I just got the wife to agree to cancel cable TV!

[GilaMinumBeer]

I cancelled my cable about 6 months ago, and haven't really missed it.

The only thing I regret is not being able to watch live soccer at home, unless I can find a good feed online.

http://www.livesoccertv.com/p2p-football-streaming-guide.php

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I set up a Windows 7 pc with Windows Media Center to the tv to get programming. Between the antenna pulling in the networks (and DVR'ing them on WMC), Hulu, and the show's websites, we have not had to give up a single show that we watch.

How well does that work for Live HD broadcasts like sports? Can you do Pause/Replay without stuttering/pixelating? I played around with a Media Center XP on a Home Theatre PC back @ 2008 & just could never get it to work well with either live HD or even recording HD.

I had not even considered this. I wonder if WMC is configurable to record streams?

It would be nice to be able to record a program for transfer to DVD media for use in a car entertainment system. At least until those catch up to the point where you can just load a jumpdrive and plug-it into the side of the monitor.

 

[ajwillys]

How well does that work for Live HD broadcasts like sports? Can you do Pause/Replay without stuttering/pixelating? I played around with a Media Center XP on a Home Theatre PC back @ 2008 & just could never get it to work well with either live HD or even recording HD.

It works fantastic. I've been very impressed/suprised. I think it depends alot on the hardware. I'm running a Core i5 Quad Core desktop, 6 GB RAM with a mid level HDMI graphics card. I'm using an HD HomeRun for the tuner and we have a 2 TB drive dedicated for the dvr. You don't want to use your main hard drive as the dvr as it puts alot of stress on it and will cause it to fail sooner. Also, you'll need something big. Most of the OTA programming comes in 1080i and the connection to the tv is 1080p. It's every bit as good as cable/satellite and much better than "internet tv" (hulu, netflix, etc..) We're using the same pc for normal browsing, etc... as the tv uses but looking back, even if I had to drop $500 in hardware for it, I wouldn't hesitate.

One other thing, make sure you get a HTPC remote. I think mine was around $20 on amazon. Trying to use a mouse/keyboard while sitting on the couch will quickly sour the family on the whole idea.

 

[AnOldUR]

As would mine. Turns out you can still get a lot of HGTV programming over internet. Might not be real time current but, once they've added it to their list of streams it's yours.

I stuck a 26" Asus monitor in the cabinet over the microwave and ran an HDMI cable to the DVR/Cable box in the living room. I don’t think I could get her to fiddle with the PC. As soon as she walks into the kitchen, she opens the cabinet and turns HGTV on. Even when she’s not watching, she likes it as background noise and looks up if something sounds interesting. It’s a small price to pay in return for the benefit from her cooking skills.

 

[ajwillys]

PlayOn.com $4.99 a month, $19.00 a year, or $79 Lifetime and has 3rd party plug-in for Discovery.

Wait a minute, what exactly is this? I see on the site they have all these channels but this isn't their full programming is it? I'm thinking its maybe the clips that they provide for free on their website? If not, I'm signing up immediately. For life.

EDIT: I see they have a free trial. Going to have to try it out.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

It works fantastic. I've been very impressed/suprised. I think it depends alot on the hardware. I'm running a Core i5 Quad Core desktop, 6 GB RAM with a mid level HDMI graphics card. I'm using an HD HomeRun for the tuner and we have a 2 TB drive dedicated for the dvr. You don't want to use your main hard drive as the dvr as it puts alot of stress on it and will cause it to fail sooner. Also, you'll need something big. Most of the OTA programming comes in 1080i and the connection to the tv is 1080p. It's every bit as good as cable/satellite and much better than "internet tv" (hulu, netflix, etc..) We're using the same pc for normal browsing, etc... as the tv uses but looking back, even if I had to drop $500 in hardware for it, I wouldn't hesitate.

One other thing, make sure you get a HTPC remote. I think mine was around $20 on amazon. Trying to use a mouse/keyboard while sitting on the couch will quickly sour the family on the whole idea.

I wonder if the HDHomeRun stream could be fed out wirelessly for access from
a Roku? This could prove to be very appealing to me.

