SiliconDust raising money developing software (an easy-to-use DVR) for your existing hardware. Sounds promising. But there's an annual $30 fee. At least cheaper than TIVO. Silicondust must be hard up for money if they can't afford 100K.
[via Cordkillers 70]
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Pay TV declining
The U.S. pay-TV business keeps shrinking, albeit slowly — but for the
first time ever, the sector dropped a net number of subscribers in the
first three months of a year, during Q1 of 2015.
The industry is contracting at a 0.5% annual rate, with a net loss of 31,000 customers in Q1, according to MoffettNathanson analyst Craig Moffett. Traditional subscription television providers face an array of Internet competitors, ranging from Netflix and Hulu to YouTube and other digital-video sites, that are discouraging consumers from signing up for cable or satellite TV or prompting them to cancel service.
“Cord-cutting has finally accelerated,” Moffett wrote in a research note Monday. “It’s not too early to get worried.”
Q1 is typically a strong quarter for pay-TV operators, but it’s seasonally weak for household formation, Moffett noted. In the first quarter of 2015, occupied household net adds were down 407,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau — but over the last 12 months, the U.S. has added 1.26 million households which “are nowhere to be found in the most recent pay-TV data,” according to Moffett. That suggests a significant number of “cord-nevers” who are shunning traditional subscription television.
“To investors, the question of whether all that licensing of content to Netflix and Hulu and other online venues would hurt or help the pay-TV ecosystem seems painfully quaint (of course it will hurt),” Moffett wrote.
The decline in Q1 2015 comes after about 1.4 million households over the course of 2014 either canceled existing pay-TV service or were new households that didn’t sign up at all, according to Moffett’s analysis.
Comcast, the No. 1 cable operator, shed 8,000 video subscribers, while Time Warner Cable — the now-aborted takeover target of Comcast — actually gained a net 33,000. DirecTV, the largest satellite provider, added 60,000 and Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse added subs as well. But overall, the gains were offset by customers dropping service with other companies.
Dish Network suffered the biggest losses in the sector, dropping 134,000 satellite-TV subs in Q1. The satcaster blamed that largely on programming spats, including with 21st Century Fox for Fox News Channel, in which Dish dropped the network; Dish restored Fox News in January, but the blackout had a carry-over effect into Q1.
On a call with analysts Monday, Dish CEO Charlie Ergen said that his general sense was the pay-TV business peaked a few years ago, “and is in slight decline in terms of households willing to take the big bundle… but it’s not declining as fast as I thought it would.” He took issue with Moffett’s cord-cutting thesis, arguing that Dish’s sub losses in the quarter went to the satcaster’s competitors. But at the same time, Ergen cited Dish’s Sling TV OTT service as a way to reach younger consumers who aren’t subscribing to traditional pay television.
Dish in February launched Sling TV, aimed at so-called cord-cutters (and cord-nevers) who are averse to paying for big traditional channel bundles. The company did not disclose how many Sling TV users it has signed up so far, with execs saying only that the majority were consumers who did not previously have pay-TV service. In any case, those customers represent a shrinking of the overall pay-TV ecosystem given Sling TV’s stripped-down 20-channel baseline bundle.
Ergen likened the shift from conventional pay-TV to Internet-delivered TV service to Netflix’s shift from DVD-by-mail subscriptions to streaming. “I’m not saying that will happen (with Dish and Sling TV),” he added. But “Sling TV is a different dynamic” in terms of the economic model and the type of consumer it’s aimed at, Ergen said.
[via CordKillers 70]
The industry is contracting at a 0.5% annual rate, with a net loss of 31,000 customers in Q1, according to MoffettNathanson analyst Craig Moffett. Traditional subscription television providers face an array of Internet competitors, ranging from Netflix and Hulu to YouTube and other digital-video sites, that are discouraging consumers from signing up for cable or satellite TV or prompting them to cancel service.
“Cord-cutting has finally accelerated,” Moffett wrote in a research note Monday. “It’s not too early to get worried.”
Q1 is typically a strong quarter for pay-TV operators, but it’s seasonally weak for household formation, Moffett noted. In the first quarter of 2015, occupied household net adds were down 407,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau — but over the last 12 months, the U.S. has added 1.26 million households which “are nowhere to be found in the most recent pay-TV data,” according to Moffett. That suggests a significant number of “cord-nevers” who are shunning traditional subscription television.
“To investors, the question of whether all that licensing of content to Netflix and Hulu and other online venues would hurt or help the pay-TV ecosystem seems painfully quaint (of course it will hurt),” Moffett wrote.
The decline in Q1 2015 comes after about 1.4 million households over the course of 2014 either canceled existing pay-TV service or were new households that didn’t sign up at all, according to Moffett’s analysis.
Comcast, the No. 1 cable operator, shed 8,000 video subscribers, while Time Warner Cable — the now-aborted takeover target of Comcast — actually gained a net 33,000. DirecTV, the largest satellite provider, added 60,000 and Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse added subs as well. But overall, the gains were offset by customers dropping service with other companies.
Dish Network suffered the biggest losses in the sector, dropping 134,000 satellite-TV subs in Q1. The satcaster blamed that largely on programming spats, including with 21st Century Fox for Fox News Channel, in which Dish dropped the network; Dish restored Fox News in January, but the blackout had a carry-over effect into Q1.
On a call with analysts Monday, Dish CEO Charlie Ergen said that his general sense was the pay-TV business peaked a few years ago, “and is in slight decline in terms of households willing to take the big bundle… but it’s not declining as fast as I thought it would.” He took issue with Moffett’s cord-cutting thesis, arguing that Dish’s sub losses in the quarter went to the satcaster’s competitors. But at the same time, Ergen cited Dish’s Sling TV OTT service as a way to reach younger consumers who aren’t subscribing to traditional pay television.
Dish in February launched Sling TV, aimed at so-called cord-cutters (and cord-nevers) who are averse to paying for big traditional channel bundles. The company did not disclose how many Sling TV users it has signed up so far, with execs saying only that the majority were consumers who did not previously have pay-TV service. In any case, those customers represent a shrinking of the overall pay-TV ecosystem given Sling TV’s stripped-down 20-channel baseline bundle.
Ergen likened the shift from conventional pay-TV to Internet-delivered TV service to Netflix’s shift from DVD-by-mail subscriptions to streaming. “I’m not saying that will happen (with Dish and Sling TV),” he added. But “Sling TV is a different dynamic” in terms of the economic model and the type of consumer it’s aimed at, Ergen said.
[via CordKillers 70]
XBox One DVR?
Microsoft might be killing off Media Center in Windows 10, but the company is reportedly bringing one of its key features over to the Xbox One. Paul Thurrott reports
that a TV recording solution for the Xbox One is coming soon, and most
likely this year. Microsoft currently supports TV tuners in Europe and
North America on its Xbox One console, but there's only live TV pausing
and not full DVR capabilities.
It's logical that Microsoft would want to add a TV DVR function. When the software company originally unveiled the Xbox One it was designed as an all-in-one entertainment and games console, with a big focus on TV features. Xbox One owners can use cable boxes with the console thanks to HDMI-in support, but it's not clear if any DVR support would capture recordings from this source. The Xbox One also has relatively small storage (500GB) for a combination of games, media, and TV recordings. Microsoft could opt to ship new Xbox One consoles with greater storage options, like the special edition 1TB version released last year, or simply support TV recordings on USB storage.
[via Cordkillers 70]
It's logical that Microsoft would want to add a TV DVR function. When the software company originally unveiled the Xbox One it was designed as an all-in-one entertainment and games console, with a big focus on TV features. Xbox One owners can use cable boxes with the console thanks to HDMI-in support, but it's not clear if any DVR support would capture recordings from this source. The Xbox One also has relatively small storage (500GB) for a combination of games, media, and TV recordings. Microsoft could opt to ship new Xbox One consoles with greater storage options, like the special edition 1TB version released last year, or simply support TV recordings on USB storage.
[via Cordkillers 70]
Sunday, May 10, 2015
The new Roku 2
Here's a rather in-depth review from CNet.
Since it was first introduced in March 2013, the Roku 3 box has been our favorite streaming device recommendation. But Roku's latest hardware update flipped the script. Now our nod goes to the leaner, meaner 2015 Roku 2.
The new Roku 2 offers all of the goodness of the Roku interface and app selection (including Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, Vudu, Watch ESPN, HBO Go and Sling TV among its more than 2,000 channels), and the same lightning-quick response times as the Roku 3 (both new and old), with none of the extra remote-based features you may not use. It also costs $30 less, making the new Roku 2 a better overall value than the Roku 3.
In case you read that last section too quickly, let me reiterate: now the Roku 2 is just as fast as the Roku 3, and matches or beats the speed of pretty much any other streaming device we've tested, regardless of processor specs, RAM and other numbers. It leaves the old Roku 2--not to mention the cheaper Roku Streaming Stick and Roku 1--in the dust.
It also leaves behind a few beloved features. Gone is the headphone jack on the remote for private listening, and the ability to point the clicker anywhere--now you have to aim it at the box, just like most other remotes. (If you want either of those features, spend the extra $30 for the new Roku 3.)
The updated Roku 2 also sheds the old box's yellow, white and red analog video outputs, replacing them with an Ethernet port. That's a fine trade in my book, as it still works with any TV that has an HDMI input. If you're looking to add a streaming box to an old, pre-HD television and need those analog video outputs, the company continues to sell the analog-equipped Roku 1 unchanged.
Roku's interface, search and app selection still lead the pack, so unless you're a devotee of the Apple pantheon, or find yourself inescapably enmeshed in Amazon's jungle of media services, Roku is the best platform for streaming. Apple's upcoming box might challenge that supremacy, and maybe Google will improve Android TV enough to compete, but until then we still like Roku best. And unless you think it's worth the extra $30 cash get a point-anywhere remote with voice search and a headphone jack, the Roku 2 is a better buy than the Roku 3.
[read the review for (a lot) more details]
Since it was first introduced in March 2013, the Roku 3 box has been our favorite streaming device recommendation. But Roku's latest hardware update flipped the script. Now our nod goes to the leaner, meaner 2015 Roku 2.
The new Roku 2 offers all of the goodness of the Roku interface and app selection (including Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Prime, Vudu, Watch ESPN, HBO Go and Sling TV among its more than 2,000 channels), and the same lightning-quick response times as the Roku 3 (both new and old), with none of the extra remote-based features you may not use. It also costs $30 less, making the new Roku 2 a better overall value than the Roku 3.
In case you read that last section too quickly, let me reiterate: now the Roku 2 is just as fast as the Roku 3, and matches or beats the speed of pretty much any other streaming device we've tested, regardless of processor specs, RAM and other numbers. It leaves the old Roku 2--not to mention the cheaper Roku Streaming Stick and Roku 1--in the dust.
It also leaves behind a few beloved features. Gone is the headphone jack on the remote for private listening, and the ability to point the clicker anywhere--now you have to aim it at the box, just like most other remotes. (If you want either of those features, spend the extra $30 for the new Roku 3.)
The updated Roku 2 also sheds the old box's yellow, white and red analog video outputs, replacing them with an Ethernet port. That's a fine trade in my book, as it still works with any TV that has an HDMI input. If you're looking to add a streaming box to an old, pre-HD television and need those analog video outputs, the company continues to sell the analog-equipped Roku 1 unchanged.
Roku's interface, search and app selection still lead the pack, so unless you're a devotee of the Apple pantheon, or find yourself inescapably enmeshed in Amazon's jungle of media services, Roku is the best platform for streaming. Apple's upcoming box might challenge that supremacy, and maybe Google will improve Android TV enough to compete, but until then we still like Roku best. And unless you think it's worth the extra $30 cash get a point-anywhere remote with voice search and a headphone jack, the Roku 2 is a better buy than the Roku 3.
[read the review for (a lot) more details]
Saturday, May 09, 2015
DVD sales down
Hollywood continued to have a slipped disc problem in 2014: Consumer
spending for home video dropped slightly after two years of relatively
flat sales according to data out today from DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group.
Buyers spent $17.8 billion to buy or rent videos last year, a 1.8% drop
from 2013. That follows declines of 0.2% in 2013 and 0.5% in 2012.
Last year’s numbers show that the growth in Electronic Sell-Through (EST) and subscription streaming at sites such as Netflix was not enough to offset the continuing fall in disc sales and rentals — and a drop in VOD, which had been growing.
DVD and Blu-ray sales at $6.93 billion fell 10.9% (vs an 8.1% drop in 2013). Subscription disc rentals at $829.7 million were down 18.3% (vs. -19.3%). And rentals from brick and mortar stores at $696.4 million fell 27.1% (vs. -21.4%). The drop in kiosk rentals, overwhelmingly from Redbox, also accelerated: Sales amounted to $1.81 billion in 2014, off 4.4% vs the 2.2% slide in 2013.
Consumers continued to warm to non-disc entertainment. EST sales at $1.55 billion were +30.4%, a slowdown from 2013’s +47.1%. Subscription streaming at $4.01 billion was +25.8% (vs +33.2%). But VOD outlays at $1.97 billion were down 6.7% following a 4.8% increase in 2013.
