Learn me - streaming TV

pinchvalve wrote: The antenna for local channels, is that HD? I recall with the recent digital-only changeover that local HD be available, even with an antenna.

Depends on your local affiliate, but they are all digital, usually 720p

pinchvalve wrote: The antenna for local channels, is that HD? I recall with the recent digital-only changeover that local HD be available, even with an antenna.

Not sure if this is what you're asking, but any antenna will pick up HD. The signal isn't smart enough to avoid old antennas. Some places marketed "HD antennas" to get paid by the hype.

I've heard from a fairly reliable source that the signal you get from an antenna will be HD in a higher resolution than cable.

Said it before, I've got a Roko, no cable and haven't had cable for 15 years. Roku is brilliant for Netflix etc. But if I were to do it again I'd get an apple TV as that can do YouTube and Roku can't. We've had our Roku 18+ months and it's reliable as a sun rise as long as you have decent broadband. I had to upgrade when we fist got it as DSL couldn't cope.

Stereo all installed now and bringing this back from the dead

What does a Roku need to successfully connect?

Internet (wireless or wired), HDMI cable.

It will come with the power cable. That's it.

We've actually picked one up and use it a bit now so we aren't always running the computer.

Will an older 720 TV accept it?

In reply to aussiesmg:

It doesn't matter what your TV is, as long as it has an HDMI port. Look at the ports.

as mentioned... HDMI is ideal... but I know some of them will also work via RCA on old tube TV's (I know mine does) but only in low def (420 res)

roku is dead simple but I was never super fond of the layout on either netflix or hulu... the xbox 360 was better in every way (other then requiring xbox live which = $$$)... on the old low def TV the Wii worked great for netflix (and now does hulu from what I understand)

that being said I haven't touched the roku in months... at our old apt we had the roku in our bedroom, xbox in the living room and wii on the kids TV... we and my in-laws moved into a house (out of apts) back in may... they insist on having dish and DVR... we only pay for the cost of the "cable boxes" we use and ditched hulu/netflix... price costs slightly more then hulu/netflix combo but it's nice having "real" tv again... that being said when we are back out on our own or if the in-laws decide they don't want it anymore our family will go back to the hulu/netflix/torrent model

^The Roku 3 (the only one worth buying) is HDMI only.

For us it required finally buying an updated received too, since my previous Onkyo didn't have HDMI inputs.

I love our new Denon receiver, but the power is so much cleaner it's really pointing out the holes in our speakers.

So it continues......

z31maniac wrote: ^The Roku 3 (the only one worth buying) is HDMI only. For us it required finally buying an updated received too, since my previous Onkyo didn't have HDMI inputs. I love our new Denon receiver, but the power is so much cleaner it's really pointing out the holes in our speakers. So it continues......

That part I have covered at least.

Somewhat related question. Monday night I signed up for my free trial week of Hulu Plus. I find it to be very irritating with all the ads that play every 5 minutes, some of them even wait for a response from me to decide what version of a commercial I want to see which is even less acceptable.

Will this go away after the free trial week or is this crap just part of the service? I will cancel immediately if it stays.

From their FAQ section:

I heard there are ads on Hulu Plus. Why?

We include advertisements in Hulu Plus in order to reduce the monthly subscription price of the service. Premium content — especially from the current TV season — is not only expensive to make and license, but we also want to compensate our content partners fairly for the valuable entertainment they provide.

Hulu Plus offers what no other streaming content service on the market today can: all current season episodes of popular shows like Glee, Family Guy, and Modern Family, and full series runs (all episodes from every season) of popular library shows, including The X-Files, Arrested Development, Desperate Housewives, Battlestar Galactica, Monk, Saturday Night Live, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Ugly Betty, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and many more.

We have found that by including a modest ad load, we can keep the price for Hulu Plus under eight bucks, while still providing users with access to the most popular current season shows on the devices of their choice.

We're continually working to tailor the ad experience to your interests in an effort to make the advertising you see on Hulu Plus more relevant and useful to you. In addition, we are always evaluating new business models, including the option of a higher priced, ad-free model.