 

[bruin_ale]

must be my area (high cost of living), but I had to LOL at Yoopers $30 a month comment. I was paying ~$140 a month for HDDVR and internet from Comcast (no HBO or anything, just regular channels + HD), they just kept raising the price until I finally snapped. In one week I cancelled my home phone line (we both have cellphones) and cancelled my Comcast. I signed up for DirecTV and AT&T high speed internet. I'm paying $50 total for both for the first year. It'll double after that when the intro rates are over, but still saves $50 a month.

 

[cricky101]

I have cable TV and Internet bundled for about $120 a month and really want to get rid of the cable. My Internet is about $40/month right now, but if I drop the TV service, the Internet-only cost jumps closer to $60.

If I have to add in Netflix and/or the full Hulu service to keep the GF happy, that's another $15/month.

And I really like watching sports, and haven't found a decent way to view live broadcasts (especially Twins baseball) since MLBtv blocks them in my market.

If I could get all of those things figured out, and still save a decent amount of money, I'd DEFINITELY get rid of the cable TV service ...

 

[bruin_ale]

On the topic of HTPC, I set one up a few years ago using an HDHomeRun. No windows 7 at the time, it wasn't stable enough to be a reliable DVR. I was going to dual-boot mythbuntu (linux) as that would be super stable, but when it came down to it I just didn't get enough stations to make it worth it. Now that I have directv, I can't even get the normal channels as they don't have any unencrypted stuff coming through the cable. I'd have to get a separate antenna to do it.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I stuck a 26" Asus monitor in the cabinet over the microwave and ran an HDMI cable to the DVR/Cable box in the living room. I don’t think I could get her to fiddle with the PC. As soon as she walks into the kitchen, she opens the cabinet and turns HGTV on. Even when she’s not watching, she likes it as background noise and looks up if something sounds interesting. It’s a small price to pay in return for the benefit from her cooking skills.

Well, I am talking mostly from word of mouth and tounge in cheek. the set-up I am going to is via a Roku XDS. The PlayOn server would run in teh background on the PC and the Roku would serve as the streams browser via a plug-in. From what I have been told and from what I see, it all operates like choosing a video On-Demand from the TV screen.

So, you choose the HGTV channel, pick the stream you want to watch, and push play. All from the Remote.

 

[bruin_ale]

And I really like watching sports, and haven't found a decent way to view live broadcasts (especially Twins baseball) since MLBtv blocks them in my market.

Seriously, I hate local blackout from internet sports. The cable companies have really figured out how to keep sports fans from dropping their cable.
I think you can get around it by spoofing your IP, but the free sites on the web that offer that service are sketchy and will install all manners of adware and viruses on your computer.

 

[ajwillys]

I wonder if the HDHomeRun stream could be fed out wirelessly for access from
a Roku? This could prove to be very appealing to me.

It requires a wired connection but you could attach that to your router/switch or use a "gaming" access point. You might want really good Wireless G or perhaps N as it might be somewhat of a bandwidth (LAN only, of course) hog. It uses UDP Multicast (not sure how network savvy you are) to send the HD signal to anything on the home network.

Their forums are very helpful and the developers even chime in often too. Its one of the most used tuners for HTPC's.

HD Home Run Forum
http://www.silicondust.com/forum/

There's a couple threads about Roku on there but from what I can tell its not supported right now.

 

[AnOldUR]

So, you choose the HGTV channel, pick the stream you want to watch, and push play. All from the Remote.

Sound interesting and like something that might fit in with my system. I'd like to hear how it works out for you.

 

[Acoma]

Good for you OP. I've been trying to talk my wife into doing the same. I hate to start things and not finish them and Im sick of these lame shows sucking me in. We may be moving this year and when we do the cable is not coming with.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Wait a minute, what exactly is this? I see on the site they have all these channels but this isn't their full programming is it? I'm thinking its maybe the clips that they provide for free on their website? If not, I'm signing up immediately. For life.

EDIT: I see they have a free trial. Going to have to try it out.

From what I understand of it, PlayOn is simply a server/browser. For all the "channels" you have available or plugged-in from 3rd party scripts it, basically, searches the iNet for streams available from that network and organizes the display.

