Determine if your current computer has an empty slot for a video capture card.
Open the computer case and install the video capture card. A card usually includes software that will allow you to take full advantage of the card's capabilities. Install the software.
Determine the type of cable that you will connect to the capture card. If you are recording in standard definition, you might be using RCA composite cables (red, white and yellow wires bunched together). Run the composite cables for the "TV Out" port of the Dish TV receiver into the "TV In" port on the capture card, matching the colored cables to the colored ports.
Turn on your computer and your Dish TV receiver. Tune to any channel on the receiver. Make sure that you can see the same video from the receiver on your computer. This will confirm if you have made the correct connections and have the video capture card installed properly.
Use the capture card's software to record video from the Dish TV receiver.
Make sure that your computer has USB 2.0 ports, as external video capture cards connect via USB 2.0 cables. External video cards do not require you to open the computer case.
Plug the external video capture card into an open slot in your computer and follow the steps to install its software.
Repeat steps 3 through 5 from the "Internal Video Capture Cards" section above.