Internet TV

[BiggieFries]

So I think I'm getting gauged by Dish Network and I don't like it. My two year contract is up at the end of November (ish) and I started looking into set top boxes that can stream major networks, netflix (I have a Wii so this one isn't a big deal), youtube, hulu, and possibly even some cable channels like Discover channel, USA, TNT, kid's channels, etc. and also have a nice DVR.

 

My thinking was that if it's cheap enough I can upgrade my broadband connection at home and just stream everything to the TV instead of going with either satellite or Comcast (neither are preferable) and save some cash.

 

The closest thing I've found so far is this rig: Sezmi

 

It appears it can do everything I want but the cable channels are only available in Los Angeles right now. If the cable channel options were available here (south FL) I'd be able to save over half my internet/tv bill per month (roughly $85/month before the broadband upgrade).

 

So what say you? Any experiences with or recommendations of internet set top boxes? Should I cancel DN and keep the dishes on my roof and buy an OTA (over the air) set top box with no subscription? Should I tap into my neighbor's cable line and "borrow" some?

 

TIA

[NastyAssMayonnaise]

It kills me to say this... but I use Windows Media Center on a PC and it works well.

 

I put an antenna on the roof and I get all the networks, plus a few independents and PBS in HQ HD.

Then I run that into a tuner card on the PC, and WMC is a surprisingly excellent DVR to record programs I want to watch and time shift.

WMC includes some internet TV stuff, but it's awful. Instead, I added plugins for Hulu desktop and Boxee so I can stream all kinds of web-broadcast TV.

And WMC includes Netflix natively and I stream a lot of that content for 8.99 a month.

 

So.. the equipment I got:

Acer AX1301-U1302 - silent, HDMI out, and lots of bells and whistles - refurbed for $300

ATI HD600 USB tuner stick - says it doesn't work on Win7... but it does - used for $35

Channelmaster antenna - stuck on the old DirecTV pole on my roof - $40

 

Then I pay $9 for Netflix, and $25 for DSL per month. So I should have ROI on cancelling cable in less than 4 months.

 

And you'd be surprised how little you miss it. Most of the cable shows we had on were background noise or time-fillers. That kind of stuff is easily replaced without effect.

 

Oh, and Boxee has an app for Justin.tv in case I need to see the cable-only football games. Its just a matter of time until someone makes a better webcast of those games. MLB.tv is already an official plugin for Boxee to watch HD streams of any game.

Edited August 4, 2010 by NastyAssMayonnaise

[NastyAssMayonnaise]

That Sezmi thing looks pretty awesome too. That's the first I've seen of it. It's missing ESPN, but I know their carrier fees are outrageous.

[Pope Flick]

The odd thing about this is accepting the fact that a nice set of rabbit ears will bring you a solid HD quality signal of broadcast stations in your area. I think out here in LA there's over 50 but only about 10 are in Engrish.

[NastyAssMayonnaise]

That Sezmi thing looks pretty awesome too. That's the first I've seen of it. It's missing ESPN, but I know their carrier fees are outrageous.

 

So... upon closer inspection Sezmi only offers the cable channel in LA now, and the basic service in 9 other markets (not mine).

 

And by the time they clear all the regulatory hurdles to release nationwide, I'm positive Google and Apple will jump in to eat their lunch.

 

The odd thing about this is accepting the fact that a nice set of rabbit ears will bring you a solid HD quality signal of broadcast stations in your area. I think out here in LA there's over 50 but only about 10 are in Engrish.

 

Yeah, I was psyched that I initially got 20-something channels. Then I turned off all the Espanol, Christian and home shopping channels and ended up with half that.

[BiggieFries]

The odd thing about this is accepting the fact that a nice set of rabbit ears will bring you a solid HD quality signal of broadcast stations in your area. I think out here in LA there's over 50 but only about 10 are in Engrish.

 

I already have an antenna that can get HD signals, but it's just the local channels. Although we mostly just watch those channels we do watch Nickelodeon and Disney for the kids. Also, this would be without a DVR.

[NastyAssMayonnaise]

I already have an antenna that can get HD signals, but it's just the local channels. Although we mostly just watch those channels we do watch Nickelodeon and Disney for the kids. Also, this would be without a DVR.

 

My biggest worry was missing out on kids shows, because... lets be honest, they control the TV now and probably for the next 15 years.

 

But I have more kids TV now than I know what to do with.

