Cut the Cable - Part 2

It has been around 5 years since I've last posted and incidentally my last post was on our ability to cut the cable/satellite and successfully move to over the air TV. So I thought it would be about time to pass along some updates.

We are still using going strong with the over the air TV. We did recently replace our old channel master to a new one. We also had to move our antenna to a different location on our house because we had our roof replaced, but that is about it. There have been some mighty improvements in the ability for those looking to cut the cable, so I thought I would share some of what I've learned during the process.

As I mentioned in my TV Switch post, one of our biggest requirements to making the cut was to find a way to keep the ability to have a DVR to record our local TV programming. So we purchased a Channel Master DVR that worked very well for us.The DVR wasn't without it's problems, but overall we were very happy with it.

So let's move on to today shall we? So a few months ago we purchased Channel Master's new DVR+. I had been following the release of this new DVR with anticipation because by the time it would be released it would coincide with our necessity for needing a new DVR. So I watched the launch, read several reviews and decided to take the plunge.

There are a few things that you should be aware of if you are going to buy this product. First thing first, you will need to buy a portable hard drive. It does not have a built in hard drive to record your shows. It has 16g built in, but that is mostly for apps and the OS. So the base unit itself runs about $250. They have a 1TB version of the DVR+ for $400, but portable hard drives are cheap and I would recommend just buying one separately. That move alone will save you close to $100. Here is one that we purchased for $50 (I believe it is listed around $60 at the time of this post).




You will also need to find a way to connect your DVR+ to the internet. It has a built in LAN on the back, but if you require wifi, then you will need to purchase a separate USB wifi adapter. Channel Master has one for $40, but you can get one cheaper on Amazon.

Here is my pro/con list for the Channel Master DVR+:

Pros: 

• No monthly fee, or contract. 
• Excellent TV guide/menu. 
• It is very thin and small (takes very little space). 
• Doesn't consume much power and in return doesn't produce much heat. 
• Only requires one antenna input and can still record two shows at once. 
• HDMI out.
• It has access to YouTube, Pandora and VUDU apps.

Cons: 

• Having to connect a portable hard drive. It would be nice to have it all be included in one unit.
• The remote is very thin. Some might see this as a positive, but I hate how the remote feels and I hate that it requires small watch batteries instead of AA's. 
• The price. 
• Doesn't have Netflix and Amazon Instant Video (as of this post). 
• You need to purchase a separate wifi USB adapter for internet access.

It is also important to note that you will need an antenna. And this will greatly depend on your area. There are many to chose from. I would recommend an outdoor antenna if you can. It will increase your ability to have a stronger signal and access to the greatest amount of available channels.

There are more reasons than ever to cut the cable. One of the biggest reasons could be the recently announced Sling TV. It is still in its infancy right now, but the potential is huge. It could be the first big step to offer a strong alternative to cable and satellite. Right now they are offering a $20 a month subscription and the list of channels they offer range from ESPN, Disney, AMC to CNN. They don't have everything yet, but this is a major step in the right direction.


Also HBO has recently announced that it will be offering HBO NOW, which will be a subscription service ($15 a month) to access their content online through certain devices (Primarily iOS devices).

Playstation has also announced a cloud based TV service called Playstation VUE. This alternative could be very promising, but it is currently only available in Philadelphia, Chicago and New York City.

The TV switch

Our family is dropping Satellite TV this month.  We have been with DirecTV for close to five years now.  We were with Dish Network for a little while before that.  Overall we have been happy with the service from DirecTV.  I do have some obvious complaints, but generally I was happy.


Well, this month we are finally making the big move to HD.  We got rid of our old box TV and entertainment center and purchased a 42" flat screen TV.  We found a fantastic deal, so we pulled the trigger.  We also bought a wireless blu-ray player as well. 

In order to make the HD change complete we needed HD programming.  We talked about upgrading our DirecTV receiver to an HD DVR, but that would increase our monthly payment and cost us some additional money upfront as well.  Both of us agreed that we both wanted a DVR.  This is something that both of us love to have.  Believe me, having a DVR is awesome, if you don't have one, I strongly encourage one.

