• Welcome to the Off-Topic/Schweb's Lounge

    In addition to the Mac-Forums Community Guidelines, there are a few things you should pay attention to while in The Lounge.

    Lounge Rules
    • If your post belongs in a different forum, please post it there.
    • While this area is for off-topic conversations, that doesn't mean that every conversation will be permitted. The moderators will, at their sole discretion, close or delete any threads which do not serve a beneficial purpose to the community.

    Understand that while The Lounge is here as a place to relax and discuss random topics, that doesn't mean we will allow any topic. Topics which are inflammatory, hurtful, or otherwise clash with our Mac-Forums Community Guidelines will be removed.

Anyone who pays for cable is a sucker

Joined
Feb 6, 2010
Messages
129
Reaction score
1
Points
18
I don't really mean it like that, but I personally see the internet as the future of media across the board. No more physical media, and no more "broadcast" media either, at least in industrialized countries. I also think that the paradigm of the TV schedule is going to go out the window, and be replaced by an on demand system where episodes are released and can be rented or bought like podcasts.

I also think that, like CDs before it, physical video media will eventually be replaced entirely by digital videos. The quality just needs to improve, as well as the download speed.

Here's my ideal media solution:

All my media stored in a central location, say a computer in my office. This media can then be streamed to various devices throughout my home, or synched to things like phones or ipods. I know this already exists, but it's not as ubiquitous as I imagine it will become.

Also, I changed my mind a little, internet radio and tv news will still be live.
 
Joined
Jul 30, 2009
Messages
7,295
Reaction score
301
Points
83
Location
Wisconsin
Your Mac's Specs
Mac Mini (Late 2014) 2.6GHz Intel Core i5 Memory: 8GB 1600MHz DDR3
You're leaving out live telecasts of sporting events. That's a big segment of TV network offerings. Internet only isn't quite there yet. I know someone who tried it for 3 months, then decided to get cable. The main reason for that was that the local CBS station wouldn't come in over the antenna with a converter box.
 
Joined
Dec 3, 2006
Messages
9,383
Reaction score
417
Points
83
Location
Irvine, CA
Your Mac's Specs
Black Macbook C2D 2GHz 3GB RAM 250GB HD iPhone 4 iPad 3G
I haven't had cable/satellite for over two years now. Unless you need to watch sports, there's really no reason to pay for cable/satellite since there are streaming options available for pretty much any show out there. Plus, since there are so many boxes available to make all that content available on your TV, it's simple for everybody in the house to access all that content with just a remote.
 
Joined
Jan 17, 2010
Messages
1,466
Reaction score
47
Points
48
Your Mac's Specs
2.8 GHz 15" MacBook Pro OS X 10.7.x & some old Macs
Sports and local news is pretty much the main reason why I wouldn't drop cable as of yet. Streaming media is getting better with content but I also don't think it's fully there yet either.

I also think internet speeds need to improve before we can do 100% streaming. My internet speeds are okay when one person is streaming high quality content but if everyone in my house streams their own shows then it brings my internet speeds to a crawl.

I do think that premium cable such as HBO, Showtime, etc is a waste. All those shows and movies can easily be bought/rented individually through iTunes/Amazon instead of paying a monthly fee to only see a few good new movies/shows a month. It can be cheaper to buy those few good movies/shows individually.
 
Joined
Oct 22, 2007
Messages
1,956
Reaction score
47
Points
48
Location
Tampa , FL
Your Mac's Specs
15" MBP Unibody 2.53Ghz 4GB RAM 250GB HD,VERIZON iPhone 4,SIG P238 ,iPad,6th Gen iPod NANO
I haven't had cable/satellite for over two years now. Unless you need to watch sports, there's really no reason to pay for cable/satellite since there are streaming options available for pretty much any show out there. Plus, since there are so many boxes available to make all that content available on your TV, it's simple for everybody in the house to access all that content with just a remote.

me too, I have regular TV, No need for cable TV for me. I don't miss it one bit.
 
Joined
Oct 2, 2010
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Points
1
I have Amish cable. I have a high powered antenna on my house. I get all the local channels plus 3 PBS stations. The only live tv I care about is football. Now I cant watch football on the NFL network or Monday Night Football on ESPN. So that sucks.

With the internet and Netfilx streaming on my mac and ps3 I really don't miss cable. Plus I really don't like giving money to Comca$t.
 
