Main > Everything Else
pros/cons of dropping cable TV service
Green Giant:
--- Quote from: pinballjim on April 12, 2012, 02:27:21 pm ---Personally, I just like flipping stuff on and having it work. I don't want to leave PCs on 24/7 and I don't want to wait for them to boot up into buggy software.
--- End quote ---
A lower power 35-60 watt PC system will still use less power than the similar equipment from most cable companies. I know comcast boxes are among the worst power whores out there just sucking the stuff up like it might run out. On or off most cable company equipment always uses a ton of power.
kahlid74:
--- Quote from: Green Giant on April 12, 2012, 01:53:21 pm ---
--- Quote from: GameOver on April 12, 2012, 11:29:52 am ---
--- Quote from: Samstag on April 12, 2012, 10:48:20 am ---
--- Quote from: GameOver on April 12, 2012, 09:28:11 am ---
--- Quote from: kahlid74 on April 12, 2012, 08:45:11 am ---Cable isn't actually that expensive when you don't do the HD/DVR boxes.
--- End quote ---
I agree - i pay @40/mo. Just for my 3 set top boxes. Whats the alternative?
--- End quote ---
I get over 50 channels over the air and have HD and a DVR for $0 per month..
--- End quote ---
I get the ota antenna HD channels (only about 12 in my location). It seemed kahlid74 was implying he watched cable w/o paying for the set top boxes which for me adds $40 to my bill by itself (1 reg HD box, 2 HD dvr boxes). If i could drop the boxes somehow and still watch cable channels that would change the value proposition a bit!
@chrisk - sounds like you have a good deal! Right now i'm paying FIOS $165/mo for internet & tv. I'm considering switching to Comcast internet only for $40/mo. Plus either Netflix streaming ($9/mo) and/or Hulu Plus ($9/mo) so i'd be looking at $58/mo vs $165/mo and thats if i keep both netflix & hulu. So basically would save @100+/month or $1,200+/year. I could build 2 more cabs!
--- End quote ---
Another option is to build yourself a HTPC and utilize an InfiniTV. This little device fits in your PCI express slot and holds a cable card which you rent from your cable company. The rental price is free, although you have to really scream at comcast to get that price. They will try to rip you off. I hate those guys.
The thing is, the InfiniTV interfaces perfectly with Windows Media Center. It has 4 tuners built in which you can network to other computers with windows media center on your network. Right now I have a HTPC with an infinitv in my living room hooked up to a comcast cablecard. I have 3 tuners assigned to this tv allowing 3 different recordings at the same time. I assigned the fourth tuner to my other computer in my mancave. It pulls in HD and SD channels just fine.
Another nice thing is you can still watch the recorded shows on any computer you have that has windows media center. I am still working on the final tweaks to my whole system, but it is coming along very very nicely. I finally turned in my stupid HD/DVR box from comcast.
To give you an idea of my setup, right now on my living room PC I have:
- An infinitv reading a comcast cablecard providing 4 tuners.
- I pay for comcast prefered cable tv giving like 200 channels plus encore. I have a few digital adapters on other tvs just to get the basic 1-150 channels. They are free for 2 of them.
- 2 TB of movie storage all organized and cataloged with MediaCenterMaster. Viewed through media browser.
- Another TB of TV show storage to hold entire series of shows also organized and auto downloaded through MCM.
- About 500 GB to store any shows I record from the cablecard.
- A wireless network offering up all of the above movies, tv shows, and recorded tvs shows to any windows PC.
- Hulu desktop(free) which interfaces to open from Windows Media Center.
- Netflix which I still keep around cause of the shows and I can stream it on my cellphone.
And my mancave computer is actually a mineral oil PC that can stream everything including live tv from my main HTPC in the living room. The mineral oil is necessary, but it is fun having a computer in a fish tank filled with liquid.
I personally think my setup is the best of both worlds. You get HD cable channels for instant viewing which I need and my wife would kill me if I stopped. You get those HD channels at a far cheaper price than renting the TERRIBLE TERRIBLE comcast equipment. You also get all of the free streaming sites that work seamlessly with the cable tv through windows media center. I can also store and instantly watch TONS of **legally** acquired movies through a beautifully organized collection.
--- End quote ---
The InfiniTV adapters are the way to go but they do have a high upfront cost.
At the end of the day we don't own a DVR and we watch commercials and we're fine with it. We also don't watch any shows period. None. When we watch we just turn the tv on and go through channels until we find something that grabs our attention. TV shows just aren't worth it to us anymore. I can't find one I'm remotely interested in. Perhaps I have too many other things I do with my time but I haven't been a TV guy in 6 years?