 

I set up the DVR to record off PBS:

WordWorld

Calliou

Barney

Dinosaur Train (the 4 yo's favorite show in the world now)

Bob the Builder

Sesame Street

Super Why

Sid the Science Kid

 

Then Netflix has

several seasons of SpongeBob

Wow Wow Wubbzy movie

More fricking Barney

 

Then I downloaded off the torrrentz

Seasons of Yo Gabba Gabba

Seasons of Wow Wow Wubbzy

 

So, I've got enough kids TV at this point to get me through the apocalypse.

Hulu has surprisingly little good Kids TV. I hope they hook up with a new partner on that front.

[Egret]

My biggest worry was missing out on kids shows, because... lets be honest, they control the TV now and probably for the next 15 years.

 

But I have more kids TV now than I know what to do with.

 

I set up the DVR to record off PBS:

WordWorld

Calliou

Barney

Dinosaur Train (the 4 yo's favorite show in the world now)

Bob the Builder

Sesame Street

Super Why

Sid the Science Kid

 

Then Netflix has

several seasons of SpongeBob

Wow Wow Wubbzy movie

More fricking Barney

 

Then I downloaded off the torrrentz

Seasons of Yo Gabba Gabba

Seasons of Wow Wow Wubbzy

 

So, I've got enough kids TV at this point to get me through the apocalypse.

Hulu has surprisingly little good Kids TV. I hope they hook up with a new partner on that front.

Pretty close to my set up. There's a few different shows on PBS and Netflix, but it's the same idea. Clicker.com is another great resource. You can find episodes of kids shows there. We had a Tom and Jerry marathon when we got a new dedicated computer for the tv.

[Rebellab]

How do you handle more than one tv with a setup like this. We have a TV in bedroom, kitchen and family room, two main, one basement. Can a rooftop antenna be connected to the cable run throughout the house how about the computer, would I need one for each tv.

 

I see google tv is about to come out what does everyone think of that.

 

I just canceled HBO and the home phone is next. I can upgrade my broadband and lower my bill by $75 per month.

 

My final question is this. Would it be best to wait and see what comes of some of these like Google and the like and the interfaces they support etc. Or is it like buying any electronics if you wait it will continue to get better just jump in when you feel comfortable.

Edited October 19, 2010 by Rebellab

[Egret]

How do you handle more than one tv with a setup like this. We have a TV in bedroom, kitchen and family room, two main, one basement. Can a rooftop antenna be connected to the cable run throughout the house how about the computer, would I need one for each tv.

 

I see google tv is about to come out what does everyone think of that.

 

I just canceled HBO and the home phone is next. I can upgrade my broadband and lower my bill by $75 per month.

 

My final question is this. Would it be best to wait and see what comes of some of these like Google and the like and the interfaces they support etc. Or is it like buying any electronics if you wait it will continue to get better just jump in when you feel comfortable.

I use HD Homerun as my "tv card" going to my computer. It connects to your router and any computer on your system can view your live tv channels... but you want them on a tv. In short, you'll need something hooked up to each tv. If you only want live tv, an antenna is fine. If you want streaming stuff too, an Xbox 360 can stream content from your computer including live tv and recorded shows pretty seamlessly. I have no idea why Microsoft isn't pushing this harder. It's a nice setup. You can get a used Xbox without a hard drive for ~$99. The Xbox is also slated to get ESPN3 next month and Hulu early next year, but you'll need a gold membership to Xbox Live to access them.

 

Another option is to get a Roku for a tv. It can stream Netflix and many other content providers including Hulu for an additional $9 per month. Roku prices start at $59 and have no monthly fees other than what you sign up for (Netflix, Hulu, MLB.tv, etc.) There are a bunch of free providers on the Roku.

 

We only have two TVs in my house. One is hooked up to an Xbox and a computer. The other is hooked up to TiVo w/ an antenna. Both setups use Netflix a lot. If we ever put a tv back into the bedroom, I would get a Roku.

 

We stayed at a hotel this weekend. My wife was excited for cable until she couldn't find anything to watch. Then we both talked about how much we liked having on demand type services like Netflix.

[Egret]

My final question is this. Would it be best to wait and see what comes of some of these like Google and the like and the interfaces they support etc. Or is it like buying any electronics if you wait it will continue to get better just jump in when you feel comfortable.

