Looking for the best software to watch cable TV on PC? There are some pros and cons to using software as your main cable-viewing method, and here we'll outline them.
Pros:
1. Ease of use
It's terribly easy to set up software that will let you watch cable tv on your computer; all you need to do is download it and install it.
2. Good selection
If you go with a good company like Satellite Direct, you'll get access to a ton of videos and TV shows, as well as streaming channels to your PC.
3. Trial period
Most TV to PC software programs have a trial period to let you test out the software before they make you commit to keeping it. So this way, you can check it out and decide whether or not you like it. With something like DirectTV, on the other hand, you've got to get the service and get it installed, and if you don't like it, you're screwed.
Cons:
1. May not have everything you're looking for.
As with all TV viewing services, you're not necessarily going to get every single channel you want. If there is a specific channel you want, you should just subscribe to it independently.
2. Have to install the software.
Obviously, you have to set up and install the software to watch cable tv on pc before you can actually use it. This means taking the time to enable it and tweak the settings, which will involve a bit of work.
You also need to have an internet connection to make sure that your PC will be able to stream programs and movies.
3. Need to make sure it's compatible.
Not all computers will be able to run software for watching tv programs on your PC, so be sure that you meet the minimum system requirements before you buy/download it. This way you won't end up finding that your computer isn't able to run the software.
Of course, as long as you go with Satellite Direct, you won't have to worry about that because of the 60-day refund policy this company has. They're the most reputable, customer-service friendly, and easy to navigate software program when you want to watch cable tv on your pc, or movies, or whatever you're interested in. I highly recommend them.
Check out Satellite Direct
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Review of Anime Downloads Online
One of the most successful online retailers of downloadable anime to come into the scene recently is Anime Downloads Online. This site is one of the many paid anime download sites that allows you to download as much anime as you want after a flat payment of $37. This one-time payment gets you access to all the downloads they have available on their site.
Selection
Probably the best thing about Anime Downloads Online is its sheer amount of hosting space - which means a very dense selection. Its archive site boasts a capacity over 5000 gigabytes, over 950 anime series, 500 manga, and 400 drama video downloads. It has some of the more popular anime series like Gundam and Cowboy Bebop, but also more obscure titles.
A bonus is the availability of anime soundtracks as well, which you can download once you're a member.
Selection rating: 5/5
Download speed
This is the other major asset of Anime Downloads Online. Their download speeds are upwards of 1500 kbps within the US alone, and probably equally good in other countries (though I can't say for sure since my only downloads were done within the US.) You can download as much as you want in a month, though you are limited to five actual downloads at a time. As fast as the downloads go, you could easily download 10 or 15 movies per day, or an entire seasons' worth of series.
Download speed rating: 5/5
Customer service
Unfortunately, this is where Anime Downloads Online starts to fail. The customer service is strictly online; there's no phone support - at least that I could find. On top of that, it took the email support over a day to get back to me concerning a faulty download. I think the rep was not a native English speaker, as the reply I got was confusing and hard to understand. I finally did manage to get a decipherable response, however, which fixed the problem.
Customer service: 3/5
Bottom line
For its flat fee of $37 for lifetime anime downloads, Anime Downloads Online is hard to beat. If you are willing to sacrifice easy access to customer service and just be content with a wide selection and great download speeds, this is a good site to sign up with. You probably won't find a better paid site for anime downloads, since that's what these guys specialize in.
Visit Anime Downloads Online
Selection
Probably the best thing about Anime Downloads Online is its sheer amount of hosting space - which means a very dense selection. Its archive site boasts a capacity over 5000 gigabytes, over 950 anime series, 500 manga, and 400 drama video downloads. It has some of the more popular anime series like Gundam and Cowboy Bebop, but also more obscure titles.
A bonus is the availability of anime soundtracks as well, which you can download once you're a member.
Selection rating: 5/5
Download speed
This is the other major asset of Anime Downloads Online. Their download speeds are upwards of 1500 kbps within the US alone, and probably equally good in other countries (though I can't say for sure since my only downloads were done within the US.) You can download as much as you want in a month, though you are limited to five actual downloads at a time. As fast as the downloads go, you could easily download 10 or 15 movies per day, or an entire seasons' worth of series.