Joined
Sep 19, 2010
Messages
191
Reaction score
3
Points
18
Location
Minnesota
Your Mac's Specs
3.4ghz quad core ati 5850 graphics card 4GB ddr3 ram
I agree, its much easier to steal cable!

but seriously, TV isnt going away anytime soon, your way ahead of yourself.
 
Joined
Sep 19, 2010
Messages
191
Reaction score
3
Points
18
Location
Minnesota
Your Mac's Specs
3.4ghz quad core ati 5850 graphics card 4GB ddr3 ram
Here's my ideal media solution:

All my media stored in a central location, say a computer in my office. This media can then be streamed to various devices throughout my home, or synched to things like phones or ipods. I know this already exists, but it's not as ubiquitous as I imagine it will become.
Thats called a server, user media/ftp/whatever. Really quite easy to make, just get an old computer with a couple of large hard drives, put all your material on it and have it connected to your various electronics.
 

dtravis7


Retired Staff
Joined
Jan 4, 2005
Messages
30,133
Reaction score
703
Points
113
Location
Modesto, Ca.
Your Mac's Specs
MacMini M-1 MacOS Monterey, iMac 2010 27"Quad I7 , MBPLate2011, iPad Pro10.5", iPhoneSE
To those who say they are using an Antenna and regular TV, I am curious. I thought all normal Analog TV was gone and you had to have a Digital Converter box to get stations. Is that what you are talking about?
 
Joined
Sep 24, 2006
Messages
2,766
Reaction score
232
Points
63
Location
Brooklyn, New York
Your Mac's Specs
15" 2014 MacBook Pro, i7 2.5Ghz, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD; iPad 3, iPhone 6
I dumped cable 2 years ago as well, and get all my shows via a combination of Hulu (plus), ABC Player, Netflix and iTunes - although there are some strange catches.

For example, Stargate Universe is available on the free version of Hulu (I watched all of last season on it). Yet, you can't watch it on Hulu Plus (which costs $9.95) on your iPad, iPhone or PS3... only on a computer, where it's identical to the free Hulu. When it comes to licensing content, there are all kinds of deals about all kinds of devices. This whole dream of ubiquitous content on all devices isn't going to be around anytime soon.

Additionally, TV shows like Fringe (which I paid $49.99 for on iTunes) would be unsustainable in a world where 70 or 80% of people streamed the show on-demand or paid 99 cents for it. The whole industry is very finely balanced economically, with almost all the revenue coming from season premier network broadcasts between 7:00pm and 9:00pm and then the endless syndications to smaller cable companies. This is what supports the industry, not you or I paying $1.99 or $9.99 a month for endless helping of reruns.

Lets be honest, no one is going to pay for 'The Biggest Loser', but cheap shows like that which rake in advertising revenue make a lot of money, and make things like Detroit 187 or Fringe possible. It's a delicate house of cards right now.
 

Slydude

Well-known member
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Nov 15, 2009
Messages
17,596
Reaction score
1,072
Points
113
Location
North Louisiana, USA
Your Mac's Specs
M1 MacMini 16 GB - Ventura, iPhone 14 Pro Max, 2015 iMac 16 GB Monterey
I may be wrong but I believe the newer antennas are designed to pick up the over the air digital signals for say the local channels. If your set has a built in digital tuner you probably don't need the converter box.
 
Joined
May 19, 2009
Messages
8,428
Reaction score
295
Points
83
Location
Waiting for a mate . . .
Your Mac's Specs
21" iMac 2.9Ghz 16GB RAM - 10.11.3, iPhone6s & iPad Air 2 - iOS 9.2.1, ATV 4Th Gen tvOS, ATV3
Its OK for those people not living in Australia .....
We really are behind the 8 Ball when it comes to Streaming Content ... :(
Personally i dont have cable as i dont watch a great deal of crap that is on the box, BUT it would be nice to have access to things like NetFlix and Hulu, because if we dont it really makes the new ATV pretty well defunked in this house hold. Not going to pay that sort of hard earned NOT to beable to use it to its full capacity ...
We (austtralians) have been and still are being bloody well screwed hard by our *** Government :( Sorry this makes me furious Grrrrrrrrr

But on topic, Im with the OP here that Cable is not the way of the future .....
 
