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TV / Web — Comments Off on Cutting the Cord
08
Jan 11

Cutting the Cord

redone setup

Image by el frijole via Flickr

Right before Thanksgiving, I finally put the call into Comcast and killed my cable television subscription. While I was offered the obligatory six mos. of extended discounts, I maintained my resolve and arranged to return my DVR, remotes and DTV boxes, and reclaim roughly $110 in monthly billing.

Almost two months later, the absence of a DVR full of HD programming (mostly sporting events and old movies aired on TCM) has not gone unnoticed. That said, services are evolving quickly, and online video sources are fast filling the void.

What follows is a brief overview of alternative services I’ve explored to get my broadcast content fix. As much as possible, I’ve tried to maintain the 10-foot, couch potato experience without adding any dedicated cord-cutting hardware — everything in my setup serves multiple uses. For the services/hardware listed, I’ve assigned ratings (1 to 5, poor to great) in 3 areas: Content Access, Convenience, Value. (I’ve left off over the air offerings due to various location-specific factors affecting availability/quality.)

Content Distributors/Services

Plex. Essentially a content browser similar to the open source XBMC app for Windows, Plex runs on Apple OSX devices, most notably the MacMini, and integrates with the Apple Remote for easy viewing of ripped DVDs (VIDEO_TS folders), music, photos, streaming video, and just about any content you can otherwise view on your desktop (via 3rd party plug-ins of which there are many). An iPad/iPhone app brings the experience to your mobile device over 3G or WiFi. Given the desktop-centric setup, Plex does require more than average installation effort, but rewards you with flexibility and control.

Content: 5 | Convenience: 2 | Value: 5

Netflix. The gold standard for subscription-based on-demand video streaming. Available on too many devices to count, Netflix works like your cable service, hassle-free albeit barebones (still waiting for closed captioning). That said, I’ve exhausted much of what I really want to see under my Instant queue and rely on the service mostly for accessing childrens DVDs (à la Thomas the Tank Engine.) Given the 30-day hold on new material, Netflix does a decent job of exposing older titles of interest to serious movie lovers.

Content: 4 | Convenience: 5 | Value: 3

Hulu (non-premium). My go-to source for recent tv shows (mostly ABC dramas/NBC sitcoms, cable programming not so much). I used to spend considerable time here watching old series like Arrested Development but since they implemented their paywall and pruned back older episodes, I’ve had to seek out other sources. The interface works well albeit a bit ad-interruptive. Clicker.tv, YouTube, and Google search fill in the gaps.

Content: 2 | Convenience: 4 | Value: 4

XBOX Live Gold. Subscribe for as little as $5/mo. and get access to ESPN3 (assuming you have an affiliated internet service provider) and get your sports fix (everything from MLB to EPL, as well as tennis, and golf, live and on demand). While the online offering is free and available via a web browser or Plex, navigating the XBOX Live app is far more user friendly, from the UI to the performance. The Netflix in HD app is an added bonus (although, if you can live without sports, you might be better off foregoing XBOX and buying a Roku HD box for free access to Netflix (with an account) and Amazon VOD). Amazon VOD access is notably absent from the XBOX platform, presumably leaving Zune as the sole provider of pay as you go content. I’ve avoided Zune offerings due mainly to expense and the lack of interoperability with my iPod/iPad.

Content: 4 | Convenience: 4 | Value: 2

Amazon VOD. Fast and broad access to movie and tv content at iTunes prices or less (frequent promos codes available via Twitter) made Amazon VOD an instant contender for my viewing dollars. That said, I’m limited to watching their content via Plex or a web browser, not ideal. If you don’t own a Roku box, the tv viewing options are a bit thin and less than couch-potato friendly. (If you do own one, I’m curious to hear any experiences — I’m hearing mixed reviews.) Amazon Prime offers an intriguing entry into the subscription-based viewing plans, but I have yet to sample it to venture comparisons.

Content: 5 | Convenience: 2 | Value: 3

CinemaNow/VUDU. Both of these services are delivered via the firmware on my LG Blu-ray player. As pay-as-you-go services, they’re perfectly serviceable although the limited offerings, cluttered interfaces, and the risk of losing any content you purchase from them should they go belly up gives me pause.

Content: 3 | Convenience: 3 | Value: 2

iTunes. Great content library, integrates well with iOS devices (if you don’t mind file management and feeding the storage beast). Not so great, living room integration outside the Apple ecosystem, i.e., viewing on an HD set absent an Apple TV or a MacMini.

