What Do I Need to Record TV on My Computer?
Recording television broadcasts on your computer is not difficult. It can be done with a built-in TV tuner, an external TV tuner, via an RCA or S-Video cable to your cable box, or via a Firewire (1394) cable to your DVR.
Other People Are Reading
-
Computer processing requirements
-
In order to record television on your computer, you need a computer fast enough to handle the large amount of data that need to be captured. Any post-2004 computer running at 1 gigahertz with more than 512 megabytes of RAM should be able to handle the task if no other processes are running.
Internal TV tuner cards
-
A PCI or PCI Express TV tuner card for your desktop computer can be used to record television. Slightly older computers may have AGP slots that will accommodate AGP-based TV tuner cards. These cards go inside of your computer and are moderately easy to install. These cards add a coaxial connection to the back of your computer, to which you can connect a TV antenna or cable feed. Many TV tuner cards come with proprietary software and cost around $100.
-
External TV tuners
-
Most tuners connect to your computer via USB 2.0, and like internal TV tuner cards, come with easy-to-use recording software. If you use a notebook computer, an external tuner is your only option. Expect to spend around $75 to 100 for a reputable external TV tuner.
RCA or S-Video cable connection
-
If your computer has a video card with RCA inputs, you can use a $5 cable to connect your computer and your cable receiver. You will need video capture software, which may have come with your computer's video card. Such software also comes in both free and paid varieties online.
Firewire (1394) connection
-
Many newer Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) come with a Firewire (1394) port on the back, which can be used as an output for television feeds. You can use a Firewire cable to connect your DVR and your computer. However, since Firewire uses a digital connection, many cable receivers use encryption to block most non-local channels from being recorded by computers.
Cautions
-
Consider the the laws and regulations concerning the recording and distribution of TV broadcast. Some public broadcasts have no restrictions on recording, but you may be violating fair use or copyright laws if you distribute recorded content.
-
