I've been getting serious about this lately and if I didn't have kids I could cut off my direct tv subscription.For off air hd, a cheap antenna will do, there's your locals for sports, news or whatever.I've been trying a couple of things. One was to download Boxee for free as a media hub. There are couple different versions, I just like Boxee's interface the best. Then, I got a adaptor for the mac to hdmi. Works great, you can watch anything streaming and anything you've downloaded to your computer or external drive. The downside is it ties up the computer while you're watching the tv.So then I got a cheap WD 1080p media box. It's about the size of Apple tv and has a remote. You connect through hdmi and it has a usb port for a computer or hard drive. They go for about fifty bucks online if you don't care about streaming Netflix or Youtube, if you want that I recommend the Boxee unit.Now I download shows and movies in hd (most of the time) dump them into the external drive so they don't clog up my computer and then plug the drive into the wd box for blu-ray quality viewing.My goal was no subscriptions for content and no cost beyond the hardware. I can get just about any movie title or tv show I want and for anything on youtube, I just download with firefox (youtube content or Democracy Now!) and dump onto the hard drive.I also copy dvd's I already own onto my hard drive and load them in as well so that I don't need a dvd player for the titles I want to watch.All you would need is a computer, internet and a media box. No fees, subscriptions or limitations.

I've got Directv and it's not only cheaper, it's HD reception kicks the living shit outta Comcast. Also, it's never gone out on me, which seems to be Comcast's argument against having a dish. Yeah, the on demand thing is confusing and needs to be connected via yer computer, so I don't bother with it. In all I'm pretty happy. Or as Jeremy Clarkson might say: I'm well chuffed, corr blimey.

Netflix streaming on the Wii changed our life.

I got an internet ready bluray that streams Netflix. It's supposed to stream Youtube too but only lets you choose from the 20 most popular videos of the week or some bullshit. but the Netflix is working pretty well.

Marsupialized wrote:Interesting, this apple TV looks interesting.I buy this 99 dollar box, I pay Netflix 8 bucks and month and that's it?If you don't care about getting an Apple product, the Roku box has scads more content and is cheaper except for the most expensive one-and the only reason to get that one is if you want to use a wireless-N connection. We just got one a month ago and it's like crack, unfortunately.Roku also just added options to access NHL and MLB. Streaming sports on demand through these will be the death blow for cable and satellite, with any luck. That's the only reason we still have Directv.

Ernest wrote:scott wrote:we have the catvWhoa.cat hode ray tube

So I'm all like 'Fuck this comcast cable'Here's the situation and what is available to me.I have Comcast interweb at the house, I don't have a problem with that. I am in a bundle with their bullshit cable, which I never watch because it blows flaming cocks out it's asshole. 'Hey look, Troll 7 is on in Demand! Again!'I understand, at a base level, that there are other options in regards to viewing shows and movies. Netflix, all that stuff. I do not understand how any of that works.I have an xbox 360, but it is the basic one. No hard drive, not connected to the internet. I understand you use the xbox to access the netflix, but I do not know the specifics.I imagine I would have to buy a hard drive for it as well as the internet adapter and probably pay them money every month to be on the internet with it.Give me some ideas here on my options as far as more pleasurable television viewing situations I can set up fro myself and costs involved.

The Code is Almighty wrote:You know, I'm pretty sure all you need is to run a wire to your xbox and get an xbox live subscriptionI'd have to get a hard drive too, you need to download stuff into it to get on the xbox live. Then I have to pay netflix after that, right? So xbox live and netflix bill every month?

scott wrote:We have Comcrap, which I hate because the phone-Internet-cable teevee package that was $99 a month for the first year is like $160 a month now, plus taxes? Something ridiculous anyway. Fuck them. But we have the catv on a lot, and use the phone for work and to call outside the US and needless to say I'm using the Internet like 20 hours a day and all... So I just am annoyed with their huge price increase after that initial year. Scott, you can call them and re-instate the original cheaper price anytime. You just have to call every 6 months, just made my call 2 days ago. They switch it right back.

The Code is Almighty wrote:Don't all 360's have a hard drive, the difference in price being the size? Netflix is like 8 bucks a month. Xbox live I Think is about 30 for the year.That is fine, that'd be less than the asshole comcast cable, even if I had to buy a bigger hard drive to make it work