It started for me when my Dish network went out on Superbowl Sunday.  Probably my fault for not leaving the TV turned on from the moment I had everything set up until the game was over, but with only half an hour before kickoff I had no TV.

I logged onto the internet and started searching for anything online that would be showing the game.  That’s how I found out about getting TV on my PC.

If I had known about this option several years ago I would have saved myself hundreds of dollars in cable and satellite subscription fees.  For a onetime fee, you can get all those TV stations, and hundreds more, right on your computer.

If you are like me, you spend a lot of time on your computer.  If one of my favorite shows are on TV and I have work to do, I either take the laptop to the couch (not the most ergonomically sound setup), move the TV into my den or miss the show.  (yay TiVo!).  With TV on my computer, I can watch my favorite shows while doing my work (or Facebook or Twitter) from the comfort of my computer chair.

There are a couple of ways you can go to watch TV on your computer.  You can find free services or you can pick up a paid software package.

Free services are available where you can watch your favorite shows.  Sites such as Hulu allow you to see movies and programs that have been set up especially for online viewing.  These sites do show some network programming, but show only recorded shows.

Paid services give you access to many more programs, and they can be viewed live.  For these you will need to purchase a software program and that’s it.  No monthly fees, no subscriptions, no penalties for early termination, no dishes to move!  If you compare these services with paid monthly viewing options such as dish or cable, you will find that the TV on PC options far exceed those of regular cable or satellite.  Reasons include affordability, reliability, number of channels and signal availability. 

TV on your PC programs offer most of the same options you enjoy on your subscription service – you can even record shows to watch at your convenience.

I did manage to find the game online, but the program took about 1/8 of my monitor and was extremely grainy.  I decided then that I would not miss another game, and not pay another dime to the satellite company.

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