Ideas for Replacing Cable TV

[Pbartender]

spousal units present extra requirements. Namely, we ain't going without access to current TV (which by current knowledge at my house isn't available by antenna).

And my wife reads more books than anybody. She plows through them on her e-reader, plus the paper ones she can't get in ebook.

Plus, I'm pondering this stuff for not just myself, but anybody looking for a replacement to the cable company. Drastically reducing functionality is simply a cost savings, not a replacement.

We're only a couple of inches away from current TV content being available online for cheaper than a cable package.

So just canceling cable misses the point. The point isn't the cost savings. The point is that I'm looking to see if I can save money with a near equivalent alternative and save money.

No, that's cool... Just presenting it as another alternative that people don't often consider.

For us, unplugging the TV from antennas and cables and dishes, and instead focusing on collecting a video library was something that gave us "a near equivalent alternative and save money".

 

[Umbran]

For us, unplugging the TV from antennas and cables and dishes, and instead focusing on collecting a video library was something that gave us "a near equivalent alternative and save money".

I can see this.

Before DVRs became popular, there was a point to watching a show when it actually aired - you had something to discuss with your coworkers and friends the next day ("Hey, did you see that on X-Files last night? Wasn't that the coolest?") - television had some social benefit.

As more and more people time-shift their viewing, that effect has weakened. Unless you love daily news, or vote on contest shows, there is darned little point to having your viewing be current, as fewer people are expected to have seen the same thing you have recently.

My wife and I have moved down the line towards not caring so much. We still have cable TV, but a significant amount of our viewing is now taken up with series we get on DVD from Netflix.

Books.

A fine replacement for much of what is offered on TV today! And even HDTV doesn't beat the special effects in my head.

 

[ggroy]

(This only works if one has a lot of patience, and where one doesn't watch anything like reality tv shows on network prime time television, or any sports).

For national or international news, I just go to the web pages of news networks like cnn, msnbc, bbc, fox, deutsche welle, etc ... For stuff like local news, I just read the web pages of the local daily newspapers or pick up the free local weekly newspaper at a nearby grocery store. If I'm driving, I'll tune onto a local classic rock station which has local news once every half hour.

Over the last half-decade or so, I just waited until dvds of movies and tv show seasons started showing up in the bargain bins at places like Wal-Mart, supermarkets, etc ... Typically around $5 or less per movie dvd, or around $10 to $15 per tv show season on dvd. (I haven't found many tv show seasons on dvd for less than $10 a season).

Since I don't talk about television with anyone in person, I'm not losing anything from being behind several seasons in a tv show or watching a tv show which has already been canceled and taken off the air (ie. not in syndication).

 

[Janx]

I can see this.

Before DVRs became popular, there was a point to watching a show when it actually aired - you had something to discuss with your coworkers and friends the next day ("Hey, did you see that on X-Files last night? Wasn't that the coolest?") - television had some social benefit.

As more and more people time-shift their viewing, that effect has weakened. Unless you love daily news, or vote on contest shows, there is darned little point to having your viewing be current, as fewer people are expected to have seen the same thing you have recently.

My wife and I have moved down the line towards not caring so much. We still have cable TV, but a significant amount of our viewing is now taken up with series we get on DVD from Netflix.



A fine replacement for much of what is offered on TV today! And even HDTV doesn't beat the special effects in my head.

thank the gods my wife isn't into chick flicks or reality TV...I avoid the news, as TV news is a waste of time. I'd rather listen to NPR when I drive as I'm stuck in the car (whereas she'd rather listen to her IPod and wonders why I know about new songs before her...)

Personally, I could make NetFlix and websites work except for CBS, those fraktards don't release their stuff! Though there's some times I get too busy to watch TV for a few weeks, and a show falls off the website. The missus is a bit pickier.

I was really hoping for Hulu, but checking their show list, they're pretty limited. I can get most old shows on NetFlix, it's the new stuff that I'm after...

 

[Tarek]

I've gotten a whole lot more relaxed and less anxious since I was forced to unplug Cable TV. Without the daily doses of gloom, doom, and anxiety that the "news" peddles in a desperate attempt to climb in the ratings, I've found that life is a lot less stressful.

