I'm in week 3 of no cable and it's going well so far.
I have an external hard drive with tv and movies on it and I was wondering if the new smart TVs (I need another TV anyways) have a way to just plug the USB into the TV and play them directly from the hard drive. Right now I use Itunes with Airplay to play them but it disconnects every time I stop watching and I have to close and reopen iTunes and sometimes that doesn't work right away either.
By the way I went with Cincy Bell and have the 20 mbs service and it has been great even with the loads of streaming and downloading I've been doing.
Also just got the Amazon Firestick yesterday, it seems really crappy so far.
(07-22-2015 07:26 PM)BeerCat Wrote: [ -> ]I'm in week 3 of no cable and it's going well so far.
I have an external hard drive with tv and movies on it and I was wondering if the new smart TVs (I need another TV anyways) have a way to just plug the USB into the TV and play them directly from the hard drive. Right now I use Itunes with Airplay to play them but it disconnects every time I stop watching and I have to close and reopen iTunes and sometimes that doesn't work right away either.
By the way I went with Cincy Bell and have the 20 mbs service and it has been great even with the loads of streaming and downloading I've been doing.
Also just got the Amazon Firestick yesterday, it seems really crappy so far.
I'd get a Roku and not consider using anything "smart" about the TV. The panel will outlast the smarts, so I wouldn't pay extra to integrate them.
Have you "unlocked" the firestick and added Kodi?
(07-22-2015 10:04 PM)BearcatnKY Wrote: [ -> ]Have you "unlocked" the firestick and added Kodi?
Haven't unlocked my apple tv or the new firestick. How difficult is that to do? I watched a video on how to do it with the firestick, it didn't seem that tough.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoQgNH5b8No
Well played Beercat
I, really, really wanted to do that same thing this year, but D-TV gave me an offer I couldn't refuse. $40-ish per month for premium, and a $200 debit rebate card.
Perhaps they won't make me such an offer this year (December is when I'm up).
I've cut the cord during the summer multiple times (though admittedly there is more good summer tv now than ever before) and then usually re-up come football season. The fiance wouldn't allow me to ditch cable though.
(07-22-2015 11:07 PM)BeerCat Wrote: [ -> ] (07-22-2015 10:04 PM)BearcatnKY Wrote: [ -> ]Have you "unlocked" the firestick and added Kodi?
Haven't unlocked my apple tv or the new firestick. How difficult is that to do? I watched a video on how to do it with the firestick, it didn't seem that tough.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoQgNH5b8No
I have only loaded it onto my computer and then ran through hdmi cables. Pretty simple just add a few root files that they mention in the video and you're ready to go. I think the only major difference with the firestick is syncing up the IP address.
My friend sells them at $150 a pop which I think is a joke when the stick costs $40 and maybe an hour depending on how many add-ons you want. Now that I've used it on my computer I'll prob go get a stick and load it.
(07-23-2015 01:28 PM)BearcatnKY Wrote: [ -> ] (07-22-2015 11:07 PM)BeerCat Wrote: [ -> ] (07-22-2015 10:04 PM)BearcatnKY Wrote: [ -> ]Have you "unlocked" the firestick and added Kodi?
Haven't unlocked my apple tv or the new firestick. How difficult is that to do? I watched a video on how to do it with the firestick, it didn't seem that tough.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoQgNH5b8No
I have only loaded it onto my computer and then ran through hdmi cables. Pretty simple just add a few root files that they mention in the video and you're ready to go. I think the only major difference with the firestick is syncing up the IP address.
My friend sells them at $150 a pop which I think is a joke when the stick costs $40 and maybe an hour depending on how many add-ons you want. Now that I've used it on my computer I'll prob go get a stick and load it.
I have a lot of questions about doing it that make me nervous. What about updates to the added software? Is there chances that the software will constantly be going down like Pirate Bay does from time to time? How does it affect the existing software if at all?