Content: 4 | Convenience: 2 | Value: 2

Hardware Platforms

MacMini. The sleek form factor makes this an obvious candidate for the living room setup. Unfortunately, I’ve found far too many uses for this machine beyond being a glorified set-top box. Thus, it’s migrated onto a desk with a 20-inch monitor. Paired with a set of speakers, the viewing is more than adequate albeit a bit more labor intensive to power on and play than the living room tv. Price tag is a bit high, especially if you opt for a network storage device. (Apple charges an arm and a leg for pre-installed high capacity hard drives — you’ll void your warranty cracking open your MacMini.)

Content: 5 | Convenience: 2 | Value: 3

XBOX 360. Another pricy set-top box option, however, XBOX Live is as good as it gets in terms of navigating your home network from your couch. If you’re running a Media Center PC, the XBOX acts as a decent Tivo-like playback device. Accessing music and video files over the network is equally seamless.

Content: 4 | Convenience: 4 | Value: 3

LG BD390. As a Blu-ray player, the BD390 works more than adequately, minimizing load times and accessing special Blu-ray disc features. The WiFi access and the network access features make this much more than a simple disc player, allowing one access to DivX-encoded and mpg video. Netflix, VUDU, and CinemaNow offerings, all in HD, make it simple to bring your high-quality content to any TV/stereo combo.

Content: 3 | Convenience: 4 | Value: 3

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2007 / TV — Comments Off on ShoWest: We’ve Seen The Future, And The Future Is…Multiplex TV in 3D?
15
Mar 07

ShoWest: We’ve Seen The Future, And The Future Is…Multiplex TV in 3D?

Day 3 attendees of ShoWest made their way to Bally’s Jubilee Theater for a reel with a special brand of sizzle. Hosted by Sony, the showcase didn’t feature any web-spinning superheroes, but nonetheless gave exhibitors a glimpse of an eagerly-anticipated attraction, namely, real-time, high-resolution 3D broadcasting.

Put plainly, said technology offers exhibitors the ability to broadcast live events in 3D to any theater equipped with digital projection. Now imagine going to your local cineplex to catch a live sporting or concert event. While hoopsters and entertainers took the court at the Las Vegas Thomas & Mack Center for the most recent NBA All-Star Game, Sony along with its technology partner, Pace, trained its 3D cameras on the action and beamed it out to several sold out venues setup in the Mandalay Casino.

After an all-too-long and unmemorable introduction, Sony gave ShoWest exhibitors a glimpse of what could be coming to a theater near you.

As expected, flying logos, acrobatic slamdunks, and glizty performers filled the screen. The full 12-minute game recap provided plenty of wow moments, from the ball bouncing straight at the sideline camera only to be deflected at the last moment to the vertigo-inducing pan across the crowds that puts the viewer alongside spectators in the stands. The reel also featured halftime entertainment from Christina Aguilera, Toni Braxton, and Wayne Newton in the obligatory smoke/sequin/laser-filled moments.

All in all, not a bad way to watch a game. Until, of course, you want to heckle the free throw shooter or chat with your buddy next to you. Assuming the theater isn’t so dark that you can’t see his face, you’ll still be staring at a four-eyed (or in this writer’s case, six-eyed) git with a goofy pair of 3D glasses covering his face. Fortunately, it’s still possible to view the presentation without glasses, without 3D, and without popping an Advil.

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2005 / TV — Comments Off on Airtime
21
Jun 05

Airtime

Morgan Spurlock

The flotsam otherwise known as the summer television schedule is upon us. Fortunately, a few seaworthy programs have surfaced, and while reality TV on the networks jumped the shark about the time Fear Factor showed up, cable’s new breed may hopefully find legs.

30 Days comes from the mind of Morgan Spurlock (creator/producer of the Oscar-nominated Super Size Me). The format draws from Fakin’ It, a BBC transplant that briefly aired on Discovery’s TLC, and the ubiquitous Michael Moore mockumentaries. In the inaugural episode, the minimum wage goes primetime as Spurlock and his wife, unemployed and homeless, arrive in Ohio where the minimum wage is actually less than the federal minimum wage, if that’s even possible. For 30 days, they rake rock bottom for the money to pay rent and bills, and maybe even celebrate a birthday. Poverty sucks — that’s no surprise; what’s revealing is how high the chips are stacked against folks on the fringe. (Where were they on Election Day, I’d like to know?) Future installments feature an ex-jock on growth hormones, Christians as Muslims, and more fish-out-of-water stories.

Spy, from the BBC, airs on PBS (Mondays). Production values (film-res footage, aerial shots, motion graphics) run high on this Survivor-style spies-in-training show. Decent editing spares us the mundane, while former vets from MI6 and the CIA give you the lowdown on how to stalk your ex and rummage your neighbor’s dustbin. The subjects aren’t entirely interesting, but the skills and the training are.

Other shows I’m watching: Frontline (no holds barred investigative journalism — how long before CPB cuts off their funding?) and Robot Chicken (stop-motion animation on Cartoon Network‘s Adult Swim).

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