Now You Can Watch Television on your PC

It seems to take ages for things to evolve in the world of television reception. The most recent evolution is online TV which means you can now watch TV on the Internet for free. I remember when virtually every home had a TV antenna on the roof and, if not, rabbit ears on top of the set. I recall when cable TV arrived on the scene and how much time it took for the general public to comprehend its advantages and become comfortable with the concept of paying for something they formerly (and still could) get for free

The advantages of cost-free online TV should be easy to see but before online TV became accessible, the significant advantages of cable TV over reception via roof antenna were picture clarity and the amount of channels one could pick from. Before cable, most big cities had just 5 over-the-air TV stations available: The network affiliate stations: ABC, CBS and NBC plus PBS and perhaps one independent TV Station. That was it. Cable television offered many alternatives to network TV plus the old network local channels as well. And, the picture quality was a vast enhancement over what could be accessed over the air. Nevertheless, the public was slow to understand and take on the new technology, at once.

After an adjustment time of about 10 years, cable TV quickly came into its own and unsightly, metal TV aerials rapidly began disappearing from the tops of houses. An sign that cable TV had come into near unanimous recognition was seen in the fact that most homeowners' associations in middle class and upscale districts now outlawed rooftop antennas altogether. The cable television barons now ruled the world of TV reception which used to be the sphere of influence of the TV networks.

The prohibition of rooftop aerials actually became a stumbling block to future advancement when satellite TV was debuted because, in the beginning, many homeowners' associations considered satellite dishes to be just another kind of television aerial. Many, but not all, homeowners' association bylaws were in the end rewritten to allow satellite TV dishes on building exteriors.

Today, satellite TV is in competition with cable TV for the same customer base. Reception quality is similar, with the inception of high definition channels being made available by both sources (for a price, of course.) The case for one source of TV programming over another is usually about costs and the number and type of channels available. The argument for online television is that you get everything you can obtain from your local cable or satellite company, and more, for FREE.

Cable TV will almost undoubtedly never vanish because it is obtainable in almost all neighborhoods in most countries and it is a key source of high speed internet service which can be accessed at extra cost over the television programming. The difficulty is that basic cable TV service is required before you can obtain high speed internet as an add-on. If you desire to escape paying for cable TV, you can acquire DSL high speed internet from your local phone company, assuming you are not positioned too far away from the closest telephone company switching center. You need high speed online service to watch online TV so you still will have to pay for that.

The problem of having to pay for television programming still sticks in the craw of persons who remember free TV coming in over the air, which was supported completely by sponsor ads. Fortunately, an alternative to paid cable and satellite reception is now available to any person with a computer and a high-speed online connection. Software programs are now becoming accessible that allow free connection over the net to thousands of different programs (worldwide and local) currently being televised over cable and satellite. There is no charge to view these programs, only the reasonable cost of the mandatory software and a high speed online hook-up. If you don't like the thought of watching Internet TV on your laptop or desktop, your computer can easily be temporarily wired to your regular TV for living room viewing by the whole family.

Finally, after a long time, TV is cost-free again, well, almost free. Just like in the old days, TV programming is paid for by sponsor ads but if you run your online TV signal through a TIVO or similar device, you can record the programs and zip through the ads. Is this legal? Yes. Is this fair? That would depend on whether you are a network, cable or satellite source or Harry Homeowner enjoying free online TV.