How to Unlock TV Cards

A TV card is a device internally or externally installed on a computer system, giving the computer the capability to view (and even record) television programming. In doing so, it effectively turns the computer into a TV. Before the TV card can be used properly, however, it must be unlocked on the system. Doing so requires that you install the correct system drivers and the required programming.

• 1

  Connect the TV tuner card to the computer system. This is either done by plugging it into a USB port on the exterior or sliding it into an open PCI card slot on the interior of the computer.

• 2

  Power on the computer and insert the driver installation CD. The driver informs the computer of how to detect and use the TV card. Without the driver you are unable to unlock the card. Wait a moment and the driver installation wizard loads onto the screen.

• 3

  Accept the end-user agreement, then follow the installation prompts to set up the driver on the computer.

• 4

  Restart the system, then eject the CD. Insert the software installation CD. As with the driver, accept the end-user agreement, leave the installation name and location as-is, then click "Install" to install the software. When the software is installed, the TV card is unlocked and you are ready to begin watching television programming on the system.