Samstag:
--- Quote from: pinballjim on April 12, 2012, 02:27:21 pm ---Personally, I just like flipping stuff on and having it work. I don't want to leave PCs on 24/7 and I don't want to wait for them to boot up into buggy software.
--- End quote ---
When I turn on one of my xbox 360s they automatically turn on my PC if it isn't already. It goes into standby if it isn't in use.
I don't have any buggy software on mine but you could probably load some if you're into that.
Donkbaca:
--- Quote ---TV shows just aren't worth it to us anymore. I can't find one I'm remotely interested in. Perhaps I have too many other things I do with my time but I haven't been a TV guy in 6 years?
--- End quote ---
I am on board with this, combined with this:
--- Quote ---Personally, I just like flipping stuff on and having it work. I don't want to leave PCs on 24/7 and I don't want to wait for them to boot up into buggy software.
--- End quote ---
At the end of the day its a headache to set up, especially if you have an uncooperative cable company. A buddy of mine has a Tivo that uses a cable card, took him like 2 months to finally get on from the local cable company. I am sure the media center stuff works fine, but I am with Jim in that I don't want to have to boot up a PC or deal with all that crap.
That infinitv thing is like 200 bucks, then you have to load all the software, and configure a HTPC. You still have to pay for the cable subscription.
Get a Roku, they are under a hundred bucks, you can find a streaming blu ray for under 150, easy and that will give you blu ray playback. If you have an xbox 360, you can access all that online streaming stuff too. The only advantage the infinitv gives you is the ability to watch live tv - who cares? 99% of the stuff I watched when I had cable was recorded. Hulu is SO much better, limited commercials, no need to set reminders to record.. . etc., etc. Plus with one of these other boxes its literally plug and play.
If you absolutely MUST watch the latest storage wars, right when it comes out, with all the commercials, then go the above route. To me its just not worth it.
Yeah, there are a couple of shows you can't get on Hulu so you wait a couple of months and get the blu rays from amazon. No big deal, its worth it to me.
Green Giant:
--- Quote from: Donkbaca on April 12, 2012, 03:39:47 pm ---
--- Quote ---TV shows just aren't worth it to us anymore. I can't find one I'm remotely interested in. Perhaps I have too many other things I do with my time but I haven't been a TV guy in 6 years?
--- End quote ---
I am on board with this, combined with this:
--- Quote ---Personally, I just like flipping stuff on and having it work. I don't want to leave PCs on 24/7 and I don't want to wait for them to boot up into buggy software.
--- End quote ---
At the end of the day its a headache to set up, especially if you have an uncooperative cable company. A buddy of mine has a Tivo that uses a cable card, took him like 2 months to finally get on from the local cable company. I am sure the media center stuff works fine, but I am with Jim in that I don't want to have to boot up a PC or deal with all that crap.
That infinitv thing is like 200 bucks, then you have to load all the software, and configure a HTPC. You still have to pay for the cable subscription.
Get a Roku, they are under a hundred bucks, you can find a streaming blu ray for under 150, easy and that will give you blu ray playback. If you have an xbox 360, you can access all that online streaming stuff too. The only advantage the infinitv gives you is the ability to watch live tv - who cares? 99% of the stuff I watched when I had cable was recorded. Hulu is SO much better, limited commercials, no need to set reminders to record.. . etc., etc. Plus with one of these other boxes its literally plug and play.
If you absolutely MUST watch the latest storage wars, right when it comes out, with all the commercials, then go the above route. To me its just not worth it.
Yeah, there are a couple of shows you can't get on Hulu so you wait a couple of months and get the blu rays from amazon. No big deal, its worth it to me.
--- End quote ---
I find it so funny that one of the downsides to my setup is the hastle with setting it all up. I mean yeah it takes some time, but this is the BYOAC forum. I thought that is what you guys are here to do.
I guess if you hate tv shows and sports, my setup would be very bad. The wife loves all those stupid real housewives shows and I like to watch basketball and football, especially college.
One of the biggest advantages to the infinitv is how well it integrates with windows media center which has multiple other features it can do. If all I wanted was live tv I would use the cable company equipment.
Like I said, there is far more my HTPC does. For the tv shows that we like watching on a regular basis I automatically download them via torrents, then get episode information and neatly categorize it in my media library. Sort of like what Hulu does only much faster with zero commercials.
In fact everything you mentioned I also have....except episodes of storage wars, never seen it. My roku is in another room and my blu ray with streaming netflix capabilities is in my man cave. I guess I just like electronics and tinkering with stuff.
But my main point was that there are options outside of renting cable company equipment, paying for a tivo subscription, and having to cancel tv altogether and use internet only.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version