Free Satellite TV on PC?
I saw a website advertising software that's supposed to give you free satelite TV on your PC. The program costs $40, but they claim it lets you watch hundreds of live worldwide channels free of charge. Sounds too good to be true... is this a scam? |
Can I Really Get Free Satellite TV on my PC?
Everything I've read about this type of thing tells me it's a scam, or at least a waste of money. The software you get for your forty bucks is nothing more than a menu of free online television broadcasts. Most of the stations listed are foreign, and the list contains many entries that are obsolete or do not work.
If you're considering buying a software package named "PC Satellite TV", "Satellite TV Elite", "Satellite TV on PC", "Satellite TV for PC Elite Edition", "TV on PC Elite", "Digital TV 4 PC" or anything similar... they are ALL THE SAME type of scamware. You will pay $40 and in return you'll get a crappy software program that does NOT deliver what it promises. You WILL NOT get any premium or pay-per-view channels for free. The only thing these packages offer is links to online video sites that you could find for free with a quick search on Google or Yahoo.
Sorry, but there's no way to turn your PC into a satellite dish and get free HBO or MTV. But there is some good news... You CAN get lots of free satellite television programming on your TV, if you have a satellite dish and a "free-to-air" satellite receiver box. My companion article Free Satellite TV explains it all in detail.
You can also use your internet-connected computer to tune into a huge number of free television broadcasts. You can watch SOME programs from the BBC News, Comedy Central, Discovery Channel, ESPN, and other broadcasts from around the world. I suggest that you first go to the official website of the TV station or broadcast that you'd like to watch and look for a link to view live or recent broadcasts.
Here are some links to popular TV network websites:
Exposing the "free satellite tv on pc" scam has not made me popular with some people. Many times I've received emails from people saying that I'm a liar, that I must be "really old fashioned" or "a Direct TV executive." Others post comments here with a glowing review of some Satellite TV software and a link to buy. But EVERY TIME, it's the exact same scamware, being sold through an affiliate link. My advice here is only meant to protect people who might otherwise be tempted to waste their money and fall for this scam.
As I said before, these programs will NOT give you access to anything that's not already freely available on the Web. What this software provides (when it actually works) is little more than a searchable list of websites that offer streaming video. You can find the same information yourself with a search engine query. It's ONLY dishonest people, who stand to profit from ignorance, that continue to push this scam. Don't fall for it.
Oh, and one last point... every few months someone posts a comment and asks "Why do you sometimes have ads on this page for the same type of products that you warn against?" That's a fair question, and I've answered it several times in the comments. But since those replies can get buried after a while, I'm going to address the issue here. The Google ads are not under my control, and are automatically selected for relevance to the content of the page. And in an ironic way, even those questionable ads are. My hope is that people will actually *READ* the article and understand why they should NOT believe the hype. Click if you want, just be forewarned.
Got comments or questions about free online TV? Post your thoughts below...
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This article was posted by Bob Rankin on 29 Mar 2010
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Article information: AskBobRankin -- Free Satellite TV on PC? (Posted: 29 Mar 2010)
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Most recent comments on "Free Satellite TV on PC?"
(See all 459 comments for this article.)Posted by:
Karl
02 Jun 2014
I had bought Satellite TV for PC and it just gave me a link to a site anyone can access online for free.
A ripoff, because telling me about a website isn't a product it's more of an article with a link at the bottom.
Posted by:
bucky
09 Jul 2014
joost has currently suspended operation
Posted by:
Sean
15 Oct 2014
You should also try Netflix and YouTube. You can find almost everything there, except that Netflix costs 8$ per month.
Posted by:
Louis
29 Oct 2014
I get free TV all the time. I use a device called an antennae
Posted by:
John
25 Feb 2015
Enjoyed the article and especially your replies to the various comments. Some folks learn and some just spurn. Thanks, Bob
Posted by:
Snert
04 Apr 2015
This comment is off the mark; if you don't post it Bob, I won't mind.
Why watch TV? What you do is your business but it's a lot more fun and a LOT healthier to get out there and DO SOMETHING. Sitting on your behinder watching some paid professional doing BS isn't my idea of entertainment.