DEG says the results are “good” as consumers “embraced the convenience and accessibility of purchasing and collecting digital content, while studios reaped higher margins from these digitial sales.” EST sales of theatrical new releases were up more than 60% helped by titles including Frozen, Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Lego Movie, Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug, and Guardians Of The Galaxy. The industry group also says that the number of UltraViolet accounts grew over 30% to more than 21 million.
[buy those old DVDs/BDs for your collection while you can, then again you can get most of content from Vudu or Amazon Video or iTunes.]
Last year’s numbers show that the growth in Electronic Sell-Through (EST) and subscription streaming at sites such as Netflix was not enough to offset the continuing fall in disc sales and rentals — and a drop in VOD, which had been growing.
DVD and Blu-ray sales at $6.93 billion fell 10.9% (vs an 8.1% drop in 2013). Subscription disc rentals at $829.7 million were down 18.3% (vs. -19.3%). And rentals from brick and mortar stores at $696.4 million fell 27.1% (vs. -21.4%). The drop in kiosk rentals, overwhelmingly from Redbox, also accelerated: Sales amounted to $1.81 billion in 2014, off 4.4% vs the 2.2% slide in 2013.
Consumers continued to warm to non-disc entertainment. EST sales at $1.55 billion were +30.4%, a slowdown from 2013’s +47.1%. Subscription streaming at $4.01 billion was +25.8% (vs +33.2%). But VOD outlays at $1.97 billion were down 6.7% following a 4.8% increase in 2013.
DEG says the results are “good” as consumers “embraced the convenience and accessibility of purchasing and collecting digital content, while studios reaped higher margins from these digitial sales.” EST sales of theatrical new releases were up more than 60% helped by titles including Frozen, Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Lego Movie, Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug, and Guardians Of The Galaxy. The industry group also says that the number of UltraViolet accounts grew over 30% to more than 21 million.
[buy those old DVDs/BDs for your collection while you can, then again you can get most of content from Vudu or Amazon Video or iTunes.]
Friday, May 08, 2015
Windows Media Center not on Windows 10
In case you missed it during the early days of Windows 8,
the era of the home theater PC (HTPC) is over—at least for Microsoft.
When Windows 10 rolls out this summer it will not be able to run Windows
Media Center, Microsoft's dedicated software for entertainment PCs.
With Windows 10, Microsoft is finally letting go of the long-neglected dream of turning the PC into a living room entertainment hub. The notion of connecting a PC to your television always made a certain sense. With a PC running Media Center you had access to all your stored digital media, you could watch and record live television, and play a DVD all in one spot. That ignores the pain of getting everything up and running, but once everything's rocking and rolling, HTPCs work very well.
[via cordkillers 69]
[so maybe I should get the Windows 7 laptop from Costco. or try to run XMBC (don't they know it's now called Kodi?) on Windows 10. That's my next project, try to Kodi running on my Windows 8 laptop.]
With Windows 10, Microsoft is finally letting go of the long-neglected dream of turning the PC into a living room entertainment hub. The notion of connecting a PC to your television always made a certain sense. With a PC running Media Center you had access to all your stored digital media, you could watch and record live television, and play a DVD all in one spot. That ignores the pain of getting everything up and running, but once everything's rocking and rolling, HTPCs work very well.
[via cordkillers 69]
[so maybe I should get the Windows 7 laptop from Costco. or try to run XMBC (don't they know it's now called Kodi?) on Windows 10. That's my next project, try to Kodi running on my Windows 8 laptop.]
Thursday, May 07, 2015
saving the cable box?
The traditional cable TV box is dying a slow death as Internet streaming
video services blossom. That has some in the cable industry ready to
join the streamers.
Over the past two weeks, a half dozen smaller cable TV companies, including Cablevision Systems (CVC), have announced plans to integrate Hulu’s streaming service into the boxes they lease to customers. Those deals follow several Netflix (NFLIX) forged last year to integrate its fare into the boxes used by several small cable companies and Dish Network (DISH), and are similir to the integrations Netflix has done with European pay TV providers.
The
goal is to make switching from cable TV viewing to these “over the top”
streaming services as quick and painless as possible for consumers.
Cable operators believe merging a streaming video service into the cable
box will help them sell high-speed Internet to subscribers by making
their Internet connection that much more important. Faster speeds offer a
better user experience, and cable providers can charge more for
speedier connections. Across the industry, cable companies are investing
to increase their speeds, which will allow them to offer new tiers of
service—and boost profit margins.
Sling TV
[5/7/15] Sling TV to launch broadcast networks in a tier?
[1/5/15] Dish Network Corp. (DISH) plans to unveil the first major online television service from a cable or satellite company, a $20-a-month set of 12 channels that targets U.S. customers who don’t want to pay for larger, more expensive TV packages.
Called Sling TV, the service will offer live feeds of sports, news and scripted shows on TVs, computers and mobile devices. Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN, Time Warner Inc. (TWX)’s TNT and CNN and others have agreed to supply cable channels.
***
The $20 Sling TV base package includes ESPN, ESPN2, Disney Channel, ABC Family, Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel, TNT, CNN, TBS, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and the "best of Internet video" with Maker Studios. Add-on packs with additional kids and news programming will be available for $5 each.
If Sling TV sounds familiar, it's because Dish owns Sling Media, which makes a line of place-shifting Slingbox products and services that are also integrated into Dish's latest Hopper DVR.
***
So with a good antenna, Dish Network, Netflix, Hulu Plus, CBS app (if it comes to Roku or Apple TV), that ain't bad.
*** [1/7/15]
Time Warner Cable Inc. (TWC) and other pay-TV providers are citing a culprit for the higher bills you’re paying: Sports.
For the first time, Time Warner Cable is adding a $2.75monthly charge for sports programming. Cablevision Systems Corp. (CVC)’s bills first carried a specific fee for sports and broadcast channels in 2013, and that charge is rising by $1, to $6 a month. Subscribers to satellite-TV and phone companies’ TV services won’t escape the hikes either.
Sports is the most expensive programming because it draws large audiences to live events. For example, Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN and ABC and Time Warner Inc.’s TNT are paying $24 billion over nine years to carry National Basketball Association games. Those costs get passed along to distributors, such as cable companies, and then subscribers. Rising bills are already trying consumers’ patience, and now there are more alternatives than ever for customers ready to ditch traditional TV.
“At some point consumers will say ‘Enough is enough,’” when it comes to rising TV bills, said Dan Rayburn, a media analyst at Frost & Sullivan.
While cable providers say they are offering more services and channels than ever before, many consumers don’t want to pay for networks they don’t want to watch. The latest rate increases could prompt some to cancel their subscriptions, Rayburn said.
And if they do, there are more options than ever for Web-based viewing. Cheaper services like Netflix Inc. (NFLX) have millions of subscribers. Even ESPN’s coveted sports content is going to be available live over the Internet, thanks to a new $20-a-month package of 12 streaming channels from Dish Network Corp. (DISH) That’s far cheaper than the typical basic cable package.
[via roy]
*** [1/26/15] Forbes review
*** [2/19/15] got an email from Roku saying Sling TV is now available. I'm tempted.
[1/5/15] Dish Network Corp. (DISH) plans to unveil the first major online television service from a cable or satellite company, a $20-a-month set of 12 channels that targets U.S. customers who don’t want to pay for larger, more expensive TV packages.
Called Sling TV, the service will offer live feeds of sports, news and scripted shows on TVs, computers and mobile devices. Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN, Time Warner Inc. (TWX)’s TNT and CNN and others have agreed to supply cable channels.
***
The $20 Sling TV base package includes ESPN, ESPN2, Disney Channel, ABC Family, Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel, TNT, CNN, TBS, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and the "best of Internet video" with Maker Studios. Add-on packs with additional kids and news programming will be available for $5 each.
If Sling TV sounds familiar, it's because Dish owns Sling Media, which makes a line of place-shifting Slingbox products and services that are also integrated into Dish's latest Hopper DVR.
***
So with a good antenna, Dish Network, Netflix, Hulu Plus, CBS app (if it comes to Roku or Apple TV), that ain't bad.
*** [1/7/15]
Time Warner Cable Inc. (TWC) and other pay-TV providers are citing a culprit for the higher bills you’re paying: Sports.
For the first time, Time Warner Cable is adding a $2.75monthly charge for sports programming. Cablevision Systems Corp. (CVC)’s bills first carried a specific fee for sports and broadcast channels in 2013, and that charge is rising by $1, to $6 a month. Subscribers to satellite-TV and phone companies’ TV services won’t escape the hikes either.
Sports is the most expensive programming because it draws large audiences to live events. For example, Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN and ABC and Time Warner Inc.’s TNT are paying $24 billion over nine years to carry National Basketball Association games. Those costs get passed along to distributors, such as cable companies, and then subscribers. Rising bills are already trying consumers’ patience, and now there are more alternatives than ever for customers ready to ditch traditional TV.
“At some point consumers will say ‘Enough is enough,’” when it comes to rising TV bills, said Dan Rayburn, a media analyst at Frost & Sullivan.
While cable providers say they are offering more services and channels than ever before, many consumers don’t want to pay for networks they don’t want to watch. The latest rate increases could prompt some to cancel their subscriptions, Rayburn said.
And if they do, there are more options than ever for Web-based viewing. Cheaper services like Netflix Inc. (NFLX) have millions of subscribers. Even ESPN’s coveted sports content is going to be available live over the Internet, thanks to a new $20-a-month package of 12 streaming channels from Dish Network Corp. (DISH) That’s far cheaper than the typical basic cable package.
[via roy]
*** [1/26/15] Forbes review
*** [2/19/15] got an email from Roku saying Sling TV is now available. I'm tempted.
Monday, May 04, 2015
iTunes (non-instant) video
One might think that iTunes video and Amazon Instant Video are more or less equivalent as sources of movies and TV shows, but I have found that they are quite different.
As I am used to watching streaming video from Netflix and Hulu Plus, I was astounded to discover that iTunes requires you to download the video first even on the Apple TV. This can take like 30 minutes to an hour! I don't know the exact time because I usually abort because I don't want to wait. [OK, here's a guide as to how long it should take.]
Of course, after you download it, you can watch right away. But there goes all that space on my iPad.
Amazon Instant Video, on the other hand, is more like Netflix and Hulu Plus in that it streams from the cloud (after buffering for like 10 or 15 seconds or so) and doesn't take up space on your device.
So a big disadvantage in my book for iTunes videos.
Funny nobody seems to mention this in their reviews.
Well, this guy mentioned the problem, but the responders apparently have no clue.
Or maybe there's something wrong on my network?
Looking at this answer, it sounds like you can stream from itunes on the computer, but you have to download first before watching on iPhone or iPad.
OK, trying Tiny House Nation which I had purchased earlier (well it was free so I don't know if you can call it a purchase). I'm accessing on iTunes on my computer. It downloaded for a little while (a couple of minutes), then said it was ready for viewing. Apparently it downloaded/buffered enough to start viewing, but didn't complete download. Well, the controls are there but it ain't playing. Still downloading. Yeah, iTunes sucks. Don't have this problem with Amazon Instant Video. 68 more minutes. Forget it. Abort.
Apparently it's supposed to stream without downloading on the Apple TV. (So why do I have to wait so long?)
OK, let's try Tiny House Nation on the Apple TV again. Play from the beginning. It's now 11:43. At 11:44, it says ready to play in 3 minutes. OK, that's not so bad. Now 1 minute. Starts playing at 11:46 AM.
OK, let's try the 3 minutes long Scorpion: Behind The Scenes. Press play at 11:53. Hey, started playing after like 5 seconds.
OK, now that Tiny House Nation is playing quickly on the Apple TV, let's see how it plays on the computer.
Run iTunes. Check for updates. 12.1.2 is available. Current version is 12.01.26. WTH, let's update it. Update QuickTime (to 7.7.6) while I'm at it.
Not so fast, when back to Tiny House Nation (actually FYI Networks First Look) and resumed. Ready to play in 3 hours 7 minutes :( iTunes sucks. Well maybe the fact that I'm downloading/updating QuickTime and iTunes on my computer at the same time isn't helping.) Now 3 hours 28 minutes.
OK, didn't have to wait the 3 hours. Or even the 28 minutes. A couple of minute after iTunes finished downloading, the video started.
OK iTunes updated. Go to purchased (click the down arrow to the right of my name). Then choose TV shows. Nothing happens when I click on the icon. Evidently I have two choices. I can click on the x at the upper left to hide the item off the list. (To get it back, go to Account Info, iTunes in the Cloud, Hidden Purchases, Manage, TV Shows, Unhide.) Or I can click the cloud symbol at the upper right.have to click on the cloud symbol at the upper right of the icon. Then it starts to download. Showing Downloading 1 item at the top. Then after several seconds, a windows pops up saying it's ready to watch. The choices are to Play TV Show Now or Watch Later. Let's Play. The player comes up. Wait. It's now 12:45. Hmm. The marker wasn't at the beginning, I guess it was where I had left off on the iPad. Move it to the beginning and click play. Now the video is playing!
Play for a while, close window, TV shows from the iTunes Store are being downloaded. Are you sure you want to quit? Quit.
OK, let's try it on the iPad. Used 11.2 GB (6.0 GB of photos & camera) Available 1.6 GB. It also says iCloud total storage is 1.0 GB and available 1.0 GB. But when I go to manage storage, it says on the bottom 5.0 GB available of 5.0 GB on iCloud.
