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Sacking Cable for Computer Streaming

deacphan

deacphan

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I'm moving in to a new place and cutting roommates. I was thinking of cutting cable to save some money. I'm likely going to be in the market for a new laptop ASAP. So I was wondering who had experience with trying this.

It seems I have a few options:

-A desk-top style computer designed specifically for media (Xtreamer Ultra or Acer AspireRevo),
-A new lap-top and a boxee (or the like) to stream to my computer,
-A new lap-top and an HDMI out to hook it up to the TV.

Thoughts?

I'm thinking right now I may just scale back the cable to start to see how I feel (ditch the movie channels and stream that content same with dvr).
 
Phan I gave up cable when I moved into my new place 2 months ago and haven't missed it in the least. I just stream games and pay for Netflix.
 
You'll probably want a laptop or something to fuck around on while you watch TV.
I mean, you have to somehow be able to swear on the boards while watching Wake play.
 
I have cable but it's utility is waning.

I have a macbook pro that I hook straight to my LCD using a mini-display port to HDMI and a separate cable for the sound. This works great for Netflix, HBO GO, Network TV websites, ESPN3 or whatever they call it now.

The quality is very good, but not great. I prefer macs but I imagine there are a ton of good PC laptops out there that have HDMI ports that would improve the video quality. I can't speak to Boxee/AppleTV etc., but you can get a lot of content just going laptop to TV. That an a physical HD antenna for local sports broadcasts might be the way to go.
 
TheTwinAndreBen said:
I have cable but it's utility is waning.

I have a macbook pro that I hook straight to my LCD using a mini-display port to HDMI and a separate cable for the sound. This works great for Netflix, HBO GO, Network TV websites, ESPN3 or whatever they call it now.

The quality is very good, but not great. I prefer macs but I imagine there are a ton of good PC laptops out there that have HDMI ports that would improve the video quality. I can't speak to Boxee/AppleTV etc., but you can get a lot of content just going laptop to TV. That an a physical HD antenna for local sports broadcasts might be the way to go.
Click to expand...

I do the same with my Mac. Blackout regulations for sports is the only thing keeping me from making the jump (mostly because I watch every Hurricanes game, and it's blacked out on NHL Gamecenter).
 
Until everything is streaming in HD (especially for sports), I'll never be able to get rid of cable.
 
I use a digital antenna which is nice to have the local channels (in HD), as well as UNC-TV and a few other random public channels. I connect my old school laptop via S-Video and it works great for live events or even movies/tv episodes.
 
BillBrasky said:
Phan I gave up cable when I moved into my new place 2 months ago and haven't missed it in the least. I just stream games and pay for Netflix.
Click to expand...

samesies. i also have an HDMI output cord (decent quality), digital receiver for network TV and a poster graciously gave me his espn3 login. i expect to go to my friends' place for live sports i can't get, unless i'm out of the country again in which case i'll just stream.
 
this whole thread was started to use the word "sacking" in a british style as part of an american conversation.
 
dot com said:
You'll probably want a laptop or something to fuck around on while you watch TV.
I mean, you have to somehow be able to swear on the boards while watching Wake play.
Click to expand...

This. Buy a Roku (cheapest is $60), subscribe to Netflix streaming and Hulu+ (each $8/month). Keep the laptop for diddling on the couch, and only hook it up to the TV for ESPN3.

For those who are interested, today you can buy a refurbished Boxee for $125 shipped at http://sellout.woot.com. I've messed around with Boxee and definitely don't think it's as cool as Roku, but Boxee supposedly does give you ESPN3 without hooking up your computer to the TV.
 
If I was going to do this right now, I'd get a solid HDTV, a Mac Mini, and a Macbook Air, along with a cheap Blu Ray player.

Put Boxee on the Mini, get EyeTV and plug it into a decent HD Antenna to record OTA networks, and setup your mini to auto-download torrents of all the shows you like.

What you miss is ESPN and ESPN2 stuff that isn't on ESPN3, which can be brutal like Monday Night Football I assume.

Outside of that though, torrents can cover all your shows and networks get a lot of sports. You have to cope with a significant loss in quality per the torrents, but it's not the end of the world unless your TV is bigger than 50".

I have a similar setup but went with Windows because my upstairs TV has to be able to use DirecTV2PC. But man, Windows Media Center for HD recording is just brutally buggy. Breaks all the time, requires restarts all the time, takes forever to acquire channels... Just sucks in general. If I didn't love DirecTV2PC so much I'd have gotten rid of the setup long ago.
 
if you're going to go through that much trouble, just stop watching shows. you'll be surprised how little you miss them.
 
Yeah. They will work this shit out eventually. Until then, buying two grand worth of shit to save $100.00 a month isn't really practical.
 
no chance im spending on a mac and getting locked in to their bs.

what's the downside of the boxee vs. the roku? im ready to buy this boxee. Why shouldnt i?
 
too late. bought it. cable free life here i come.
 
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