HiRe-definition: the Ars A/V Club weighs in on the future of TV
Excellent article about how TV technology will allow us to alter our viewing habits and deliver content tailored to individuals.
Showing posts with label Netflix. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Netflix. Show all posts
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Forget getting Netflix or Hulu Plus on TiVo-made cable DVRs
Forget getting Netflix or Hulu Plus on TiVo-made cable DVRs
Just in case you were thinking of upgrading your service to include a TiVo DVR from your cable provider, be aware that even though the devices are capable of streaming content from Netflix and/or Hulu Plus cable providers will prevent you from using their devices to do so. Read the Ars Technica article for more information.
Just in case you were thinking of upgrading your service to include a TiVo DVR from your cable provider, be aware that even though the devices are capable of streaming content from Netflix and/or Hulu Plus cable providers will prevent you from using their devices to do so. Read the Ars Technica article for more information.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
HDTV: A guide for the perplexed
Another excellent article about high-definition TV, HDTV: A guide for the perplexed. Some of the latest models come with widgets that will allow you to stream Netflix or other content to the TV, a few of those models will do this wirelessly. If you're in the market for a new TV, with the money you're saving on cable I hope, this article is a great place to start.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Netflix looks to add newest TV episodes - CNN
Netflix looks to add newest TV episodes - CNN
This is good news as this means that more of your favorite shows could be appearing on Netflix the same season they air on broadcast TV. It will be interesting to see how this develops in 2011.
This is good news as this means that more of your favorite shows could be appearing on Netflix the same season they air on broadcast TV. It will be interesting to see how this develops in 2011.
Monday, November 22, 2010
So how much money will I save on my cable tv bill?
First a word about how much money you save. I am not guaranteeing that you will save $100 a month. You may save more, you may save less. Depending on what you have for equipment you may not see a savings in the short term. Before we cut back on our service, I already had an Xbox 360 and a Playstation 3. I have been a Netflix subscriber since 2002. I didn't pay for my Xbox; I won it in a contest when they were launched in 2005. Not including my PS3, I had a device that would let me stream content for free and I was already paying for Netflix. My costs were only the cost of the Netflix membership.
If you have premium channels, you will save money by making this switch. You will have to give up watching the latest shows the day they premiere to catch them on Hulu or wait for a DVD collection to come out.
If you don't have a home computer or a game console that will allow you to stream content, you can pick up a set top box for as little as $60 (Roku products on Amazon
) and a streaming only Netflix membership for $8 a month. If you're giving up at least two premium channels you can recoup your costs within a month. You can even get free trials of Netflix as a new subscriber.
At this point I hope that you have made the decision to try saving money on cable TV. From this point we will be looking closely at the devices and content providers that you can take advantage of to supplement your TV programming.
If you have premium channels, you will save money by making this switch. You will have to give up watching the latest shows the day they premiere to catch them on Hulu or wait for a DVD collection to come out.
If you don't have a home computer or a game console that will allow you to stream content, you can pick up a set top box for as little as $60 (Roku products on Amazon
) and a streaming only Netflix membership for $8 a month. If you're giving up at least two premium channels you can recoup your costs within a month. You can even get free trials of Netflix as a new subscriber.At this point I hope that you have made the decision to try saving money on cable TV. From this point we will be looking closely at the devices and content providers that you can take advantage of to supplement your TV programming.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Switching to Netflix can save you money
Netflix was one of the first companies to provide movie rental service via mail. These days, in addition to being one of the top Blu Ray rental services, Netflix is known for its Watch Instantly service. Selected Movies and TV shows are available for streaming on demand. What is insanely great about this service is that you can stream Netflix to a wide variety of devices. Game consoles like the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and the Nintendo Wii will stream Netflix content. Netflix content is available on most iOS devices including the iPod Touch, iPad and Apple TV. Roku makes a series of set top boxes that stream Netflix and there are several Internet ready TVs and Blu Ray players that will stream Netflix as well.
Netflix will also allow you to set up queues for your DVDs and Watch Instantly titles. You can change the order of either queue as often as you'd like. As you establish a pattern of movies and/or TV viewing, you'll be pointed to titles that you may like automatically. You can review titles if you're an armchair critic and even share your comments on Facebook.
As of this writing, movie rentals and streaming are only available in the US while Canadians can only stream content. This isn't a technological limitation as it is more of a licensing issue. Starting at $9 a month you can really cut into your cable bill!
Next post, I will talk about how you can access your favorite sports and still save money on cable!
Netflix will also allow you to set up queues for your DVDs and Watch Instantly titles. You can change the order of either queue as often as you'd like. As you establish a pattern of movies and/or TV viewing, you'll be pointed to titles that you may like automatically. You can review titles if you're an armchair critic and even share your comments on Facebook.
As of this writing, movie rentals and streaming are only available in the US while Canadians can only stream content. This isn't a technological limitation as it is more of a licensing issue. Starting at $9 a month you can really cut into your cable bill!
Next post, I will talk about how you can access your favorite sports and still save money on cable!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
What's on TV?
One of the best things about streaming content to your television is that you can decide what you want to see and not pay for anything you wouldn't want. I had to pay a premium to watch the NFL Network and was not interested in the other dozen sports channels that came with the package.
In addition the local channels I get with basic cable this is what I have for TV viewing:
Netflix - Netflix rents movies on DVD and Blu Ray, but has a substantial number of titles that are available to stream. Some of the content is available in HD. There are many more shows and movies to rent on DVD than are available streaming, but there is still a wide variety of shows to choose from. You can sign up for $8 a month if you're only interested in streaming movies and shows.