(07-23-2015 09:58 AM)Brian_Johnson Wrote: [ -> ]Well played Beercat I, really, really wanted to do that same thing this year, but D-TV gave me an offer I couldn't refuse. $40-ish per month for premium, and a $200 debit rebate card.
Perhaps they won't make me such an offer this year (December is when I'm up).
I'd been with Dish for 8 years and I was genuinely shocked at how little they offered me. I think I only shot down two offers before they gave up and ended it.
The key to doing this is definitely having someone else's login info for their Dish/DirecTV/TWC because without that most apps are not accessible.
(07-23-2015 04:31 PM)BeerCat Wrote: [ -> ] (07-23-2015 01:28 PM)BearcatnKY Wrote: [ -> ] (07-22-2015 11:07 PM)BeerCat Wrote: [ -> ] (07-22-2015 10:04 PM)BearcatnKY Wrote: [ -> ]Have you "unlocked" the firestick and added Kodi?
Haven't unlocked my apple tv or the new firestick. How difficult is that to do? I watched a video on how to do it with the firestick, it didn't seem that tough.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoQgNH5b8No
I have only loaded it onto my computer and then ran through hdmi cables. Pretty simple just add a few root files that they mention in the video and you're ready to go. I think the only major difference with the firestick is syncing up the IP address.
My friend sells them at $150 a pop which I think is a joke when the stick costs $40 and maybe an hour depending on how many add-ons you want. Now that I've used it on my computer I'll prob go get a stick and load it.
I have a lot of questions about doing it that make me nervous. What about updates to the added software? Is there chances that the software will constantly be going down like Pirate Bay does from time to time? How does it affect the existing software if at all?
I'm sure one of the more technical guys can answer this, as I've wondered myself. As far as I've read the main concern is with the actual Amazon fire boxes as they lock if you update them. I don't know if this is a problem with the stick and I know there is an option to turn off updates that they have a video for.
As far as Kodi, I haven't had any problems with it crashing or not working. Sometimes you will find a broken link but there are 100 others to try and that's mainly with the newer released movies. Some claim you can watch anything you want in HD, but unless I'm doing something wrong or haven't added a particular add-on, sometimes you have to settle for High quality or Medium quality which is still good for free.99. Usually if you wait a day or two for a new episode of a show you can find plenty of HD options.
I've only had it about a month as I looked into it after my friend started selling them so if anyone else has experience or helpful tips I'm all ears.
Well I finally added kodi. Took me forever and it wasn't nearly as easy as the video, of course. Got it loaded after about 0 minutes of screwing around. After getting it loaded it took me another hour to figure out how to load 1channel and others. No way am I going to be able to teach my wife how to use it so I'm not sure how much longer this experiment will last.
Also, I assume watching UC football games not broadcast on ESPN will be damn near impossible?
There's a repository called sportsdevil that streams live sports, watched the Rousey fight with it. I haven't checked into football with it yet obviously. Im sure a Google search would turn up a few other alternatives if there are any possible. There is always ESPN3 if you know a friend with a password.
with all the **** on the internet, do you really even need tv? i've never owned a tv. i can walk to bars to watch sports. granted i'm about as productive as someone whom watches many television
(08-08-2015 11:00 AM)BearcatnKY Wrote: [ -> ]There's a repository called sportsdevil that streams live sports, watched the Rousey fight with it. I haven't checked into football with it yet obviously. Im sure a Google search would turn up a few other alternatives if there are any possible. There is always ESPN3 if you know a friend with a password.
Yeah I'm still figuring out about all the repositories and addons. Thanks for the recommendation.
Weren't some of our early season games on FSO? Or am I not remembering that correctly?
Bought
http://www.sling.com service. So far really good. With the sports package you get all of the ESPN channels.
$25, and added hollywood package for $30. Stream to TV via Roku device. It is about 40 channels total so add in netfilx that is plenty. Will worry about CBS sports network later.