 

[Felon]

Hulu PLUS was looking like a good candidate. the PS3 has a client, which means the remote for it can be used to start and pause episodes. The 360's getting a client, which would have been the same thing for the other TV. However, the lack of current shows that I'm interested in is a deal breaker. If Hulu had EVERY show from Every network, that would have been very valuable.

Reportedly, Hulu is in trouble. They are under a lot of pressure to produce profits, while a big slice of the media (network and cable service) industry don't want to provide them with content. Hulu Plus is a rather terrible strategem, since creating a viable premium content zone basically means they have to withhold content which was previously free to watch. This displeased a lot of folks. And Hulu Plus has the same ads as free Hulu, which sort of offends common sense.

Add to that the far greater amount of content available on Netflix, and you have Hulu pulling rope-a-dope tactics to stay on their feet. This saddens me, because it really has the potential to be a game-changer.

Thinga I haven't explored: the iTunes Server functionality in my Dlink DNS 321 box. My iTunes library is on it already. If I buy a show, can it stream it to my 360/ps3? Thereby not needing a laptop to watch iTunes content.

If you want to watch on your Xbox, just use Zune. You can download the shows right to the box or stream from a networked PC.

 

[Felon]

I've gotten a whole lot more relaxed and less anxious since I was forced to unplug Cable TV. Without the daily doses of gloom, doom, and anxiety that the "news" peddles in a desperate attempt to climb in the ratings, I've found that life is a lot less stressful.

Better living through denial, eh?

 

[Janx]

Felons info jives with what i suspected about hulu

With zune, will it stream stuff from my itunes library?

How much are episodes of new stuff?

How current are the episodes?

Thanks for the info

 

[Felon]

Felons info jives with what i suspected about hulu

With zune, will it stream stuff from my itunes library?

How much are episodes of new stuff?

How current are the episodes?

Thanks for the info[/QUOTE]
I believe TV episodes are $2 for SD and $3 for HD. As to streaming content downloaded through iTunes, if you bought it directly through iTunes then it has DRM on it.

If you have a lot of content purchased this way, then you're looking at A) connecting your computer to your TV as an auxiliary display, B) getting a dock for a portable Apple device (iPhone or iPad) that you can connect to your TV, or C) getting AppleTV,.

If you don't, then you should stop using iTunes IMO. Use Zune or Amazon. iTunes is too locked down.

 

[Janx]

I believe TV episodes are $2 for SD and $3 for HD. As to streaming content downloaded through iTunes, if you bought it directly through iTunes then it has DRM on it.

If you have a lot of content purchased this way, then you're looking at A) connecting your computer to your TV as an auxiliary display, B) getting a dock for a portable Apple device (iPhone or iPad) that you can connect to your TV, or C) getting AppleTV,.

If you don't, then you should stop using iTunes IMO. Use Zune or Amazon. iTunes is too locked down.

I know iTunes is $2 an episode (which after a season, is more than a boxed set).

Zune is about the same pricing, isn't it?

the apple cable for iThings is about $50 last time I checked. Compare to the PSP's cable for about $20. Pretty pricey (and half-way to doing an AppleTV to access your itunes library over the wire)

Since you recommend Zune, isn't Zune just as locked down? It's only going to work on my xbox and presumably a windows app (Media Player/Zune Player?). I've never "rented/bought" a movie or show on Zune. I bought 1 iTunes episode of a show that I missed that fell off the network's web site (stupid DVR from comcast).


If store content is relatively equivalent, Zune works for TV1 with my xbox and TV2 with a laptop. Amazon would only work on TV2. iTunes would require laptop, thus also TV2 only (not going to buy a $50 cable).

What I'd probably need is to make a list of all the shows I watch, and identify the sources/cost to get them.

If HuluPlus covered 45% of the shows, and Zune covered the rest, what Zune covers will need to be mathed out to make sure it is cheaper than $70 - $10 for Hulu on a per month basis.

thanks for helping with some info felon. I think we really are close to being able to replace cable TV with equivalent functionality. It just needs a little more content.