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Watch TV on your PDA




Step 5: Convert TV shows for your PDA

Once your settings have been established, converting shows and putting them on your PDA is as easy as selecting them in Windows Media Center. Conversion may take some time, depending on the video quality you want.
To select a show for conversion, highlight it and press OK on the remote. You'll see a check mark appear next to the entry. As you select shows, MyTV ToGo keeps a running tally of the required storage space. If you've selected more shows than will fit on your memory card, remove some or return to the Settings screen and choose a lower quality setting.

Once you've finalized your selections, click Copy TV Shows and go about your business. The conversion process takes time; how much time depends on the speed of your PC, the type of handheld, the quality setting, and other factors. For example, a one-hour show converted for viewing on a standard Pocket PC (320x240 resolution) in Better mode would take about 30 minutes--not including the time required to copy the converted file to the card. The good news is that all this happens in the background, meaning you can use the PC for other tasks--including Media Center functions--while it's working.

If it's not already there, plug your memory card into your PDA or smart phone, then fire up Windows Media Player Mobile. Navigate to your memory card, choose the show you want to watch, and tap Play. Presto! You're watching Arrested Development, Battlestar Galactica, a Seinfeld rerun, or some other TV gem. If your handheld has Windows Media Player 10, tap the full-screen icon to rotate and enlarge the picture. It's also a good idea to engage the Hold switch if your device has one; it'll keep accidental button and screen presses from interrupting your viewing.

Step 6: Copy shows from other PCs
If your PC doesn't have the Media Center Edition operating system, don't worry. It's still possible to copy shows to your PDA.

All you need is a TV tuner card and third-party recording software. One popular package, SnapStream Beyond TV, includes a ShowSqueeze feature that works much like MyTV ToGo, converting and compressing shows to WMV format for viewing on a Pocket PC (and other mobile devices).

 

 
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