Firing the Cable Company

[my-rifle]

We went off the wire this week.

My wife and I made the Big Leap this week. We disconnected our satellite service and went over to exclusively internet content for our entertainment. The amount and quality of the content available on the internet has grown far beyond the crappy "least-common-denominator" programming we were fed up with receiving for $70 per month. Since we already have a high-speed internet cable coming into a router on the property, we realized that a $10 per month Netflix subscription and a $10 TV.com subscription along with all the content I get free from Hulu.com and an antenna for the free broadcast local yokel channels gives us such a wide range of content that we couldn't watch it all.

We went with an internet-ready Samsung Blu-ray player to manage the content, but I already realized that the $130 I spent on it was a waste of money. I can more easily manage the content by running a split-screen from one of my networked servers to the wide-screen TV, and using a wireless mouse and keyboard to run the set from the sofa just as if it were a really good TV remote. My daughter can play games on Sesame Street's website, and I use freeware called "Servio" to let the Blu-Ray player see content on my home network. I'm probably in the near future going to install Windows 7.0 on one of my workstations, and use it to manage the content instead of the server, because Windows 7.0 allows you to use a regular infrared remote control to run the computer, and I'm sure my wife would prefer that to the keyboard and mouse. Since my server is running Windows 2008 it can't use the remote.

Anyway the purpose of this thread is to let you guys who haven't explored this easy-to-use technology that it's here, it's inexpensive, and it will replace the pre-determined streaming content from cable and satellite that we've all had to put up with for so many years. The only drawback that I can see is that you may have to do some research to find the 300 channels of sports and QVC that clogged my satellite network. You can get the local stuff off an antenna, but if you want to watch 3 games at a time while running another soccer game and a channel of "Girls Gone Wild" you may have to stay with the satellite or cable. Anybody who wants to find out more about this feel free to contact me, and I'll tell you more than you want to hear about how to do it.

 

[Guate_shooter]

LOL this is awesome, I work offshor and only stay home 6 months out the month and out of that I might watch tv maybe 3 months all together so I have been considering saving the $60 for cable TV, unfurtunelty my TV is outdated all the High Def stuff was taken by my ex wife on the divorce so its tube TV for me .

Good idea though, since I stay online when I'm home and the TV usually stays on Country Music Channel or Outdoor TV

 

[my-rifle]

What's really awesome about the whole internet content thing is that Netflix, TV.com, and Hulu offer entire seasons of the shows I want to watch. I keep discovering shows that I've never seen, and watching 6 seasons in a couple months. It really improves the TV-watching experience to not have to wait weeks or months for the next episode of whatever show I'm enjoying. I've discovered "Weeds" and watched all of it, and "Road No. 1" - 18 episodes on South Korean TV. I've watched all of "Vietnam, The 10,000 Day War" and everything I can find featuring Ingrid Bergman.

By the way I just bought a 23" LED/LCD ASUS monitor for $150 from NewEgg. It is destined to be my wife's bedroom TV, since she likes to watch TV before bed, and I don't want anything big in there. Maybe when I set up the Windows Media Center workstation, I'll put the new monitor and the Blu-Ray player in the bedroom for her to watch. All that equipment totals about $300, and since I'm saving $50 each month on satellite fees, it pays for itself in 6 months. The economy of the deal is hard to ignore.

 

[Splash]

We fired the cable company about 2 years ago now. We use ether Netflix or buy something off of Playstation Store.

I'm waiting for the cable companies to bring some kind of lawsuit against these internet based tv companies and foul it all up...its only a matter of time.

 

[headshot]

I'm going to check into this. Thanks!!

 

[Mirror]

We fired the cable company about 2 years ago now. We use ether Netflix or buy something off of Playstation Store.

I'm waiting for the cable companies to bring some kind of lawsuit against these internet based tv companies and foul it all up...its only a matter of time.

A lawsuit? What for?

 

[3axap]

I never even got cable when I moved out on my own :-p The TV is turned on maybe twice the month at most. Kudos on kicking the cable TV rip off

 

[f350drvr]

You can get links to most tv shows here:

http://www.theiwatchnetwork.com/alphabet/

I am watching the 3rd season of Dexter now.

 

[jimdana1942]

I would like to dothis but my internet comes from the cable company, what can i do.

 

[LA_Huntsman]

I would like to dothis but my internet comes from the cable company, what can i do.

you can have data service without video service

 

[my-rifle]

I would like to dothis but my internet comes from the cable company, what can i do.

What LA Huntsman said. Why pay for the same service twice? If you already pay them for data, why pay them AGAIN for your television? (rhetorical question)

That's what I did. I canceled the television portion of the cable (or in my case satellite) and kept the high-speed internet service.

 

[my-rifle]

Herohog, you sent me an email through Bayoushooter, but your address appears to not exist or so my email client keeps telling me. Also you have your account set to not accept PMs, so I have to respond to you in this thread. Here it goes:

Here's what you need:

TV/Monitor with inputs that will talk to your output devices: computer, Blu-ray player, attic antenna (a loop will do, but not as well). The TV should accept DVI (digital video input - like your computer monitor accepts), 3/4" mini-jack audio input as well as RCA output for speakers - whatever type you want - 3/4" out for computer speakers or 5-channel out for a home stereo. If you want you can ignore the TV outputs, and plug speakers directly into your computers sound card. The only problem with this is your TV remote won't be able to control them. You'll have to control audio volume from your computer. Again this may or may not be a problem.

