Ever wondered if you could get rid of the satellite dish antenna and would still be able to watch satellite TV? This is a reality now with modern personal computers, which can replace your messy satellite dish antenna system with a clean and equally effective installation system.

Most people, who are unaware of the modern innovations, watch satellite TV using an elliptical dish antenna. The purpose of this dish is to send and receive electronic signals to and from satellites that are hovering the earth. The installation process is difficult to say the least and involves fixing the satellite dish antenna in an open place for better reception. In addition, LNB (Low Noise Block converter) is attached on the dish antenna which is connected to a device known as decoder. Even then, you might have to spend hours figuring out how to run the entire assembly as a coherent whole.

With technology comes innovation, and innovation in this field has revolutionized the way you used to watch television. Now a personal computer (PC) can take care of the entire process in a simplistic yet effective manner.

You just need to acquire the following to be able to throw your dish antenna away and enjoy the satellite TV on your PC:

1. PCTV Card

PCTV Card makes the PC act as a receiver for satellite signals. It is connected at the PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) slot in your PC. Alternatively, you can use an external PCTV card using the USB port, if that is available in your PC. The purpose is to connect the PCTV card to the mother board of your system.

2. Broadband Internet Connection

It is needless to say that you need to be online to connect to the satellites before you can watch satellite TV on PC. The broadband connection with at least a 512 Kbytes connection is highly recommended. This would enhance the quality and speed of transmission.

3. PC Configuration

Having only a broadband connection does not solve the issue. You also need to have a high speed memory, like a 128Mbytes RAM. In addition, your system’s bus must be capable to deal with the faster incoming signals. Hence, a Pentium 3 machine is preferred.

4. Optional System Peripherals

If you prefer to have a top class reception, you can add other peripheral devices that will give you the best picture and quality that you can hope for. A high speed graphics card, a good quality sound card and equipment like sub-woofer system would give you an experience of a life time.

However, PC coupled with hardware devices does not provide the most optimal solution. There are various software systems in market nowadays that can assist you watching your television on your computer systems. For a detailed description of how this could be achieved, go to my blog and read up on how you can watch satellite TV on PC with software.