Whatever. Go to Videos. Tiny House Nation. Touch the small picture on the right of the big picture. The video window comes up. Move white dot at top to the beginning of video. Video starts to play then stops with the network thingie going in a circle. I guess it's downloading the video. Wait a little while and tap play. OK it's playing. Turn on closed caption. That works too.
Maybe it's downloading to iCloud. And once it's downloaded there, the other devices stream from iCloud? I'll wait for the video to complete playing then check my storage on the iPad.
OK, played to about the 7 minute mark and stopped. I guess it's pausing it's breath to reload.
Forget it. Abort. Used is now 11.5 GB with 1.3 GB available. How do I get back that storage?
Well according to this, the item is stored on iCloud and not on my device. So why do I have 300 MB less space now?
OK, try this to delete videos. General, Usage, Videos. Don't see any videos. OK, maybe it ain't on my iPad.
Let's try Amazon Instant Video on my iPad. OK, install it. Check usage. Used 11.6 GB. Available 1.1 GB. Amazon Instant Video takes uses 40.6 MB.
Sign in to Amazon Instant Video. Apparently you have the option to download or stream. Click play. It plays right away. Why can't iTunes do that?
As I am used to watching streaming video from Netflix and Hulu Plus, I was astounded to discover that iTunes requires you to download the video first even on the Apple TV. This can take like 30 minutes to an hour! I don't know the exact time because I usually abort because I don't want to wait. [OK, here's a guide as to how long it should take.]
Of course, after you download it, you can watch right away. But there goes all that space on my iPad.
Amazon Instant Video, on the other hand, is more like Netflix and Hulu Plus in that it streams from the cloud (after buffering for like 10 or 15 seconds or so) and doesn't take up space on your device.
So a big disadvantage in my book for iTunes videos.
Funny nobody seems to mention this in their reviews.
Well, this guy mentioned the problem, but the responders apparently have no clue.
Or maybe there's something wrong on my network?
Looking at this answer, it sounds like you can stream from itunes on the computer, but you have to download first before watching on iPhone or iPad.
OK, trying Tiny House Nation which I had purchased earlier (well it was free so I don't know if you can call it a purchase). I'm accessing on iTunes on my computer. It downloaded for a little while (a couple of minutes), then said it was ready for viewing. Apparently it downloaded/buffered enough to start viewing, but didn't complete download. Well, the controls are there but it ain't playing. Still downloading. Yeah, iTunes sucks. Don't have this problem with Amazon Instant Video. 68 more minutes. Forget it. Abort.
Apparently it's supposed to stream without downloading on the Apple TV. (So why do I have to wait so long?)
OK, let's try Tiny House Nation on the Apple TV again. Play from the beginning. It's now 11:43. At 11:44, it says ready to play in 3 minutes. OK, that's not so bad. Now 1 minute. Starts playing at 11:46 AM.
OK, let's try the 3 minutes long Scorpion: Behind The Scenes. Press play at 11:53. Hey, started playing after like 5 seconds.
OK, now that Tiny House Nation is playing quickly on the Apple TV, let's see how it plays on the computer.
Run iTunes. Check for updates. 12.1.2 is available. Current version is 12.01.26. WTH, let's update it. Update QuickTime (to 7.7.6) while I'm at it.
Not so fast, when back to Tiny House Nation (actually FYI Networks First Look) and resumed. Ready to play in 3 hours 7 minutes :( iTunes sucks. Well maybe the fact that I'm downloading/updating QuickTime and iTunes on my computer at the same time isn't helping.) Now 3 hours 28 minutes.
OK, didn't have to wait the 3 hours. Or even the 28 minutes. A couple of minute after iTunes finished downloading, the video started.
OK iTunes updated. Go to purchased (click the down arrow to the right of my name). Then choose TV shows. Nothing happens when I click on the icon. Evidently I have two choices. I can click on the x at the upper left to hide the item off the list. (To get it back, go to Account Info, iTunes in the Cloud, Hidden Purchases, Manage, TV Shows, Unhide.) Or I can click the cloud symbol at the upper right.have to click on the cloud symbol at the upper right of the icon. Then it starts to download. Showing Downloading 1 item at the top. Then after several seconds, a windows pops up saying it's ready to watch. The choices are to Play TV Show Now or Watch Later. Let's Play. The player comes up. Wait. It's now 12:45. Hmm. The marker wasn't at the beginning, I guess it was where I had left off on the iPad. Move it to the beginning and click play. Now the video is playing!
Play for a while, close window, TV shows from the iTunes Store are being downloaded. Are you sure you want to quit? Quit.
OK, let's try it on the iPad. Used 11.2 GB (6.0 GB of photos & camera) Available 1.6 GB. It also says iCloud total storage is 1.0 GB and available 1.0 GB. But when I go to manage storage, it says on the bottom 5.0 GB available of 5.0 GB on iCloud.
Whatever. Go to Videos. Tiny House Nation. Touch the small picture on the right of the big picture. The video window comes up. Move white dot at top to the beginning of video. Video starts to play then stops with the network thingie going in a circle. I guess it's downloading the video. Wait a little while and tap play. OK it's playing. Turn on closed caption. That works too.
Maybe it's downloading to iCloud. And once it's downloaded there, the other devices stream from iCloud? I'll wait for the video to complete playing then check my storage on the iPad.
OK, played to about the 7 minute mark and stopped. I guess it's pausing it's breath to reload.
Forget it. Abort. Used is now 11.5 GB with 1.3 GB available. How do I get back that storage?
Well according to this, the item is stored on iCloud and not on my device. So why do I have 300 MB less space now?
OK, try this to delete videos. General, Usage, Videos. Don't see any videos. OK, maybe it ain't on my iPad.
Sign in to Amazon Instant Video. Apparently you have the option to download or stream. Click play. It plays right away. Why can't iTunes do that?
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
TV is helping Netflix kill them
Netflix wants to replace TV, and there’s a growing consensus that Reed Hastings has already started: The new conventional wisdom is that Netflix is the reason behind a mysterious decline in TV ratings that showed up last summer and has stuck around ever since.
Here’s the latest argument in support of that theory: Netflix, which streamed 10 billion hours of video last quarter, now represents close to 6 percent of total TV viewing in the U.S., says analyst Michael Nathanson. More to the point: Nathanson figures that Netflix accounts for 43 percent of the ratings decline the networks experienced last quarter.
Here’s the latest argument in support of that theory: Netflix, which streamed 10 billion hours of video last quarter, now represents close to 6 percent of total TV viewing in the U.S., says analyst Michael Nathanson. More to the point: Nathanson figures that Netflix accounts for 43 percent of the ratings decline the networks experienced last quarter.
The MoffettNathanson analyst figures that trend will continue, and “Netflix as a percentage of traditional TV will steadily rise to the low-double-digit range over the next four years, representing the majority of the declines in traditional TV viewing.”
What makes this more painful for TV networks and the Hollywood studios they work with is that they’ve helped Netflix eat into their own business by selling them their repeats — a very high-margin business they were happy to have.
Now there are drumbeats that the studios will cut back on those sales, but during Netflix’s Q1 earnings call, the company said it hadn’t seen any sign of that yet. Then again, that’s one of the reasons Hastings has been accelerating his investments in original content — he doesn’t want to depend on the TV guys’ leftovers.
So to sum up: Netflix uses TV’s old shows to build its own business, which eats into TV’s business. Then Netflix uses the money it makes from TV’s old shows to make new shows of its own — so it can eat into the TV business some more.
Virtuous cycle for Netflix. Vicious one for the TV guys.
[via cordkillers 68]
Hulu makes its move
It’s a deal that’s about a lot more than nothing.
Hulu, the streaming service part owned by NBC, Fox and ABC, announced on Wednesday that it has picked up the rights to all 180 episodes of “Seinfeld” and will make them available in June. [I wonder if it'll be available to both Hulu and Hulu Plus.]
That’s 180 new reasons for people to ditch cable.
But wait — there’s more: The company showed off a new original series, “Difficult People,” starring “Funny or Die” phenom Billy Eichner and produced by Amy Poehler, and said it had made a deal to include Hulu Plus as part of Cablevision’s Internet package.
Either development, taken separately, would be big news. Together, they’re a possible game changer — which explains why Hulu hyped the announcement to the fullest, with Jerry Seinfeld himself taking questions from the audience at Hulu’s upfront presentation.
Has Hulu suddenly become master of its (online) domain? Not quite — but it may have made itself sponge-worthy.
Neither company explained the deal on Wednesday.
One thing is clear: Cord-cutting is revolutionizing how people consume entertainment — and cable companies that do not adjust will be unfunny and die.
Hulu, the streaming service part owned by NBC, Fox and ABC, announced on Wednesday that it has picked up the rights to all 180 episodes of “Seinfeld” and will make them available in June. [I wonder if it'll be available to both Hulu and Hulu Plus.]
That’s 180 new reasons for people to ditch cable.
But wait — there’s more: The company showed off a new original series, “Difficult People,” starring “Funny or Die” phenom Billy Eichner and produced by Amy Poehler, and said it had made a deal to include Hulu Plus as part of Cablevision’s Internet package.
Either development, taken separately, would be big news. Together, they’re a possible game changer — which explains why Hulu hyped the announcement to the fullest, with Jerry Seinfeld himself taking questions from the audience at Hulu’s upfront presentation.
Has Hulu suddenly become master of its (online) domain? Not quite — but it may have made itself sponge-worthy.
- The addition of “Seinfeld” in a reported $126 million deal finally adds some incentive for “cord cutters” — those who have canceled their cable and rely on the Internet for programming — to shell out the $95 annual fee for Hulu Plus, the company’s high-end subscription service. But most would-be subscribers will hold off: Unlike HBO or Netflix, Hulu still doesn’t offer enough original content to make it an enticing alternative to cable.
- That said, Eichner’s show begins in August and is clearly a shot across the bow at Netflix, which already offers a comedy, “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” from another Poehler pal (in this case, Tina Fey).
- The Cablevision deal is tougher to understand. It seems like a calculated move to keep cord-cutters in the family, because they’ll still need Cablevision’s Internet service.
Neither company explained the deal on Wednesday.
One thing is clear: Cord-cutting is revolutionizing how people consume entertainment — and cable companies that do not adjust will be unfunny and die.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Silicon Valley Comic Con
Marvel's Stan Lee and Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak
have teamed up to announce Silicon Valley Comic Con. The convention
will take place March 19-20, 2016 at the San Jose Convention Center.
The convention aims to bring together pop culture and technology, and will feature celebrities, movies, television, video games, comic books, and more.
"In life, the most important thing is to have fun, and Silicon Valley Comic Con will be the place to experience all your favorite things at one great show," said Wozniak. "Today, technology is pop culture, in Silicon Valley and around the globe. Entertainment and innovation inspire and bring so much joy to the world, and I’m so excited that we will showcase both at Silicon Valley Comic Con. It’s finally the Age of the Geek, and we’re ready to celebrate!"
Lee added: "The one thing I want Woz to keep in mind is this: With great power comes great responsibility. I love the idea and can’t wait to see it. Excelsior!"
The convention aims to bring together pop culture and technology, and will feature celebrities, movies, television, video games, comic books, and more.
"In life, the most important thing is to have fun, and Silicon Valley Comic Con will be the place to experience all your favorite things at one great show," said Wozniak. "Today, technology is pop culture, in Silicon Valley and around the globe. Entertainment and innovation inspire and bring so much joy to the world, and I’m so excited that we will showcase both at Silicon Valley Comic Con. It’s finally the Age of the Geek, and we’re ready to celebrate!"
Lee added: "The one thing I want Woz to keep in mind is this: With great power comes great responsibility. I love the idea and can’t wait to see it. Excelsior!"
man kills his computer
DENVER - Police in Colorado have cited a 37-year-old man for carrying
his computer into an alley then shooting it eight times with a handgun
after what authorities said had been a long battle with the
uncooperative machine.
Lucas Hinch was cited for discharging a firearm within city limits after officers responded to a "shots fired" call early on Monday evening, the Colorado Springs Police Department said in a statement.
"Investigation revealed a resident was fed up with fighting his computer for the last several months," said the statement, entitled "Man Kills His Computer."
"He took the computer into the back alley and fired eight shots into the computer with a handgun, effectively disabling it," it added.
The Colorado Springs Gazette newspaper cited police as saying Hinch was good-natured about the citation, and that he told officers he had not realized he was breaking the law.
Lucas Hinch was cited for discharging a firearm within city limits after officers responded to a "shots fired" call early on Monday evening, the Colorado Springs Police Department said in a statement.
"Investigation revealed a resident was fed up with fighting his computer for the last several months," said the statement, entitled "Man Kills His Computer."
"He took the computer into the back alley and fired eight shots into the computer with a handgun, effectively disabling it," it added.
The Colorado Springs Gazette newspaper cited police as saying Hinch was good-natured about the citation, and that he told officers he had not realized he was breaking the law.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
auto-play
[5/14/15] Even though auto-play was set to off on the computer settings, noticed that Netflix still auto-plays in kid's mode (on the Fire TV at least).
[4/23/15] Auto-play for Netflix works on the iPad as well. And I see a setting on Hulu Plus to turn on/off auto-play.
