Alternatives to Cable or Satellite TV

[Spastic Minnow]

I inch closer and closer to ditching my cable TV every day. Too expensive, too much not actually watched, but what are the alternatives? I did a google and found nothing I didn’t know. With digital signals a good TV means you get good network TV. The internet basically offers everything you want to watch in cheaper ways (if not a broadcast times) and of course there’s Netflix, which is always an awesome alternative.

If I went this route, got a digital TV (and a personal Tivo, because I now don’t think I could watch TV without DVR options ever again), what about those cable shows I watch? Yes, between streaming video and torrent sites you can watch just about anything you want... but you still have to watch it ON YOUR COMPUTER!

I’m trying to think of ways to get around this, hook the computer up in my living room, maybe get a bigger monitor or a TV that can be used as a monitor and a cordless keyboard to use as a “remote” to access shows... but then it would be awkward to use as a computer, for surfing, talking on forums, reading, word processing, whatever...would I need to split it up somehow? Two monitors to switch between?

I don’t even know if that’s possible in feasable way!

And for me there is one pair of shows that still make me leery of dropping cable. The Daily Show and the Colbert Report, I watch these every night. Or maybe save Colbert on the DVR to play the next morning while I get ready for work, and while those shows are streamed and archived now, they’re not streamed until the next day, never again can I say “did you see the Daily Show last night?” I’d always be a day behind (and they’re usually a day behind anyways because of their early taping time and prep time- so it’d be like being two days behind). But is it worth the cash you have to spend on cable for two shows? I pay about $130/month for bundled Cable and digital internet, I don’t think it is, something has to go!.

Thankfully I’m not a huge sports watcher, I could do without ESPN and cable sports coverage.

So here’s the question, have any semi-heavy TV watchers here ditched cable or satellite TV? How did you do it? Has anyone else considered doing it? How do you think you’d do it?

[StoneGold]

You can always stream from your PC to your computer. Here's an article about it. And holy crap, I wrote it.

http://www.obsessable.com/how-to/how-to-stream-videos-from-your-pc-to-your-tv/

It's gonna cost you some cash one way or another, but you can pick up an original Xbox modified for under $100 usually. Or in a slightly less seamless way, you can buy a DIVX player with a USB input and a flash drive for probably around $60-70 total. You have to move around a bit more, but it'll get the job done.

[Ontir]

I've been telling people to ditch their cable for a few years now. More and more, I can see almost everything I want, as it airs, LEGALLY, online! Between that and my Netflix subscription, $24/month, I'm in good shape! I've got my Mini hooked up to my HDTV, so I'm watching it in full-frame digital and often HD quality. OH! For less than a month of cable, I bought a season pass to "Mad Men," and I watch that as it's released (a day after cable-cast), and I own it, in DVD quality.

[Spastic Minnow]

I've been telling people to ditch their cable for a few years now. More and more, I can see almost everything I want, as it airs, LEGALLY, online! Between that and my Netflix subscription, $24/month, I'm in good shape! I've got my Mini hooked up to my HDTV, so I'm watching it in full-frame digital and often HD quality. OH! For less than a month of cable, I bought a season pass to "Mad Men," and I watch that as it's released (a day after cable-cast), and I own it, in DVD quality.

Do you use your mini for anything else? Because it's a mini, is it just that easy to transport between your TV and other monitor, if you have one.

[Ontir]

Yeah, I'm using my Mac Mini right now for internet. It's also the instrument through which I write, which is my career. I replaced my TV and CRT with an HDTV that does both a few years ago. I needed a much larger screen when I started learning Avid Express. There's no need to go between monitors.

[the goddamn batman]

If you have an XBOX 360, you can watch shit on your computer through your XBOX on your tv. Quality depends on the original file... some types of encoding won't work, not sure about which, just had some avi's that wouldn't play for some reason.

I got rid of my 360 recently, but it was a great feature when I had it. I wouldn't reccomend getting one just for that, but if you've already got one.

I just watch current tv online... legally most of the time... and netflix the rest.

fuck cable tv.

[Ontir]

But... I don't wanna watch shit.

[the goddamn batman]

But... "shit" is such a subjective term. There's no real way to quantify "shit".:wink:

[ultramandingo]

So here’s the question, have any semi-heavy TV watchers here ditched cable or satellite TV? How did you do it? Has anyone else considered doing it? How do you think you’d do it?

