Cutting Cable

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berzerkmonkey: Jul 23, 2003

So my mom is considering cutting cable and phone, and I'm looking into it for her. I figured I'd pick her up a Roku for streaming, since it appears to be the most basic and easy to use. I was going through the content providers last night on my XBox and here is what I came up with:

Crackle - Umm, anime, I guess?
Amazon Prime - Selection wasn't great. And what is up with the season gaps in shows? LOST: Season 1, and 3-6. Huh?
Netflix - Actually I didn't check this one - I had it in the past, but I wasn't impressed with the selection.
Hulu Plus - HUGE TV selection. But what is the deal with how Hulu displays the content: "Parks and Recreation - 5 seasons, 123 episodes." Yet you access the show, and it only has the current season and a bunch of clips from other seasons... Is this a standard thing, or is it really only for current shows (licensing and all that stuff?)

I know there is a big rift between streaming providers and CBS/Viacom - is there any option for those shows other than OTA?

# ¿ May 29, 2013 16:30

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# ¿ May 7, 2024 03:10

berzerkmonkey: Jul 23, 2003

Don Lapre posted:

Why not get her an OTA antenna as well?

Buy a roku from target or somewhere that gives you 30 days or more to return it. Try the thing out for a while and see if its what you want. Also netflix and hulu plus both give you trials.

That's what I plan on doing, but I'm not sure she will get good reception at her location. According the the .gov site that shows reception estimates, most of the channels are in the red for her. She's also in a condo, so there is no chance of an external antenna. I'm going to try out the Winegard Company FL-5000, since people have pretty much nothing but good things to say about it.

I just picked up the Roku from Amazon - it was $50, and she is definitely cutting cable, so there is no loss there for her. I certainly think that Hulu will get her what she wants for a while.

# ¿ May 29, 2013 16:56

berzerkmonkey: Jul 23, 2003

Fillerbunny posted:

Apologies if you've already considered this, and it may not even apply, but it's not uncommon for condo associations to have a community cable contract and include the cost in monthly assessments.

Not this condo association - they're pretty much the worst bunch of assholes you'd ever want to be involved with.

Call Me Charlie posted:

Certain shows are only licensed for online PC view. It's a contract thing.

Oh, that is not a good thing. Stupid networks and their piracy promoting idiot ideas. I swear, the people who make these decisions have absolutely no idea about how reality operates. (I know, old argument.)

Call Me Charlie posted:

Season 2 is available?

It is through Hulu. It wasn't showing up on the Xbox last night though it shows as available on the web.

Don Lapre posted:

If she ever has to have a tech out cause shes having internet problems and they see this they will try to blame it on you changing their original setup. So I would only bother stealing cable this way if someone is going to be there to disconnect all the tv's if she has a problem with her internet.

How is it stealing cable if they're streaming local networks through a bare line? I've been in places where the cable company has done that...

# ¿ May 29, 2013 18:20

berzerkmonkey: Jul 23, 2003

stubblyhead posted:

Plug in her address here. They get their data from the FCC or whoever, but they allow you to specify things like antenna height that may give you a more accurate picture of what reception is going to be like. Also, regardless of what her condo association's rules are, she can put an antenna outside if she wants to (assuming there's a balcony or something where she can actually put it). There are federal laws surrounding that, and you're not allowed to bar people from doing it.

Yeah, I've been to the site and things look grim. I'll look into the antenna issue though - thanks.

# ¿ May 29, 2013 20:07

berzerkmonkey: Jul 23, 2003

goku chewbacca posted:

I know Aereo requires a billing address in their service area, which last I checked was still NYC metro area. Can I get service by using a prepaid card with my address set to some hotel in NYC, or area they using IP location or WiFi/GPS geolocation, too?

Aereo works only as long as you�re within broadcast range of local channels, based on where you signed up for the service. It uses a GPS or Internet IP address information to check for channels. That means if you travel to, say, Chicago, your Aereo account will stop working until you return home. (Source: http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2013/05/29/aereo-internet-service-good-scary/sGECft4KQwmT1Ip4ZVbYxN/story.html)

# ¿ May 30, 2013 21:00

berzerkmonkey: Jul 23, 2003

I haven't done much research regarding Plex - I'm assuming it runs on your media server though. Does it run as a background app, or does it essentially take everything over? Can I run it on my media server without interrupting access from my XBMC?

# ¿ Jun 6, 2013 13:19

berzerkmonkey: Jul 23, 2003

100 HOGS AGREE posted:

The Plex media server runs in the background on your computer or on a NAS. It shares out your media, unlike XBMC that retrieves it from your computer. Both should work at the same time probably.

You can also add channels to Plex for like youtube and various other online video and music sources.

You can also use a Plex account to add online videos to a Queue that you can stream on any Plex-enabled device. Any file formats that won't play on your device, if the media server is running the stream will get routed through your media server for transcoding, just like it would do for any video files on your computer that aren't natively supported.