[4/22/15] OK, turned on Netflix auto-play on the computer. Seeing if it works on the Fire TV. Yep. How about the Apple TV? Yep. Roku HD? Nope. Maybe it's because it uses the old interface.
Here's the summary. Amazon Fire TV can turn on/off auto-play for both Netflix and Hulu Plus. Apple TV can turn on auto-play for Netflix, but not Hulu Plus. Roku HD can turn on auto-play for Hulu Plus, but not Netflix. My guess is that the Roku 3 can do both.
[4/22/15] Noticed youtube doesn't auto-play on the Fire TV. It auto-plays on the Apple TV and Roku. Sometime you might not want it to auto-play. Funny, this post indicates that youtube does auto-play on the Fire TV. This one too. (Ah, I see you can turn on/off Netflix autoplay for all devices from the settings on the computer. I'll check on this later.)
Hmm. Now it's auto-playing NatGeoWild videos. Maybe it just got stuck earlier. Or maybe it's where you play the videos from?
[4/8/15] Hey, now I see there's an option to turn off/on autoplay for Hulu Plus on the Roku. Cool. Now I'm wondering if there's a way to turn on Hulu autoplay on the Apple TV? [Apparently not, but you can turn it off on the computer.]
[3/26/15] Hey, now I see I can customize the Hulu Plus captions from the Hulu Plus settings. Font, color, transparency. I can also turn on/off auto-play. Things are looking up. Now if they would do the same for Netflix.
[split off from the Amazon Fire TV audition post]
[4/23/15] Auto-play for Netflix works on the iPad as well. And I see a setting on Hulu Plus to turn on/off auto-play.
[4/22/15] OK, turned on Netflix auto-play on the computer. Seeing if it works on the Fire TV. Yep. How about the Apple TV? Yep. Roku HD? Nope. Maybe it's because it uses the old interface.
Here's the summary. Amazon Fire TV can turn on/off auto-play for both Netflix and Hulu Plus. Apple TV can turn on auto-play for Netflix, but not Hulu Plus. Roku HD can turn on auto-play for Hulu Plus, but not Netflix. My guess is that the Roku 3 can do both.
[4/22/15] Noticed youtube doesn't auto-play on the Fire TV. It auto-plays on the Apple TV and Roku. Sometime you might not want it to auto-play. Funny, this post indicates that youtube does auto-play on the Fire TV. This one too. (Ah, I see you can turn on/off Netflix autoplay for all devices from the settings on the computer. I'll check on this later.)
Hmm. Now it's auto-playing NatGeoWild videos. Maybe it just got stuck earlier. Or maybe it's where you play the videos from?
[4/8/15] Hey, now I see there's an option to turn off/on autoplay for Hulu Plus on the Roku. Cool. Now I'm wondering if there's a way to turn on Hulu autoplay on the Apple TV? [Apparently not, but you can turn it off on the computer.]
[3/26/15] Hey, now I see I can customize the Hulu Plus captions from the Hulu Plus settings. Font, color, transparency. I can also turn on/off auto-play. Things are looking up. Now if they would do the same for Netflix.
[split off from the Amazon Fire TV audition post]
Daredevil descriptive audio track
It was mentioned on CordKillers 67 that Netflix has added a descriptive audio track for Daredevil (appropriately).
I was able access it on my iPad and computer, but not on my Roku or Apple TV. They do have four audio tracks however, German, Spanish, French, as well as English. And captions for those same languages.
I tried it on my Fire TV and it's there. But you have to access it after the show starts. It doesn't appear on the main menu.
I was able access it on my iPad and computer, but not on my Roku or Apple TV. They do have four audio tracks however, German, Spanish, French, as well as English. And captions for those same languages.
I tried it on my Fire TV and it's there. But you have to access it after the show starts. It doesn't appear on the main menu.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Oceanic goes all-digital
Went to my mom's place and noticed snow on her regular channels.
It appears Oceanic has totally changed their channel lineup for those who directly plug the cable into their TV. The channels now range from 3 to 34 and are all digital. There's a lot of added channels and most of the channels are in HD! This would be quite a deal for those who have digital cable and don't watch the extra channels on the digital variety pack. They don't need a cable box now.
So no more complaining that people are watching stretched HD pictures any more. However, this will require people with old analog TVs to get a digital to analog converter (or buy a new TV).
I wonder if it's only at my mom's place though? Not likely, but let me check Oceanic's site.
Well, don't see any news there, but if I click on View the Channel Lineup from the Basic TV & Standard TV page, the page is not found. So maybe they're in the process of updating the Channel Lineup page. Zap2it still shows the old analog listings.
I'll check on this more when I go back home.
WTH, let's see list the channels:
3-1 GUIDE (HD)
4-1 FOX (HD)
4-2 KFVE (HD)
5-1 ABC (HD)
5-2 CBS (HD)
6-1 NBC (HD)
6-2 PBS (HD)
7-1 KIKU (SD)
7-2 FNC (HD)
8-1 CNN (HD)
8-2 HLN (HD)
9-1 BLOOM (HD)
9-2 CNBC (HD)
9-3 CSPAN (SD)
10-1 MSNBC (HD)
10-2 TBS (HD)
10-3 E! (HD)
11-1 TNT (HD)
11-2 USA (HD)
12-1 DISC (HD)
12-2 A&E (HD)
13-1 NGC (HD)
13-2 WEATHER (HD)
13-3 BBCA (HD)
14-1 COMEDY (HD)
14-2 VH-1 (SD)
15-1 MTV (SD)
15-2 PLD (HD)
16-1 SCENIC (HD)
16-2 RL HAW (SD)
17-1 NGNHC (SD)
17-2 CHTV (SD)
17-3 TTN (SD)
17-4 KBFD (SD)
17-5 TELEMUN (SD)
18-1 SCIENCE (HD)
18-2 UNIV (HD)
19-1 OC16 (HD)
19-2 OCSURF (HD)
19-3 ESPNU (HD)
20-1 ESPNEWS (HD)
20-2 ESPN (HD)
20-3 TWCSP (HD)
21-1 ESPN2 (HD)
21-2 FSN (HD)
21-3 OCSPORT (HD)
22-1 ESPNC (SD)
22-2 NFL (HD)
22-3 CBSSN (HD)
23-1 GOLF (HD)
23-2 MLB (HD)
23-3 NBCSN (HD)
24-1 FS1 (HD)
24-2 HGTV (HD)
24-3 LIFE (HD)
25-1 FX (HD)
25-2 SPIKE (HD)
26-1 HISTORY (HD)
26-2 FYI (HD)
27-1 DISNEY (HD)
27-2 NICK (SD)
27-3 DISNJR (HD)
28-1 ABCFAM (HD)
28-2 TOON (HD)
29-1 TRAVEL (HD)
29-2 MGM (HD)
30-1 SYFY (HD)
30-2 FOOD (HD)
31-1 APL (HD)
31-2 TLC (HD)
32-1 WE (HD)
32-2 BRAVO (HD)
33-1 AMC (SD)
33-2 TCM (HD)
33-3 BET (HD)
34-1 CW (SD)
34-2 TVLAND (SD)
77 channels. That's quite a few. The only other ones I might want are NBA TV and Nat Geo Wild. But I guess I can live without them.
[5/2/15 - and just noticed, no Prime Ticket, just like HawaiianTelcom.]
Oddly, there's no local (over-the-air) channels KWHE, ME-TV, ANTENNA-TV, THIS, ION. And CW is in SD, while it's available on HD on the old lineup. No OLELO either. So I'd have to say this is a limited test run.
But we'll see if all the channels stick around. Who knows? Maybe they'll switch it all back tomorrow.
***
Home. Nope, still got the analog channels. So don't know what gives? Maybe I'll get the new lineup later. Or maybe it'll get taken off at my mom's place.
[4/18/15 - channels still on my mom's place, but the old channel lineup is still on at home]
It appears Oceanic has totally changed their channel lineup for those who directly plug the cable into their TV. The channels now range from 3 to 34 and are all digital. There's a lot of added channels and most of the channels are in HD! This would be quite a deal for those who have digital cable and don't watch the extra channels on the digital variety pack. They don't need a cable box now.
So no more complaining that people are watching stretched HD pictures any more. However, this will require people with old analog TVs to get a digital to analog converter (or buy a new TV).
I wonder if it's only at my mom's place though? Not likely, but let me check Oceanic's site.
Well, don't see any news there, but if I click on View the Channel Lineup from the Basic TV & Standard TV page, the page is not found. So maybe they're in the process of updating the Channel Lineup page. Zap2it still shows the old analog listings.
I'll check on this more when I go back home.
WTH, let's see list the channels:
3-1 GUIDE (HD)
4-1 FOX (HD)
4-2 KFVE (HD)
5-1 ABC (HD)
5-2 CBS (HD)
6-1 NBC (HD)
6-2 PBS (HD)
7-1 KIKU (SD)
7-2 FNC (HD)
8-1 CNN (HD)
8-2 HLN (HD)
9-1 BLOOM (HD)
9-2 CNBC (HD)
9-3 CSPAN (SD)
10-1 MSNBC (HD)
10-2 TBS (HD)
10-3 E! (HD)
11-1 TNT (HD)
11-2 USA (HD)
12-1 DISC (HD)
12-2 A&E (HD)
13-1 NGC (HD)
13-2 WEATHER (HD)
13-3 BBCA (HD)
14-1 COMEDY (HD)
14-2 VH-1 (SD)
15-1 MTV (SD)
15-2 PLD (HD)
16-1 SCENIC (HD)
16-2 RL HAW (SD)
17-1 NGNHC (SD)
17-2 CHTV (SD)
17-3 TTN (SD)
17-4 KBFD (SD)
17-5 TELEMUN (SD)
18-1 SCIENCE (HD)
18-2 UNIV (HD)
19-1 OC16 (HD)
19-2 OCSURF (HD)
19-3 ESPNU (HD)
20-1 ESPNEWS (HD)
20-2 ESPN (HD)
20-3 TWCSP (HD)
21-1 ESPN2 (HD)
21-2 FSN (HD)
21-3 OCSPORT (HD)
22-1 ESPNC (SD)
22-2 NFL (HD)
22-3 CBSSN (HD)
23-1 GOLF (HD)
23-2 MLB (HD)
23-3 NBCSN (HD)
24-1 FS1 (HD)
24-2 HGTV (HD)
24-3 LIFE (HD)
25-1 FX (HD)
25-2 SPIKE (HD)
26-1 HISTORY (HD)
26-2 FYI (HD)
27-1 DISNEY (HD)
27-2 NICK (SD)
27-3 DISNJR (HD)
28-1 ABCFAM (HD)
28-2 TOON (HD)
29-1 TRAVEL (HD)
29-2 MGM (HD)
30-1 SYFY (HD)
30-2 FOOD (HD)
31-1 APL (HD)
31-2 TLC (HD)
32-1 WE (HD)
32-2 BRAVO (HD)
33-1 AMC (SD)
33-2 TCM (HD)
33-3 BET (HD)
34-1 CW (SD)
34-2 TVLAND (SD)
77 channels. That's quite a few. The only other ones I might want are NBA TV and Nat Geo Wild. But I guess I can live without them.
[5/2/15 - and just noticed, no Prime Ticket, just like HawaiianTelcom.]
Oddly, there's no local (over-the-air) channels KWHE, ME-TV, ANTENNA-TV, THIS, ION. And CW is in SD, while it's available on HD on the old lineup. No OLELO either. So I'd have to say this is a limited test run.
But we'll see if all the channels stick around. Who knows? Maybe they'll switch it all back tomorrow.
***
Home. Nope, still got the analog channels. So don't know what gives? Maybe I'll get the new lineup later. Or maybe it'll get taken off at my mom's place.
[4/18/15 - channels still on my mom's place, but the old channel lineup is still on at home]
participating provider? (Time Warner Cable vs. Hawaiian Telcom)
More comparisons between Oceanic (Time Warner Cable) and Hawaiian Telcom. Oceanic has On Demand for many of the TV shows, while Hawaiian Telcom does not have any.
History yes yes
However Hawaiian Telcom has support for more websites and apps as a participating provider. I'm starting the list below. (Note, even if a provider is not supported, you still might be able to watch many or most of the show on the site.)
Channel Time Warner Hawaiian Telcom
Fox yes no
FX yes yes
The CW yes yes
The CW yes yes
PBS n/a n/a
TBS no yes
TNT no yes
CNN no yes
CNBC yes yes
CNN no yes
CNBC yes yes
HGTV n/a n/a
NatGeo Wild yes yes
So Hawaiian Telcom supports almost every channel except Fox, while Time Warner is missing ABC (you can still watch shows after a week), TBS and TNT. And yes, you do need a TV subscription to view much of the content.
So Hawaiian Telcom supports almost every channel except Fox, while Time Warner is missing ABC (you can still watch shows after a week), TBS and TNT. And yes, you do need a TV subscription to view much of the content.
Tuesday, April 07, 2015
OLED vs. LCD vs. Plasma
The mainstream TV tech with the best picture is dead. RIP plasma.
If you're a screen quality purist, LED LCD won't cut it. Though they dominate the TV market, LED LCDs come with picture quality flaws, like uneven screens and poor contrast.
