Saving money is great, but how do I connect my PC to my TV?

In order to access almost all the streaming content available to you on the internet to replace your premium cable TV programming, you will need a way to connect your PC to your TV.

If you still have a standard definition television, you're going to run into trouble getting content to your TV. There is no easy way to get the output of your PC to your TV without converter equipment. But, if you're dropping two or three premium channels to basic cable level of service, you can make the investment in a new HDTV and use the money you save to pay for it. At this time of year you'll probably get a great deal on a TV at Best Buy: This week's TV and home theater offers at BestBuy.com

To connect your PC to your HDTV you will need a VGA cable and a stereo audio patch cord. The audio cord would connect to the audio output of the PC to the stereo input which is normally located next to the VGA connector on the TV. If your PC supports HDMI output, all you would need is a single HDMI cable. HDMI provides digital video and audio so you won't need additional cable.

If your home network is wireless, you should be all set to connect to the internet and start streaming content. Be aware that you may run into video quality issues streaming content this way. To avoid that you should use a wired connection into your PC. If your modem or router is in another part of the house, you don't have to run cable. Netgear makes a device that allows you to use the wiring in your home as a network. Powerline ethernet is very effective in extending your internet connection. I use an older version from Netgear several years ago and it works very well with my game consoles and computers. You can purchase adapters at Amazon: NETGEAR Powerline AV 200 Adapter Kit

Now that you have your PC hooked up to your TV, my next post will tell you how you can access video podcasts on just about any subject. Food, Politics, Sports and even online college courses are just a click away!