Streaming TV on your Computer

There are actually several ways you could watch your favorite TV shows on your computer screen. This is a quick review of three ways you could turn your computer (laptop or desktop) into a TV set. Number 1: Just Connect an Antenna to your Computer Not exactly any antenna, an HDTV Tuner Device that plugs into a free USB port would be needed, along with some software of course. But with such a set-up, and an HD antenna you could be watching the free, over-the-air digital stations that are available in your area on your computer screen. Many of the USB Tuner Devices also come with the ability to record your favorite TV shows. Here is a Google Shopping search of the many such devices that are available out there. Number 2: Just watch it on YouTube Number 3: Try an Internet Subscription ServiceDid you know that YouTube was started by three friends who just wanted to create an easy way to share videos on the internet? You can watch their story here. Today you can find just about any video you can think of on YouTube somewhere. From the theme song to Gilligans Island, to a flash mob performing Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 (Ode to Joy), there's something there for everyone. Teachers are discovering the amazing benefits of having such a huge video library at their fingertips also. One hedge fund manager turned internet tutor, Salman Khan, turned his efforts to help his neice with some math homework into a new way for teaching called KhanAcademy.org . So if there is some TV show you'd like to watch, be it educational or not, chances are you might just be able to find it on YouTube somewhere. Netflix has been the fastest growing online subscription video service and for as little as $8 a month you can be streaming thousands of videos, TV shows an movies to your computer - as long as you have an internet connection. Hulu is another service to check out and many of the shows on their website can be watched for free. Amazon Prime is another subscription service designed to get you streaming video on your computer and other devices. In addition, here are some more TV broadcasts that are available through the internet: BBC World News Video Video from the British Broadcasting Corporation http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/video_and_audio/default.stm CBS News Video Current events by category at the Columbia Broadcasting Service http://www.cbsnews.com/video/ CNN Pipeline Live stream from the 24 hour Cable News Network http://www.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=stream1 Business Week Online Video current events in business http://www.businessweek.com/mediacenter/video/index.html MSNBC News Wide variety of online video http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8004316/ CBC Television Newscast Online video from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation http://www.cbc.ca/video/ Discovery.com Wide variety of interesting online videos http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/

PRACTICE ACTIVITY:  Try using one of the video resources above today. TO KEEP ON LEARNING:  You can  find out more about online video resources try searching the internet for: Online video Streaming video Online TV