That leaves OLED -- organic light-emitting diode -- television as your only hope. It eliminates the need for a backlight and allows for ultra slim, even rollable screens, as well as world-beating picture quality. For now these TVs are manufactured by one company: LG Electronics.
Just this past fall, when I reviewed the least-expensive OLED TV yet, the $3,000 LG 55EC9300 , I knew I'd found something special. It didn't take long to realize that it had the best picture I'd ever seen.
Why? In the case of OLED, the contrast outclasses that of any LCD TV available. More important than resolution or screen shape, contrast between black and white provides the most visible picture-quality benefit, and these TVs are only going to get better.
But when will they get cheap enough to afford? Don't hold your breath.
"We're not going to sell a ton of OLED televisions in 2015," says David VanderWaal, LG's senior director of marketing. They're too expensive. And LG doesn't expect its 65-incher to fall below $7,000 by the 2015 holidays -- almost a year out. Same-size, high-end 4K LCDs cost a third as much.
Not ready for the masses
The reason for the delay is production yield. Yield refers to the percentage of TVs deemed good enough to sell as opposed to discard, and relatively low yields continue to make OLED TVs more expensive to manufacture than their LCD counterparts.
That difficulty is preventing other TV makers from bringing OLED TVs to market. LG will stand alone as the sole OLED proprietor through 2015 at least.
When asked whether plasma's death provided a cautionary tale of sorts, Alessi dismissed the idea. Compared with dominant LCD, OLED is new and plasma was old -- that's the LG thinking. "Ultimately, the cost of manufacturing an OLED set should become cheaper than an LCD," says Alessi. But he declined to give even a ballpark estimate of when that would happen. As far as video purists are concerned, it can't come soon enough.
If you're a screen quality purist, LED LCD won't cut it. Though they dominate the TV market, LED LCDs come with picture quality flaws, like uneven screens and poor contrast.
That leaves OLED -- organic light-emitting diode -- television as your only hope. It eliminates the need for a backlight and allows for ultra slim, even rollable screens, as well as world-beating picture quality. For now these TVs are manufactured by one company: LG Electronics.
Just this past fall, when I reviewed the least-expensive OLED TV yet, the $3,000 LG 55EC9300 , I knew I'd found something special. It didn't take long to realize that it had the best picture I'd ever seen.
Why? In the case of OLED, the contrast outclasses that of any LCD TV available. More important than resolution or screen shape, contrast between black and white provides the most visible picture-quality benefit, and these TVs are only going to get better.
But when will they get cheap enough to afford? Don't hold your breath.
"We're not going to sell a ton of OLED televisions in 2015," says David VanderWaal, LG's senior director of marketing. They're too expensive. And LG doesn't expect its 65-incher to fall below $7,000 by the 2015 holidays -- almost a year out. Same-size, high-end 4K LCDs cost a third as much.
Not ready for the masses
The reason for the delay is production yield. Yield refers to the percentage of TVs deemed good enough to sell as opposed to discard, and relatively low yields continue to make OLED TVs more expensive to manufacture than their LCD counterparts.
That difficulty is preventing other TV makers from bringing OLED TVs to market. LG will stand alone as the sole OLED proprietor through 2015 at least.
When asked whether plasma's death provided a cautionary tale of sorts, Alessi dismissed the idea. Compared with dominant LCD, OLED is new and plasma was old -- that's the LG thinking. "Ultimately, the cost of manufacturing an OLED set should become cheaper than an LCD," says Alessi. But he declined to give even a ballpark estimate of when that would happen. As far as video purists are concerned, it can't come soon enough.
Monday, April 06, 2015
Yahoo lost what you were writing?
I've had this happen to me several times in the past.
I'm writing something in the Yahoo editor and when I go to send it, it tells me that I'm not logged in. So I log in, but then whatever I'm writing is lost.
This seems to work for me to save what I am writing. What I would do is open another tab in the browser and log into my Yahoo mail. Once I log in, I go back to my previous tab and hit the back button. And whatever I wrote is saved.
But actually the safest thing to do when writing in Yahoo is to write in another editor. Then after you're done, log into your Yahoo mail to make sure you're logged in to Yahoo. Then go back to your Yahoo editor and copy and paste your text into the Yahoo editor.
I guess I'll try to replicate this later because I just tried to write something in Yahoo groups and it went through fine. Of all times.. :)
I'm writing something in the Yahoo editor and when I go to send it, it tells me that I'm not logged in. So I log in, but then whatever I'm writing is lost.
This seems to work for me to save what I am writing. What I would do is open another tab in the browser and log into my Yahoo mail. Once I log in, I go back to my previous tab and hit the back button. And whatever I wrote is saved.
But actually the safest thing to do when writing in Yahoo is to write in another editor. Then after you're done, log into your Yahoo mail to make sure you're logged in to Yahoo. Then go back to your Yahoo editor and copy and paste your text into the Yahoo editor.
I guess I'll try to replicate this later because I just tried to write something in Yahoo groups and it went through fine. Of all times.. :)
the current price of TV
With Sling TV and Sony Playstation Vue (and the upcoming Apple TV service), there is now some competition in the market.
[6/24/15 - Don't know what how much they charge for the "value service" mentioned in the Channel Listing pdf linked in the paragraph above. I assume it must be a little cheaper than the Standard Service.]
I'm with Oceanic (which is Time Warner Cable) which is the most expensive, but even they have their tiers.
They do have a basic service which are the local channels plus TBS. The price is $16.04. Plus there is a broadcast TV fee of $2.25.
Next is a big jump up to Standard Service which costs $64.74. This includes the basic service plus a bunch of channels most people are accustomed to watching. This includes CNN, Fox News, OCSports (UH Sports), ESPN, ESPN2, Time Warner SportsNet (Lakers), Prime Ticket (Clippers), TV Land, SyFy, MSNBC, Spike, FX, AMC, TNT, Travel, HGTV, Food, Comedy Central, Animal Planet, History Channel, National Geographic, A&E, and more.
[6/24/15 - Don't know what how much they charge for the "value service" mentioned in the Channel Listing pdf linked in the paragraph above. I assume it must be a little cheaper than the Standard Service.]
You catch these by plugging your cable directly into your TV without a cable box. You can also catch some digital TV channels this way including your local channels in HD, OCSports in HD, CW in HD, CNBC in HD.
Next step up is to rent a Digital Adapter (DTA) for (it says here) 99 cents a month. It's like a barebones cable box. With this you can watch additional channels in HD such as Fox News, ESPN, ESPN2, Food Network, Travel Channel, History Channel, Animal Planet, Discovery Channel, National Geographic, Disney Channel.
The next step up is to rent an HD cable box instead of a DTA. This will cost you $7.31 a month. Checking the digital lineup, you get HD channels such as CNN, Fox Sports 1, Time Warner Sports Net, Fox Sports West, Prime Ticket, HGTV, TBS, TNT, FX, USA, Spike, AMC.
Next step up is the Digital Variety Pack which is $88.54 (actually I'm getting the Digital Cable Pak, which includes the Digital Variety Pack and the box for $80.99). This adds HD channels such as Bloomberg, The Weather Channel, NFL Network, MLB Baseball, ESPNU, ESPNews, FXX, CBS Sports Network, Smithsonian, Nat Geo Wild, Fox Movie Channel.
Then I added the HD Entertainment Pack which is costing my an additional $6.95. With this come HD channels such as NBA TV, SyFy, Universal HD. They mention you also get CNN, USA, TBS, TNT but I see these now come with the Standard Service. So actually I'm paying $6.95 just for NBA TV HD since I don't watch the others much. I think I originally got it because I wanted to see the NBA on TNT in HD. But now it comes with standard service. Maybe I'll cancel this after the NBA season is over. I'd be tempted to switch to the Sports Pass service for $9.49, but apparently the only way you can get NBA TV HD is through the HD entertainment pack.
The other thing that's costing me is the DVR which I'm renting for $12.99.
I'm tempted to get the standalone DVR which accepts a cable card (wherever I saw it). Maybe that'll be in my next post (after I transfer the recording out of my current DVR -- one day as I'm paying $13 a month for basically nothing. Well it does give you the capability to pause and rewind shows on the fly which is pretty neat.
So anyway that's why my cable bill is now up to $114 a month.
***
How about Hawaiian Telcom?
If I can trust this page, they have two basic packages: Advantage and Advantage Plus for $68.95 a month and $78.95 a month (plus fees and taxes I assume).
Wait I see they also have a Basic service which includes 30 channels plus the box for $20.95 a month. You get pretty much local network channels many (or most) of which you could catch over the air for free (assuming you had a good antenna). None of the channels are HD. So not as good a deal as Oceanic here.
OK, back to the regular packages. Checking the lineup, you get a lot of channels, even OCSports (1089) and TWC SportsNet (1069). What do they carry that's not on Oceanic? Not much, but I see American Hero, Destination America, whatever they are. Notably missing is Prime Ticket which is odd since they do carry Fox Sports 1 and Fox Sports 2. Also no OC16 if you're into local high school sports.
What do you get with Advantage Plus? Pac 12, SEC, Fox Sports 2, Big Ten, Tennis, NBA TV, Nat Geo Wild, Biography.
So actually this Advantage Plus is a pretty good deal compared to Oceanic, since their DVR is better. No On Demand TV though. And no Prime Ticket is drawback. Well maybe if they bring it back..
***
A cheap option would be to go with SlingTV for $20 a month. With this you get ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS, HGTV. Food, Travel, History, H2, Disney, ABC Family, CNN and a few more. However streaming sports over the internet doesn't seem as smooth as over cable TV. And no local channels. (But if you get a good antenna, you might have something.)
The other streaming service is the PlayStation Vue currently available only in Chicago, New York City, and Philadelphia. The plans start at $49.99 a month for the Access plan. It varies a little per city, but basically (looking at New York City) you get CBS, Fox, CNN, TBS, TNT. The Core plan for $59.99 gets you NBC, Fox News, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, FX, Spike, TV Land, USA. The Elite plan for $69.99 gets you AMC, Animal Planet, CNBC, Food, FXX, HGTV, NatGeo, Nat Geo Wild, Spike, SyFy, USA.
So you're missing ABC (and ESPN and Disney) here.
Actually the cheapest option would be to get a good antenna if you're lucky enough to be in a good location.
If I were starting from scratch, I think I would go with HawaiianTelcom. Though no Prime Ticket is a drawback.
[4/7/15] 7 things to consider before canceling cable
[4/8/15] Money's guide to watching TV without a cable bill
[5/23/15] Savings calculator from Slate
[4/7/15] 7 things to consider before canceling cable
[4/8/15] Money's guide to watching TV without a cable bill
[5/23/15] Savings calculator from Slate
Saturday, April 04, 2015
Microsoft turns 40
Before their was an Office, or Windows, Bill Gates had a vision for how software might someday change the world.
It’s
hard to believe, but it’s been 40 years since Bill Gates and Paul Allen
established that little software company called Microsoft.
Allen
is long gone and Gates has given up his full-time role at Microsoft,
but he remains on its board and works with the company on special
projects.
Gates sent an email Friday to all Microsoft employees marking the occasion.
Early on, Paul Allen and I set the goal of a computer on every desk and in every home. It was a bold idea and a lot of people thought we were out of our minds to imagine it was possible. It is amazing to think about how far computing has come since then, and we can all be proud of the role Microsoft played in that revolution.
Today though, I am thinking much more about Microsoft’s future than its past. I believe computing will evolve faster in the next 10 years than it ever has before. We already live in a multi-platform world, and computing will become even more pervasive. We are nearing the point where computers and robots will be able to see, move and interact naturally, unlocking many new applications and empowering people even more.
...
Friday, April 03, 2015
Hyperkin
It’s
a dangerously day to be teasing awesome retro novelty products, but
Hyperkin is at it anyway. The company just announced that the Smart Boy
design concept it posted on Reddit
—a special iPhone case that lets you play real, physical Nintendo Game Boy cartridges on your smartphone—is for real. I’m so happy this isn’t
an April fools joke.
The image Hyperkin’s Chris Gallizzi teased Reddit with Monday apparently started
as an April fools gag, but graduated to “full-fledged project” soon
afterward. Basically, Hyperkin took a page from ThinkGeek’s playbook:
testing the waters with a “fake” but realistic product idea. Either way,
the Smart Boy is familiar ground for the company: Hyperkin’s Retron5 game console also used a mixture of emulation and physical cartridge ports.
***
What's this Retron 5? It lets you play NES, Genesis, SNES, Game Boy game with your original cartridges. Sounds cool. But gets mixed reviews on Amazon.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
The Dash Button
Amazon.com unveiled its latest innovation Tuesday — a tiny device
that allows you to order household items at the touch of a button.
The Dash Button is a Wi-Fi enabled plastic controller that connects to a customer’s smartphone through the Amazon app. The buttons can be stuck or hung anywhere around the house — like on your washing machine, say. If you run out of detergent, you just push the button and an order is automatically sent to Amazon for that particular product.
More than a dozen brands — listing about 255 of the kind of bulky products you need to replenish often — are available to order through the Dash Button program.
The device allows users to cancel their order within 30 minutes, and the order will only process once, so you won’t end up with tons of detergent being delivered to your door.
