How To Watch Tv On Your Pc Pcworld

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Dec 29, 2025, 6:46 AM

There’s thousands of options for watching shows and movies on your TV: Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max are just a few popular options. But what if you want to watch live TV, including local channels? You can watch live TV through your PC just as you would watch Netflix, or you can kick it old-school with a TV tuner and an antenna. Here’s how. Editor’s note: This article has been updated with current recommendations and pricing info. Do you have a cable subscription?

If so, you may already have access to live TV on your PC. Many cable companies offer streaming live TV as part of their standard cable package. Comcast’s Xfinity and AT&T’s DirectTV Stream are examples of Internet-enabled cable packages that can stream to not only a PC, but also to mobile devices like an iPhone or Android device. This is the best option for streaming live TV to your computer. A cable subscription will offer access to dozens if not hundreds of channels, including location television and live sports events. Comcast’s Xfinity service lets you watch live TV on your PC.

Windows 10 has revolutionized the way we consume media, and one of the most exciting features is the ability to watch TV directly on your computer. With the rise of streaming services and digital TV, it’s now possible to enjoy your favorite shows and movies without the need for a separate TV set. In this article, we’ll explore the various ways to watch TV on Windows 10, including built-in apps, third-party software, and hardware solutions. Windows 10 comes with several built-in apps that allow you to watch TV, including the Microsoft Store, Movies & TV, and TV & Video. These apps provide access to a wide range of TV shows, movies, and live events, and can be easily installed from the Microsoft Store. The Microsoft Store is a digital marketplace where you can purchase or rent TV shows and movies.

It offers a vast library of content, including popular titles and new releases. To access the Microsoft Store, follow these steps: The Movies & TV app is a media player that allows you to watch TV shows and movies on your Windows 10 device. It supports a wide range of file formats, including MP4, AVI, and MKV. To use the Movies & TV app, follow these steps: The TV & Video app is a streaming service that provides access to live TV and on-demand content.

It offers a range of channels, including sports, news, and entertainment. To use the TV & Video app, follow these steps: Last Updated: November 15, 2025 Fact Checked This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Darlene Antonelli, MA. Darlene has been writing and editing tech content at wikiHow since 2019. She previously worked for AppleCare, served as a writing tutor, volunteered in IT at an animal rescue, and taught as an adjunct professor for EN101 and EN102.

Darlene has completed Coursera courses on technology, writing, and language. She holds both a BA (2011) and an MA (2012) from Rowan University in Writing, with a focus on workplace communication. With her extensive experience, academic background, and ongoing learning, Darlene has become the go-to grammar expert for her friends and family, as well as a skilled wordsmith for anyone in need. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 410,362 times. Learn more...

There is a plethora of live TV streaming options for viewing on your computer. Some stations offer free live TV on their website. Several companies provide live TV subscriptions (like YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV). If you want to get fancy, you can use a tuner to get cable TV on your device. This wikiHow teaches you how to watch TV on your laptop or desktop computer using a network's website, streaming services, or a tuner. Go to a network website (like abc.com/watch-live) to watch live TV (maybe even for free), or subscribe to a live TV subscription service to watch a variety of channels, live or on demand.

Another option is to set up a TV tuner to connect your antenna or cable box to your computer so you can get more programming. To watch TV on your computer, open a web browser and search for local stations and major networks. Then, go to the websites, where you can stream the latest episodes of their popular TV shows for free. Alternatively, if you subscribe to cable or satellite TV, watch shows on your computer by signing in to a network’s site with your subscription information. You can also subscribe to live streaming sites, like Hulu, Netflix, or Amazon Prime, for a flat monthly rate. To learn how to watch TV on your computer using a TV tuner, keep reading!

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more › Product news, reviews, and must-have deals. As television shows become available online, there’s less of a need to watch your favorites on a set schedule. But if you choose to cut the cord entirely, you’ll miss out on live channels, such as news and sports. Luckily, you can still watch live TV on your computer.

You have two options: Plug a TV tuner device—which catches broadcasts like an antenna does—into a USB port, or stream shows through your web browser. Network channels, including NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox, PBS, and local stations, air for free. All you need to watch them is an antenna to snag the broadcasts and a device to share them with your computer. The latter, called a TV tuner, can come in the form of a dongle or a larger box that plugs into any spare USB port. Tuners come with bundled software that helps you navigate. When you’re getting started, these built-in applications will install the necessary drivers, scan for available channels, and display them on your computer screen.

Then you can click through your options. Watching TV on a laptop has become one of the easiest ways to enjoy shows, movies, sports, and live channels. No cable box. No TV screen. Just a laptop and an internet connection. Many people now prefer laptops because they are portable, simple to use, and work almost anywhere.

Whether someone is at home, traveling, or studying, a laptop makes TV watching flexible and stress-free. This guide explains how to watch TV on a laptop with internet using simple, legal, and reliable methods. Every option is explained step by step, so even beginners can follow along without confusion. Before jumping into the methods, it helps to understand the basics. Watching TV on a laptop does not require special tools or technical skills. Any modern laptop works.

It does not need to be expensive or new. As long as it can open websites or apps, it will work. In today’s digital age, traditional television watching has evolved, and the concept of viewing content has transformed significantly. With streaming becoming the norm, you no longer need a cable subscription or a standalone TV set to enjoy your favorite shows and movies. If you own a Windows 10 computer, you can easily watch TV right on your device. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore various methods and options to watch television on your Windows 10 PC, from live broadcast channels to streaming services.

Before diving into the specifics, it is crucial to understand the different ways you can watch TV on your Windows 10 computer. They can be broadly categorized into the following categories: If you want to catch live broadcast channels, one of the simplest methods is using a TV antenna. This option is particularly appealing if you’re looking for free, over-the-air (OTA) broadcasts. Get an Antenna: Purchase a digital TV antenna compatible with your area’s broadcast signals. These antennas are available in various forms, including indoor and outdoor models.

Connect the Antenna: Plug the antenna into the TV tuner of your Windows 10 computer. If your PC doesn’t have a built-in tuner, you may need to use a USB TV tuner. Cutting the cord is the easy part. The tough thing about living without cable is figuring out how you’re going to watch all of the TV you want without having to go back to the world of legacy pay-TV services. Fortunately, it’s easier than ever to watch live TV without cable or satellite. Thanks to free over-the-air TV and “skinny bundle” services, it’s a breeze to watch live TV on all sorts of devices.

Cord-cutters can enjoy their favorite shows on everything from their mobile devices to their big-screen TVs. Today, we’re going to talk specifically about how to watch live TV on a PC. Longtime readers of CordCutting.com know that most of the services and techniques we recommend for watching live TV without cable fall into one of two categories: skinny bundles and free over-the-air TV. Before we dive down into the specifics of our list below, let’s go over what these two major categories mean. Skinny bundles are some of the biggest threats to cable on the market right now, and it’s not hard to see why. They offer the same basic stuff as cable, but do it better – and at a lower price.

Like cable and satellite, a skinny bundle is a pay-TV multichannel service: You pay to get it, and you enjoy lots of network TV channels (live and, in many cases, on demand) through the... But there’s a crucial difference between a skinny bundle and cable or satellite: skinny bundles stream online. That means that you can use a skinny bundle to watch live TV on all sorts of different devices – including, of course, your PC. Then there’s over-the-air TV. With OTA TV, you can watch lots of great channels – including significant ones like NBC and FOX – for free. All you need is an antenna and a TV.

How To Watch Tv On Your Pc Pcworld

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