Cutting The Cord – Part 3
Twitter It!
Welcome to the final issue of our series on ‘Cutting The Cord’.
In this episode we will discuss your content choices when it comes to entertainment on the Internet. I want to remind all who may be considering this to be wary of subscription services. Otherwise you may find yourself spending more per month than you were by having kept your cable or satellite service.
Note: I have set up my system with only 1 subscription service (NetFlix). All other investments in this project are one time fees.
Lets Talk Content
There are several hunderds of sites that provide content (Video, Music, and Photos) to your computer. The trick is getting it to your TV. As I have previously mentioned I will be relating much of this conversation to the Roku DVP.
There is basically two types of content: On-Demand and Live Streams. Live Steams are just what they sound like; a live stream of a channel such as CNN or NASA. On-Demand content is a file that you stream to your network that has been pre-recorded. This is the most common type.
- NetFlix and Amazon VOD – Just about every set-top box will include these services. NetFlix requires a subscription, starting at $8 a month and up. Amazon is strictly pay as you go where you can purchase or rent content. Both of these services have movies and television shows.
- Hulu.com (HuluPlus) – HuluPlus is now available on the Roku DVP for $8 a month. I tested this and even though I am a big fan of Hulu.com, I thought HuluPlus was a rip-off. Granted you get some great content, put I have a problem with paying for a service and still having to watch commercials.
- YouTube – I was never a big YouTube user, but recently I have discovered that they have a really great range of content. You will need to spend some time setting up your subscriptions and/or playlists. I have found quite a few PBS, and vintage programs available. YouTube is available for the Roku via a private channel.You can take a look at some of my playlists at: http://www.youtube.com/user/TCGAZ to give you an idea content available.
- TV.Com – CBS News, CBS SHOWS, TV.COM shows. CNET. Various programming.
- Roku Newscaster – Roku Newscaster delivers the news instantly from the most trusted sources on TV — CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox News, and more. Includes full shows from 60 Minutes, Katie Couric, Anderson Cooper, and Rachel Maddow.
- JustinTV – Watch your favorite justin.tv channels on your Roku DVP. Includes category browsing, search, and favorites. Live streams of CNN and MSNBC.
- Pub-A-Hub – Classic public domain films, TV shows, and cartoons.
- Pandora – Pandora builds custom radio ‘stations’ based on the songs and artists that you enjoy. Our technologists and musicians have analyzed thousands of songs to create a service that delivers the sounds you love alongside new music you might never have found.
- Tune-In Radio – Free radio stations from virtually anywhere — all live, right to your TV. Tune in lets you find your favorite stations, or browse by geography or genre.
- TWIT TV – Founded by industry-respected former TechTV host Leo LaPorte, TWiT contains more than 15 daily and weekly tech-centered shows.
This is not an all encompassing list, and more channels are being added all the time.
Local Content (Your Stuff)
What about your personal DVD library, MP3′s and Photos? Yes, Roku has various solutions for this as well. I opted for a private channel called: ‘RoksBox (http://roksbox.com)’.
What is:
Roksbox is a channel on the Roku Digital Video Player that gives you the ability to play your own videos and movies, listen to your own music, and show your own photographs on your television screen. Your media can reside on your computer’s hard drive, on an external drive, on a network attached storage (NAS) device located on your home or local area network, or on a USB attached device (XR and XD|S models). Although Roksbox requires some initial setup work, once you get your network and media files properly configured, you will be able to enjoy all of your media files on the convenience of the Roku player.
In plain English, this is application allows you to set up a personal media server on your computer and allows you to access your video, audio and image files via the Roku DVP. There is a one time registration fee of $9. You will most likely need to convert your videos, but once that is done, I can tell you this is really a great add-on functionality. All of the software required is supplied for the initial registration fee. You also have a 30 day trial to get it all set up and tested.
Note: As this is hosted locally, the machine you install on will need to be on when you are viewing your local content.
So, What’s It All Mean?
Now that I have done this and am over the ‘Cable withdrawals’, I can say, that I have more if not the same content that I did before. There are certain channels that I do miss, but for the most part the gains outweigh the losses. I should point out that this is not a hands free solution, and will require you to dedicate some time to keeping your channels updated.
I started out this series by saying that I did this primarly to save the $70 a month. After much thought, yes, the money is a great incentive, but not the only one. For me its more about being able to watch: What I Want-When I Want!
Happy Computing
Categories: All, Featured, Tutorials Tags: Happy Computing, Lets Talk Content, TV, YouTube
Cutting The Cord – Part 2
Twitter It!Welcome Back….
In this segment I will start talking about equipment or hardware. The concept to keep in mind is to use the Internet to supplement broadcast content or over the air channels. Even though I didn’t start out here, I would recommend researching local channels.
Local Channel Reception
Since all broadcast channels have now gone to digital and some even broadcasting in High Definition, the days of static and ghosting are over. I can remember the days before cable and satellite and this was all there was. Finding out your ability to receive local broadcasts is where most of us start and then supplement with Internet content.
First off I would recommend visiting: http://www.antennaweb.org. This is a great site, that will help you decide on an outdoor antenna. The site will allow you to put in your street address and it will map your location and then give you the type of antenna’s that will pull in your local stations. All antenna’s are color coded according to their capabilities.