The timing of Amazon’s announcement has got many people wondering if it’s a prank for April Fool’s Day. Others see the timing as a stroke of marketing genius, because while people are trying to decide if it’s a hoax they are also doing precisely what Amazon wants them to do — which is talk about Dash and share the news.
Amazon spokesperson Kinley Pearsall confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that the Dash Button is indeed real, although for now the service is only available to Amazon Prime customers by invitation only.
The Dash Button is a Wi-Fi enabled plastic controller that connects to a customer’s smartphone through the Amazon app. The buttons can be stuck or hung anywhere around the house — like on your washing machine, say. If you run out of detergent, you just push the button and an order is automatically sent to Amazon for that particular product.
More than a dozen brands — listing about 255 of the kind of bulky products you need to replenish often — are available to order through the Dash Button program.
The device allows users to cancel their order within 30 minutes, and the order will only process once, so you won’t end up with tons of detergent being delivered to your door.
The timing of Amazon’s announcement has got many people wondering if it’s a prank for April Fool’s Day. Others see the timing as a stroke of marketing genius, because while people are trying to decide if it’s a hoax they are also doing precisely what Amazon wants them to do — which is talk about Dash and share the news.
Amazon spokesperson Kinley Pearsall confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that the Dash Button is indeed real, although for now the service is only available to Amazon Prime customers by invitation only.
Monday, March 30, 2015
streaming TV price guide
Via CordKillers 63 is this pretty neat page telling you how much it'll cost you for what channels. Yeah, that doesn't sound too clear, so just try it out. It would more useful when the Apple TV service comes out.
Not sure how much utility including Amazon Prime, HBO Go, Netflix are since they only add themselves.
If you buy all of them, it'll cost you $116.21 which is about how much I'm paying for my cable subscription now (without Netflix or Hulu Plus). Of course I'm getting more channels on cable. (Like Prime Ticket, NBA TV, NatGeoWild, OCSports are the main ones I watch that come to mind.)
What do Playstation Vue and Sling TV have in common? (Can't wait to add the Apple service to this, I'll add Hulu Plus though it's not quite fair since it's not streaming live, but maybe that's not a disadvantage. Well, it would be a disadvantage if you watch NFL football live on CBS and Fox.) [3/31/15 - Couldn't wait. Added a few rumored channels for the upcoming Apple TV service.]
Now if you could add (a legal) Aereo to Sling TV, then you might have something...
Vue Sling Apple Hulu
ABC x x
ABC Family x
AMC x x
Adult Swim x x
Animal Planet x
BET x
Bravo x x
CBS x x
CMT x
CNN x x
Cartoon Network x x
Comedy Central x x
Discovery x x x
Disney x
ESPN x x
ESPN2 x
El Rey x
FX x x x
Food Network x x
Fox x x x
Fox News x
Fox Sports x
Galavision x
HGTV x x
IFC x x
MSNBC x
MTV x x
Maker x
NBC x x
NBC Sports x
Nat Geo x
Nickelodeon x x
SyFy x
TBS x x
TLC x
TNT x x
Telemundo x
The CW x
Travel x x
Univision x
USA x
VH1 x
Not sure how much utility including Amazon Prime, HBO Go, Netflix are since they only add themselves.
If you buy all of them, it'll cost you $116.21 which is about how much I'm paying for my cable subscription now (without Netflix or Hulu Plus). Of course I'm getting more channels on cable. (Like Prime Ticket, NBA TV, NatGeoWild, OCSports are the main ones I watch that come to mind.)
What do Playstation Vue and Sling TV have in common? (Can't wait to add the Apple service to this, I'll add Hulu Plus though it's not quite fair since it's not streaming live, but maybe that's not a disadvantage. Well, it would be a disadvantage if you watch NFL football live on CBS and Fox.) [3/31/15 - Couldn't wait. Added a few rumored channels for the upcoming Apple TV service.]
Now if you could add (a legal) Aereo to Sling TV, then you might have something...
Vue Sling Apple Hulu
ABC x x
ABC Family x
AMC x x
Adult Swim x x
Animal Planet x
BET x
Bravo x x
CBS x x
CMT x
CNN x x
Cartoon Network x x
Comedy Central x x
Discovery x x x
Disney x
ESPN x x
ESPN2 x
El Rey x
FX x x x
Food Network x x
Fox x x x
Fox News x
Fox Sports x
Galavision x
HGTV x x
IFC x x
MSNBC x
MTV x x
Maker x
NBC x x
NBC Sports x
Nat Geo x
Nickelodeon x x
SyFy x
TBS x x
TLC x
TNT x x
Telemundo x
The CW x
Travel x x
Univision x
USA x
VH1 x
The TV Generation Gap
I thought it odd at one time that my son doesn’t watch TV. Then I
realized he’s part of a generation that finds TV unnecessary, clunky and
old-fashioned.
That is not to say he avoids all television shows — just that he doesn’t need a TV to watch them. To him, it’s just a superfluous piece of furniture.
When I visit my son at his university, I realize he’s not the only one. In fact, finding a TV in a dorm room might be the exception now rather than the rule as it was in my own college days.
And why not? Consider my son — everything he needs and wants for study and entertainment is on his desktop, his laptop or his phone.
I know it’s strange to feel nostalgic about something as mundane as watching television. I’m not a TV addict and would much rather read a good book (on my tablet). But when I was young, it was something we all did together. Prime time really was family time, even if it was only for an hour or two a few times a week. Gathering around a television is sociable. Watching a show on a laptop, a tablet or a tiny phone screen is a solitary act.
So when our son is home, he’ll watch with us just to please us. Luckily, the DVR has made program schedules meaningless. We can save the shows we know he’ll enjoy (or tolerate, haha). I like having us share the experience and am loathe to give up that time together.
And our son, well, he humors us for a bit and then he bolts. He’s got games to play, Internet to surf, music to download! And yes, he’ll watch TV shows and even read — but all online. Sitting in front of the TV is just so quaint.
I’m curious. Tell me, parents, are your kids as TV averse as our son?
Kids — and young adults, is TV a part of your life? If it’s not, why not? If it is, what do you watch? Is it still a way to bond with family? With friends? Is my son’s avoidance typical of his generation?
I read an article that stated flat screens are going the way of the dinosaurs. I doubt it. We still need those large screens in our homes for renting movies, for binge-watching series, for games and for Super Bowl parties.
I think televisions always will be with us, but they’ll no longer be the “hearth” of the home. They’re already evolving into extensions of our computers. Our kids aren’t less addicted. They’ve simply switched from one addiction to another.
jmoonjones @yahoo.com
Twitter: @JadeMoon1
That is not to say he avoids all television shows — just that he doesn’t need a TV to watch them. To him, it’s just a superfluous piece of furniture.
When I visit my son at his university, I realize he’s not the only one. In fact, finding a TV in a dorm room might be the exception now rather than the rule as it was in my own college days.
And why not? Consider my son — everything he needs and wants for study and entertainment is on his desktop, his laptop or his phone.
I know it’s strange to feel nostalgic about something as mundane as watching television. I’m not a TV addict and would much rather read a good book (on my tablet). But when I was young, it was something we all did together. Prime time really was family time, even if it was only for an hour or two a few times a week. Gathering around a television is sociable. Watching a show on a laptop, a tablet or a tiny phone screen is a solitary act.
So when our son is home, he’ll watch with us just to please us. Luckily, the DVR has made program schedules meaningless. We can save the shows we know he’ll enjoy (or tolerate, haha). I like having us share the experience and am loathe to give up that time together.
And our son, well, he humors us for a bit and then he bolts. He’s got games to play, Internet to surf, music to download! And yes, he’ll watch TV shows and even read — but all online. Sitting in front of the TV is just so quaint.
I’m curious. Tell me, parents, are your kids as TV averse as our son?
Kids — and young adults, is TV a part of your life? If it’s not, why not? If it is, what do you watch? Is it still a way to bond with family? With friends? Is my son’s avoidance typical of his generation?
I read an article that stated flat screens are going the way of the dinosaurs. I doubt it. We still need those large screens in our homes for renting movies, for binge-watching series, for games and for Super Bowl parties.
I think televisions always will be with us, but they’ll no longer be the “hearth” of the home. They’re already evolving into extensions of our computers. Our kids aren’t less addicted. They’ve simply switched from one addiction to another.
jmoonjones @yahoo.com
Twitter: @JadeMoon1
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Steve Jobs
*** [3/29/15]
Steve Jobs biographer Walter Isaacson doesn't seem bothered by his critics and the upcoming whitewashed biography of Jobs (Becoming Steve Jobs).
***
[10/5/11] CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) - Steve Jobs, the Apple founder and former CEO who invented and masterfully marketed ever-sleeker gadgets that transformed everyday technology, from the personal computer to the iPod and iPhone, has died. He was 56. Apple announced his death without giving a specific cause.
"We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today," the company said in a brief statement.
"Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve"
Jobs had battled cancer in 2004 and underwent a liver transplant in 2009 after taking a leave of absence for unspecified health problems. He took another leave of absence in January — his third since his health problems began — and officially resigned in August.
Jobs started Apple with a high school friend in a Silicon Valley garage in 1976, was forced out a decade later and returned in 1997 to rescue the company. During his second stint, it grew into the most valuable technology company in the world.
Cultivating Apple's countercultural sensibility and a minimalist design ethic, Jobs rolled out one sensational product after another, even in the face of the late-2000s recession and his own failing health.
He helped change computers from a geeky hobbyist's obsession to a necessity of modern life at work and home, and in the process he upended not just personal technology but the cellphone and music industries. For transformation of American industry, he has few rivals.
Perhaps most influentially, Jobs in 2001 launched the iPod, which offered "1,000 songs in your pocket." Over the next 10 years, its white earphones and thumb-dial control seemed to become more ubiquitous than the wristwatch.
In 2007 came the touch-screen iPhone, joined a year later by Apple's App Store, where developers could sell iPhone "apps" which made the phone a device not just for making calls but also for managing money, editing photos, playing games and social networking. And in 2010, Jobs introduced the iPad, a tablet-sized, all-touch computer that took off even though market analysts said no one really needed one.
By 2011, Apple had become the second-largest company of any kind in the United States by market value. In August, it briefly surpassed Exxon Mobil as the most valuable company.
[10/9/11] Hmm (while recording CNBC Titans -- hey if I had Roku maybe I wouldn't need to record this to DVD-R), I see I have this old Wired Magazine with Steve Jobs on the cover on the bottom shelf of my coffee table. The date? February 1996. Tells you how long I have stuff sitting there. Time to unload it.
[10/20/11] Twenty inspirational quotes
[10/21/11] A (rambling) Preview of Steve Job's authorized biography
[10/23/11] Will Steve Jobs' final vendetta haunt Google?
[10/25/11] Steve Jobs and Me: A journalist reminisces
[11/18/11] Steve Jobs the Tweaker (by Malcolm Gladwell)
*** [4/1/14] Documentaries on Steve Jobs (much from this thread)
92Y - Steve Wozniak (on Amazon Prime)
Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview (Amazon Prime, Netflix)
Steve Jobs: Consciously Genius (Amazon Prime) [4/24/15 - now on snagfilms]
Steve Jobs: One Last Thing (Amazon Prime, Netflix)
Steve Jobs: Visionary Genius (Netflix)
Jobs [the movie starrring Ashton Kutcher] (Netflix)
Steve Wozniak Biography (youtube)
CNBC Titans: Steve Jobs (hulu)
Bloomberg Game Changers (hulu)
Steve Jobs: Billion Dollar Hippy (hulu+, youtube)
iGenius: How Steve Jobs Changed The World (youtube)
Steve Jobs: In His Own Words (youtube)
Steve Jobs: Lost Interview (youtube)
Steve Jobs on 60 Minutes (youtube)
iSteve (Netflix)
Steve Jobs biographer Walter Isaacson doesn't seem bothered by his critics and the upcoming whitewashed biography of Jobs (Becoming Steve Jobs).
***
[10/5/11] CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) - Steve Jobs, the Apple founder and former CEO who invented and masterfully marketed ever-sleeker gadgets that transformed everyday technology, from the personal computer to the iPod and iPhone, has died. He was 56. Apple announced his death without giving a specific cause.
"We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today," the company said in a brief statement.
"Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve"
Jobs had battled cancer in 2004 and underwent a liver transplant in 2009 after taking a leave of absence for unspecified health problems. He took another leave of absence in January — his third since his health problems began — and officially resigned in August.
Jobs started Apple with a high school friend in a Silicon Valley garage in 1976, was forced out a decade later and returned in 1997 to rescue the company. During his second stint, it grew into the most valuable technology company in the world.
Cultivating Apple's countercultural sensibility and a minimalist design ethic, Jobs rolled out one sensational product after another, even in the face of the late-2000s recession and his own failing health.
He helped change computers from a geeky hobbyist's obsession to a necessity of modern life at work and home, and in the process he upended not just personal technology but the cellphone and music industries. For transformation of American industry, he has few rivals.
Perhaps most influentially, Jobs in 2001 launched the iPod, which offered "1,000 songs in your pocket." Over the next 10 years, its white earphones and thumb-dial control seemed to become more ubiquitous than the wristwatch.
