Roku Now Has YouTube

One of the most missed apps on my Roku was YouTube. My son loves watching some shows that are not on Netflix. I would have to take him down to the living room television to watch YouTube on our Apple TV. It's nice to have YouTube on Roku which means when I am working up stairs my son can be kept busy with YouTube videos while I get some stuff done.

Viewtv At-163 ATSC Digital TV Converter Box Media Player with Recording PVR Function

Now that I am moving back to over the air television I have been searching for a PVR solution. There are many choices on the markets at various price points. I did not want to spend to much on a PVR and found from under $100 on Amazon. The one that seemed to get great reviews and costs only $59.99 is from a company called Viewtv I will be ordering this shortly and hope to have it set up for a full review as soon as possible.

The box acts as digital tv converter for those with an old anoloug tv and it is also a steaming box that plays your own media files. The most important feature for me is to record television show. The only additional cost is for a USB drive to record the shows on. These can be found very cheaply now. I also like the design of the unit it looks sharp and modern.


Viewtv At-163 ATSC Digital TV Converter Box and Media Player w/ Recording PVR Function / HDMI Out / Coaxial Out / Composite Out / USB Input

Recap Back from Cable to Cord Cutter

When we moved about a year and half ago the cable company gave us a promo deal. With the bundle package we got phone cable and internet for less than we were paying for just phone and internet at our old house. Since it was a great deal I took them up on their offer. We got a PVR and were able to record shows which would be the only way I would be able to watch stuff from cable due to my limited time. It worked out well for the promo period, but now the promo is over.

I called the cable company to see if they could offer any better pricing for cable and they did not make any effort. Well that was easy I asked them to cancel and they said they needed a 30 day notice, OK here is your 30 day notice I said. The cable will be off in about 20 days from the date I wrote this post.

Back to cord cutting basics and the tools of the trade. We already have all the smart boxes to get internet TV and 5 antennas of all shapes and sizes. I just need to set up the antennas and the smart boxes were already ready to go and use them all the time for Netflix.

We have the following streaming boxes:

Apple TV
Boxee Box
Chromecast
Roku
Xbox

We have two television sets one in the bedroom with Roku the other streaming boxes are attached to the living room television.

We do have an antenna issue. We can get reception on the upstairs television set, but the living room is bellow ground and placing an antenna by the window has not been very successful.

I will need to install an outdoor antenna and have it wired down to the basement. It seem like a project I am unwilling to take at this time. I was thinking of adding a pvr upstairs and record the show I want to watch and just catch up in the bedroom when I have time. I could also just bring the box down to the living room when I need to watch the shows on a bigger screen.

It feels good to once again be free from cable television.

Toshiba Blu-Ray Wifi Frogloot

The Toshiba Blu-Ray player with Wifi is on sale at daily deal site FrogLoot.com this is the player that has the built in apps like Netflix and Vudo. Check price by clicking here!

LG Smart TV Upgrader (SP820)

The first generation of LG Smart TV Upgrader has been out for a little over a year and a half. The product has change a bit since the first generation and price is about $75 more than the original. The LG Smart TV Upgrader is a media stream that adds advance functions to your HDTV. When you attache the Upgrader to the TV you will be able to find a great deal of apps that bring in such service as Netflix Vudo or YouTube. If you are on the fence about cord cutting than this types of devices can bring in much need content for those who want to give up cable TV. The unit is easy to set up and very simple to navigate with. The included remote makes moving around and work with the apps as easy as possible.The SP820 uses built-in Wi-Fi to connect to your home network so you can instantly stream content to your TV using premium apps from LG. Use the included Magic Remote to point and click your way through menus using simple movements and gestures. We had this unit up and running in minutes all the apps that I use for online video were built into the app and social media is also well integrated. The unit is able to play back various video and audio file formats and with USB getting your personal content to the unit was a breeze. If the price wasn't at $179 I would say go out and get one, but at this price I think the Boxee Box from Dlink is a better buy. As with any technology you might start seeing the unit appearing in stores in a couple of months at a much lower price. Until then if you need a decent media streamer with apps than the LG is more than capable of being a great extender to add to your television.

