Cutting the Cable Cord

JoshK · « **Reply #180 on:** 4 Nov 2014, 02:24 pm »

You guys know about XBMC, soon to be called Kodi? I haven't tried it out yet but I bought a tiny little android box called mygica that has ethernet and hdmi and a remote. It basically uses this home theater software and provides lots of streaming of content. Apparently its like Netflix on steroids. However, I am pretty sure all the content available isn't legally acquired.

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #181 on:** 4 Nov 2014, 03:53 pm »

Never heard of it, but based on your ..ahem..."description", it sounds like "FTA" (Free To Air)?
I'd be game, but the FTA requiring "maintenance" every three days to keep it working, I'm too lazy to keep up with that.

mcgsxr · « **Reply #182 on:** 4 Nov 2014, 05:16 pm »

JoshK I have been using a hacked Android box running XBMC for just around a year now.

Bob it is a small network appliance (about the size of a Pogoplug) that runs s/w on it and brings forth material from the Net.

In terms of the GUI though, it is way more complex than simple Netflix which is what keeps me from dumping cable altogether (my other family users would rebel), but it is ALL I use for my HT in the basement (from a broadcast perspective, there is a blu ray player with around 30 titles).

I watch a lot of time shifted TV on it (Banshee, Homeland, The Blacklist, The Red Road, anything with Anthony Bourdain), and ALL movies I watch are now through this service.

Agreed that it is "grey" market though.

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #183 on:** 4 Nov 2014, 05:37 pm »

Roger that, thanks Mark. I'll check one out.

WireNut · « **Reply #184 on:** 4 Nov 2014, 05:43 pm »

I just downloaded and installed XBMC on my PC, I can't get it to do squat. Anyone familiar with the program chime in.

srb · « **Reply #185 on:** 4 Nov 2014, 06:18 pm »

XBMC (now Kodi) is just a media center program. In itself it doesn't stream content. The mechanism needed to stream TV and Movie content is made possible by a unaffiliated third party add-on from XBMC HUB (now TV ADDONS). Streaming or downloading the content is illegal, but so far I haven't read of any end users being prosecuted, but have heard of action against some of the providers as well as cease and desist notices from some of the Internet Service Providers to their customers, Comcast in particular.

The interface and mechanism is not always quick and easy and certainly has little to no WAF. Installing the XBMC HUB or TV ADDONS installs a number of Sources (with names like 1Channel, Mash Up, IceFilms, Project Free TV, TV4ME, etc.), and additional sources can be added from more than one hundred available.

First you choose one of the Sources, then search for a TV show or Movie. The search returns a list of content containing the search word(s). You choose the content you're looking for and are then prompted to choose your stream from a number of Repositories with names like billionuploads.com, promptfile.com, sharerepo.com, movshare.net, etc.

Each stream has a prefix to denote the source. The majority are from DVD [DVD] or Blu-ray [BD], but if you are looking for a movie that just hit the theatres you may actually find [CAM], which is some dude with a video camera pirating from a seat along with camera shakes and tilts and coughing and talking, or [TS], which is Telecine and seems to be a camera in the projection booth with audio from the projector feed.

Much of the time you get lucky and after a brief "Working" are watching your selection, but sometimes the content is not found or there is an error and you have to try another repository. In the worst case, you bounce from Source to Source searching for a match and from Repository to Repository for a successful stream, spending five minutes and more.

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #186 on:** 4 Nov 2014, 06:44 pm »

As far as eliminating the landline (since cel reception is nil in my valley), I think I'll buy a $70 >>OBi202 VoIP Phone Adapter << and never pay to use the phone again.

Great thread, lots of good info here.
Bob

TomS · « **Reply #187 on:** 4 Nov 2014, 07:30 pm »

Quote from: Bob in St. Louis on 4 Nov 2014, 06:44 pm

As far as eliminating the landline (since cel reception is nil in my valley), I think I'll buy a $70 >>OBi202 VoIP Phone Adapter << and never pay to use the phone again.

Great thread, lots of good info here.
Bob

That's the one I have. I use a Google Voice number which is free and I ported 2 landline numbers to 2 other services on Anveo.com which charges pennies for outbound calls and provides a 911 locator for a small fee per year. All seem to work well.

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #188 on:** 4 Nov 2014, 09:24 pm »

Good to know Tom. I'm involved in this same chat on another forum, and there's a fellow that described exactly what you've got.
I watched a video on the Obi website that completely confused me and made the system sound waaaaay too complicated and involved.
Seems it wasn't as bad as I originally thought. I think he said the E911 service was something like eighty cents a month. Insignificant as far as I'm concerned.

