Netflix

Adventures Without Cable

On April 28, 2009, In Movies, Shopping, Television, Video, By LisaT

Now that I’ve been without cable television for about a week now, I’ve been subsisting solely on network television and my Netflix DVDs and instant cue. Initially, my plan was to get the Roku Digital Netflix Player, a digital converter box and antenna and use my TiVo to tape all my network shows in lieu of the dearly departed cable.

This was a perfect plan, except for the fact that I didn’t realize my TiVo series 2 DVR wouldn’t work with antenna. Fabulous.

Lucky for me, the converter box and Roku were still within the 30 days full refund time, so I sent them both back and replaced the whole shebang with a TiVo HD DVR that would work with an antenna, had a built-in digital tuner and accessed my Netflix instant cue with no problem.

Granted, it was approximately $150 more than my original plan, but whatevs. It’s a lot less cluttered under my TV and the cable savings will eventually even things out. Plus, there are all kinds of extra features available on my new DVR, like watching YouTube videos and whatnot. I’ve yet to fully explore all the options.

Initially, I had some trouble accessing my Netflix and any other Video on Demand options. After restarting the system a few times, an upgrade was downloaded and all was well. As for picking up digital signals, after an initial channel scan, I went though and manually deleted all the analog channels and added some digital ones that are slightly iffy. It seems to be working well so far. In fact, I’m currently TiVoing Betty La Fea on a Spanish-language channel I didn’t realize I had, in order to try and brush up on my Spanish.

Of course, the moral of the story is that I really should be getting out more anyways. But when I don’t, this security blanket is working pretty well.

Tagged with: Cable • Movies • Netflix • Television • TiVo

Goodbye Cable!

On April 17, 2009, In Finances, Movies, Technology, Television, By LisaT

Because I’ve been watching a lot of Suze Orman lately, I’ve put myself on a pretty moderate financial diet. And one of my cost-cutting measures includes going back to my roots and getting rid of cable.

Only this time, I have Netflix, my digital Roku player, TiVo for my network shows and a heck of a lot more television on the Internet, so it’s not as scary as it might sound.

Even though our time together was brief in the big scheme of things—I’ve only had cable for about a year and some change—I became acquainted with a lot of television I had been missing.

I bid you farewell VH1, Flavor Flav, Brett Michaels and all the fake hair and nail-sporting spawn your quests for “love” have created. The hours I spent with my boyfriend on the couch, eating pizza meant more to me than you can ever know.

And to you, MTV, I say goodbye as well. Loving to hate those children on Sweet Sixteen and Exiled, while falling in love with the earnest ones on Made, striving to try something new.

Our love was like a candle in the wind. Shhh, don’t speak. I want to remember you just as you are now.

Tagged with: Cable • Finances • Internet • Netflix • Roku • Technology • Television

The Roku Netflix Digital Player Rocks!

On April 9, 2009, In Finances, Movies, Shopping, Technology, Television, Video, By LisaT

I wish I had more thumbs, so I could give this thing as many thumbs-up as it deserves. I’m gushing, I know, but it’s only because I think I may have found a pretty good alternative to my current subscription to basic cable.

My Roku Netflix Digital Player arrived yesterday, after I had been hemming and hawing over whether or not I should spend the $100 to get it. Currently, I’m trying to exercise as much restraint as possible when it comes to my spending, playing the hypothetical scenario of calling into Suze Orman‘s “Can I Afford It?” segment on her MSNBC show.

I suppressed her imaginary cries of “DENIED!” in my brain and ordered a refurbished Roku player through Amazon.com. The total came in at $104, which included shipping and whatnot. Not bad, considering that’s about the price of two months worth of cable bills and my plan was that the one could replace the other.

Immediately after removing the player from the box, I connected it to my television and accessed my wireless network. After logging into my Netflix account to enter an access code, I was ready to open shop!

Netflix.com informed me that my wireless connection speed was “very good” and I excitedly flipped through my instant cue to test out the player. You can flip through your entire Watch Instantly cue and although I haven’t really tested out yet how easy it is to find a particular selection quickly, I did notice that you can easily jump within episodes and from one show to the next, once you’re within a certain show.

The picture and sound quality on my television is the same as if I had a DVD playing. You would never know it’s streaming video. Granted, I’m not a purist when it comes to watching TV and movies—my television is one I bought from a friend after he upgraded to a plasma screen—but for someone like me, looking for an inexpensive way to survive without the $60 or so bucks of cable that I pay every month, it’s pretty damn good.

I have to try out the option of downloading movies and/or TV shows on Amazon.com, but for now, I’m pretty damn happy with the selection provided by Netflix.

Tagged with: Gadgets • Movies • Netflix • Roku • Shopping • Technology • Television