[NTLUG:Discuss] Some background on tomorrow's meeting, Saturday 10/19

[David Simmons]

Chris - appreciate you sharing the information/thinking/testing/results.

One thought about your 'Live TV' events is since these are all 'over the
air' signals (and the Aereo service is at least $96 per year) - why not get
a a standard HD antenna, plug it into a recorder (bet you already have one
of those or could find cheap) and combine it with MythTV for the DVR
functionality?

Even when we had cable, I would watch the local games OTA for one reason -
NO COMPRESSION.  The HD signal OTA is clean/clear/awesome.  The cable guys
(and I'm guess Aereo) compress the signal to save when the 'ship it around'
through their gear.

Just a thought.

-dave


On Mon, Oct 21, 2013 at 12:46 PM, Chris Cox <cjcox at acm.org> wrote:

> So begins the search for change...
>
> 1.  Get rid of U-verse U200 TV (too expensive)
>
> 2.  Explorer streaming options (but focus on Roku for device)
>
> 3.  Media server for existing purchased DVDs/BDs/CDs.
>
> Why Roku?  Does what it does for cheap and it the number one steaming
> device.  (And I went to school with its creator)
>
> On 1, canceling U-verse saves us $120/mos.
>
> On 2, we looked at Hulu, Neflix and Amazon Prime.  Ultimately, stuck with
> Netflix ($8/mos) and Amazon Prime ($79/yr).  We found Hulu to be sadly
> lacking.  Amazon Prime is certainly the cheapest and has the added benefit
> of free 2 day shipping if your an Amazon consumer.  But as far as pure
> content goes, Netflix is the largest (by a huge margin).
>
> More on #2 in a bit...
>
> On 3, chose Plex Media Server as the software base.  It's well used and
> very friendly and has a plugin (channel) for Roku.
>
> On 3, I asked my wife for permission to spend upwards of $350 on a server.
>  It needed to "at least" have:
>
> Minimum reqs
>
> 1. 500GB harddrive built in.
> 2. Ability to do on the fly transcodes
>
> I didn't really care about "size" of the box.  It's a server... so didn't
> matter much to me.
>
> Desired Extras
>
> 3. Low power, so it could actually be on 24x7 even.
> 4. Quiet
> 5. Small
>
> I began my hunt anticipating having to wait for year end deals.
>
> I looked at Intel NUC, Gigabyte's Brix, and Zotac's Zbox.  The problem
> with most of these was cost vs. what you actually got.  They sound "cheap"
> until  you add memory and disk, etc.  While you might be able to get a
> good setup for $350... it was tough in my mind to justify... was hoping to
> do better.
>
> Going consignment (used) was certainly one way of answering 1 and 2 and
> even 5, but likely it would not be all that quiet and would likely consume
> some power (80+W).
>
> What I didn't expect was the sale on the Lenovo's Q190.  Which pretty much
> met all my requirements including desired requirements.  And all for under
> $250.
>
> So armed with roku front ends, Netflix, Amazon Prime and Plex integration
> to a central Q190 based server, we have just about everything to make up
> for loss of TV.... except...
>
> Except... for "live TV"... and in particular sports.  Giving U-verse meant
> no more Cowboys games, no more Aggies, etc.. (or perhaps it means I had to
> "bum" off of friends in order to watch games).
>
> I had signed up to be on the watch list for Aereo.  And lo and behold,
> guess what, Aereo came to Dallas about 1 week after we ditched U-verse.
> Aereo is high quality over the air TV and your own remote PVR for $8/mos.
>
> And there  you have it.  I can record the games, I can record Marvel's
> Agents of Shield, etc... and I have access to a ton of movies, TV shows
> (from last year and earlier) and access to all of my already purchased
> media all from any device, including my phone....
>
> Done....
>
> Next....
>
>
>
> > My (former) U-verse TV is (was) U200 and costs us $103/mo.
> >
> > $21 of that is the extra receivers we have.
> > $10 is for HD
> >
> > The base U200 is $72.00
> >
> > Then come the "taxes" of $16.43 for various state and local taxes....
> > (yuk)
> >
> > That brings my total TV bill to $119.43/mo.
> >
> > ........
> >
> > Well, that's the message that helped start it all.  AT&T in a classic
> > "bait and
> > switch" technique tricked us (employees) to sign up with huge discounts
> > during a
> > time in which they knew they were selling our division off to IBM (and
> the
> > employees did *not* know)....  thus we got U-verse U200 for around $50,
> > additional receivers were free, digital phone was free, etc..
> >
> > Obviously, once we were sold, the price went back to the "norm".  Genius
> > move on
> > AT&T's part?  Maybe...  maybe, not!!
> >
> > Having been a Comcast and Time Warner customer, I know that at least
> > compared to
> > those, U-verse is the "Cadillac" of subscriber style television
> (including
> > price)... but all of the providers aren't interested in a price war, so
> > prices
> > stay elevated and really based on "costs" more in tune with the early
> > 2000's.
> >
> > Shoot, I think we can all think of something to do with $120/mo., right?
> >
> > And... is it possible to do better than the "cadillac" of providers??
> >
> > And... did AT&T "bait and switch" us again?  (that setup was too easy, I
> > think
> > you know the answer is "yes", but find out how they did it this time).
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > http://www.ntlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
> >
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> http://www.ntlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>



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