I was looking through the third party developers last night and there are tons of scripts available even for very specific programs. For example, and this specific example may only appeal to MY household, there is a script available for only "Yo Gabba, Gabba" (there are lots of others I am just using this one as an example) episodes uploaded on the net. Which through the PlayOn server application creates a "Yo Gabba, Gabba" channel.

Pretty sweet, I think.

And if you have any skill at writing scripts, PlayOn even provides the source codes so you can write scripts for your own channels.

 

[ajwillys]

On the topic of HTPC, I set one up a few years ago using an HDHomeRun. No windows 7 at the time, it wasn't stable enough to be a reliable DVR. I was going to dual-boot mythbuntu (linux) as that would be super stable, but when it came down to it I just didn't get enough stations to make it worth it. Now that I have directv, I can't even get the normal channels as they don't have any unencrypted stuff coming through the cable. I'd have to get a separate antenna to do it.

My current dvr (a HTPC) is more reliable than my Directv HDDVR's that I just got rid of... which is a shame cuz they were $200 each and I had 3 of them. I think for HTPC (with HD) you need a pretty powerful machine with lots of ram and a decent graphics card. I've seen alot of people pull a machine out of their closet and abandon it after having problems with it. In my case, its been very good. The other thing is you need a good antenna signal of course but that's usually easy to come by.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

It requires a wired connection but you could attach that to your router/switch or use a "gaming" access point. You might want really good Wireless G or perhaps N as it might be somewhat of a bandwidth (LAN only, of course) hog. It uses UDP Multicast (not sure how network savvy you are) to send the HD signal to anything on the home network.

Their forums are very helpful and the developers even chime in often too. Its one of the most used tuners for HTPC's.

HD Home Run Forum
http://www.silicondust.com/forum/

There's a couple threads about Roku on there but from what I can tell its not supported right now.

I am not very network savvy right now but I am learning. I currently use a gigabit dual band with NAS port and plan to install some switches for wired distibution through the house.

As I see it, streaming is taking over the industry and I plan to at least get the infrastructure into my house before it booms. A year or two ago after the battle between HD DVD and BD dust settled BD was all the rage and now you can get a BD for a $1 out of a box in front of a Red Haired clown with big feet. the closer I look at my current service provider (Cox) the more I see their transition toward a pay-per-program based service.

As for the Roku support, my thought was that at the least the program could be DVR'd and then accessed by the Roku as a media file. IIRC, the XDS allows for access to stored media files on the server.

 

[bruin_ale]

My current dvr (a HTPC) is more reliable than my Directv HDDVR's that I just got rid of... which is a shame cuz they were $200 each and I had 3 of them. I think for HTPC (with HD) you need a pretty powerful machine with lots of ram and a decent graphics card. I've seen alot of people pull a machine out of their closet and abandon it after having problems with it. In my case, its been very good. The other thing is you need a good antenna signal of course but that's usually easy to come by.

yeah, I had the compute power - I built the thing myself purposely for that, bluray, and gaming. It was Vista that was my undoing. Like I said, no such thing as Win7 at that point so it was Vista or linux. No solution to playing Bluray movies on linux either, so Vista it was.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

My current dvr (a HTPC) is more reliable than my Directv HDDVR's that I just got rid of... which is a shame cuz they were $200 each and I had 3 of them. I think for HTPC (with HD) you need a pretty powerful machine with lots of ram and a decent graphics card. I've seen alot of people pull a machine out of their closet and abandon it after having problems with it. In my case, its been very good. The other thing is you need a good antenna signal of course but that's usually easy to come by.

I plant to install an antenna in my attic. 108" boom to ensure 100% signal strength for distribution to each room needing service.

My desktop PC has a Phenom Quad Core, 8GB RAM and 1GB ATI video. But I also still run Vista and am not sure it will release all teh available RAM it has held hostage. But, then, if my intent is to stream everything from the PC to televisions do I really need be concerned about that?

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

yeah, I had the compute power - I built the thing myself purposely for that, bluray, and gaming. It was Vista that was my undoing. Like I said, no such thing as Win7 at that point so it was Vista or linux. No solution to playing Bluray movies on linux either, so Vista it was.