Joined
Apr 20, 2009
Messages
4,301
Reaction score
124
Points
63
Location
The lonely planet
Your Mac's Specs
Too many...
You will ALWAYS have to pay for something that the majority of people will/might use. It might be free now, but companies aren't stupid, they won't keep something free when they know they have the potential to make money.
 
Joined
Jul 2, 2007
Messages
3,494
Reaction score
204
Points
63
Location
Going Galt...
Your Mac's Specs
MacBookAir5,2:10.13.6-iMac18,3:10.13.6-iPhone9,3:11.4.1
We will likely ditch the satellite when our contract ends on December. I haven't decided if internet-only will work as many shows I like are on the extra cable channels. I'm still use to getting my media when I want it and not waiting a week or months to stream it. Anyhow, I ordered an AntennaCraft HD1200 for the house. We'll see how installation goes and then decide what to do from there.
 
Joined
Jan 17, 2010
Messages
1,466
Reaction score
47
Points
48
Your Mac's Specs
2.8 GHz 15" MacBook Pro OS X 10.7.x & some old Macs
To those who say they are using an Antenna and regular TV, I am curious. I thought all normal Analog TV was gone and you had to have a Digital Converter box to get stations. Is that what you are talking about?
I don't use an antenna because the signals around here aren't that great but you are correct about needing a converter box. At least it's true for my area. I can either buy a converter box for the free over the air TV signals or I have to get a converter box from my cable company to get even their basic cable channels.
 

dtravis7


Retired Staff
Joined
Jan 4, 2005
Messages
30,133
Reaction score
703
Points
113
Location
Modesto, Ca.
Your Mac's Specs
MacMini M-1 MacOS Monterey, iMac 2010 27"Quad I7 , MBPLate2011, iPad Pro10.5", iPhoneSE
I know how the digital TV and the converters work, but was just wondering if there are still some Analog signals in some areas still. Here I tried an old TV and not one channel!! All gone.
 
Joined
Jan 17, 2010
Messages
1,466
Reaction score
47
Points
48
Your Mac's Specs
2.8 GHz 15" MacBook Pro OS X 10.7.x & some old Macs
I guess your answer depends on whether the cable company in a person's area has switched fully to digital. Mine has and I also no longer can get analog signals. I need a converter box to watch even basic cable channels.
 

Slydude

Well-known member
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Nov 15, 2009
Messages
17,596
Reaction score
1,072
Points
113
Location
North Louisiana, USA
Your Mac's Specs
M1 MacMini 16 GB - Ventura, iPhone 14 Pro Max, 2015 iMac 16 GB Monterey
I don't see us dropping cable anytime soon. At least until the local DSL provider convinces us it plays nice with the games my wife plays regularly.
 

bobtomay

,
Retired Staff
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
26,561
Reaction score
677
Points
113
Location
Texas, where else?
Your Mac's Specs
15" MBP '06 2.33 C2D 4GB 10.7; 13" MBA '14 1.8 i7 8GB 10.11; 21" iMac '13 2.9 i5 8GB 10.11; 6S
Over-The-Air or OTA antennas work the same as they always have - just get digital instead of analog signals. Only now we're connecting a coax cable to them instead of antenna wire. Only TV sets without digital tuners require the conversion box. Any TV sold in the last 5 years has a digital tuner. Sets sold in the last 4-7 years could have both analog and digital tuners on board. The digital signals also don't carry near as far as the analog ones did either, so it takes larger antennas at shorter distances from the towers. There do not exist any analog TV OTA signals in the U.S. any longer. A TV with a digital tuner does not require a converter box for OTA signals.

Still have our satellite here - still have some stations not available anywhere else that we both want. Did get rid of all the premium channels - found I could purchase everything I wanted from them cheaper on B-R than pay them monthly.
 

dtravis7


Retired Staff
Joined
Jan 4, 2005
Messages
30,133
Reaction score
703
Points
113
Location
Modesto, Ca.
Your Mac's Specs
MacMini M-1 MacOS Monterey, iMac 2010 27"Quad I7 , MBPLate2011, iPad Pro10.5", iPhoneSE
Bob, thanks for that. That is what I was after. OVER THE AIR. Here it's all gone. You need either a TV with a Digital Tuner or Converter box hooked up to the antenna or it's dead. I was just curious if all the off the air analog channels were gone everywhere in the USA at least.
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top