Windows 8 For Entertainment

If you have updated to Windows 8 you might have noticed that in the store there are media apps. Instead of going to Hulu for example through your web browser you would install a Windows app. The dedicated app is not much different than actually going on the site, but the interface for most media apps are clean and easy to use. Why use apps? If you have a touch screen computer than having the app installed is like using any type of tablet like Android or iOS. As Windows moves to a more tablet like experience you will have all your media apps in one area at the click of a mouse. On my touch screen computer this is a nice feature, but on my laptop without touch I rather just go to the web site. Exploring the new app store in Windows 8 you will find many great apps to consume free media as a cord cutter there is a nice collection of apps to pull your favorite content into one spot.

HP Envy 23 All In One

Those who have small space might want to consider getting an all in one PC instead of a television. The nice thing about all in one computers is that they do not take up much space and can provide a great deal of entertainment power in a convenient package.

The HP Envy come with a 23 HD display with the ability for touch. If you have the newest model with Windows 8 touch is a must. We installed everything we needed to get this baby working as our new entertainment center. The computer has a built in DVD drive which served us well for a season Dexter. We also signed into Netflix and Cinema Now. The picture was very sharp and the video played back very smooth. If you are looking to play music the HP Envy comes with Beats Audio. The built in speaker system take full advantage of the Beats technology. The computer also makes a great gaming system. With Intel or AMD prossesors depending on the model you pick it this system can handle almost any task you through at it.

The HP Envy also comes with built in Adobe software to make editing pictures and movies a breeze. I had been putting off editing some videos shot on my smartphone, but using the Envy made it a quick process to upload my videos sort and edit in just a couple hours. There are other all in one's in the same price range, but I think HP did a great job on this all in one and it looks great.

Read more reviews here!

Roku Canada

Without much fanfare the popular US based media streamer was launched in Canada. At present you can find a Roku box at most Walmarts and online through Amazon.ca with two different models available. If you have not heard of Roku the company makes a little box that connects to your TV to bring online content to the big screen. The box have built in channels such as Netflix and Crackle. You won't find the same channels as in the US due to copyright issues. There are many channels to pick from on the Canadian box, but no Hulu. Is this a worth while purchase? I wold say yes at less then $100 it will bring in a lot of content. If you are looking to reduce you cable bill or cut the cord this is another great solution that will provide hours and hours of TV viewing without a huge cable bill. You can learn more about Roku at www.roku.com for the different types of boxes available.

Glasses Free 3D TV

The sale of 3D TV up until now has not been of great significance.  It could be that consumers are either confuse about the technology or that they hate having to wear the 3D glasses. Well it looks like consumer electronics companies are try to solve that hurdle. It difficult to get consumers to accept a technology that they are not sure is full baked. If I were to buy a new TV 3D would not be the selling point. The ability to connect to the Internet and get content apps would be the deciding factor. At the CES show in Las Vegas Toshiba will be introducing a new television with technology that will not require the 3D glasses. This might be the turning point for 3D television. The ability to watch 3D content should be simple and consumers should just be able to stumble onto the built in feature.

Here's an excellent summary from CNET's Stephen Shankland on how 3D TV without glasses works.

3D works by showing separate views to the left and right eyes; the brain reconstructs the 3D world from the two images. Toshiba's TV uses numerous tiny lenses to direct two different views in slightly different directions so each eye sees something different. That's easier to do with a single viewer at a fixed distance to the screen, but harder with multiple viewers. Toshiba's 55LZ2 divides the overall viewing area into nine separate regions so people can use the 3D over a broad range of angles.

It's not quite as easy as regular TV, though. Before watching, a button on the remote control launches face-tracking software on the TV to detect viewers' positions to best control the picture.

The price tag for these new television sets is not within most consumer range. With time and more development of the technology we should see reasonable priced televisions in the market place in the next few years.