TomS · « **Reply #189 on:** 4 Nov 2014, 09:27 pm »

Quote from: Bob in St. Louis on 4 Nov 2014, 09:24 pm

Good to know Tom. I'm involved in this same chat on another forum, and there's a fellow that described exactly what you've got.
I watched a video on the Obi website that completely confused me and made the system sound waaaaay too complicated and involved.
Seems it wasn't as bad as I originally thought. I think he said the E911 service was something like eighty cents a month. Insignificant as far as I'm concerned.

Yes, I think I put about $15.00 into my Anveo account a year ago and there is still money left in it.

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #190 on:** 4 Nov 2014, 09:39 pm »

So I can get a landline for less than $15 a year.

Yea. This whole thing is amazing. I feel like I've had the wool pulled over my eyes for all these years.

Bob

lokie · « **Reply #191 on:** 5 Nov 2014, 01:15 pm »

Quote

So I can get a landline for less than $15 a year

Is it a "real" landline or computer/internet connection?

I think this is exactly what I need but am a little confused. It's so cheap, that I'm just going to jump in and figure it out.

jparkhur · « **Reply #192 on:** 5 Nov 2014, 01:22 pm »

I use an OOMA device that you can get anywhere from best buy to Amazon. It is a VOIP phone, that needs the internet connection to work. I paid 100 dollars for the box, and just plug my cordless phone base in to it-then all the handsets work. I have yet to have any problems with it at all. I have had it for two years and it does exactly what I need, make phone calls for the kids when the cell phones are gone. I pay $3.87 a month in federal taxes, billed to my credit card. So, 48 dollars a year, plus i have access online to all features, on my phone if i need it, two phone numbers, and you can port your current number over. Also, I like this box because my wife travels a lot and if you take the box with you and plug it in, you can call it locally from anywhere-same number and all. Went to china, worked, S. America, worked. Neat for people to call her when away.

JP

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #193 on:** 5 Nov 2014, 01:24 pm »

Lokie, No, it is not a true "land line", as in the old school definition. It is a 100% internet based service. The best part is that a year of it is less than a year of what "Ma Bell" has to offer (to use a very old school phrase).

Phil A · « **Reply #194 on:** 5 Nov 2014, 04:15 pm »

Quote from: lokie on 5 Nov 2014, 01:15 pm

Is it a "real" landline or computer/internet connection?

I think this is exactly what I need but am a little confused. It's so cheap, that I'm just going to jump in and figure it out.

As Bob indicated it is not the same as a land line. I use Ooma which works in a similar manner. You buy their box and just pay monthly taxes (for me about $3.80) and can make unlimited US calls. Ooma lets you configure it so that if the internet goes down calls will revert to your cell number and also you can set it up so that when you get a voice mail at home, it sends you an email with the voice mail attached via an MP3. The biggest disadvantage of these things is if you use a lot of old faxes as they are designed to go via an analog telephone line. I can send a couple of pages out. It's not a big deal to me as I have a scanner and can send things that way.

Doublej · « **Reply #195 on:** 26 Nov 2014, 02:44 am »

Are people aware of the $50 Roamio for Tivo OTA? Not sure if there is catch in there somewhere.

https://www.tivo.com/discover/antenna

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #196 on:** 26 Nov 2014, 01:18 pm »

That would have been cool to know a month or so ago, as we just bought the $150 Roamio.

Oh well. My monthly bill has gone from $222 to $70, and we're not finished "cutting the cord". That $100 I didn't save getting the OTA unit will be saved in a couple weeks.

On a related note....
I've got the Ooma phone hooked up, but it takes a month to "port" my existing phone number. Once that's done, that $70 will drop further.

youravhandyman · « **Reply #197 on:** 26 Nov 2014, 04:48 pm »

Bob,
With all that money saved, when is the party?

aldcoll · « **Reply #198 on:** 26 Nov 2014, 07:50 pm »

Just thought I would throw this out as a new way to cut the wires.

It only runs on a PC for now and in the future they will have tablet and smart phone apps.

https://airtame.com

The main target now is the work space. I have tried some of the Miracast and this should be better

lokie · « **Reply #199 on:** 26 Nov 2014, 08:19 pm »

Quote

Are people aware of the $50 Roamio for Tivo OTA? Not sure if there is catch in there somewhere.

The catch to me is $15/ month. Or did I get this wrong? It would be cool to be external HD expandable capable.

Quote

https://airtame.com

The main target now is the work space. I have tried some of the Miracast and this should be better

I'm thinking this might be a superior toremote desktop solution rather than say VNC, and eventually Itunes REMOTE.