Computer Watching Software
Can I link my Windows Multimedia software on my computer to my television?
I just got a new computer. We have the windows multimedia software on the computer. I’d like to be able to use my computer to record television but to be able to watch the recorded television on the t.v. I know I can buy a t.v. tuner so that, in essence, my moniter is my t.v. but I’m not interested in that. Basically, I want to record from my t.v. to the computer and then when I want to watch what is recorded, I’d like to run that information back from the computer to the t.v. and still have the capability to use my computer moniter for my standard computing needs. I hope my question is clear.
You have a couple of options available to you.
1) Assuming you have at least a wireless-G router, you could try something like one of the D-link wireless media centers. These allow you to connect a device to your TV that can wirelessly integrate with Windows Media Player and Media Center.
http://www.dlink.com/products/category.asp?cid=75&sec=1
2) You could purchase a DVD player that has the Windows “Plays for Sure” logo on it. these devices are pretty cheap – most well under $100US – and can be found at Walmart, Best Buy, etc. You would then burn whatever show you recorded onto disk, and just pop it in and play. Here is a link to an article with a bit more info: http://news.com.com/Plays+for+sure+means+Microsofts+inside/2100-1025_3-5324402.html
3) Another option would be to change the way you record your video and get a better DVD player than the type above. Xvid and Divx encoded shows are generally much better quality than the encoded shows that Media Center produces. There are players are also well under $100 and one of the most popular is the Philips DVP5960. This player is around $70US and in addition to playing Windows Media files, plays Xvid, Divx and a few others. It also has a USB port on it so you can connect an external hard drive directly to it and watch off of that.
BTW – Xvid is the preferred format of a lot of the video available on the ‘net. 
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7686097&type=product&productCategoryId=cat03013&id=1134703758550
If you decide to go with this option, there are plently of forums around that will help you get set up with your recording on your PC, and you will generally be much happier with the quality of the video you produce.
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