Buy or Build ... THAT is the question
One of the first questions you need to answer as you begin the cord cutting experience is 'Do I build or do I buy?'. Honestly this question can be asked across a wide variety of topics including houses, PC's, etc. So to answer this question as a future cord cutter you need to know yourself and your skill set and comfort level. Could you comfortably build a PC with some parts and YouTube videos as a guide? If the answer is 'no', then building is not for you.
I'm a Buyer, now what?
So you've decided you're a buyer and not a builder. OK. No problem. You still have choices as a cord cutter. You can purchase a TiVo system that's compatible with over-the-air (OTA) broadcast signals and be quite happy. You'll still be leaving the expensive world of cable & satellite TV far behind. And you'll get a pre-built system that's been at the forefront of DVR technology since day one. You'll also get a bundled program guide to assist you in selecting free TV programs from the vast array of broadcast options you'll now have. And you'll also have access to Netflix and other streaming options as well.
I'm a Builder, now what?
In a nutshell, the world is your oyster my friend. You are about to find out there is an amazing array of streaming choices available to you solely because you opted to do all the work yourself. So here are some options you'll have to select from.
First you'll need to settle on a Home Theater PC (HTPC) set up, and there are loads to choose from. You can start with a barebones systems like a Zotac ZBOX Nano or an Intel NUC, or you can opt to go all the way and buy a case, motherboard, CPU, RAM, hard drive, etc. and go for the entire experience. I opted to use a ZBOX Nano AD12 system as my base platform (more on that later).
Second you'll need to select an operating system (OS) to run on your new HTPC system. There are Linux options ... and of course there's Windows. After much thought and research I opted for Windows 7. Not because it's inherently superior (to be sure) but more because of it's huge market presence and large support base of hardware and drivers. And since Netflix relies heavily on Microsoft Silverlight, you'll find Netflix easier to inegrate on a Microsoft OS (sorry Linux).
Third you'll need to select which HTPC software you want to use. Of course with a Windows OS there is always the included Windows Media Center (WMC). But after a few minutes with WMC you'll soon realize that package is worth just about what you paid for it (nothing). A much more expandable and supported option (IMHO) is the freeware XBMC. XBMC has a huge following and there are an almost endless array of AddOns that can expand the "channel" selection by snapping in new streaming options.
Fourth, and lastly (for this post) you'll want to explore what streaming options you want to include. Of course you'll probably want the standard options like Netflix and Hulu Plus and possibly also Vudu or Amazon Instant Video. All these options are possible inside XBMC, but some may require an additional product like PlayOn (more on this product later).
What you'll also find as you read and research is the vast array of lightly or never advertised free streaming options on the web. These include PopcornFlix, Crackle, and others. What you'll find in short order is the truly vast array of video options that are now available on the Internet. A list which grows every month. In a future post we'll explore all the options and discuss each one briefly. For now ...
Welcome to the future ... the journey continues ...
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Saturday, February 8, 2014
The Cord Cutting journey begins ...
Introduction
For several years my wife and I have slowly watched as our bill for satellite TV went up and up. As I talk to friends, family, and clients I find this is a growing trend both locally and nationwide. Cable and satellite providers keep inching their bills higher and higher. And by and large we as consumers grouse and grumble but send the check each month. But recently my wife and I drew a line in the sand. We decided to pursue another path ... the 'cord cutter' path. So I've decided to chronicle my journey to freedom in my blog.
This is the first of what I hope will be many posts on our decision to join the rapidly growing group of people coming to be affectionately known as Cord Cutters. It's worth noting that the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) at their meeting last year (2013) convened an entire session dedicated to Cord Cutters and how they are changing the face of media consumption ... and thereby changing the advertising paradigm in the process. More on that in a later post.
Historical Perspective
We live in metro Phoenix so our viewing options here are far better than most. We have 4 paid services available; Cox, CenturyLink (formerly Qwest), DirecTV, or Dish. Cox is the local cable TV provider. CenturyLink is the local phone company. And of course DirecTV and Dish are the national satellite providers.