Xbox 360 Update

If you haven't already downloaded the Xbox 360 update it is now ready. This update brings a clean new interface that fits in with the new look of Windows phone 7 or the Zune HD interface. It looks slick and very easy to get around. The new update will also bring an app market place and video service. As a cord cutter some of the video app updates will bring the Xbox to a new level. With the Canadian update I can see myself using the Xbox a little bit more to find online programing. The Canadian update will get Rogers On Demand and Leaf TV for Toronto Maple Leaf fans live games can be purchased on demand.

With voice command via the Kinect you can ask Xbox to bring up shows to watch and control the action. The app market will bring a new level of functionality and there is also a new social link. As the services were not up and running when I did my update I was not able to test Rogers On Demand I will have a review as soon as that service goes live. In the meantime go get your update.

Boxee Box Live TV With USB Tuner Stick

The Boxee Box is getting an update that with the purchase of tuner card will bring live television to the Boxee. The additional $49.99 usb tuner will bring your local stations through the Boxee and also add a social element that you can share which live show you are watching. Why would you want to watch live TV on the Boxee Box? The live shows add programing that other wise might not be online like local news. It an exciting addition that makes the Boxee even better than it already is. If you like sports than you will never miss a live sporting event from your local stations. The Boxee Box will get the live television signal from your local station by connecting to an HD antenna. The tuner will feed the signal to the Boxee through the usb tuner. Once you have scanned for the local stations you now can flip between web content your local network or live TV. As the cord cutting movement grows we will find more device manufactures trying to incorporate different content source to compete with cable. The Boxee Box usb tuner is available now for pre-order and will ship in January 2012 in time for the season of many network shows.

Red Box Price Increase

Red Box users will be paying an extra $0.20 for a DVD rental. The slight increase in price is not going to break the bank and considering the vast choice of titles. If you are an avid Red Box users it might seem unfair to raise the price, but considering how much a pay per view movie cost or other rental stores it still a great value. If you want to watch the newest titles Red Box does provide a large selection considering it's all stored in a vending machine.

Steve Jobs Thank You For Apple TV

The passing of Steve Jobs this week made me appreciate my Apple TV 2 even more. The device was Steve's little project, but it has turned out to be a great device. With Netflix and podcasts each month the Apple TV 2 provides countless hours of entertainment in my household. We might never know what other ideas Steve might have had for this device, but I am sure it was going to get some amazing updates once content rights had been worked out. The Apple TV 2 might not get the same respect as other Apple products, but it is a worthy product and a very easy to use device. In minutes a user can connect the device to the Internet and be watching a variety of programing easily with the simply remote include with the device.As an Apple TV user I hope the product will become even better and that whatever vision Steve had for the product will continue even without his presence at Apple.

Thank you Steve for all the magical products and for making products that people truly love.

LG TV Upgrader $89.99

If you have been looking for a streaming media box for your HDTV look no further. The LG TV Upgrader is on sale for $89.99 at Canada Computers. The local computer shop is stocking this item in store or online at this price. If you do not know much about the device it's like a Ruku or Apple TV 2 where you can connect to the Internet and watch streaming video like Nerflix. The LG TV Upgrader also has the abilithy to add apps and connect to your video files. At this price this can be a great media streamer for just about any room in the house. We don't have a streaming device connected to the TV in the bedroom at this price I think I will pick one this week. One more feature of the device is that it can also browse the Internet at this point I am not sure if it supports flash video sites.

Once Again Reports Show Cord Cutting Number are High

The report from the cable industry shows once again that cord cutting is real. As more people find out about alternative ways to watch their television shows the cable industry is losing subscribers. The economy and a large number of tech savy consumers are proving they don't need broadcast TV or cable they want to consume content when they want it. With new TV's filled with streaming apps and cheap set top boxes that bring an amazing number of program choices cable television seems like a soon to be dead industry. Will a new generation of consumers used to watch Internet television and show when they want ever pay for cable again. Like we have reported before on this blog unless you need TV for live events like news or sports most people can live with picking show they want to watch without access to live television.