Thanks for posting that Stuart. I was going to try Hulu plus, but I'm not going to pay for adverts. That's one reason I ditched cable. A "modest ad load" today might be X minutes of ad per 1/2 hour of programming, but a "modest ad load" tomorrow WILL be twice that.

Yeah, I can get unwanted ads on local TV for free.

If only there were a forum which would inform me of movies I could watch online.

I have had a Roku for years now. Very easy.
I currently share a Nextflix account with a friend. Netflix allows for 4 devices on one account. My friend has his TV, laptop and phone registered as well as my livingroom TV.

I am not sure if Hulu also has a multi-unit policy like this.

I tried this experiment last year with a couple of homemade 4 bay antennas, a Roku, and a Wii. Cable company lured us back but they are switching to an all digital signal that will require a box on every TV. The kids watch 3 channels (content available on Netflix) so when our 12 month "special" expires, we're going back to OTA and streaming. I had mixed results with my antennas and am thinking of buying a commercial unit. Any suggestions? I did try a variety of set top antennas but they didn't work any better than my homemade ones. There is one network that is farther away than the others and in the opposite direction. I'm thinking a unidirectional attic (tight fit) or roof mount will work - no HOA to worry about.

A computer hooked to a TV pretty much will deliver anything you want, any time you want, including live TV if you don't mind lousy quality.

Google is your friend.

I sincerely hope that when we move to a new place that I can convince the GF (I suppose I need to switch to calling her something more generic as that will be inaccurate shortly...) that we don't need cable when we get a new place. OTA for network shows hooked up to my Nettop to serve as a DVR, and a combination of the Nettop, the AppleTV, and possibly my PS3 for everything else. The problem will be getting it set up so it's simple enough for her to operate like the cable box is...

aussie, I responded to your email.

Ashyukun wrote: ...the GF (I suppose I need to switch to calling her something more generic as that will be inaccurate shortly...)

SWMBO...in the end, they all must be obeyed, regardless of your ring situation...

My issue with streaming services is that some of my favorite shows are cable only networks...FX and AMC have my favorite shows (Justified, Walking dead etc). I dont think Id be able to get those without paying. Then theres SWMBO - shes addicted to HGTV/DIY network. Then, we both love HBO and Skinemax...I hate getting that bill each month from the Cable CO., but I dont see a way to avoid it right now.

I currently get a couple hundred channels, but I only watch a dozen or so, the big 3 being part of that dozen. I wish there were a way to a la cart my channels, and only pay for the several I actually enjoy...

Have you tried searching on some of the sites for your favorite shows or channels? Sometimes they'll have the previous week's shows available for free.

Plus, many of the shows end up online on Youtube and other video sharing sites.

Ultimately, the decision is to simply watch less TV and spend more time doing something with that money you save, like actually doing some of those HGTV and DIY projects ;)

4cylndrfury wrote: My issue with streaming services is that some of my favorite shows are cable only networks...FX and AMC have my favorite shows (Justified, Walking dead etc). I dont think Id be able to get those without paying. Then theres SWMBO - shes addicted to HGTV/DIY network. Then, we both love HBO and Skinemax...I hate getting that bill each month from the Cable CO., but I dont see a way to avoid it right now. I currently get a couple hundred channels, but I only watch a dozen or so, the big 3 being part of that dozen. I wish there were a way to a la cart my channels, and only pay for the several I actually enjoy...

I guarantee that within 24 hours of airing whatever show you want to see is on a torrent somewhere.

If you have a Mac all you need is this: http://tvshowsapp.com/

and this: http://www.transmissionbt.com/

In reply to turboswede:

I remodelled my last house from top to bottom: Tiled floors, installed countertops, recovered the deck, ripped out a fiberglas shower stall and replaced it with tile and a shower basin

I just renovated our current house (the house my father in law grew up in) so it would be nice while we stayed there for the next year. That included: ripping down panelling and replacing with drywall and built in custom bookshelves, all new prehung interior doors, new exterior door, converting a garage that was converted into a bedroom back into a garage, new garage door, and tearing a bathroom down to the studs, replacing several rotted floor joists, reframing the rotted exterior wall, and replacing EVERYHITNG - shower, vanity, toilet, plumbing, lighting etc.

I got the DIY home stuff under control