TV on your PC? What's the hold up?

[fezident]

<p>I know that you can buy TV tuner cards and USB cable boxes but,&nbsp;I am wondering;</p><p>Why can't you watch &quot;broadcast&quot; television on your computer without any additional hardware?&nbsp; So many radio stations have a &quot;click here to listen live&quot; button on their website, why can't the TV networks offer streaming content?&nbsp; Hell, they don't even offer it on a subscription basis!!&nbsp; That's just bad business.</p><p>I'm not even counting the shows that are available on iTunes.&nbsp; It's a few dollars per show AND it's not available until 24 hours after the broadcast.&nbsp; Lame.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Really, what are the drawbacks?&nbsp; What are the networks afraid of?&nbsp; If people log onto the site and hit the stream, it would count towards the overall ratings of the show, right?&nbsp; So...what's the BFD?</p>

[PapaBear]

I think they are waiting out the various lawsuits between the cable companies and the phone companies. The phone companies are wanting their cut of the physical lines that are being used. It's all confusing to me, but I'm sure my dad (a pre &quot;Ma Bell breakup&quot; executive) could explain it better. I just don't have the patience to listen to him for more than 5 minutes at a time.

[Sheeplovr]

<p><span class="postbody">USB cable boxes</span></p><p>whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?&nbsp;</p>

[Doctor Manhattan]

<strong>fezident</strong> wrote:<br /><p>...What are the networks afraid of?&nbsp; If people log onto the site and hit the stream, it would count towards the overall ratings of the show, right?&nbsp; So...what's the BFD? </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>They may have to work out the issues with people outside the viewing area being able to watch the show. TV producers have foreign distribution rights to worry about, they get paid seperately for that.</p>

[KC2OSO]

<p>I don't know why tv cards were never bigger sellers.&nbsp; I use
mine all the time.&nbsp; Relatively cheap too.&nbsp; Foreign versions
of the software allow you to schedule and record programming
also.&nbsp; Good ole Bt8x8 chipset.<br />
</p><p><img width="250" height="200" border="0" src="http://www.lost.hr/novi/slike/2755v_aver_hwencodertvcard.jpg" /></p><p>Streaming TV to zillions of households over the internet might cause a bit of a bandwith problem too.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

[fezident]

<strong>Sheeplovr</strong> wrote:<br /><p>&nbsp;</p><span class="postbody">USB cable boxes</span> <p>&nbsp;</p><p>whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?&nbsp;</p><p>I might have mis-spoke there.&nbsp; I know that several companies make a standalone unit that accepts the coax cable on one end, and has a USB output cable on the other.&nbsp; It might not be a &quot;cable box&quot; per se but, it basically serves that purpose.&nbsp; It even has a remote control.&nbsp; </p><p>Plus...for some reason my PVR (read: TiVo for Canada) has two USB ports on it that do absolutely nothing.&nbsp; </p>

[angelinad128]

The shopping channels (QVC) have a live viewer. And it streams really well. (Watch it when it gets quiet in the office) LOL