I ran a network cable from my router to my Blu-ray player, then a coax cable from the Blu-ray player to the TV. The Blu-ray player is a Samsung BD-C-5500. What it does is of course play discs, but also when you turn it on , and set the TV input to the Blu-ray player, a menu displays. The menu by default shows VuDu, Netflix, Blockbuster, and a couple other services. I only use Netflix, since the others only ship DVDs. They don't stream content. I select Netflix, then I see a list of the Netflix content that I selected using my computer and the Netflix website. Neflix costs $10 per month and no contracts.

You control all devices and volume now from your Blu-ray remote, and all is well.
*******************************************

Now for the Computer - to - TV connection.

OK. On my server where I store all my downloaded "content", I run software called Servio which displays a window on my server that allows me to select directory trees where I want content to come from. Servio then periodically (you set the period) re-indexes the files, to keep itself up to date on any changes you make. Now back to the Blu-ray player menu. You can select the "device" from which to read content. By default this device is the Blu-ray player. You can easily though select another device on its menu - which now includes the computer(s) running Servio. Each computer shows as a separate device. Select the device, then a bunch of folders display, and you can run down the directory tree just like in File Manager under Windows. You can play video files, images, or audio.

Back to the server now. I'm assuming you have a video card that allows you to split your screen across several monitors, you have the TV plugged in as monitor #2, and you know how to do this.

Do this.

Now start your browser, and point it to www.hulu.com, www.tv.com, or some other video streaming service. Select the video you want to watch (The film, "Stagecoach", "The Daily Show", etc.), and drag the browser to the TV screen (remember you split your screen?)

Here's what you have now. You're playing a video that displays on your TV, and it adjusts its level of resolution to your bandwidth. You're controlling it entirely from your computer, which can be a bit ponderous for those of us raised on TV remotes. Windows Vista and Windows 7 come with a set of drivers for infrared USB devices. One of these that I got for $25 from NewEgg is a "Rosewill WMC Remote Control and Receiver". It's a mostly ordinary-looking remote with a few windows button, and a USB dongle that has an infrared window that can see the remote. You can control your media content as well as the volume through the Windows remote control. If you have your audio connected to your computer now, you can control all devices (except the TV which just needs to be turned on and muted) from your remote.

I hope this helped. Really the Blu-ray player isn't necessary, but if you don't want to read up on running content from your computer to your TV or it seems ponderous, then the Blu-ray player is an easy but limited alternative. My wife and I used this setup just to prove that we liked it for a month, before we felt comfortable enough with it to close down the satellite service. It's been very easy ever since, and we don't have to miss anything. A lot more content is available to us now for less money.

If you run an antenna into the TV or Blu-ray player (or computer if you have a tuner card), you can choose local broadcast content as well. We don't yet, but a friend of mine has done so, and it's beautiful.

 

[Azimuth]

Are LSU and Saints games availible live using this?

 

[herohog]

Herohog, you sent me an email through Bayoushooter, but your address appears to not exist or so my email client keeps telling me. Also you have your account set to not accept PMs, so I have to respond to you in this thread.

Sorry `bout that. I keep the email function off to cut down on SPAM but the Private messaging option was and IS on so anyone on here can leave me private messages. Dunno why that puked on you... I don't remember what email address I gave you, if any, cause I expected a reply through the private message function here but that's not a big deal. My email address is this boards name at my screen name dot com.

THANKS for the info! I am digging through it now to see if I have any questions which I probably will just because I ask a lot of questions to make sure I get all the gotcha's in most anything I study.

 

[herohog]

Do you have the URL to "Servio" and is it a Windows app? I can run any windows OS from XP-Pro to Windows 7 Pro. I am familiar with Hulu and use it a bunch. I also just started using http://www.theiwatchnetwork.com/alphabet/ which is similar to TV.com at a quick glance. I also have the Windows IR Remote package already as well as a Logitech universal programmable remote. Check them out, they ROCK!

 

[Ninja]

Anyone doing this using Linux? I might have to try that option since I have an extra Fedora server just sitting around.

 

[my-rifle]

Sorry. The Servio link is

http://www.serviio.org/

Two "i"s.

A Linux version is available too.

The Samsung player lets you download a program from Samsung that's supposed to do the same thing, but it REALLY sucks. The Serviio software is a lot better.

Herohog, what version of Windows are you running? I ask, because the best information I could find (and hours of configuration research) left me thinking that the IR receiver and transceiver drivers do not work with anything prior to Windows Vista. I tried for hours to get the Vista drivers to work on Windows 2008 Server, but I never could get them to work.

 

[herohog]

I am runing Windows 7 but own XP-Pro and Vista Home and another Vista that is a 64 bit version so OS isn't an issue for me. Thanks.

 

[Gus McCrae]

We do the same thing. Haven't had cable for a few months. Makes it a little hard to catch all the college football games I want, but I haven't had problems otherwise. Netflix rocks. We watch shows online using a PS3 or Wii.

BTW, check out ESPN3.

 

[my-rifle]

I just came into possession of a 2-year-old Dell computer from which I stripped the old OS and laid down Vista 32, so I can experiment with the IR controller. Unfortunately my router's 4 wired ports are full already with a server, a workstation, a NAS, and the Blu-Ray player, so I may have to set this one up, my media server, on a wireless connection. I'm not pleased with that choice, believe me. The prospect of running Vista doesn't appeal to me either, but for the time being I guess I'm stuck.