When a PC beats a TV
Most of us live our digital lives surrounded by three screens: the television, the personal computer and the mobile phone. The dividing lines between them are becoming blurred. We watch YouTube video clips on PCs, send text messages and e-mail on smartphones and monitor weather conditions and phone calls on internet-enabled TVs.
So when my youngest daughter came home from college and asked if she could have a TV in her bedroom, I looked at the alternatives and, in particular, at ways to watch TV on a PC.
There are good reasons for watching video content and TV programmes on a PC rather than a standard TV. For starters, your LCD monitor almost certainly has better resolution than your TV and if you sit right in front of it surrounded by decent speakers, it can be a compelling way to watch TV and video content. The range of programming available to PC owners with a broadband internet connection has expanded enormously in the past 18 months. Most TV broadcasters, including the BBC and main US networks, offer full episodes or clips of prime-time shows on their official websites.