In 2007 came the touch-screen iPhone, joined a year later by Apple's App Store, where developers could sell iPhone "apps" which made the phone a device not just for making calls but also for managing money, editing photos, playing games and social networking. And in 2010, Jobs introduced the iPad, a tablet-sized, all-touch computer that took off even though market analysts said no one really needed one.
By 2011, Apple had become the second-largest company of any kind in the United States by market value. In August, it briefly surpassed Exxon Mobil as the most valuable company.
[10/9/11] Hmm (while recording CNBC Titans -- hey if I had Roku maybe I wouldn't need to record this to DVD-R), I see I have this old Wired Magazine with Steve Jobs on the cover on the bottom shelf of my coffee table. The date? February 1996. Tells you how long I have stuff sitting there. Time to unload it.
[10/20/11] Twenty inspirational quotes
[10/21/11] A (rambling) Preview of Steve Job's authorized biography
[10/23/11] Will Steve Jobs' final vendetta haunt Google?
[10/25/11] Steve Jobs and Me: A journalist reminisces
[11/18/11] Steve Jobs the Tweaker (by Malcolm Gladwell)
*** [4/1/14] Documentaries on Steve Jobs (much from this thread)
92Y - Steve Wozniak (on Amazon Prime)
Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview (Amazon Prime, Netflix)
Steve Jobs: Consciously Genius (Amazon Prime) [4/24/15 - now on snagfilms]
Steve Jobs: One Last Thing (Amazon Prime, Netflix)
Steve Jobs: Visionary Genius (Netflix)
Jobs [the movie starrring Ashton Kutcher] (Netflix)
Steve Wozniak Biography (youtube)
CNBC Titans: Steve Jobs (hulu)
Bloomberg Game Changers (hulu)
Steve Jobs: Billion Dollar Hippy (hulu+, youtube)
iGenius: How Steve Jobs Changed The World (youtube)
Steve Jobs: In His Own Words (youtube)
Steve Jobs: Lost Interview (youtube)
Steve Jobs on 60 Minutes (youtube)
iSteve (Netflix)
Saturday, March 28, 2015
downloading youtube subtitles
[4/30/15] Now using Keepvid to download youtube videos now as Video DownloadHelper doesn't always work on every video (it works on most of them though). And as a bonus, Keepvid can now download srt files! (even the auto-generated ones)
[4/14/15] Ugh, now Google2SRT isn't working on the latest Cesar 911 (Kicked to the Curb). But keepsubs seems to be working now. Wait Keepsubs worked on TilleandLeo but not on this new video. Maybe they changed the format again? Well it works on the latest Return of Superman. I dunno. Oh, well, I guess I could buy the episode. Or hope Netflix gets season 2 next year.
Wait, tried Google2SRT again and changed the directory saved to temp. This time it worked! I was getting an error earlier saying something about file permissions. Maybe because I was downloading the video to the same directory?
[3/28/15] A new Cesar 911 video came out, but KeepSubs apparently isn't working on youtube now. Youtube must have changed their format, which makes sense because Freemake Video Downloader doesn't work on youtube any more either. I now use Video DownloadHelper which is a firefox add-on.
What to do? Well, this site suggests to use Google2SRT as a third option. (Their first option was KeepSubs and their second option didn't work.) And it worked! Thanks whoever made (and updates) this.
***
[5/14/14] Some youtube videos have captions, but when you download them the caption information isn't downloaded.
[4/14/15] Ugh, now Google2SRT isn't working on the latest Cesar 911 (Kicked to the Curb). But keepsubs seems to be working now. Wait Keepsubs worked on TilleandLeo but not on this new video. Maybe they changed the format again? Well it works on the latest Return of Superman. I dunno. Oh, well, I guess I could buy the episode. Or hope Netflix gets season 2 next year.
Wait, tried Google2SRT again and changed the directory saved to temp. This time it worked! I was getting an error earlier saying something about file permissions. Maybe because I was downloading the video to the same directory?
[3/28/15] A new Cesar 911 video came out, but KeepSubs apparently isn't working on youtube now. Youtube must have changed their format, which makes sense because Freemake Video Downloader doesn't work on youtube any more either. I now use Video DownloadHelper which is a firefox add-on.
What to do? Well, this site suggests to use Google2SRT as a third option. (Their first option was KeepSubs and their second option didn't work.) And it worked! Thanks whoever made (and updates) this.
***
[5/14/14] Some youtube videos have captions, but when you download them the caption information isn't downloaded.
I wondered if it was possible to also download the caption information so that when you play them on your computer the captions also play.
Let's look. The first link goes to this youtube video which tells you to use this website, but it didn't work for me. However one of the comments told me to go to this wikihow article which links to Subtitle Downloader.
Try that. Paste in url. Go. Choose Language. English. File is ready. Click on the icon. Do you want to open or save xyz123.srt from www.subtitledownloader.com. Save as. Save in the folder you want. Rename (or save as) to the same name as the video.
Play in VLC. Cool!
Got a different prompt when I tried Subtitle Downloader on Firefox (I first tried on Internet Explorer). There was no option to Save As, so it saved it in my download folder. So had to move it from the download folder and then rename it. Same with Chrome. So here's something that Internet Explorer is useful for.
As a bonus, the subtitles look better (to me) on VLC than on youtube. On some youtube videos (especially from natgeowild), the captions are way at the top edge or the bottom edge. When viewing the downloaded videos, the captions are in the normal place - at the bottom, but not at the bottom edge.
I wonder if this will work on plex? Cross fingers. Yay! And it uses the Roku system captions, so actually looks better than the youtube app captions.
Well partially yay. For some reason, some of the videos aren't finding the captions file. And sometimes Plex takes a long time to find the video.
*** 10/4/14
Saw some Dog Whisperer episodes not taken off by natgeowild, so went to download them. But when I went download the subtitles, the subtitledownloader.com site no longer exists. :(
See some programs available but no website (so far).
OK, keepsubs.com works!
As a bonus, the subtitles look better (to me) on VLC than on youtube. On some youtube videos (especially from natgeowild), the captions are way at the top edge or the bottom edge. When viewing the downloaded videos, the captions are in the normal place - at the bottom, but not at the bottom edge.
I wonder if this will work on plex? Cross fingers. Yay! And it uses the Roku system captions, so actually looks better than the youtube app captions.
Well partially yay. For some reason, some of the videos aren't finding the captions file. And sometimes Plex takes a long time to find the video.
*** 10/4/14
Saw some Dog Whisperer episodes not taken off by natgeowild, so went to download them. But when I went download the subtitles, the subtitledownloader.com site no longer exists. :(
See some programs available but no website (so far).
OK, keepsubs.com works!
Thursday, March 26, 2015
blogger font size / adding a counter
noticed a couple or three weeks ago that my blogger posts are display in a smaller text size than before.
google and get this page. OK let's try that.
nope don't see the html. I does tell me that I can upgrade my template.
You'll need to upgrade your template.
Ugh. It changed my template.
Well the fonts are a bit bigger, but I lost my sitemeter. Well, that's progress.
Let me check out some of the templates. Hey, actually I kind of like this new look.
[4/23/15] let's see if I can restore my sitemeter counter
click on post list
click on template
revert to classic templates (at bottom)
view classic template
scroll to bottom to get the old counter code
copy and paste into my editor (I use editpad lite)
check out instructions at wikihow
go back to post list
click on layout
add gadget in the location you want
HTML/Javascript\
copy and paste in the counter code
save
arrange the gadget by dragging if desired
save arrangement
that's it
while I'm at, I added AdSense too, but it's not showing up. maybe it'll show up later.
ok, there it is. How to remove dark spots. lol.
google and get this page. OK let's try that.
nope don't see the html. I does tell me that I can upgrade my template.
You'll need to upgrade your template.
- You may lose many of the changes you previously made to your template.
- However, we will save a copy of your current template so that you can always change back to your current template.
Ugh. It changed my template.
Well the fonts are a bit bigger, but I lost my sitemeter. Well, that's progress.
Let me check out some of the templates. Hey, actually I kind of like this new look.
[4/23/15] let's see if I can restore my sitemeter counter
click on post list
click on template
revert to classic templates (at bottom)
view classic template
scroll to bottom to get the old counter code
copy and paste into my editor (I use editpad lite)
check out instructions at wikihow
go back to post list
click on layout
add gadget in the location you want
HTML/Javascript\
copy and paste in the counter code
save
arrange the gadget by dragging if desired
save arrangement
that's it
while I'm at, I added AdSense too, but it's not showing up. maybe it'll show up later.
ok, there it is. How to remove dark spots. lol.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Freedompop
Freedompop is a company that gives out free internet service. You get up to 500 MB of data free per month. (They also offer free phone service, which sounds good but I'm guess I'm satisfied with my current phone plan. So I'll concentrate on data here.)
The catch? You get charged for usage over 500 MB and they "encourage" you to buy a device to access the data (a phone or tablet or hotspot). And of course they have paid plans for over 500 MB per month.
One of their devices currently offered is the MiFi 500 LTE Hotspot. This would allow me to use my ipad in places where I don't have access to wifi. The price is $79.99 which sounds like a deal considering that it retails for $199.
When I was about to sign-up, I notice that that you have to sign up for their free trial of Premium 2GB (4G/3G) Data Plan Trial. Reading the fine print, the trial is free for the first month. After that, you'll get billed $19.99 per month. If you want to cancel, you have to contact customer support.
There's also an optional FreedomPop Premier Free Trial - data compression, rollover data, secure internet and more. It's free for the first month but $9.99 per month after that. Luckily, you can opt out of the offer by unchecking the check box.
How do I cancel? Searching the help, it says
We recommend downgrading your account to our free plan as well as deactivating any value added services you are subscribed to. This helps you utilize our service for free which can be especially beneficial as a backup for an emergency, or when traveling. This also helps ensure you will not be hit with a reactivation fee if you decide to come back to FreedomPop.
You can downgrade your plan and deactivate any VAS by logging into your FreedomPop account and going into My Account > Plans, or My Account > Services.
If you still decide you would like to cancel your account, you will need to speak with one of our FreedomPop Support Agents. You can reach them by calling 1 (888) 906-3184, Monday-Friday 9am-5pm PDT or by emailing support@freedompop.co
So that's what I'm looking to do.
***
From a review from a couple of years ago:
Is FreedomPop worth considering? Sure, but only if you’re keenly aware of its hidden costs and gotchas. And from what I’ve seen of FreedomPop’s existing free data service, the company seems to try its best to keep potential users in the dark.
Here are a couple things to know about FreedomPop’s free data service, which is already available today:
Other aspects of FreedomPop’s service are hidden from prospective customers as well. You can’t find out the cost of the devices without going through the sign-up process, during which you must enter an e-mail address and mailing address. And while FreedomPop’s home page advertises 4G speeds, users must pay $3.99 per month extra to guarantee the full speed that the network allows.
The fees themselves don’t bother me too much. They’re no worse than the below-the-line fees and value-added services of major wireless carriers, and if you’re mindful of FreedomPop’s policies, it’s certainly possible to get free data. I’ve used the service in Cincinnati, and it works.
UPDATE: FreedomPop CEO Stephen Stokols wrote in to address a couple of the points above. First, he pointed out that users receive an e-mail alerting them to the $10 automatic top-up after they sign up. FreedomPop began sending those e-mails to new users about 2.5 months ago. Second, starting last month, FreedomPop began waiving the $0.99 “Active Status fee” for new subscribers, and will eventually be doing so for existing users. It seems FreedomPop is working to address criticisms, but the company still has more work to do on being up front about the cost of the hardware and other fees before people sign up, not after they’ve handed over personal details and/or payment info. That issue, combined with the additional services that FreedomPop tries to sneak past new users, is what ultimately leaves a sour taste, not the fees themselves.
***
And here's a users review from a year ago.
You can think of it as pre-paying for the first year of data, which turned out to be slightly over $100 for me after all was said and done, or about $8/month for the first year of 500 MB allotments. Now a year later, I'm pretty satisfied with what I purchased and I have regularly used the data when I've been out and about.
I've routinely connected my data to any number of devices. This is one of the big advantages of going with a router rather than a device-specific solution. It works with laptops, iPads, Kindles and so forth. You do have to remember to charge and manage the tiny puck, so that's one extra thing to carry around.
Keeping on top of your data usage is key. In my first write-up, I mentioned how important it was to disable the auto-top-up feature. That feature automatically adds a data purchase after you use 400 MB of bandwidth. What I didn't realize is that even with that feature disabled, after reaching your 500 MB limit, the data doesn't shut off. You simply keep going and get billed $2 per 100 MB.
The most important thing to consider when evaluating whether these kinds of plans are right for you is how you use your data. Are you a light user who just wants to check email on the go? Or do you intend to heavily browse the web and get work done? Data prices generally go down in unit cost the more you buy. Budget solutions like FreedomPop's 500 MB plan work best for those who need only the lightest levels of connectivity and it's been a very nice perk for me and my family this year.
***
So I envision I can use this as long as I don't (often) go over the 500 MB per month. I wonder how easy it is to check data usage? Let's see.
How do I monitor my data usage? Here are a couple of different ways to do so efficiently:
The catch? You get charged for usage over 500 MB and they "encourage" you to buy a device to access the data (a phone or tablet or hotspot). And of course they have paid plans for over 500 MB per month.
