Internet TV

Streaming UK TV on your computer thro the Internet

There are several elements in order to achieve this successfully so
these notes will set out the individual points.

1. Internet Connection

The recommended connection speed is 3 Mbyte to avoid conatant pauses
for streaming the live TV. In my own instance I have around 2 Mbyte
but a good uptodate router.

You can check your speed by going to http://www.speedtest.net/
You can also check your invoices from your Internet Service Provider
to see what you are paying for.

Tip: You never get the full speed that you pay for!

2. Computer

You do not require a high specification PC. It can be a small laptop
which can be dedicated to running the TV. However, the computer must
have the correct output connections. There are 2 options depending on
age of the computer.

(a) Standard VGA. Most laptops have an additional VGA output. It is usually blue with holes for a pin input. This will only
carry the video input and not the audio. Therefore the audio will
come from the computer speakers and not the television. The output is
included on a laptop in order to attach a larger screen but if your
television has also a VGA input it will act as the additional screen.

(b) HDMI A good link to view and it looks like a larger
USB socket Using HDMI will give you the best quality by far. You can
get a DVI to HDMI cable to connect it to your HDTV. This connection
also carries the audio and is the best option IF both your computer
and TV set have the correct input/outputs.

3. Software

To receive BBC television and BBC or ITV IPlayers the transmission
must be through a UK Internet Provider. The signal should not be
viewed outside the UK. There are several options to overcome this and
below I have listed the most common.

(a) Hide-IP.. which is a subscription program and costs about 50 Euros
for 2 years. It can be purchased from
 http://www.hide-ip-soft.com/

This is then configured to use one of the 15 dedicated UK servers. It
is loaded first and then BBC TV and Iplayer will work as normal.
There are no intrusive adverts and I have used this software almost
daily for 30 months.

(b) EX Pat Shield from
http://expatshield.com/
and it is a free
program which is used by many folk. If using this shield you will find
yourself interrupted with many adverts etc . It also leaves the user
vulnerable to picking up Spyware and Virus so the user must be aware
of keeping all security software uptodate and regular scans.

(c) Firefox plug in called Stealth download from

http://firefox-stealth-plugin.fyxm.net/ 
I have only read the reviews on this and not been a user. Some of the reviews indicate the program has some serious problems.

4. Cables

Make sure you purchase the correct cables. With the VGA check what
requirements are at each end. For most computer/TV it is a cable with
Male at each end (pins!) If unsure take a photo of the input on
computer and TV and take to the shop. You can also purchase an audio
cable to take the audio from your laptop to the TV

5. Summary

I do not want to make this look impossible or even difficult but you do have to get the right elements to make it work.

GMail Passwords

Your password should be easy for you to remember without being obvious for someone else to guess.

Don't choose a dictionary word as your password.

Include a variety of characters, such as punctuation marks, numbers, and mix capital and lowercase letters.

Never tell anyone your password.

Never write down your password. Even if you don't think that somebody would know that it was your Gmail password if they saw it, think of a way to remember it so that you don't have to write it down.

Periodically change your password.

How to Change GMail Password

Go to Gmail.com and sign in with your EMail address and Password

Click the gear icon at the top of any Gmail page or Emailname and select Account Settings , then Mail settings, and open the Accounts and Import tab.

In the 'Change account settings' section, click Change password.

In the new window, enter your current password and your new password.

Make sure you create a unique password to help keep someone from breaking in to your account.

Changing your recovery email address

You don't have to provide a recovery email address, but we strongly encourage you to. Once you've started using Gmail, we'll use your recovery email address to communicate with you under the following circumstances:

We need to confirm your username after you create an address

You can't log in to Gmail

You've forgotten your password

You're about to run out of storage space

We need to alert you to any unusual activity involving your address

How to change your recovery email address

Sign in to Gmail.

Click the gear icon or Tools at the top right of any Gmail page, then Mail settings, and open the Accounts and Import tab.

Click Change password recovery options in the 'Change account settings' section.

Select Recovering your password under Personal Settings. You may be prompted to re-enter your password to help verify your password and protect your account.

Click Add an email address if you don't have a recovery email address set already, or click the Edit link next to your current recovery email address to change it.

Click Save to make your changes.

Close the Google Account window using your browser's Close button if you don't want to sign out of Gmail just yet.

We may sometimes ask you to verify that your recovery email address is still correct. We'll show you what we have on record and ask you to visit your Google Account settings to make any changes.

Never send confidential or personal information, including your password, via email.

Use Strong Passwords!

The number one technique you can possibly implement. Hackers are experts at programming computers to plough through huge amounts of data very quickly. That’s the reason longer passwords are more secure; the number of possible combinations grows exponentially with every extra character added.

Hackers employ a technique called “dictionary attack” where they repeatedly try username and password combinations by running through hundreds of common words, phrases, numbers and combination them till they get lucky. It’s important you use random strings like “j@m13s(!)” instead of perhaps “jamie123″

Video Tutorial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcTPWfydrn4