home theater, cord cutting, video streaming, a/v tech, and more!

Postby **Factorial** » Wed Apr 08, 2015 6:29 pm

Luddite question...

I'm finally getting into streaming. I have a Blu-Ray player with Netflix on it and have watched lots of Netflix. I have come across a website that will allow me to download other shows not yet available on Netflix.

How do I get those shows from my computer to my TV?

#oldguyproblems

I went with what I had on hand and hooked up my old laptop via hdmi cable to my tv and remote desktop to the laptop to play video files to the television. I also have my mp3's on that remote laptop with an external usb soundcard that has standard stereo plugs out going to my 2 channel amplifier. Works well but my remote is another laptop so it's not very portable.

Postby **tifosi77** » Wed Apr 08, 2015 6:38 pm

I've been impressed with the Android lollipop update. The advanced calling 1.0 is really nice with the video calling and hd voice. Anyone get the update?

I just updated my tablet on Sunday, but haven't rooted around yet.

Postby **LITT** » Mon Apr 13, 2015 9:18 am

I'm going to be in the market for a 55+ (could probably go up to 70) in the next few months. Any recommendations on high performers at a reasonable price?
Check back in about two months, unless you want to have it purchased by then. 2015 models just started showing up on store shelves over the last few weeks, and the higher end models usually arrive in the May-July time frame.

The sale prices right now won't be as good, if they are discounted at all (the often aren't the first few weeks in stores).

no rush on the purchase. won't need until october/november so if prices go down in a few months, thats good for me

new wrinkle - realized this room will be receiving a great deal of natural light due to windows so we will be looking for something that doesn't react too terribly to glare from natural light

Postby **blackjack68** » Tue Apr 14, 2015 12:11 am

Get some blinds/drapes.

Postby **Miami Vice** » Tue Apr 14, 2015 9:06 am

Have a look at this link http://www.rtings.com/info/reflections- ... and-glossy

basically you would want a "matte" screen if you can help it. Those help obscure the light reflection.

They aren't quite as common anymore - most screens have a glassy look to them now. But some are less so than others. There are also screens that have special film coatings (this was more common on high end plasma sets).

I just made an offer on a house. I spent most of yesterday not working and designing the acoustically transparent screen for the basement. So hopefully I hear good news by noon tomorrow

Postby **DigitalGypsy66** » Tue Apr 14, 2015 9:36 am

It's been five years since we've had cable or satellite, and yet I watch more TV than ever. Is my cord really cut if I use my parents' xfinity account to watch HBO, AMC, and other networks programming? Not live, but usually the next day. Plus Netflix and Amazon Prime, too.

If I didn't have access to that, I would wait for some of it on Netflix or Amazon...or torrent it.

Postby **iamjs** » Sat Apr 18, 2015 2:43 pm

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/consume ... es-n343426

Verizon is giving its customers more control over the channels they pay for as the cacophony of cord cutting reshapes cable TV.

Large cable bundles laden with dozens of channels and big price tags have pushed more people into cheaper streaming services like Netflix and Amazon and Hulu. Other late entries include HBO Now and Sling TV, not to mention sports oriented streaming services like MLB.com.

FiOS Custom TV, available Sunday, gives customers the option to buy a base package for about $55. That package has more than 35 channels — such as AMC, CNN and Food Network — plus two additional themed channel packs. The offer does not include Internet service.

There's currently seven channel packs to choose from, including genres such as sports, children and lifestyle. Customers can add more channel packs — which include about 10-17 channels on average — for $10 each. They may also swap out channel packs after 30 days.

Postby **dodint** » Sat Apr 18, 2015 2:56 pm

I've been impressed with the Android lollipop update. The advanced calling 1.0 is really nice with the video calling and hd voice. Anyone get the update?
I just updated my tablet on Sunday, but haven't rooted around yet.

I got this pushed to my Note 3 on Sprint today and it just finished installing. About to take a look around. My bet is Sprint skinned it so heavily that I won't notice a real difference unless it broke any of my apps.

Postby **dodint** » Sat Apr 18, 2015 3:00 pm

Oh good god it's ugly. Damn it.

Postby **shmenguin** » Sat Apr 18, 2015 4:24 pm

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/consume ... es-n343426

Verizon is giving its customers more control over the channels they pay for as the cacophony of cord cutting reshapes cable TV.

Large cable bundles laden with dozens of channels and big price tags have pushed more people into cheaper streaming services like Netflix and Amazon and Hulu. Other late entries include HBO Now and Sling TV, not to mention sports oriented streaming services like MLB.com.

FiOS Custom TV, available Sunday, gives customers the option to buy a base package for about $55. That package has more than 35 channels — such as AMC, CNN and Food Network — plus two additional themed channel packs. The offer does not include Internet service.

There's currently seven channel packs to choose from, including genres such as sports, children and lifestyle. Customers can add more channel packs — which include about 10-17 channels on average — for $10 each. They may also swap out channel packs after 30 days.

Picking my channels a la carte would be a stressful nightmare. I can't gauge which ones are must have.

Postby **dodint** » Sun Apr 19, 2015 5:27 pm

That's not ala carte, though. That's cable packages, the exact thing that we're trying to move away from. I bet if I made my 50 must have channels I'd have to 5 of the 7 packs.

Postby **Miami Vice** » Mon Apr 20, 2015 10:09 am

Its a step in the right direction - men don't have to get Lifetime and Oprah channel, people without kids don't get cartoons, non-sports fans don't have to pay a ton of money to the NFL and NCAA, etc.

But predictably and immediately ESPN threw cold water on the announcement saying that their contracts with Verizon don't allow it.

My immediate thought was that ESPN is right - Disney prices the network so that the cost to the end user is different depending on what tier of service it is (ie ESPN is cheaper if it is on the same tier as Disney XD and ABC Family, for example). Is Verizon in a breach of contract, and they figure that good will is going to be on their side enough to fight back?

Postby **Miami Vice** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 1:13 pm

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/12 ... escription

This could be the DVR that finally allows you to return your expensive cable company boxes.

Silicon Dust has made tv tuners for computers for years. Now they are working to create a DVR. You buy a tuner to receive the cable signal, a NAS or PC to save recordings, and your streaming boxes and smart tv sets become the cable box.

Postby **shmenguin** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 1:54 pm

how can they stream protected content to mobile devices? that's a no no.

Postby **tifosi77** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 2:02 pm

By having you store the content locally on your own NAS, they are getting around the technicality that sunk Aereo. In this case, it is not a 'broadcast' of the content, they are merely allowing the user the opportunity to time-shift it.

Postby **shmenguin** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 2:07 pm

By having you store the content locally on your own NAS, they are getting around the technicality that sunk Aereo. In this case, it is not a 'broadcast' of the content, they are merely allowing the user the opportunity to time-shift it.

certain digital cable broadcasts are encrypted with a "Copy Once" flag. this means that the device which records the content is the only device that is allowed to play it back. so if a device is recorded by/stored on a NAS, then no other device will be allowed to play that recording. there are things called "Extenders" that get around this, but those are dedicated devices that only perform playback and are considered an appendage or slave to that original device.

so i'm not sure how silicon dust is getting around that here.

Postby **tifosi77** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 2:18 pm

The playback app would have to be embedded on the NAS itself, right?

Postby **shmenguin** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 2:39 pm

The playback app would have to be embedded on the NAS itself, right?

it would, and certain devices could access it. but probably not your phones/tablets. fine print:

Silicondust is required to comply with industry-required protection rules when recording and playing back protected content. It may not be possible to support protected content on all platforms.

unless they've figured out something sneaky, i don't think this solution offers anything substantial over the existing Windows Media Center solution (which Miami Vice and I are knee deep in).

Postby **Miami Vice** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 2:46 pm

Right now, Windows PCs and Tivo units have to deal with a "hub and spoke" configuration. The device that records a program (the hub) is the only device that can play it back. Tthe multi-room systems get around that using an "extender" model. So technically, the client/spoke watching in room B is logged in and playing back from the hub in room A.

This is why some programs can't be dumped from a Tivo to a PC, or why recordings done on one Windows PC might not be playable on another. The Tivo Mini and Xbox 360 can log into their respective hubs and play those recordings.

Silicon Dust seems to be either certifying their own DRM that appeases the cable industry, or licensing one (Microsoft and Real Networks both own certified DRM schemes). This isn't important for programming that comes off an antenna, but is vital for cable industry acceptance. They basically say right on the Kickstarter page that if one of the clients (Kodi/XBMC or Android, for example) is show to have a DRM exploit that it will be shut down until it's patched, possibly forever.

That would also explain this blurb about Linux:

We are long time Linux users and do much of our development under Linux. We hope to release a version of the HDHomeRun client packaged for Ubuntu/Mint (copy-freely content only).

Something open source like that probably can't be protected against cracking the DRM. The system needs to be closed from end to end.

Postby **Miami Vice** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 2:50 pm

i don't think this solution offers anything substantial over the existing Windows Media Center solution

My gut tells me they know something about the future (or lack thereof) of WMC. They basically make 2 products, and one would be nearly worthless if Microsoft discontinued their DVR software. So I think they are trying to save their own market.

The Xbox One has everything it needs to be a DVR right now, except a tuner. I cannot fathom for the life of me why Microsoft has this shut off here. It has a tv guide, a hard drive, and expandability. They could easily turn it into a DVR and sell the tuners at Best Buy and Target.

Postby **shmenguin** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 2:51 pm

So SD is going to have to build and Android App (for instance), and get it certified with something like the PlayReady DRM? And if they pursue IoS, they'd have to do the same thing - separately?

And same with a PC based program, presumably.

I don't have much faith that they can get all the practical devices compliant with the appropriate DRM. seems way too expensive for a niche product.

Postby **Miami Vice** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 2:59 pm

I know the Android TV platform includes PlayReady. I have no idea the cost or feasibility to include it inside of an app.

iOS is interesting because no iOS device supports the cable tv codecs. I have no idea how they would do that, short of requiring a tuner that can convert the codecs in real time to the storage device. That exists for over the air programming, but that fundamentally breaks the secure link in the DRM chain for cable.

Postby **shmenguin** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 3:01 pm

i have an app that streams live HDHOMERun to my iPad. everything but protected content. I forget what it's called, but it works*

*it's choppy since my WiFi sucks

Postby **cadams** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 9:51 pm

i don't think this solution offers anything substantial over the existing Windows Media Center solution
My gut tells me they know something about the future (or lack thereof) of WMC. They basically make 2 products, and one would be nearly worthless if Microsoft discontinued their DVR software. So I think they are trying to save their own market.

The Xbox One has everything it needs to be a DVR right now, except a tuner. I cannot fathom for the life of me why Microsoft has this shut off here. It has a tv guide, a hard drive, and expandability. They could easily turn it into a DVR and sell the tuners at Best Buy and Target.

Like this? http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msa ... .309514900

Postby **shmenguin** » Tue Apr 21, 2015 9:54 pm

i don't think this solution offers anything substantial over the existing Windows Media Center solution
My gut tells me they know something about the future (or lack thereof) of WMC. They basically make 2 products, and one would be nearly worthless if Microsoft discontinued their DVR software. So I think they are trying to save their own market.

The Xbox One has everything it needs to be a DVR right now, except a tuner. I cannot fathom for the life of me why Microsoft has this shut off here. It has a tv guide, a hard drive, and expandability. They could easily turn it into a DVR and sell the tuners at Best Buy and Target.
Like this? http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msa ... .309514900

that's just for over-the-air channels.