Connecting your laptop to a cable television subscription service lets you watch programming on the portable computer. An external TV tuner connected with a USB cable to the laptop offers the fastest way to hook up with the cable signal. External tuners can be disconnected in seconds when the laptop is needed for travel. The tuner comes with a software CD that must be installed so the laptop can process the incoming cable signals.
Step 1
Insert the software CD that comes with the TV tuner into the laptop disk tray, close the tray and wait for the CD to start.
Step 2
Click the on-screen buttons to load the tuner software on the laptop, then restart the computer.
Step 3
Use the provided USB cable to connect the external tuner to any open any open USB port on the laptop.
Step 4
Connect the three color-coded plugs on each end of the composite AV cable to the matching color jacks on the back of the cable box and the side of the external TV tuner.
Step 5
Double-click the icon for the external tuner on your laptop screen to launch the interface. Click the on-screen controls to change channels and adjust volume.
Tips & Warnings
- Some external tuners include software that allows you to record cable programming on the laptop's hard drive, letting you use the computer as a DVR. Check the specifications on your external tuner to see if it has this feature.
Find Tech Support deals in your area:
privacy & security protectedReferences
- PC World: Add a TV Tuner to Your PC
- CNET: External USB TV Tuner Showdown
Photo Credits
- Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images