...........i get my shit from CIVIC-TV (Channel 83, Cable 12) Toronto

http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/4553/videodromeseshot3lyg1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

- Long live the New Flesh !!!!

[Spastic Minnow]

Man, a PS3 and Wii are getting close to what I want, but not quite. It seems like one more generation of "gaming console" might end up featuring full internet capabilities to use on your TV.

I Might just get a cheap laptop with an S-video hook up and network it with my home PC (which doesn't have one)... although it'd be great to also get a laptop with a Blu-ray player- two birds with one stone and such. not going to be cheap there.... beside, I don't actually have an HD TV yet.

What ever happens I figure I'll wait until Black Friday sales next month to see what kind of deals I can get.

[Pól Rua]

Alternatives to Cable or Satellite TV
They got these things called 'books' now.

...



...sorry, hadda say it.

[Ontir]

But... "shit" is such a subjective term. There's no real way to quantify "shit".:wink:

Yes, Dear (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0247144/): Shit has been quantified!!! :evilsmile:

[SwingFirst]

For a while I had my computer connected to my big screen and would download the shows and play em that way.

Audio still cam from the comp speakers, but you invest a bit in some surround sound ones and you have a decent setup.

[Ontir]

That's what I did.

[Spastic Minnow]

I gues the probelm is whether or not I want to go all out. I thought my computer could hook up to my television... or at least as a video in on my DVD-Recorder. Turns out it doesn't.

So what would I need to get a really good internet option mixed wiith Digital broadcast signal on my TV?
-A computer that does work with a Televison
-ideally a new TV, I still have a 25" Zenith I bought 10 years ago- hey, it works but I can't hook a computer input directly into it.
-High quality surround sound speakers for the computer's sound.
-Digital antenna
-Tivo (for broadcast TV- gotta have DVR)

I'm trying to SAVE money here. It'll eventually pay itself off but it's not like I can totally ween myself from Time Warner's grasp, I still need them for the Cable internet I'm so addicted to.

{edit} I've since read that trying to watch interent video on a standard old TV is pointles anyway... have to pick up a high quality TV regardless.... So I'd have to spend at least $1000 for a good set up (everything new), I I calculate the cost of Cable to be $70/ month... pays for it self in 14 months. Hmmm.

[StoneGold]

I gues the probelm is whether or not I want to go all out. I thought my computer could hook up to my television... or at least as a video in on my DVD-Recorder. Turns out it doesn't.

So what would I need to get a really good internet option mixed wiith Digital broadcast signal on my TV?
-A computer that does work with a Televison
-ideally a new TV, I still have a 25" Zenith I bought 10 years ago- hey, it works but I can't hook a computer input directly into it.
-High quality surround sound speakers for the computer's sound.
-Digital antenna
-Tivo (for broadcast TV- gotta have DVR)

I'm trying to SAVE money here. It'll eventually pay itself off but it's not like I can totally ween myself from Time Warner's grasp, I still need them for the Cable internet I'm so addicted to.

{edit} I've since read that trying to watch interent video on a standard old TV is pointles anyway... have to pick up a high quality TV regardless.... So I'd have to spend at least $1000 for a good set up (everything new), I I calculate the cost of Cable to be $70/ month... pays for it self in 14 months. Hmmm.

It's less a computer that works with television as a TV tuner card. Assuming your computer isn't a total piece of crap, you should be able to pick up the component for relatively cheap. By the same token though, you're going to need a decent sound card if you're going to want to benefit from speakers. And you're probably going to need to purchase a receiver to use those speakers, but then the audio component to this is a totally separate matter.

[Ontir]

Even if you've got an old-school NTSC box, a computer can be connected to it, you just need to make a stop at Radio Shack, at least that's what a cyber-mage friend of mine says.

[Spastic Minnow]

Even if you've got an old-school NTSC box, a computer can be connected to it, you just need to make a stop at Radio Shack, at least that's what a cyber-mage friend of mine says.

Yeah, but aparently the resolution is so crappy it's not worth it to hook up to an old box, I doubt I'd want to ditch cable for crappy resolution.

[StoneGold]

Yeah, but aparently the resolution is so crappy it's not worth it to hook up to an old box, I doubt I'd want to ditch cable for crappy resolution.

That'd be due more to your TV. I stream stuff from my PC to my computer with far greater resolution than I'd get through standard def cable for the price of an Xbox.