Download speed rating: 5/5
Customer service
Unfortunately, this is where Anime Downloads Online starts to fail. The customer service is strictly online; there's no phone support - at least that I could find. On top of that, it took the email support over a day to get back to me concerning a faulty download. I think the rep was not a native English speaker, as the reply I got was confusing and hard to understand. I finally did manage to get a decipherable response, however, which fixed the problem.
Customer service: 3/5
Bottom line
For its flat fee of $37 for lifetime anime downloads, Anime Downloads Online is hard to beat. If you are willing to sacrifice easy access to customer service and just be content with a wide selection and great download speeds, this is a good site to sign up with. You probably won't find a better paid site for anime downloads, since that's what these guys specialize in.
Visit Anime Downloads Online
Saturday, November 14, 2009
A New and Better Movie Downloading Site: Review of Express Movie Downloads
With the holiday season just a month away, I've been looking for new sites that will make media downloading and burning even easier. I do still like SatelliteSoft, but I've found their selection to be fairly limited, and the downloading speeds are not really as great as I would like.
So I've turned to P2P downloading programs, which network with the main program itself that you download movies from, and also from other users, meaning you get even faster download times after subscribing.
My current favorite is Express Movie Downloads. This program is fantastic. Not only are the download speeds rocket fast, but also, the site provides extensive instructions for how to download and burn DVDs. Their tutorials are probably the most thorough I've seen on any P2P downloading site.
Visit Express Movie Downloads
Now, the one problem I had was the search feature. I think their code for the search engine is fairly rudimentary, as I had a hard time getting it to find the movies I was looking for without having to tweak specific keywords.
They also have music, game, and TV show downloads, though they really have the most selection for their movie content.
Bottom line and rating:
A good, solid P2P movie downloading program. Quick to setup, requires no software to download, and gets you ready to burn movies to your DVDs quickly. 4/5 stars.
Click here to subscribe to Express Movie Downloads
So I've turned to P2P downloading programs, which network with the main program itself that you download movies from, and also from other users, meaning you get even faster download times after subscribing.
My current favorite is Express Movie Downloads. This program is fantastic. Not only are the download speeds rocket fast, but also, the site provides extensive instructions for how to download and burn DVDs. Their tutorials are probably the most thorough I've seen on any P2P downloading site.
Visit Express Movie Downloads
Now, the one problem I had was the search feature. I think their code for the search engine is fairly rudimentary, as I had a hard time getting it to find the movies I was looking for without having to tweak specific keywords.
They also have music, game, and TV show downloads, though they really have the most selection for their movie content.
Bottom line and rating:
A good, solid P2P movie downloading program. Quick to setup, requires no software to download, and gets you ready to burn movies to your DVDs quickly. 4/5 stars.
Click here to subscribe to Express Movie Downloads
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Watching TV on your computer: a few reasons to ditch the TV set entirely
Surprisingly, many cable companies involved in the monopoly over their communities of subscribers are oblivious to the fact that people are using their computers for all their home TV viewing. Subscribers are forced to pay, on average, $100 per month for cable bills. It is true that cable companies offer packages that combine internet, TV, and phone, but you still end up paying $50 for cable alone, even if all you want is the most basic channels.
A friend of mine called her cable provider yesterday, hoping to change her service so she would only have to pay for basic, local TV stations. She was told by the company that she had no choice but to get ALL the channels in their most basic package, which costs $40+ for about 300 channels, most of which she never watches. "That's just the way the system's set up," the rep said.
That doesn't have to be the case anymore. Cable companies should realize what's going on over the internet and wisen up if they want to keep their subscribers. There IS competition - just not among the cable companies themselves.
The reason I recommend SatelliteSoft, Streaming Online Movies, and other software packages on this website for viewing TV/movies on the computer is solely to make your life easier when trying to get set up with your PC as a TV. The truth is, you can even find several good free TV websites such as Hulu.com, Sling.com, and TVChannelsFree.com.
My advice? Ditch the cable subscription, use somewhere else for your internet and/or phone if you have a landline phone. Save money by just using the PC for your TV and movie viewing.
A friend of mine called her cable provider yesterday, hoping to change her service so she would only have to pay for basic, local TV stations. She was told by the company that she had no choice but to get ALL the channels in their most basic package, which costs $40+ for about 300 channels, most of which she never watches. "That's just the way the system's set up," the rep said.
