Hi there, I checked from BBC website that my living area can receive digital TV signal. I want to try it by using my computer. But how does it work? Do I need to install any TV card in my computer and then buy another set of TV box?? Sorry I am stupid about these...

yes you will need a tv card for the pc, but no you will not require a set top box.

Originally posted by Cyclone
yes you will need a tv card for the pc, but no you will not require a set top box.

umm... I think you'll find he will, using a normal TV card will only get him normal channels... he'd need a digital decoder box to get access to the other channels like ITV2 and BBC3!

you can now get USB adapters and such that do it all, I think I saw one for about £60/70 a bit back, basically plugs into your USB port and can be used as a digital box for the PC and TV card all at once :)

[edit]

Perhaps I was just dreaming, this is the cheapest I've found so far with a quick look, but dabs aren't the cheapest place in the world:

http://www.dabs.com/uk/Search2/Product+Details.htm?quicklinx=3LNG&searchphrase=usb%20digital%20tv

Cheaper here kris ...

http://www.computerbuyer.co.uk/buyer/reviews/70351/hauppauge-wintv-novat-usb2.html

well yeah, but if you want freeview you'd buy a digital tv card and then wouldn't need a set top box. So what i said is correct as long as he buys the correct tv card.

Originally posted by xafier
umm... I think you'll find he will, using a normal TV card will only get him normal channels... he'd need a digital decoder box to get access to the other channels like ITV2 and BBC3!

you can now get USB adapters and such that do it all, I think I saw one for about £60/70 a bit back, basically plugs into your USB port and can be used as a digital box for the PC and TV card all at once :)

[edit]

Perhaps I was just dreaming, this is the cheapest I've found so far with a quick look, but dabs aren't the cheapest place in the world:

http://www.dabs.com/uk/Search2/Product+Details.htm?quicklinx=3LNG&searchphrase=usb%20digital%20tv

Originally posted by Cyclone
well yeah, but if you want freeview you'd buy a digital tv card and then wouldn't need a set top box. So what i said is correct as long as he buys the correct tv card.

External freeview card

clicky (http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=51327)

Internal freeview (or digital satellite with dish) card

cliecky (http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=9833)

The analogue tuner cards are available with 2 tuners, so you can watch one channel & record another, but as yet no sign of digital versions...

I do a lot of Freeview TV recording on the PC and have the Win TV Nova card:

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=9833

The picture quality is outstanding but the bundled software is a bit rubbish. You can't rely on it doing a timer recording without crashing and it shows a lot of TV and radio channels twice. The online programming guide is also slow and buggy.

So, we bought the "Showshifter" software which is much better.

No you don't need a TV card just go to www.tv4all.com