I had already tried an outdoor antenna, so I knew that I would be able to receive the majority of local channels. I decided to go ahead and pick up a new antenna anyway.
As I live in a sub-division with a fairly strict Home Owners Association, I purchased a omnidirectional antenna and mounted it just over the roof line. I purchased the antenna from Amazon as I have a Amazon Prime membership, so shipping was free.
You can see the antenna here… Amazon Link
After doing the install and running some cable into my distribution box. I was close to ecstatic on the amount of channels I was receiving as well as the signal quality. I should mention that as my house has one of those distribution panels for the cable, Internet, and phone this made this quite a bit easier. I also picked up an in-line signal amplifier as I was piping the signal throughout the home.
Internet Content Devices
So, what are your options? Today, there is a multitude of hardware solutions to play Internet content on your HDTV. They range in price from $59 to the hundreds. Plus you can of course buy a new HDTV’s that come with Amazon and NetFlix pre-configured as well as some of the newer DVD/Blue Ray players. When it comes to set-top boxes Here are some of the most popular:
Your choice will of course depend on your current viewing habits and the kind of content your are interested in.
The Scrooge Solution
Many of us have a old computer (door stop) sitting around the house that we dont know what to do with. Depending on the type of setup you are looking to do this could be a workable solution or a laptop also works well.
This is simply hooking up a computer to your TV! Not as easy as it sounds but not that difficult either. Many of the newer HDTV’s have a VGA and audio port so you can plug in your laptop and your set to go. For those of you who decide on this solution, I would recommend you taking look at some interface options. Windows 7 now comes with Microsoft Media Center and this is a very nice solution. There are also open source solutions such as Boxee and XBMC.
I know, your saying; what about a remote? You can pick up a remote that will work with MMC or for those of you who have a Android Smart Phone, there are free apps that will allow you to use your phone as a remote.
For those of you who do not have a HDTV, there are adapters that will allow you to convert your VGA and audio out of your computer to an RCA connection which most TV’s will accommodate.
My Choice – Roku DVP
Long before I decided to do this, I had purchased a Roku DVP (Digital Video Player). I originally picked Roku because of the price and it did what I was looking for, which was the ability to play NetFlix and Amazon Video On Demand on my HDTV. At the time I purchased my Roku HD1000, it was around $89.00. It is important to mention that I lucked out in picking the Roku, as its one of the most cost effective devices that supports an open SDK and has a very robust developer community.
Most or some Roku users are unaware of the developer community and the existence of ’Private Channels’. Private is somewhat of a misnomer, in that they are not so much private, as they are not available on Roku’s channel page. A good list of Roku Private Channels can be found at: http://www.roku-channels.com/home.
Some of my favorite private channels are:
- PlayOn
- YouTube
- UStream
- JustinTV
- Pub-A-Dub
- RoksBox
Its worth a mention that if you are into programming, then you can download the SDK from Roku.com and join the community and start developing your own channel.
Categories: All, Featured, Tutorials Tags: Boxee Box, HDTV, Local Channel Reception, Microsoft Media Center, TV, XBMC
Cutting The Cord – Part 1
Twitter It!I canceled my Cox Cable TV around a month ago, and I don’t really miss it. I just received my first bill from Cox, and I was happy to see that my bill decreased by almost 50% ($70). I must admit that there are some channels I do miss being able to receive, but for the most part I have found that I have more content selection now that I had before.
This and the following installments will outline and discuss what I did, how it was set up and lessons learned.
Why…
This is the first question you must ask yourself. You will give up some convenience of having just one source of content. For most the savings in money is enough to make many consider this option, it was for me.
I realized that I was spending a lot of money each month and I was only watching a fraction of the channels that I was paying for. If my cable of satellite company offered ala carte programing I would probably still be with them. But then they wouldn’t have the justification to charge me the exorbitant fees for providing me hundreds of channels.
If you decide to go down this road, its important to have your family buy-in, especially the SAF (Spouse Agreement Factor).
Other than money, the big factor for me was being able to watch what I wanted when I wanted or more commonly refered to as On-Demand programing. The Internet is full of content and most of it is free depending on your viewing habits.
Is This Right For Me?
This is the biggest decision you will need to make. It is based on your viewing habits and will you be able to get the same content or suitable alternatives to what you are viewing currently. Sports is the area that may cause you some concern, as there is not an abundant of sports programming on the Internet.
For me, as Im not a die hard sports enthusiast, the sports I get via Over-The-Air or local channels suits my viewing requirements.
Watching The Internet On Your TV
In my opinion this is going to be the hot topic of 2011. There are already tons of ways to accomplish this; Network Ready TV’s, Set-Top Boxes, and Game Consoles. Your choice may depend again on your viewing habits. I would recommend you look at the various services available and then make your selection on the device that provides you the best content. Below are some content providers that I have looked at and found fairly robust.
- NetFlix – Watch Instantly (Pay Service)
- TV.com
- Hulu.com or HuluPlus
- YouTube
- PlayOn
- Amazon Video On Demand
These are just a few of the ones I personally like. You may want to check out Clicker.com. This site is not a provider of content but a directory of what sites are hosting what content.
Categories: All, Featured, Tutorials Tags: Game Consoles, Set Top Boxes, The Internet, TV
