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Take your TV everywhere

Posted on 13 Jan 2009 at 12:02

From watching iplayer on your mobile to live British TV while abroad with your laptop, Stuart Andrews perfects the menu for takeaway TV.

As it really only 18 months ago that the idea of watching TV streamed over the internet to your PC seemed exotic? The new TV landscape is about enjoying programmes however and wherever you want, whether on the big screen, your laptop in a hotel room, or on a portable media player - even on a mobile phone. But are you making the most of the opportunity? If the PC TV wave is passing you by, we're here to help you get up and ride it.

2008 will go down as the year internet TV went mainstream. Apple's iTunes Store proved we're willing to pay for premium TV content. BT's Vision service showed there's potential in TV services that deliver programmes over the net. Above all, the BBC's iPlayer has captured the public imagination; a weekly average of 1.4 million viewers use the service.

Internet services are only part of the modern TV arsenal. Media centres, streaming devices, portable players and mobile phones can all be used to ensure you never miss a TV show again - even if you're out of the country. Better still, turning a PC into a PVR and media server has never been easier.

We're going to show you how to have the perfect TV setup at home, away, and while you're travelling in between. Plus, we'll explain how to beat the roadblocks that are put in your path, such as bans on watching iPlayer from abroad and watching TV recorded in Microsoft's proprietary formats on devices such as mobile phones and PSPs. You'll never have to leave your TV at home again.

TV in the home
TV away from home
TV on the move

Author: Stuart Andrews