Reality TV should show people vegging out watching reality shows.
Posted by:
alex
31 Jul 2015
The old top gear team is going to amazon prime,now thats reason enough to pay for a service.
Posted by:
T. Olivar
18 Sep 2015
Beware of the "Rabbit TV" USB device. It does the very same thing that you wrote about. It is basically a USB memory stick that contains a listing of web-site addresses that you click on, and it sends you to the selected site. Places like YouTube, Hulu, BBC-America and even Netflix. Also, it provides a listing of domestic and foreign radio stations that you can listen to.
Problem is that a lot of the supposedly free listed TV and radio stations are in a foreign language, has no real content worth watching or listening to, or are no longer in service.
So Buyers, Beware.
Posted by:
Jim
19 Dec 2015
Try Sling TV, a very viable alternative to cable. I watch 'over the air' and Sling with sports for $25 a month thru high speed internet.
Posted by:
John
04 May 2016
PC Matic does not let me open the veoh download to watch free movies. Is there something bad with veoh download?
Posted by:
David Quinn
13 Jun 2016
Thank you for the information whenever we visit Florida from England we will not be fooled by these scams now.
Posted by:
Susan
10 Jul 2016
FYI, you may want to re-evaluate listing the hyperlink for Joost. I just visited there and found this statement: "Thanks for your support and interest in Joost.com. We are re-evaluating the Joost.com purpose and services. For the near-term we have decided to suspend the site to allow for a full re-evaluation. Thanks again."
Posted by:
Richard
19 Aug 2016
Try "Film on" it lets me watch most uk TV channels plus hundreds more from around the world on my PC free of charge, for 5€ a month I can record up to 4 hours content. With the addition of Chrome Cast I can stream straight to my TV. The only draw back could be, you need a very good Wi-Fi connection, with good download speed.
Posted by:
Herb
23 Nov 2016
I used to get Dish network, but, decided not to get any more. However, I still get the Dish advertisements and info about Dish. If I still get these without paying anything, do you think it's possible to get other channels on the Dish somehow? Thanks, Herb
Posted by:
Gar
09 Jan 2018
Top 10 Best Free Windows Antivirus 2018
Just wanted to let you know that this website is a scam according to comments on the web.
Posted by:
John Guy
01 Mar 2018
A few years ago I saw the "Rabbit TV" USB dongle at my local Dollar Tree. Figured for a buck why not. It was of course just as you say it is Bob. Just a searchable list of channels I could find on my own. I may have used Rabbit 3 times total and then after a year found I'd have to pay $19.99 or $10.00 for another year of use. I didn't bother, could have just gone to the Dollar Tree and bought another one for a buck.
Posted by:
Alci
07 Sep 2018
Dear sir or Madam:
I need a little help. I do not know how to connect a general instrument innovation 650i satellite dish receiver to a Smart TV.
the receiver has 3 RCA (yellow,red and white) to smart TV which has HDMI.
i am using an OPENBOX V8 COMBO connected to the general instrument innovation 650i satellite dish receiver.
The OPENBOX V8 COMBO work with the TV but general instrument innovation 650i does not work. For that, it is not possible for me to move the big satellite dish.
I will be very grateful for your help. Thank you. Alci
Posted by:
Dave White
24 Feb 2019
Check out locast.org. They are a non-profit that sends local over-the-air broadcast stations via the internet. Apparently it's legal to do so for nonprofits, although there is an expectation of legal action at some point. Their service is free, although they do request donations. The last thing is that they are only available in certain cities at this point. It does work quite well!
Posted by:
James
24 Mar 2019
Do you recommend those flat antenna you put on window inside bought a couple of those that suppose to reach 200 miles away and they don’t work also the live wire ones don’t work. There is an hexagon antenna that doesn’t work where I live.
Posted by:
Odette
31 Oct 2019
I have a cabin in Fairplay Colorado. Cannot get tv reception with antenna. Satellite is our only option. Direct tv prices are way to expensive for twice a month home. Don’t mind buying satellite setup if it truly works, only want local tv stations.
Can you help.