Watching the Olympics on your computer

What you need

• A computer running Windows Vista Home Premium (or Ultimate) or Windows Media Centre Edition
• A computer that is relatively new and has lots of hard disk space
• A TV tuner Card – most computers don’t come with these built in but most allow space for one to be installed by a gizmotech
• A Windows Media Centre remote control and/or a wireless keyboard and mouse so you can control your computer from your lounge chair (we recommend the Microsoft Wireless Entertainment Desktop 7000 or 8000)
• Video and audio connection cables to get the picture and sound from your computer to your TV and/or stereo system
• A gizmo Tune Me In service to get everything set up

Once you’ve got your computer set up and connected you will be able to watch standard analogue, digital and depending on the TV tuner card you buy, high definition video. For a small fee, you can also choose to install an Electronic Program Guide (or EPG) like IceTV which provides you with show information via the internet. EPGs are great as they let you record all the episodes of your favourite show, or schedule the next 14 days worth of recording in advance. If you book a Tune Me In service with gizmo we'll give you a 30 day trial of Ice TV's EPG.

A word on TV tuners

There are quite a few different brands out there, so when you are purchasing a TV tuner make sure you get one that supports your operating system. Most cards have either a “Supports Windows Vista” or “Compatible with Windows XP Media Centre” badge on the packaging so pick one that’s appropriate for your set up. Also, with Analogue television being phased-out from Australian airwaves in the near future, make sure that you get a tuner that will receive both digital and HD digital channels if you want to take advantage of the better picture and sound quality available from some channels.

If you can afford it, purchase a card with two tuners on it. If you have a dual TV tuner (and your computer is up to the challenge) you will be able to:

• Watch one live TV show while you record another
• Record two shows on two different channels simultaneously – great if “The Farmer Wants a Wife” is on at the same time as the swimming finals.
• Record two shows on two different channels simultaneously while watching a pre-recorded show.

For more information about the different bits and pieces you can do with a Windows media centre, click here to visit the Microsoft website.

If the incentive of a good nights sleep while your computer diligently records late night Olympics isn’t enough, consider that you will also be able to play music and video, view photo slideshows and surf the net from your lounge room as well and you might change your mind.  If you would like a gizmotech to help you set up a media centre, or want to know if your computer will run Windows Vista, give us a call on 1300 275 449 or book online.

See it in action

To give you an idea of how media centre works, have a look at these two videos on YouTube. Keep in mind that the first video talks about Cable Programming and this bit won't apply to most users.