So I too am going to have to pony up to Win 7. Ugg.

 

[CHefJohnboyardee]

So I too am going to have to pony up to Win 7. Ugg.

you will be very happy once you do! my linux loving FIL actually doesn't mind having to teach from a windows 7 tablet.

 

[ajwillys]

Yeah, I don't know anything about Vista. Never used it. It sounds like your pc is plenty power enough. We've never had a problem with any stuttering or any other issues at all. Not even when recording two HD streams and watching a third. It still rewinds/fast forwards, etc... with no problems at all.

I'm not sure what you mean by "stream from pc to televisions"? The hd home run does provide the ability (via command line) to convert their UDP stream to something more usable but I'm not sure what exactly you are looking to do. I'm not streaming to the tv, its just hooked up via hdmi. This might be a topic better suited for another thread at some point.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

you will be very happy once you do! my linux loving FIL actually doesn't mind having to teach from a windows 7 tablet.

I am certain I will. It's the drudgery of getting there that concerns me. For now, Vista is stable for what we do despite it's quarantine of some resources.

I just refuse to apply an upgrade from Vista to ensure all the software I have running will continue to run after the change and I dread the idea of having to re-install everything and find the updates after doing a clean install.

I'm not sure what you mean by "stream from pc to televisions"? The hd home run does provide the ability (via command line) to convert their UDP stream to something more usable but I'm not sure what exactly you are looking to do. I'm not streaming to the tv, its just hooked up via hdmi. This might be a topic better suited for another thread at some point.

I mean I have no interest in directly connecting my PC to a single monitor but rather I would like to use my PC as a DVR and then make that feed available to multiple TV monitors in the house. For example, rather than connecting the attic antenna through splitters and amplifiers to feed 3 to 10 access points it would be nice to home run the antenna to the HDHomeRun device and then network that signal to every location. Wireless would be easiest but I do plan to wire the house for networking at some point too.

Additionally, I'd like to DVR some streaming content for transfer to hard media to be used with monitors in the cars (I have kids).

Not entirely sure how I will get there, but that is what I would like to do.

 

[ajwillys]

I mean I have no interest in directly connecting my PC to a single monitor but rather I would like to use my PC as a DVR and then make that feed available to multiple TV monitors in the house. For example, rather than connecting the attic antenna through splitters and amplifiers to feed 3 to 10 access points it would be nice to home run the antenna to the HDHomeRun device and then network that signal to every location. Wireless would be easiest but I do plan to wire the house for networking at some point too.

Additionally, I'd like to DVR some streaming content for transfer to hard media to be used with monitors in the cars (I have kids).

Not entirely sure how I will get there, but that is what I would like to do.

You can definitely do that, but I'm not 100% sure WMC is your solution. The problem is it saves it in wts format and there might be copy protection. I know there are tools that can strip that, but it might be more work than its worth, especially when most network stuff is on Hulu anyway. There's lots of dvr software out there, I just used WMC because it was free, easy, and already installed. If you get on the HD Home run forums there are lots of people discussing all the various dvr software's. I'm sure some save it in a format that is easily digestible by Roku.

 

[dozer217]

I looked into it, we're paying $90/month now for our FIOS triple play which includes cable/internet(high speed) and phone. If I dropped the cable it's still almost $70/mnth for the high speed internet 25mbps/25mbps and phone so not really a savings for having to set up internet TV. The upside would be getting to watch the ball game at the local pub.

 

[Hermish]

I just got rid of cable a few months ago, and I'm so glad I did. I was spending over $100 a month for the HD and DVR and all that. Instead I got netflix and bought on of these boxes. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00433SP6G/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 It is great, has everything I want and way cheaper.

 

[ajwillys]

I looked into it, we're paying $90/month now for our FIOS triple play which includes cable/internet(high speed) and phone. If I dropped the cable it's still almost $70/mnth for the high speed internet 25mbps/25mbps and phone so not really a savings for having to set up internet TV. The upside would be getting to watch the ball game at the local pub.

Wow, nice internet. Phone, seriously? That should've been the first thing to go. If you must have phone, at least use vonage. I get 200 outgoing minutes (incoming are free) for $10/month.