(08-09-2015 11:48 AM)SuperFlyBCat Wrote: [ -> ]Bought http://www.sling.com service. So far really good. With the sports package you get all of the ESPN channels.
$25, and added hollywood package for $30. Stream to TV via Roku device. It is about 40 channels total so add in netfilx that is plenty. Will worry about CBS sports network later.
That's what we're trying to figure out as well. Sling is great to cut down the fat off the cable packages, but CBS Sports and Fox Sports are both missing.
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
(08-09-2015 01:18 PM)Cataclysmo Wrote: [ -> ] (08-09-2015 11:48 AM)SuperFlyBCat Wrote: [ -> ]Bought http://www.sling.com service. So far really good. With the sports package you get all of the ESPN channels.
$25, and added hollywood package for $30. Stream to TV via Roku device. It is about 40 channels total so add in netfilx that is plenty. Will worry about CBS sports network later.
That's what we're trying to figure out as well. Sling is great to cut down the fat off the cable packages, but CBS Sports and Fox Sports are both missing.
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
As it stands now I don't need Fox Sports. UC does not have many bball or football games on
CBS Network, but hopefully they offer a live programming app soon for TV. @USF is CBS network, no app I will hit up a sports bar. I bet the remaining games that TV has not been announced will all be ESPN, 2, U, News games.
If people watch lots of Reds games I think MLB offers a bunch of stream app for TV and other devices.
(08-09-2015 01:40 PM)SuperFlyBCat Wrote: [ -> ] (08-09-2015 01:18 PM)Cataclysmo Wrote: [ -> ] (08-09-2015 11:48 AM)SuperFlyBCat Wrote: [ -> ]Bought http://www.sling.com service. So far really good. With the sports package you get all of the ESPN channels.
$25, and added hollywood package for $30. Stream to TV via Roku device. It is about 40 channels total so add in netfilx that is plenty. Will worry about CBS sports network later.
That's what we're trying to figure out as well. Sling is great to cut down the fat off the cable packages, but CBS Sports and Fox Sports are both missing.
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
As it stands now I don't need Fox Sports. UC does not have many bball or football games on
CBS Network, but hopefully they offer a live programming app soon for TV. @USF is CBS network, no app I will hit up a sports bar. I bet the remaining games that TV has not been announced will all be ESPN, 2, U, News games.
If people watch lots of Reds games I think MLB offers a bunch of stream app for TV and other devices.
I'm not familiar with Sling, is that a monthly payment type thing?
(08-09-2015 08:14 PM)BeerCat Wrote: [ -> ] (08-09-2015 01:40 PM)SuperFlyBCat Wrote: [ -> ] (08-09-2015 01:18 PM)Cataclysmo Wrote: [ -> ] (08-09-2015 11:48 AM)SuperFlyBCat Wrote: [ -> ]Bought http://www.sling.com service. So far really good. With the sports package you get all of the ESPN channels.
$25, and added hollywood package for $30. Stream to TV via Roku device. It is about 40 channels total so add in netfilx that is plenty. Will worry about CBS sports network later.
That's what we're trying to figure out as well. Sling is great to cut down the fat off the cable packages, but CBS Sports and Fox Sports are both missing.
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
As it stands now I don't need Fox Sports. UC does not have many bball or football games on
CBS Network, but hopefully they offer a live programming app soon for TV. @USF is CBS network, no app I will hit up a sports bar. I bet the remaining games that TV has not been announced will all be ESPN, 2, U, News games.
If people watch lots of Reds games I think MLB offers a bunch of stream app for TV and other devices.
I'm not familiar with Sling, is that a monthly payment type thing?
Yes it is Beer. Basic package is $20 a month. Then you can add more channels. For all of the ESPN channels it is $25 a month.
http://www.sling.com. They offer 7 day free trial.
Hooked up a $15 HD antenna and getting about 50 channels and most are excellent broadcast quality.