Something better is always around the corner. I've saved a ton of money by doing this since January. We paid $200 for the TiVo and $400 for the computer and accessories. We were paying ~$100 per month to DirecTV. We were already paying for highspeed DSL and Netflix, so no added expense there. The TiVo and computer have already paid for themselves. I don't want to go back to the way I had it. The occasional missed show on traditional tv isn't worth $100 per month. These days I can almost always download the show legally or stream it for free. ESPN3 takes care of nearly all sports needs outside of Monday Night Football, but since the Lions never play on it I don't care.

[twiley]

Love our Roku but we only use it to stream netflix and listen to Pandora. Hulu Pro is either available now or coming soon to the Roku for a monthly fee.

 

On a side note and different subject, the entire house is now streaming music wirelessly through our receivers via airport express. Pretty sweet since I can control it all through my phone too.

Edited October 19, 2010 by twiley

[major-tom]

Love our Roku but we only use it to stream netflix. Hulu Pro is either available now or coming soon to the Roku for a monthly fee.

 

We got rid of our hugh Comcast bill and got Roku as well. The wife says many new choices are coming soon.

[BiggieFries]

Love our Roku but we only use it to stream netflix and listen to Pandora. Hulu Pro is either available now or coming soon to the Roku for a monthly fee.

 

On a side note and different subject, the entire house is now streaming music wirelessly through our receivers via airport express. Pretty sweet since I can control it all through my phone too.

 

 

We got rid of our hugh Comcast bill and got Roku as well. The wife says many new choices are coming soon.

 

I haven't seen yet but does the Roku come with DVR capabilities as well?

[twiley]

I haven't seen yet but does the Roku come with DVR capabilities as well?

Not that I'm aware of.

[BiggieFries]

Not that I'm aware of.

 

So other than the initial price, what are the advantages of the Roku over something like a Tivo? Tivo is a DVR, can connect to Netflix, Youtube, HDTV Antenna, etc.

[twiley]

So other than the initial price, what are the advantages of the Roku over something like a Tivo? Tivo is a DVR, can connect to Netflix, Youtube, HDTV Antenna, etc.

I don't think I'd look into a Roku if you're looking for DVR options. Roku is certainly cheaper but if DVRing is a main sell point then get the TiVo. My Roku is wireless so that's another plus.

[tazinib1]

I'm not sure I can tolerate Kiper/McShay and I'd miss Mayock.

 

[rocknrobn26]

Time shifting...

[Egret]

Time shifting is rewinding and pausing live TV, yeah?

 

Does Windows media center allow you to program which shows you want to record? Like on DirecTV, I can choose to record an episode or the series (first-run, repeats, both). WMC can do that? Where does it get the TV schedule data? Cuz it seems like shows bounce around.

 

Thanks to you and anyone else who can answer those questions. Maybe Egret will be along to help again?

 

Seems like if I take one of my dusty desktops, add WMC (or should I consider other software), add NetFlix, I should be set for like $100 and $9/month.

 

The only thing I'd miss is NFLN. Can I watch draft coverage online? I'm not sure I can tolerate Kiper/McShay and I'd miss Mayock.

I use Windows 7 which has media center capabilities built into it. I'm sure WMC is similar, I'd have to look into it. When buying an antenna card for a computer, buy the Silicon Dust HDHomerun. More info here.

 

I'm not sure where Windows gets its tv schedule, but it's always accurate. You can click on the program to record either single episode or record series and it does its job. No worries.

 

There is plenty of NFL Network content available on their website, including draft coverage.

 

Thinking about some of the issues you might run into, I put up a new blog post about choosing an antenna. If you have any questions feel free to comment on the site or here.

[Egret]

So we hooked up one of my PCs that was laying around to the TV and only have netflix running on it at the moment, but I'm impressed with Netflix's selection. By the time we get around to watching all the stuff that we missed (Arrested Development, Fringe, etc.), the stuff from this upcoming season will be available. Also, the picture quality seems a lot better than DirecTV's did.

 

As for DVR, I'll eventually get SageTV/Hauppage package for $150.

 

If you're not really a super die hard TV fan, I'd totally recommend getting rid of the cable/sat expense.

 

Thanks to all, especially Egret, for the advice and answering my questions.

No prob.

 

Just be aware that AT&T is going to be capping dsl usage soon. I would imagine that the other ISPs will do it too. It's a bunch of bull and a money grab. Maybe it won't go anywhere, but it's something to be aware of now.

 

I update the blog once or twice a week. Feel free to ask me any questions. If I don't know the answer, I can at least point you in the right direction.