One of their devices currently offered is the MiFi 500 LTE Hotspot. This would allow me to use my ipad in places where I don't have access to wifi. The price is $79.99 which sounds like a deal considering that it retails for $199.
When I was about to sign-up, I notice that that you have to sign up for their free trial of Premium 2GB (4G/3G) Data Plan Trial. Reading the fine print, the trial is free for the first month. After that, you'll get billed $19.99 per month. If you want to cancel, you have to contact customer support.
There's also an optional FreedomPop Premier Free Trial - data compression, rollover data, secure internet and more. It's free for the first month but $9.99 per month after that. Luckily, you can opt out of the offer by unchecking the check box.
How do I cancel? Searching the help, it says
We recommend downgrading your account to our free plan as well as deactivating any value added services you are subscribed to. This helps you utilize our service for free which can be especially beneficial as a backup for an emergency, or when traveling. This also helps ensure you will not be hit with a reactivation fee if you decide to come back to FreedomPop.
You can downgrade your plan and deactivate any VAS by logging into your FreedomPop account and going into My Account > Plans, or My Account > Services.
If you still decide you would like to cancel your account, you will need to speak with one of our FreedomPop Support Agents. You can reach them by calling 1 (888) 906-3184, Monday-Friday 9am-5pm PDT or by emailing support@freedompop.co
So that's what I'm looking to do.
***
From a review from a couple of years ago:
Is FreedomPop worth considering? Sure, but only if you’re keenly aware of its hidden costs and gotchas. And from what I’ve seen of FreedomPop’s existing free data service, the company seems to try its best to keep potential users in the dark.
Here are a couple things to know about FreedomPop’s free data service, which is already available today:
- If you use less than 5 MB of data in a given month, you get charged a $0.99 “Active Status fee.”
- By default, when you reach your final 100 MB of data in a given month, FreedomPop automatically charges $10 to fill your plan back up. To avoid the automatic charge, you must change your billing settings on FreedomPop’s website.
Finding the above stipulations on FreedomPop’s website isn’t easy. There’s no mention of them on the home page, nor on the terms of service page that’s linked from the home page. You’ll only find them on a separate “Service Plan, Equipment, and Payment Terms”
page, which is linked from the main terms of service. Even then, the
part about extra fees is buried beneath six other sections of legalese.
FreedomPop does give subscribers a chance to opt out of automatic
refills on the final service activation page, but the wording (“To
ensure uninterrupted service, top up my freedompop account”) is vague.
It doesn’t say that the charge is recurring, nor does it mention the
100-MB trigger.
FreedomPop also peppers users with additional offers during the
sign-up process, while engaging in some classic sneakiness: On one page,
an offer for 2 GB per month is advertised as “100% FREE” and selected
by default, while the fine print mentions that a charge of $17.99 kicks
in after one month. Another page offers faster speeds for $3.99 per
month with a big green “Get Offer!” button, while the option to pass is
presented in tiny text.
Other aspects of FreedomPop’s service are hidden from prospective customers as well. You can’t find out the cost of the devices without going through the sign-up process, during which you must enter an e-mail address and mailing address. And while FreedomPop’s home page advertises 4G speeds, users must pay $3.99 per month extra to guarantee the full speed that the network allows.
The fees themselves don’t bother me too much. They’re no worse than the below-the-line fees and value-added services of major wireless carriers, and if you’re mindful of FreedomPop’s policies, it’s certainly possible to get free data. I’ve used the service in Cincinnati, and it works.
UPDATE: FreedomPop CEO Stephen Stokols wrote in to address a couple of the points above. First, he pointed out that users receive an e-mail alerting them to the $10 automatic top-up after they sign up. FreedomPop began sending those e-mails to new users about 2.5 months ago. Second, starting last month, FreedomPop began waiving the $0.99 “Active Status fee” for new subscribers, and will eventually be doing so for existing users. It seems FreedomPop is working to address criticisms, but the company still has more work to do on being up front about the cost of the hardware and other fees before people sign up, not after they’ve handed over personal details and/or payment info. That issue, combined with the additional services that FreedomPop tries to sneak past new users, is what ultimately leaves a sour taste, not the fees themselves.
***
And here's a users review from a year ago.
You can think of it as pre-paying for the first year of data, which turned out to be slightly over $100 for me after all was said and done, or about $8/month for the first year of 500 MB allotments. Now a year later, I'm pretty satisfied with what I purchased and I have regularly used the data when I've been out and about.
I've routinely connected my data to any number of devices. This is one of the big advantages of going with a router rather than a device-specific solution. It works with laptops, iPads, Kindles and so forth. You do have to remember to charge and manage the tiny puck, so that's one extra thing to carry around.
Keeping on top of your data usage is key. In my first write-up, I mentioned how important it was to disable the auto-top-up feature. That feature automatically adds a data purchase after you use 400 MB of bandwidth. What I didn't realize is that even with that feature disabled, after reaching your 500 MB limit, the data doesn't shut off. You simply keep going and get billed $2 per 100 MB.
The most important thing to consider when evaluating whether these kinds of plans are right for you is how you use your data. Are you a light user who just wants to check email on the go? Or do you intend to heavily browse the web and get work done? Data prices generally go down in unit cost the more you buy. Budget solutions like FreedomPop's 500 MB plan work best for those who need only the lightest levels of connectivity and it's been a very nice perk for me and my family this year.
***
So I envision I can use this as long as I don't (often) go over the 500 MB per month. I wonder how easy it is to check data usage? Let's see.
How do I monitor my data usage? Here are a couple of different ways to do so efficiently:
- There are several different data monitoring applications that are downloadable by searching Google.com for mobile devices and computers.
- If you currently use an iOS device, you're able to download the FreedomPop app.
- Log into your account through FreedomPop.com, your data usage will be displayed by clicking the "Data Usage Detail" tab. Data reporting may be delayed for up to three hours.
- You also have the option of signing up for a "Usage Alerts" service that costs $1.99 a month.
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
photomath
Need a little help getting through your next big math exam? MicroBlink
has an app that could help you study more effectively -- perhaps too effectively. Its newly unveiled PhotoMath
for iOS and Windows Phone (Android is due in early 2015) uses your
smartphone's camera to scan math equations and not only solve them, but
show the steps involved.
Officially, it's meant to save you time flipping through a textbook to check answers when you're doing homework or cramming for a test. However, there's a concern that this could trivialize learning -- just because it shows you how to solve a problem doesn't mean that the knowledge will actually sink in. And if teachers don't confiscate smartphones at the door, unscrupulous students could cheat when no one is looking.
[via facebook]
Officially, it's meant to save you time flipping through a textbook to check answers when you're doing homework or cramming for a test. However, there's a concern that this could trivialize learning -- just because it shows you how to solve a problem doesn't mean that the knowledge will actually sink in. And if teachers don't confiscate smartphones at the door, unscrupulous students could cheat when no one is looking.
[via facebook]
shopping for internet + TV
Well, I'm paying like $110 for my cable TV. And like $50 for my phone + DSL.
Can I save money?
Well here's a $50 deal for Oceanic. Price good for one year. And reading the fine print: available to new residential customers or existing single play customers who subscribe to only one of the following services: Basic TV only, Standard Internet, Basic Internet or Everyday Low Price Internet customers who sign up for Basic Digital TV, Standard Internet (up to 15 Mbps) and HBO. Don't know how much the price will increase, but I figure it'll probably at least double.
They also have a triple-play offer. $90 for one year which includes phone.
What happens after the year? Well the regular price for digital TV is $89. Plus $7 for the box. Plus $13 if you want DVR. Basic TV (which is the local channels plus OC16 plus TBS) is $16. Standard TV (which is the analog lineup that includes ESPN, Prime Ticket, OCSports, and a number of other channels) is $65. The analog channels look pretty crappy on a modern TV, but actually you do get a few HD channels if you plug the cable into your digital TV. And actually you might be able to get most of the analog channels (notable exception: ESPN) with only the Basic TV service (judging from what I've seen from a couple of people who have only the Basic service).
How about just internet? (after which I could get Sling TV or the upcoming Apple TV service if I wanted)
I don't see an active link on Oceanic's website, but googling gets me this page (oh there it is on the bottom of this page).
$14.99 for 2 mbps (if you buy your own modem, otherwise it's $8.00 a month to lease a modem) which jumps up to $38.99 for 6 mbps ($29.99 bundled). The highest they offer is 100 mbps for $107.99.
Actually that sounds like the best deal. $14.99, buy your own modem, get a Roku, subscribe to Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Sling TV if you want some live sports. Of course, the live sports won't look that good at 2 mbps.
How about HawaiianTelcom?
$79 for TV plus internet. $89 for TV plus internet plus phone. Of course good only for one year.
How about just TV? $69 a month for 175+ channels. $79 for 225+ Channels. The extra $10 gets you stations like NBATV, Tennis Channel, NatGeoWild, Biography, Boomerang, and a bunch of channels that I wouldn't watch.
Surprisingly they do have TWC SportsNet (Lakers) which is Channel 69, and OCSports (UH Sports) which is Channel 89. Surprisingly since TWC SportsNet is Time Warner Cable and OCSports is Oceanic which are their competitors. But no OC16 (which is high school sports).
Hmm. Just noticed that HawaiianTelcom doesn't have Prime Ticket (Clippers)? (I thought it was on before? Yeah looking at a January listing, it used to be Channel 78 which is now notably missing from the current lineup. That's a big minus. Ah it was taken off at the end of 2014. Well, maybe it'll come back.)
What about just internet? All their pricing says "for 1 year".
$19.95 (up to 7 mpbs): this is what I have and I'm getting like 4 mbps
$24.95 (11 mbps)
$29.95 (15 mbps)
all the above is $20.50 when bundled with home phone
$39.95 (20 mpbs)
I ain't go higher than that, but the highest they offer is 500 mbps for $307.95 per month. Their 100 mbps is $87.95.
If I started with nothing (and was on a tight budget), I'd probably go with the $15 or $20 internet and SlingTV. And struggle with spotty video and missing channels. Maybe I'll do that just for fun. It'll be like camping in the wilderness.
Can I save money?
Well here's a $50 deal for Oceanic. Price good for one year. And reading the fine print: available to new residential customers or existing single play customers who subscribe to only one of the following services: Basic TV only, Standard Internet, Basic Internet or Everyday Low Price Internet customers who sign up for Basic Digital TV, Standard Internet (up to 15 Mbps) and HBO. Don't know how much the price will increase, but I figure it'll probably at least double.
They also have a triple-play offer. $90 for one year which includes phone.
What happens after the year? Well the regular price for digital TV is $89. Plus $7 for the box. Plus $13 if you want DVR. Basic TV (which is the local channels plus OC16 plus TBS) is $16. Standard TV (which is the analog lineup that includes ESPN, Prime Ticket, OCSports, and a number of other channels) is $65. The analog channels look pretty crappy on a modern TV, but actually you do get a few HD channels if you plug the cable into your digital TV. And actually you might be able to get most of the analog channels (notable exception: ESPN) with only the Basic TV service (judging from what I've seen from a couple of people who have only the Basic service).
How about just internet? (after which I could get Sling TV or the upcoming Apple TV service if I wanted)
I don't see an active link on Oceanic's website, but googling gets me this page (oh there it is on the bottom of this page).
$14.99 for 2 mbps (if you buy your own modem, otherwise it's $8.00 a month to lease a modem) which jumps up to $38.99 for 6 mbps ($29.99 bundled). The highest they offer is 100 mbps for $107.99.
Actually that sounds like the best deal. $14.99, buy your own modem, get a Roku, subscribe to Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Sling TV if you want some live sports. Of course, the live sports won't look that good at 2 mbps.
How about HawaiianTelcom?
$79 for TV plus internet. $89 for TV plus internet plus phone. Of course good only for one year.
How about just TV? $69 a month for 175+ channels. $79 for 225+ Channels. The extra $10 gets you stations like NBATV, Tennis Channel, NatGeoWild, Biography, Boomerang, and a bunch of channels that I wouldn't watch.
Surprisingly they do have TWC SportsNet (Lakers) which is Channel 69, and OCSports (UH Sports) which is Channel 89. Surprisingly since TWC SportsNet is Time Warner Cable and OCSports is Oceanic which are their competitors. But no OC16 (which is high school sports).
Hmm. Just noticed that HawaiianTelcom doesn't have Prime Ticket (Clippers)? (I thought it was on before? Yeah looking at a January listing, it used to be Channel 78 which is now notably missing from the current lineup. That's a big minus. Ah it was taken off at the end of 2014. Well, maybe it'll come back.)
What about just internet? All their pricing says "for 1 year".
$19.95 (up to 7 mpbs): this is what I have and I'm getting like 4 mbps
$24.95 (11 mbps)
$29.95 (15 mbps)
all the above is $20.50 when bundled with home phone
$39.95 (20 mpbs)
I ain't go higher than that, but the highest they offer is 500 mbps for $307.95 per month. Their 100 mbps is $87.95.
If I started with nothing (and was on a tight budget), I'd probably go with the $15 or $20 internet and SlingTV. And struggle with spotty video and missing channels. Maybe I'll do that just for fun. It'll be like camping in the wilderness.
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