Watch TV in Windows Media Center

If your computer has the necessary hardware, you can use Windows Media Center to watch live and recorded TV programs on your PC. You can also pause or rewind live TV so you don't miss any of the action.

To find the TV shows that are on now or later, check out the listings in the Guide. The Guide displays information about all TV programs that are available for you to watch or record. You'll need an Internet connection to download the latest Guide information.

To watch TV in Media Center, you need two things:

• A TV tuner (a device that can be connected to your computer through an internal expansion slot or an external expansion port, such as a USB port)
• A TV signal source (such as from a TV antenna or a cable TV jack)

If you don't have a TV tuner or don't want to buy one, you can still use Media Center to watch Internet TV (TV shows that are streamed over the Internet rather than broadcast over the airwaves or through a cable or satellite system).

There are two primary ways to control Media Center: with a mouse and keyboard, or with a Media Center remote control. Most of the procedures in this topic refer to the mouse and keyboard method, but the remote control method is often a more satisfactory experience. There are many types of Media Center remote controls available to buy—make sure that the one you want is compatible with your computer.

 To watch live TV using a Media Center remote

1. To use a Media Center remote to begin watching TV, do one of the following:
   • On the remote, press the LIVE TV button.
   • Press the GUIDE button, locate the TV show that you want to watch, and then press the OK button.
2. To control playback of live TV, do any of the following:
   • Press the CH + button or the CH - button to go up one channel or down one channel, respectively.
   • Press the ENTER button to quickly go back to the last channel you were watching.
   • Press the FWD button or the SKIP button to move ahead in the program.
   • Press the REW button or the REPLAY button to watch something again.
3. When you're finished watching live TV, press the STOP button.
   To find movies that are scheduled to be broadcast
   1. Click the Start button .
   2. click All Programs, and then click Windows Media Center.
   3. To find movies that are airing on TV, do one of the following:
      • On the Windows Media Center start screen, scroll to Movies, and then click Movie guide.
      • On the Windows Media Center start screen, scroll to Movies, click Search, choose a search category (such as Movie Director), and then enter your search criteria.