The numbers are tell sign that more people prefer not only to save by not paying for cable, but enjoy the large amount of content online.

How I Got Netflix for Android On My Phone In Canada

As many are aware the Netflix app is now out for Android on select phones. The Galaxy S was on the list, but for some reason I could not find it in the market. Well today I went shopping across the boarder and tried the Internet connection at McDonalds with a US WIFI connection I loaded the market and searched for Netflix. There it was ready to install. After a few minutes of downloading the Netflix app installed on my phone with no problem.

When I got home back in Canada I logged into my Canadian Netflix app and it worked all the recent watched list was there and I can start streaming content.


Not sure why the app can not be downloaded in Canada, but if you live near the boarder this might solve your Netflix problem on an Android phone or tablet.

Crackle Video App for Android

If you want movies and TV shows on the go try downloading the Crackle video app for Android. The collection of movies from Crackle might be a little older, but at the cost of free it's got enough content to keep cord cutter happy. If you do not have an Android phone or tablet you can watch videos direct from the Crackle video web site. There is also good news for Canadians there is a selection of TV shows and movies that will play in Canada.

It's nice to see more online streaming sites offer content to more countries. The viewers in the US have been very lucky to have sites like Crackle and Hulu, and it's nice to see some of these services make it to Canada.

The Crackle app for Android is free and there is no monthly subscription. You will need to search for the Crackle app in the Android market if your device is supported it should show up.

Apple TV 2 Update Download Now

A nice surprise for us today the Apple TV 2 got an update. This update allows support for purchased cloud stored TV shows and the video site Vimeo. The Vimeo site is sort of like YouTube, but I find that they do have a great selection of high quality videos not found on YouTube, When I did the update and brought up Vimeo I was hooked for a good hour watching video after video.

As far as the update goes it's a small step for Apple adding content to a great device. If you have not bought an Apple TV as a cord cutter I can honestly say it is one of the most used devices in out cable free home. With time we hope Apple will add more content partners, but for now there is plenty to keep us busy.

How To Manage Your Bandwidth Caps

If you are on a Internet plan that places limits on your bandwidth make sure you are getting everything you pay for. As an example last month I still had about 25g on my plan. If I did not use this bandwidth by the end of the month it would be gone forever. What I have been doing is checking the week before my new billing cycle to see how much bandwidth I have left for the month. If I have a lot left I will try to download as much as I need to use up my bandwidth cap for the month. This month I downloaded a few shows from iTunes and updated my smartphone to update the apps with my home WIFI. Keeping an eye on your usage you can avoid going over and getting charged extra or not taking advantage of what you are paying for. If you download torrents the end of the month is a great time to start the download as you will be using up the bandwidth left for the billing cycle and will have something to watch the following month without wasting next months caps. It pays to keep an eye on your usage.

LG Smart TV Upgrader Media Streamer

The LG Smart TV Upgrader is a media streamer that failed to get much press. If you never heard of this product if is simmilar to the Apple TV or Roku allowing Internet content to be accessed on your television screen. The new line of HDTV's from LG have the Smart TV interface pre-loaded giving buyers a connection to the Internet right out of the box. The LG Smart TV Upgrader give consumers who do not have one of the new LG TV's a simple solution to adding these apps to their exisiting set up regardless of televison brand you already own.

The Upgrader has a Twitter and Facebook app and access to Netflix. The box will also let you access your media files and play them on your TV. As more televison manufactures incorporate some sort of app store in their TV's more functinality is brought to your television screen.

It was smart of LG to bring this box to market which will add more users to their app store and they can profit by offering video on demand or other paid services. The new Samsung televisons also have a built in app store, but Samsung has yet to bring out it's own media streamer.

At the current price of $120 it's not a bad buy, but with Apple TV and Roku on the scene will have to wait and see what apps are going to make their way to the LG Smart TV Upgrader.