That doesn't have to be the case anymore. Cable companies should realize what's going on over the internet and wisen up if they want to keep their subscribers. There IS competition - just not among the cable companies themselves.
The reason I recommend SatelliteSoft, Streaming Online Movies, and other software packages on this website for viewing TV/movies on the computer is solely to make your life easier when trying to get set up with your PC as a TV. The truth is, you can even find several good free TV websites such as Hulu.com, Sling.com, and TVChannelsFree.com.
My advice? Ditch the cable subscription, use somewhere else for your internet and/or phone if you have a landline phone. Save money by just using the PC for your TV and movie viewing.
Monday, September 28, 2009
How to Build Your Own Home Theater PC
In the last few posts, we've been talking about specific satellite to PC software. Now I want to talk about something equally important: how to build a good home media PC.
If you've never built your own computer before, this can seem intimidating, but in reality it's not that bad. There are actually many computer retailers like iBuypower that give you enough customization options that you are essentially building your own PC. You don't have to get together all the bits and pieces and hardwire it yourself; you just need to know exactly what you want to go into it.
A few important things to know when you start building a home media PC:
-What kind of CPU and memory you want
-What graphics card is best
-What monitor gives you the best picture
-How to network it for internet and TV reception
-Processor speed
-Speakers
So before you go out and invest in all the latest hardware on the market, be sure you research your specs and know exactly what you want. It helps to consult an expert or find a good how-to guide; the one I personally used was Ed Tittel's Build the Ultimate Home Theater PC. A good place to start getting your hands dirty, and it has simply, clear instructions that work well even for newbies.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
How does TV to PC software really work?
For anyone who's new to TV to PC software, it might sound too good to be true. Software that lets you watch premium channels on your computer anywhere without monthly fees - yeah, it does sound too good to be true. So how does it actually work, and why is it so inexpensive?
The way it works is that the software providers themselves, like Satellite Direct and SatelliteSoft, pay royalty fees to networks in order to host their content. Then, they create software that gives viewers access to these channels. You pay a one time fee, then download the software, install it, and you're good to go. It's basically the same format you'd get with a cable subscriber for regular TV, where you can choose channels by category, name, title, etc.
Even if you're not a computer expert, this software is simple to use. If you can click a button, you can use SatelliteSoft or Satellite Direct - or any other TV to PC software in existence.
The way it works is that the software providers themselves, like Satellite Direct and SatelliteSoft, pay royalty fees to networks in order to host their content. Then, they create software that gives viewers access to these channels. You pay a one time fee, then download the software, install it, and you're good to go. It's basically the same format you'd get with a cable subscriber for regular TV, where you can choose channels by category, name, title, etc.
Even if you're not a computer expert, this software is simple to use. If you can click a button, you can use SatelliteSoft or Satellite Direct - or any other TV to PC software in existence.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
SatelliteSoft Review
SatelliteSoft is one of the oldest satellite TV on PC programs available. It is downloadable, just as the other programs reviewed on this site. It has three different editions, and the only differences between them are the number of stations you get access to.
So how does SatelliteSoft rank up to other, newer programs?
The short answer is that SatelliteSoft is still a very good program for watching satellite TV on your PC and maintains its reputation because it has delivered quality satellite stations to computers for years.
Just as with other satellite TV on PC software programs, SatelliteSoft hosts their content by paying different providers who own the content. This way they can provide quality satellite stations to anyone who downloads the software. So you do get "real" channels with software like this.
The program works with all versions of Windows, but is not yet available to Macs. You only need to download the software to get it up and running - no extra cables or hardware (unless you want to hook your PC up to your TV to watch from your TV screen).
Read more about SatelliteSoft
So how does SatelliteSoft rank up to other, newer programs?
The short answer is that SatelliteSoft is still a very good program for watching satellite TV on your PC and maintains its reputation because it has delivered quality satellite stations to computers for years.
Just as with other satellite TV on PC software programs, SatelliteSoft hosts their content by paying different providers who own the content. This way they can provide quality satellite stations to anyone who downloads the software. So you do get "real" channels with software like this.
The program works with all versions of Windows, but is not yet available to Macs. You only need to download the software to get it up and running - no extra cables or hardware (unless you want to hook your PC up to your TV to watch from your TV screen).
Read more about SatelliteSoft
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