendations below.
Recommended VPN Providers
| ExpressVPN | NordVPN | IPVanish | PureVPN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Speed Rating | 5/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| Traffic Logging | No | No | No | No |
| Support Rating | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| Price Rating | 4/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Price | approx. $8.32/month | approx. $3.99/month | approx. $3.74/month | approx. $3.59/month |
And if you haven't already done so, be sure to check out my Top 10 Antenna Picks for this year and leave me a comment!
There are many great video streaming websites, apps, and services available these days. Whether you're watching Netflix, YouTube videos, Hulu, or another video service, there's always something new and fun to watch. Unfortunately, it can get annoying watching movies, tv shows, and other videos on a small computer screen.
If your TV doesn't have the ability to stream these services on its own, you may be looking for a way to connect your computer to your TV screen to watch your favorite videos. Luckily, there are a few ways you can go about this and we're going to tell you about them. We'll also give you some helpful tips for connecting your computer to your television, in case you find yourself facing any problems. Let's get into some of the ways that you can do this!
4 ways to connect your computer to your TV
1. Connect using an HDMI cable
This method of connecting your computer and television is one of the easiest. HDMI stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface. It requires only a single cable to stream high quality video and audio from your computer to your TV. Best of all, HDMI cables are the same on both ends, so it doesn't matter which end goes into which device's HDMI input.
To connect your computer to your TV with an HDMI cable, plug one end of the cable into your computer's HDMI port and the other into your TV. You can find the HDMI port on the side of your computer, and on the side or back of your television.
HDMI cables range in price from under $10 to over $20, depending on the brand and quality you decide to go with. Check out these ones on Amazon if you're looking to purchase one.
2. Connect wirelessly with Bluetooth
Another way to stream video from your computer on your TV is through a Bluetooth connection. Some televisions have Bluetooth capability built in, and almost all computers have a Bluetooth function. This method allows you to wirelessly connect your TV screen to your computer.
The specifics of connecting your computer and TV using Bluetooth will vary depending on the devices you have. Not all computers and TVs will have the same settings. However, here are some general instructions for this method:
To connect your computer to your TV using Bluetooth, make sure Bluetooth is enabled and active on both devices. Ensure your computer is a 'discoverable' Bluetooth device so your TV will be able to pick up the signal from your computer. Using your TV's Bluetooth settings, pair your computer to your TV.
Check out BestBuy's awesome selection of Smart TVs here.
How To Watch Tv On Computer Using Xfinity
3. Connect with a VGA cable
The third method you can use to stream video on your TV from your computer is using a VGA (Video Graphics Array) cable. If you have an older computer and/or TV, this can be used as an alternative to an HDMI connection. VGA cables will allow you to use your television screen as a larger screen for your computer. If you also want to stream audio through your TV, you'll need an auxiliary audio cable in addition to a VGA to send audio signal from your computer to your TV.
To connect your computer to your TV using a VGA cable, plug one end of your VGA cable into your computer, and the other end into your TV. Using an auxiliary audio cable, plug one end into your computer's headphone jack, and the other end into your TV or speaker system. Set your TV to the appropriate source.
4. Use a game console or Internet TV box.
The last way we'd recommend streaming shows and movies from the Internet to your TV is by using another device like a game console or Internet TV box. If your TV doesn't have Wi-Fi capability, you can use one of these devices to sort of transform your TV into a smart TV. This way, you don't necessarily need to connect your computer to your television at all.
Some examples of devices like this are Xbox, Playstation, Wii, or Roku boxes.
To stream videos on your television using a game console or Internet TV box, plug the provided cables into your device, and the other end of the cables into the back of your television set. Depending on the device you have, the types of cables can vary – it may use old school A/V cables, or HDMI.
Now that we've talked about four ways you can connect your computer to your television to stream videos, we're going to provide you with a few tips you may find helpful when going through the process.
Tips for connecting your computer to your TV
1. Make sure you have the correct cables.
Depending on the input/output ports that your computer and television have available, the type of connecting cables you can use will vary. Before purchasing any of these cables, have a look at the plugins on both devices to see what options are available to you. Ensure you're purchasing the correct kind of cable for the connection method you'd like to use. Your TV will most likely label each input it has, so look for this before purchasing a cable.
2. Play around with your TV's source/input settings.
Once you've connected your computer to your television – whether using a cord or wirelessly – you'll likely need to change the input source on your TV in order to see what's on your computer on your television screen. Click the source button on your TV or its remote to change the input source. Play around with these settings until you find the right one.
3. Be patient when trying to connect your computer to a TV.
Getting your computer connected to your television and making sure the settings are set up properly can take a while to complete. The process may be a little long and frustrating, but try your best to stick it out and be patient. You'll be all set to watch shows and movies soon enough!
Those are our tips for how to connect a computer to a TV. Check out the Entertainment section of our website for courses on popular video streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, and see what else you can learn!
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