Youtube videos will usually play straight on a Roku through plex, but about 10% of the time I find videos that need my computer running so they can get transcoded. Videos needing transcoding seem more common from non-youtube sources.

Regarding running YouTube through Plex: how does that work? And what is the easiest way to accomplish this? I recently set my mom up with a Roku, and while she likes it, she noticed that some of the older shows she wants to watch are on YouTube. If I can get Plex set up for her so she can view the shows through YouTube, she will be really happy.

EDIT: Speaking of cutting cable, has anyone got a solution for purchasing a replacement for a Comcast modem with VOIP? I don't really want to drop cable at this time, but I looked into dropping the VOIP service and Comcast told me that my bill would actually go up. I would like to get rid of the modem rental fee though - is there a way around this, or am I screwed until I drop everything?

berzerkmonkey fucked around with this message at 16:53 on Jun 6, 2013

# ¿ Jun 6, 2013 14:37

berzerkmonkey: Jul 23, 2003

100 HOGS AGREE posted:

I don't really use the Youtube plugin in Plex that much because I never brows Youtube but I think you can subscribe to channels and navigate to them through that? Your best bet is to install the Youtube plugin in your plex media server and gently caress around with it.

What I do is use the Queue function on the Plex site using their bookmarklet on my computer to queue up a list of poo poo I want to watch on my TV. I am probably doing it in a roundabout way but it works for me.

Cool - I'll give it a shot. Thanks.

# ¿ Jun 6, 2013 19:18

berzerkmonkey: Jul 23, 2003

iLikeMidgets posted:

So would a VPN work in this case? As long as the VPN ip is in the same area as the city you signed up in?

No clue on that - I was just regurgitating something I found elsewhere. It would be interesting if it worked though.

# ¿ Jun 17, 2013 16:23

berzerkmonkey: Jul 23, 2003

I know it isn't completely cutting cable, but Dish has a really low tier for like $20 a month. Might be worth looking into. It's the "Welcome Back" package, and while you still have the two-year commitment, I don't think the price goes up after a year.

# ¿ Jun 19, 2013 16:28

berzerkmonkey: Jul 23, 2003

DizzyBum posted:

Curiously, what's a recommended speed for typical HD streaming media setups? AT&T's lowest tier is 3Mb/s.

I think 5Mb/s at bare minimum is you want to be able to use anything else on the Internet at the same time. 3 would probably work, but you'll likely hit buffering issues, especially if you're using other devices.
EDIT: Also, your video quality will be affected by a lower connection speed, since Netflix (and probably other providers) base the video quality on your bandwidth.

# ¿ Jun 19, 2013 20:15

berzerkmonkey: Jul 23, 2003

Photex posted:

so what's everyone's thoughts on USTVnow on the Roku? The free channels are really good quality, my wife has been a little naggy about getting back cable again, does anyone have an active subscription to them? is the quality on all the channels on par with the free ones?

This is interesting - I'd like to hear some experiences as well. It's a little pricey though - $29 per month is verging on Dish prices.

# ¿ Jul 5, 2013 15:14

berzerkmonkey: Jul 23, 2003

Skychrono posted:

I'm annoyed by paying for my Xbox Live, and I think I'll save $40/year and just buy a set-top box to watch Netflix/Hulu.

How are the interfaces on a Roku LT/HD? Are they mature and quick enough, or is it clunky?

Has anyone else switched over? Any feedback?

Personally, I thought the interfaces on my mom's Roku for all apps were pretty lovely. I really wish they would hire someone with a good sense for UI. I really need to stop being lazy and see what my options are for XBMC for those applications.

# ¿ Jul 10, 2013 19:56

berzerkmonkey: Jul 23, 2003

upsciLLion posted:

The new Roku UI is supposed to be really good. It was initially only available for the Roku 3, but it has since been pushed to (I think all of) the Roku models from the prior generation.

More info: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/05/roku-3-goes-on-sale-tomorrow-for-99-with-upgraded-cpu-and-a-new/

Oh yeah - the Roku UI looks fine. It's the UI for the apps that looks like poo poo. They don't look anything like the Roku's UI and some of them are a nightmare to navigate.

# ¿ Jul 10, 2013 21:15

berzerkmonkey: Jul 23, 2003

So, after seeing that my next cable/phone/internet bill was going to be $190, I decided it was time to end it all. I called up Comcast, and the best they could do was to get me down to about $150 - $10 less than I was paying previously, but the damage was done. I took the offer but decided to make a change. I'm moving from Sprint to Ting, so I'll be saving around $100 per month on the cell bill, so I'm in a mindset to save money.

I started off by buying an Ooma - my mom has been using one for a month now, and it's working well. I decided to keep Internet through Comcast ($75) but drop phone and cable. Now the big decision - do I keep cable? In looking at some of the lower tier Dish options, $25 seems pretty reasonable, but that requires a two-year contract and the price goes up after one year. In addition, when trying to find out if I would even be able to use Dish due to the height of the trees bordering my property, I was told that I'd have to first sign up for a contract and that "the installer would make it work." Really? I need to sign a two-year contract for something I don't even know will work? What the hell?

