(05-16-2014, 01:35 PM)NaturalViolence Wrote: There are 6 ways you can watch tv on a PC to my knowledge:I don't need the provider to provide all the channels through the internet. Just TeenNick. In regards to me having only cox and all 4 providers being available, that is correct. One could receive services from any of those 4 providers, however my University only uses Cox and I couldn't get any other provider the entire University is on Cox. The University doesn't support just one room on a different provider. However if it's possible to skip all the wiring that the service techs do and just use the channel subscription on my computer then that could work. TeenNick isn't a local channel so I couldn't just get a digital tv tuner or antennae. Any streams of the channel that were available on the net are all down now. By the way, I don't consider it illegal to watch the channel from someone else since I already have a Fios Package at my house with the TeenNick channel. I actually thought I had solved my problem a few months back because I could watch it on my iPhone but you have to be on your home Fios Wireless network and my school is about 2 hours away so no-can-do.
1. Setup a DVR with streaming functionality or connect a streaming receiver to a regular DVR. You can then access the DVR over the internet from computers via a web frontend or desktop/mobile application and use it to watch live or recorded programming. This would require a settop box though to decode the channels.
2. Illegally watch the programming on the web for free using websites that provide free access to their own DVRs. Quality tends to be pretty shitty though to save bandwidth.
3. If the network has their own web streaming service sign up for it through your cable provider and login to it on whatever device you want to watch their content on. This will only work for channels that provide this service however. Only a few major content providers do at the moment and I believe nick isn't one of them.
4. Get a cable card. They cost hundreds of dollars and basically provide the same functionality as a settop box, but for your PC. Your cable provider may require a technician to hook it up but more likely you'll just need to call them to get it activated/authenticated on your account.
5. If the channel is local than it will likely not be encrypted. In this case you can use a regular old digital tv tuner. Which are much cheaper than cable cards but will only work with unencrypted channels.
6. If the channel is local and nearby than you can skip cable entirely and setup an antennae.
What I THINK you're asking for isn't technically possible at the moment. I think what you're looking for is a service provider that provides all channels through the internet on any device legally without any equipment setup? To my knowledge that does not exist. You said your university only has cox available yet all 4 providers are available in your area? What exactly do you mean by that?
Those cable cards that you're talking about...would they act as a Set-top-box for my computer, allowing me to not have to use the coax cable? Because if I do, I'd have to put one end in the card and the other end in my coax jack in my room right?