Several years ago when we decided to jump into the subscription TV game we evaluated all our options and decided Dish would be the best value. We were already getting our phone & DSL Internet from Qwest. Years later Qwest came calling and offered to bundle DirecTV with our existing phone and Internet services and give us a "better deal". So we again evaluated all our options and determined it would, in fact, be a better value. So today as I write this we are CenturyLink & DirecTV bundled customers. Although in truth we dropped our traditional land line a couple years back in favor of a netTALK box (so we could keep our home phone number). That too was a journey.
Reasons Why
So before we begin this journey to freedom together you and I, I think it important that you understand how and why we got here. The continually rising cost of our bill is certainly one very large factor. But it also occurred to us one day we were spending much of our time watching shows we had previously recorded so we could skip the commercials or because we were unavailable when it was broadcast 'live'. We watched as Netflix, Hulu, and other online content providers slowly increased their offerings. And often times they were giving us access to the exact same content ... already recorded and packaged without commercials.
I also watched over the last year as additional products and services came online to address and service that growing group of Cord Cutters. I watched as more and more cable TV stations began including their own in-house shows and content on their web sites. I watched as computer programs started to emerge that would replace and enhance the role of Microsoft Windows Media Center. And I watched as TV tuner cards necessary to pick-up over-the-air (OTA) signals moved from add-in cards installed in each HTPC to shared devices that could be accessed across my in-home network.
Summary
In short, I've watched this movement or industry or consumer shift, what have you, grow from it's infancy to what I believe is now it's adolescence. And just like any adolescent it's got some acne and it's a little rough around the edges. But at the same time I see the greatness within. So take this journey with me as I walk down this path to video content freedom.
Welcome to the future ... the journey begins now ...
For several years my wife and I have slowly watched as our bill for satellite TV went up and up. As I talk to friends, family, and clients I find this is a growing trend both locally and nationwide. Cable and satellite providers keep inching their bills higher and higher. And by and large we as consumers grouse and grumble but send the check each month. But recently my wife and I drew a line in the sand. We decided to pursue another path ... the 'cord cutter' path. So I've decided to chronicle my journey to freedom in my blog.
This is the first of what I hope will be many posts on our decision to join the rapidly growing group of people coming to be affectionately known as Cord Cutters. It's worth noting that the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) at their meeting last year (2013) convened an entire session dedicated to Cord Cutters and how they are changing the face of media consumption ... and thereby changing the advertising paradigm in the process. More on that in a later post.
Historical Perspective
We live in metro Phoenix so our viewing options here are far better than most. We have 4 paid services available; Cox, CenturyLink (formerly Qwest), DirecTV, or Dish. Cox is the local cable TV provider. CenturyLink is the local phone company. And of course DirecTV and Dish are the national satellite providers.
Several years ago when we decided to jump into the subscription TV game we evaluated all our options and decided Dish would be the best value. We were already getting our phone & DSL Internet from Qwest. Years later Qwest came calling and offered to bundle DirecTV with our existing phone and Internet services and give us a "better deal". So we again evaluated all our options and determined it would, in fact, be a better value. So today as I write this we are CenturyLink & DirecTV bundled customers. Although in truth we dropped our traditional land line a couple years back in favor of a netTALK box (so we could keep our home phone number). That too was a journey.
Reasons Why
So before we begin this journey to freedom together you and I, I think it important that you understand how and why we got here. The continually rising cost of our bill is certainly one very large factor. But it also occurred to us one day we were spending much of our time watching shows we had previously recorded so we could skip the commercials or because we were unavailable when it was broadcast 'live'. We watched as Netflix, Hulu, and other online content providers slowly increased their offerings. And often times they were giving us access to the exact same content ... already recorded and packaged without commercials.
I also watched over the last year as additional products and services came online to address and service that growing group of Cord Cutters. I watched as more and more cable TV stations began including their own in-house shows and content on their web sites. I watched as computer programs started to emerge that would replace and enhance the role of Microsoft Windows Media Center. And I watched as TV tuner cards necessary to pick-up over-the-air (OTA) signals moved from add-in cards installed in each HTPC to shared devices that could be accessed across my in-home network.
Summary
In short, I've watched this movement or industry or consumer shift, what have you, grow from it's infancy to what I believe is now it's adolescence. And just like any adolescent it's got some acne and it's a little rough around the edges. But at the same time I see the greatness within. So take this journey with me as I walk down this path to video content freedom.
Welcome to the future ... the journey begins now ...
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