So that left me with one other option - U-verse. One year plan, $100 per month for 28Mbps down and 200 channels, four tuner DVR (2 SD, 2 HD), $150 in debit cards, and, best of all, a free 30 day trial.

So I'm going to give it a shot - I know this is the "Cutting cable" thread, but I figure for $25 extra, I'm willing to keep cable if I can cut my bill almost in half. Is anyone interested in commentary regarding how the install and day-to-day of U-verse goes? I don't get the service installed until the 27th, so it will be a couple of weeks before I can really post anything.

# ¿ Jul 11, 2013 20:25

berzerkmonkey: Jul 23, 2003

Don Lapre posted:

Put an antenna on your roof.

Honestly, I don't think it would do a whole lot. The coverage in our area is pretty bad. Also, since most of the shows we like to watch are not on broadcast tv, an antenna is kind of worthless.

# ¿ Jul 11, 2013 20:44

berzerkmonkey: Jul 23, 2003

Maneki Neko posted:

Does Comcast offer Blast Plus! where you live? For us, $80 gets 50mbps internet service + 45 channels of tv (fairly decent selection actually, has comedy central, AMC, A&E, etc) , certainly worth the extra $5 a month since OTA antenna was really spotty.

Not that I know of - is it something offered to new subscribers? I asked retentions for the cheapest option and this was not one of them.

# ¿ Jul 12, 2013 01:31

berzerkmonkey: Jul 23, 2003

Bizarro Kanyon posted:

Edit: I was wondering. You mentioned Netflix and July as options to watch shows. What is July?

I think it was an autocorrect of Hulu.

# ¿ Jul 24, 2013 19:23

berzerkmonkey: Jul 23, 2003

withak posted:

http://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/devices/chromecast/#chrome

This shows it mirroring a Chrome browser window from a laptop.

If this is the case, then this is pretty awesome. I'm going to wager that they have some sort of block on streaming stuff like Amazon Prime somehow though.

# ¿ Jul 25, 2013 15:27

berzerkmonkey: Jul 23, 2003

I don't know if you guys saw this:

quote:

CBS may go online, cut off its broadcast signal if Aereo prevails -CEO

March 11 (Reuters) - CBS Corp Chief Executive Officer Leslie Moonves said the No. 1 rated broadcaster could offer its content directly to consumers over the Internet and cut off its traditional broadcast signal if the Aereo video streaming service is deemed legal.

Major broadcasters are challenging Aereo Inc's use of their television broadcast signals without paying for them. The case will be argued in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in April.

"If Aereo should work, if they should win, which we don't think will happen, we can go OTT with CBS," Moonves said on Tuesday at an investor conference.

OTT is short for "over the top," which is industry parlance for offering television over the Internet outside of a pay TV subscription.

"If the government wants to give them permission to steal our signal, then we will come up with some other way to get them our content and still get paid for it," he said.

Aereo, which is backed by billionaire Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp, does not pay broadcasters for use of programming that it retransmits to subscribers. Its users pay a low monthly fee to watch live or recorded programs on their computers or mobile devices.

Moonves has previously said that CBS would consider taking its free broadcast channel off the air and turning it into a cable network if Aereo prevails.

At the conference, Moonves added that CBS could go online "if there are systems out there that try to hurt us."

Source: http://money.msn.com/business-news/article.aspx?feed=OBR&date=20140311&id=17424222

Emphasis mine. So regarding that asinine quote, aren't commercials supposed to pay for OTA TV? Who's paying for a standard OTA transmission? I understand that the network has to make money, but this is a really petty way to say "if we can't play by my rules, then I'm taking my ball and going home." What an rear end in a top hat.

# ¿ Mar 11, 2014 21:44

berzerkmonkey: Jul 23, 2003

Is there a good easy to follow tutorial on setting up Sickbeard/SABnzbd/Couchpotato? I have an XBMC setup and a Windows 7 PC acting as a media server, but everything is manually downloaded at the moment. I'd like to be able to set and forget, if possible.

EDIT: Got my answer over at the Usenet thread.

berzerkmonkey fucked around with this message at 19:58 on Jul 21, 2014

# ¿ Jul 20, 2014 19:50

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# ¿ May 7, 2024 03:10

berzerkmonkey: Jul 23, 2003

Gozinbulx posted:

XBMC + a few choice addons has more content than any Roku.

And is also difficult to install and set up, let alone support, for the majority of people. You buy a Roku, plug it in, and it works. XMBC, not so much. I spent hours setting my XBMC up (not to count building the HTPC) and the thing still is a pain in the rear end sometimes. Random lockups, not working out of sleep mode, sound issues, etc.

# ¿ Jul 22, 2014 20:50

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