ESPN3 - ESPN3 provides select content from ESPN as well as live sports including college football and NBA basketball. However ESPN3 is not available to all internet service providers. Also if you want to watch it on TV, you will have to connect a PC to it or have an Xbox 360 with a Gold Level membership (which costs $60 a year).
Revision3 - Revision3 distributes video content on a variety of topics, mostly geek culture. It's free to download the shows, however you would need a device to stream the content to the TV.
If you have made it this far, thanks! My next posts will walk you through how to connect all the pieces together so you can start saving money on cable!
In addition the local channels I get with basic cable this is what I have for TV viewing:
Netflix - Netflix rents movies on DVD and Blu Ray, but has a substantial number of titles that are available to stream. Some of the content is available in HD. There are many more shows and movies to rent on DVD than are available streaming, but there is still a wide variety of shows to choose from. You can sign up for $8 a month if you're only interested in streaming movies and shows.
ESPN3 - ESPN3 provides select content from ESPN as well as live sports including college football and NBA basketball. However ESPN3 is not available to all internet service providers. Also if you want to watch it on TV, you will have to connect a PC to it or have an Xbox 360 with a Gold Level membership (which costs $60 a year).
Revision3 - Revision3 distributes video content on a variety of topics, mostly geek culture. It's free to download the shows, however you would need a device to stream the content to the TV.
If you have made it this far, thanks! My next posts will walk you through how to connect all the pieces together so you can start saving money on cable!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
What do I need to get started?
Streaming television shows or other programming (also known as content) to your TV requires two things usually; a high speed internet connection and a device to bring the content to your TV.
Even if you have a standard definition TV, you can take advantage of streaming content from the internet to help save money on your cable bill.
There are a wide variety of devices available to bring content to your TV, each with their own pros and cons. Roku makes set top boxes that deliver content to your TV. These devices support standard and HD televisions. You can add them to your wireless network or plug them in via ethernet. Dozens of 'channels' of audio and video content are available with about half of those channels providing free content. The premium channel subscriptions are somewhat cheaper than cable. These are a easy way to bring content to your TV. However, they will not let you stream content from your home computers.
Many video game consoles such as the Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii will stream content to your TV. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 will allow you to stream content from your PC to the TV but not just any content. Any content that is free of digital rights management (DRM) and compatible with the system can be streamed. If you have a TV show you have purchased from Apple via iTunes you will not be able to stream that to any device that is not manufactured by Apple. If you have any of the devices you're halfway there to saving money on your cable bill. Congratulations!
If you're looking to purchase a device, you may want to consider a Roku set top box since it is very inexpensive and highly reviewed. Game consoles have the added benefit of playing DVDs, in the case of the PlayStation 3 Blu Ray discs and of course compelling video games. At a starting point of $200, this could be a pricey way to get started.
Other ways to get content streamed to your TV include Apple TV and internet enabled Blu Ray players. Apple TVs currently run $99 and stream content from iTunes and Netflix. Some internet enabled blu ray players also will stream content from Netflix and other sources. They can be found for as low as $150.
If you're in the market for a new TV, there are some HDTVs that will allow you to stream content directly to the TV itself. Sony's line of internet TVs powered by Google TV will allow you to take advantage of all the content available on the web plus support streaming content from Netflix and other providers. The first wave of these televisions are pricey but with the money you'll save on your cable bill, it is well worth the investment.
In my next post I will let you know what kind of content is available for you to stream to your TV.
Even if you have a standard definition TV, you can take advantage of streaming content from the internet to help save money on your cable bill.
There are a wide variety of devices available to bring content to your TV, each with their own pros and cons. Roku makes set top boxes that deliver content to your TV. These devices support standard and HD televisions. You can add them to your wireless network or plug them in via ethernet. Dozens of 'channels' of audio and video content are available with about half of those channels providing free content. The premium channel subscriptions are somewhat cheaper than cable. These are a easy way to bring content to your TV. However, they will not let you stream content from your home computers.
Many video game consoles such as the Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii will stream content to your TV. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 will allow you to stream content from your PC to the TV but not just any content. Any content that is free of digital rights management (DRM) and compatible with the system can be streamed. If you have a TV show you have purchased from Apple via iTunes you will not be able to stream that to any device that is not manufactured by Apple. If you have any of the devices you're halfway there to saving money on your cable bill. Congratulations!
If you're looking to purchase a device, you may want to consider a Roku set top box since it is very inexpensive and highly reviewed. Game consoles have the added benefit of playing DVDs, in the case of the PlayStation 3 Blu Ray discs and of course compelling video games. At a starting point of $200, this could be a pricey way to get started.
Other ways to get content streamed to your TV include Apple TV and internet enabled Blu Ray players. Apple TVs currently run $99 and stream content from iTunes and Netflix. Some internet enabled blu ray players also will stream content from Netflix and other sources. They can be found for as low as $150.
If you're in the market for a new TV, there are some HDTVs that will allow you to stream content directly to the TV itself. Sony's line of internet TVs powered by Google TV will allow you to take advantage of all the content available on the web plus support streaming content from Netflix and other providers. The first wave of these televisions are pricey but with the money you'll save on your cable bill, it is well worth the investment.
In my next post I will let you know what kind of content is available for you to stream to your TV.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)