Remember the old days when what you watched on television was whatever you could find on the only crappy cable network that was wired to your neighborhood? Or even more ancient times when you had to choose among the three national networks, PBS, and the two or three static-y UHF stations that your rabbit ears could find on the airwaves?
Now there’s been an explosion of options in content providers, in technologies to bring the content to your home, and in the devices you use to find, purchase, organize, and consume it. With a little research, planning, and comparison-shopping, you can expand your options and break free from your big cable or satellite TV bill.
The ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox networks all make their broadcast content available online, and there are now lots of providers that serve a mix of broadcast TV shows, cable channels, movies, music, and other original content. If you’re new to streaming content, check out Hulu, Vudu, Netflix, iTunes, Pandora, YouTube, and Amazon, among others. Many of these services are free, but some are moving toward also offering premium versions that cost a few bucks a month, for which you get more content options and advertising-free streams. The view keeps evolving as giants like Apple and Google aim to grab a larger share of the content market. USA Today recently published a good survey of the changing web TV landscape.
Roku®, Boxee, Netgear®, and Sony all make streaming-media players—boxes that you hook up to your television and your Internet connection to bring you their particular mix of content sources. If you like video games, you probably already have a streaming-media player in the form of your Wii™, PlayStation®, or Xbox game console. Television manufacturers are also taking a slice of the pie by incorporating streaming-media capabilities in their TVs and Blu-ray players and bundling services with the devices you purchase. My favorite among the equipment manufacturers is Samsung, whose equipment features services that include Netflix, Amazon, CinemaNow (from Best Buy), and ESPN.
I decided to cut the Comcast umbilical cord more than a year ago. The cable connection in my apartment was nowhere near where I’d decided to mount my TV. That obstacle provided the incentive to make a change. I decided on an Apple TV, mainly because I already have lots of movies and music in iTunes. Also, this device has a great interface for Netflix—to which I’m hopelessly addicted—plus an elegantly simple remote control and apps that will turn your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad into a remote as well. I added a fast Internet connection (AT&T U-verse®), and I LOVE my setup!
Did I mention that you’ll want to buy a hideously, obnoxiously large TV?
Need help finding your perfect TV setup? Call markCTO at 713‑569‑3845 or send us e-mail to schedule an appointment to talk about your streaming‑media needs.
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