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iMac TV

bobmielke

bobmielke


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I'm new to Apple products. I recently made a leap of faith and sold my best friend my last Windows based PC. I have been very impressed with my iMac, iPad and iPod Nano. Apple products just simply rock.

I am desperately wanting someone, anyone, to come out with affordable streaming TV over the internet. I'm not referring to Netflix or Hulu I'm hoping for full content available using your computer and a fast broadband connection. I've read a number of articles on Apple's attempt to come out with a new iMac with this capability before developing TVs that are internet ready.

Does anyone know the state of this technology? How close are we to be able to cancel our uber-expensive Comcast cable service? I will have a huge grin on my face when I can call and cancel their service.
 
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chas_m

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There's nothing on the horizon that will replace cable fully. There's just not enough bandwidth now for everyone to jump to a system like what you're envisioning.

I don't know exactly what Apple has up their sleeve, but I suspect their innovations will be more to do with voice control and other "user interface" issues rather than content per se. They still have to deal with the providers either way.

If you want to watch on-demand TV from a wide variety of sources, cable is still the way to go (mine costs $60/month for digital cable, no "premium" movie channels though).

A number of people I know (including my brother-in-law) have rigged up a semi-acceptable hodge-podge, mostly centred around having Netflix, YouTube, Hulu and iTunes for content. Three of the four are available through an AppleTV, for Hulu he has an old PC connected behind the TV and just changes some settings to get to it.

So he subscribes to Netflix ($8/month) and buys other shows through iTunes (basically $2 per episode or $20 per "season" depending on what it is). For stuff not available from either he uses a web browser to manage hulu.com, abc.com and other network sites that stream live events and such. So he has no cable (uses an HD antenna for local channels).
 
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bobmielke

bobmielke


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chas_m said:
There's nothing on the horizon that will replace cable fully. There's just not enough bandwidth now for everyone to jump to a system like what you're envisioning.

I don't know exactly what Apple has up their sleeve, but I suspect their innovations will be more to do with voice control and other "user interface" issues rather than content per se. They still have to deal with the providers either way.

If you want to watch on-demand TV from a wide variety of sources, cable is still the way to go (mine costs $60/month for digital cable, no "premium" movie channels though).

A number of people I know (including my brother-in-law) have rigged up a semi-acceptable hodge-podge, mostly centred around having Netflix, YouTube, Hulu and iTunes for content. Three of the four are available through an AppleTV, for Hulu he has an old PC connected behind the TV and just changes some settings to get to it.

So he subscribes to Netflix ($8/month) and buys other shows through iTunes (basically $2 per episode or $20 per "season" depending on what it is). For stuff not available from either he uses a web browser to manage hulu.com, abc.com and other network sites that stream live events and such. So he has no cable (uses an HD antenna for local channels).
Click to expand...

Thanks for the response Chas. I used to live in a different location that allowed me to use an external located TV antenna to gain access to HD TV channels. My present location makes that option impossible. :(

I'm retired, living solely on Social Security checks. I'm constantly looking for ways to cut expenses so that I can gain a bit more breathing room financially. I subscribe to the barest TV package from Comcast which give me enough cable channels to watch. I supplement that content with free Hulu, Netflix DVD rental and internet network content from ABC, CBS, Public Broadcast and a number of other free sources. I too pay around $65 a month to Comcast, mainly for the 12 Mips broadband connection.

I've researched AppleTV & Roku and consider them simply multimedia interfaces for what I already have. I hope the designers of true TV content by internet will solve the licensing issues with the networks to provide more content than Hulu Plus. Until then, I'll exist with multiple methods to satisfy my viewing enjoyment.
 
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chas_m

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I hear ya, Bob!

What I'd really like to see is cable companies offer "a la carte" packages. Five bucks a channel per month, $10 for ad-free channels like HBO (local "must-carry" channels free). The cable companies and providers would actually make MORE money under this system since they wouldn't have to pay to support channels nobody actually wants (shopping, religious etc) out of the "general fund" everyone pays, and yet most people would cut their bill from $60-100 per month to maybe $25-30 virtually overnight.

It would also inspire the networks to work harder to put on better stuff people want to watch. If the world wants an all-Kardashian channel, so be it -- but I don't want to pay for it!! :)

PS. I don't know your tastes, of course, but when I was visiting with my brother-in-law who has Netflix, I was really enjoying the silent movies offered there (I'm a fan of old films anyway). Might want to go exploring in there a bit, some classic stuff!
 
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bobmielke

bobmielke


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chas_m said:
I hear ya, Bob!

What I'd really like to see is cable companies offer "a la carte" packages. Five bucks a channel per month, $10 for ad-free channels like HBO (local "must-carry" channels free). The cable companies and providers would actually make MORE money under this system since they wouldn't have to pay to support channels nobody actually wants (shopping, religious etc) out of the "general fund" everyone pays, and yet most people would cut their bill from $60-100 per month to maybe $25-30 virtually overnight.

It would also inspire the networks to work harder to put on better stuff people want to watch. If the world wants an all-Kardashian channel, so be it -- but I don't want to pay for it!! :)

PS. I don't know your tastes, of course, but when I was visiting with my brother-in-law who has Netflix, I was really enjoying the silent movies offered there (I'm a fan of old films anyway). Might want to go exploring in there a bit, some classic stuff!
Click to expand...

You might want to Google free old movies. I stumbled across a download site online that gives you those whose copywrite has expired.
 
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chas_m

Guest
Sadly many of them are in very low resolutions, but I've discovered a few iPad apps that also feed on these "public domain" films and often find ones where the resolution is a bit better.
 
Ctrl-Opt-Del

Ctrl-Opt-Del


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Mac mini Server 4,1 (2.66GHz Core2Duo CPU, 16GB RAM, 120GB SSD, 500GB HD), iPhone SE 2nd gen (128GB)
chas_m said:
If you want to watch on-demand TV from a wide variety of sources, cable is still the way to go (mine costs $60/month for digital cable, no "premium" movie channels though).
Click to expand...
"premium" movie channels, eh? :Smirk:
 
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pendlewitch


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We're with Sky Satellite because there is no cable or FO to my doorstep.

Here on Treasure Island (GB) they charge incrementally by the £10 GBP (15 USD) and rig the packages so that the best ones are joined at the hip. Even for an extra box, or as they call it 'MultiRoom' it's an extra tenner. HD is an extra tenner and so on. My HD package with Sports, Movies and an extra box (SD) costs me the best part of £60 ( 94 USD) a month. The delivery is excellent apart from being constantly interrupted by the marketeers unless you are watching a movie.

They are trying to persuade me to go 3D, which will mean a new TV, new HDMI cables and yet another tenner, on what to be honest is a format that has been sat in the corner like an old grandpa that gets up at a family function, does a funny dance for 30 seconds and then disappears until the next get together.

I'm pretty much up to the max considering I also pay £17 GBP (27 USD) for my unlimited BB and £20 GBP (31 USD) for my home phone line rental and answer phone service so this post is of genuine interest.
 

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