Did you know that you can use Windows Media Center to stream Internet TV straight to your computer?
Windows Media Center is not just a fancy version of Windows Media Player. It’s actually an entertainment powerhouse, offering you everything from sports scores to free games. But one feature you might not know about is its slick Internet TV interface, a one-stop shop or close to it for all your favorite streaming services. With a built-in Netflix interface, and access to programming from Fox News, PBS, the Smithsonian, and much more, the only thing Windows Media Center is really missing is Hulu integration, though that can be easily fixed.
Setting up the Internet TV service is simple (and free!). Just follow these steps:
1) Open Windows Media Center. Scroll down to TV and click “Internet TV.”
2) Once you’ve read and agreed to the Terms of Service, click “Install.”
3) Windows Media Center will begin automatically downloading the Streaming Internet TV add-on. Wait for the download to complete.
4) Welcome to the main interface. The top row shows the featured content. At this time, most of the prime time programming comes courtesy of CBS. You can scroll down (or click the lowermost row) to see more options, like Channels, Top TV, Top Rated Movies From Netflix, News Headlines, and more.
5) If you have a Netflix account, you’ll want to set it up to communicate with Windows Media Center. Click on Netflix in the channel row. This will open the Netflix window. Enter the information you use to sign into your Netflix account. At any time, click on the blue back arrow in the upper right hand corner to get to the previous stream.
6) That’s just about it! You’re almost ready to watch a movie or television. Just click on the TV show or movie of your choice. A list of episodes will come up. Pick the episode you want to watch.
7) A box will pop up showing you a synopsis of the episode you’ve selected. Just click “Play.”
8) If you’re prompted to update Flash, follow the on-screen instructions to do so. And then… your show will begin!
And that’s it! It’s that simple. In fact, it’s even simpler. If you know how to read and click buttons, you should have no problem setting up and using Windows Media Center. If you have a TV-Tuner card, you can even use the program to watch live network TV.
And that’s how you use Windows Media Center to watch Internet TV. Enjoy!
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