Technology Business

If you watch TV, and especially if you are a loyal spectator of the NFL Channel, you might have heard about all the controversy surrounding it recently. For those viewers and any others who are interested in learning more about exactly what is going on, the following information should clear it up for everyone.

What is the NFL Channel

Firstly, the NFL Channel has been around since 2003 when all 32 professional league coaches voted on its approval to begin airing. It is a specialty network that is actually owned and operated by the National Football League as whole and is shown in the United States as well as parts of Canada.

The NFL Channel airs all of the pre-season games as well as many seasonal games live whenever possible. One of the other great features of this network is that if you miss a game, you can watch a re-run of it as they replay them several times afterward. In addition the NFL games, they also run their own, customized programming. Presently, there are twelve programs in total which include a college football show, a daily highlights segment, the ‘Team Cam’ which airs live coverage of any NFL-related press conferences, as well as sports-oriented movies – vintage and current, the replay show and more. Football fans could actually watch for a month of Sundays and still be newly entertained on a regular basis.

The Controversy

Most people think the controversy is the result of the satellite TV providers monopolizing the NFL Channel when in actuality, there are presently more cable than satellite providers. DirecTV and Dish Network both carry it as well as NPS which is a C-Band satellite provider. The list of cable companies that carry the NFL Channel are:

1. Comcast – based in Philadelphia, PA

2. Cox Communications – which is a wholly-privately owned network as well as the 3rd largest cable provider in the US

3. Verizon FiOS TV – available throughout certain parts of the United States and was the first to offer ‘fiber optic’ television service

4. Insight Communications – head-quartered in NYC but currently only available in Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana

5. WOW! – cable and internet service provider ranked the best in 2004

6. RCN – a high-speed/broadband fiber optic, cable company serving the metropolitan markets of NYC, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The controversy actually lies in a dispute between the cable companies and satellite TV providers in conjunction with Time Warner. Time Warner accused Direct TV of lying about having the only access to the NFL Channel in an attempt to lure people away from Time Warner Cable. In lieu of this controversy, Time Warner Cable dropped the NFL Network from its list of available programming in September 2006. Additionally, Charter Communications also previously dropped it in December of 2005.

So that’s the story about the NFL Network and its controversy folks – in a nutshell.

With all the technology in the world available today, you might be asking, “Can I Watch TV On My Computer?” The answer is yes, and although it may seem strange, you can watch television on your computer even while you are enjoying surfing the web. This is the beauty of satellite TV and how it can be accessed over the Internet.

How Is This Possible?

The next thing you might be thinking is that you might need high-tech gadgets and wires and even need a little technical know-how to make cable TV work on your computer. This is very untrue. For more than seven years now, experts have been developing this technology so that it is not only easy to set up by yourself, it is as easy to maintain as all the other programs on your computer.

The way it works is that all you have to do is buy special software that will allow you access to satellite television through your computer over the Internet. So what you need is a computer, a good Internet connection, and the software itself to make it all happen. A simple installation and you are well on your way to enjoying television on the cheap.

Software Is Expensive. Is This Software Expensive Too?

In this day and age, a lot of people complain that software is expensive and that they would rather get something for free. But think about this: There are many offers for satellite TV software for your computer at more than half the price off. In fact, you can get this software for at least $50 and the installation is really simple as well since you can do it yourself. That’s all you will have to be paying to enjoy all your favorite channels and more.

Do I Need A Television?

You will not need a television to receive all the channels you can enjoy since you can watch all the channels on your laptop. However, you can enhance the experience. You might want to hook up your laptop to some great speakers and a projector. You can then project all the channels from the laptop or computer software onto a large wall. You can also use an S-Video cable to attach your laptop or computer to your television set. All you need is a computer with an S-Video port and a cable that has RJ-45 endings that connect to your television. But the point is that you can bring around your channels with you wherever you can get an Internet connection so you will never skip your favorite shows and channels ever again.

What Are The Monthlies Like?

Can I watch TV on my computer? Yes. Can I watch it for free? Yes, you can! Actually, you will pay a one-time fee for the software and installation and that’s it. You won’t have to pay any monthly bills to watch TV ever again.

The Internet and television are two killer technologies that don’t have to get rid of one another. They compliment each other and this is the best way that the two technologies can converge. Once you see this on your laptop, you will never wonder or even speak the words “Can I watch TV on my computer?” ever again.