We don't watch much TV and our time is usually very limited, so having the convenience of a DVR that allows us to watch something at our convenience is wonderful.  So we made an assessment of what channels we watched and how much we watched.  Over 80% of the programs we watched were on local programming.  This was telling.

So I began to look at our different options.  Upgrade?  Switch to cable?  Back to Dish?  All of them have programming packages that are expensive and we are only interested in a very small amount of channels.  Money was also a big factor as well.  We did consider switching to Comcast, but I simply won't commit on a promotional deal for a few months or a year.  I want a payment that won't increase by 50% after a year.  This tactic might work on some, but not me. 

After researching all the TV providers I kept asking myself one question.  Why can't they offer an "al a carte" option?  That way we could pick just a few channels that we actually enjoy and drop the rest that we never watch.  Why do I need 200+ channels?  I'm never going to watch 90% them.  If there was a TV provider that offered this, I would immediately jump on it.  Why has no one done this? 

After much thought and research we finally made a decision.  We are dropping satellite altogether and going with the local "over the air" HD programming.  There are several reasons we decided to do this.

1. We don't watch that much TV and most of what we watch is local programming anyway. 
2. It saves us A LOT of money each month.
3. We get the HD programming we want.
4. Netflix.  We can watch a lot of shows that we miss via streaming/DVD on Netflix. 

This left me with one problem, what about the DVR?  By going with "over the air" programming I believed that we would lose the possibility to record the shows.  So I began to search out my options.  Here is what I learned so far:

DVR possibilities for "over the air" or antenna programming:

•  A media PC/MAC - (This option can be customizable, but there are several requirements)
• TV inputs.  This can be integrated with the right setup, or you can purchase a separate TV tuner card.
• Windows Media Center.  This software comes with some of the newer Windows OS.  Like Vista and Windows 7 for example.  This software allows a nice DVR option. 
• A large hard drive.  Especially if you are going to record HD programming.
• A wireless remote that works with your PC.  This is usually included with a media desktop. 
• I'm not familiar with Mac, but I have been told that if you get the right Media setup, it offers a DVR option as well.
•  Tivo
• Tivo offers their units for "over the air" programming.  They even have dual inputs so you can record one show while you watch another.
• Pros:
• Very user friendly
• Good reputation
• Options for internet apps, like Netflix, pandora, etc.
• Cons:
• Required monthly payment of $13
• Cost of the unit.  Anywhere from $200-500
• Their units are not wireless, but you can purchase the wireless adapter for $80-100
•  Channel Master CM-7000PAL DVR
• This unit was difficult to find, but it was certainly worth the wait. 
• Pros:
• No subscription fee.
• Dual TV inputs.
• HDMI out.
• Cons:
• Cost of unit.  Starts around $350.

Needless to say, that we went with the channel master DVR.  No subscription fees absolutely sold me.  The unit will pay for itself within a year or two.  I have been very impressed with the ease of the setup, picture quality, remote, tv guide, and the HDMI output.  One thing I should mention is that it looks like the unit only allows 1080i output rather than 1080p.  This option will only matter to the real HD geeks.  No one will actually see or notice the difference.

One thing that I should mention in regards to going with "over the air" programming is an antenna.  There are many options that you should consider when purchasing one.  Your location being the first thing to look at.  Here is a free website that can recommend an antenna that will best suit your needs based on your location.  I opted with an external antenna that I placed on my existing satellite post, which increases my signal strength. 




I also purchased a Samsung Blu-Ray player for around $140.  I originally wanted a PS3 for my blu-ray options, but a PS3 is a bit overkill and it is much more expensive than what I needed one for.  I had two needs for my blu-ray player: 1) Netflix.  2) Wireless internet connection.  Some players out there don't have wifi built in.  So watch for that.  This player had both for a great price.  I would definitely recommend Netflix to people.  If you have an internet connection that can handle the streaming, I would recommend it.

So far I haven't experienced too many regrets.  I really enjoy watching football in HD.  Wow.  What a difference.  I won't lie that I do miss ESPN and Comedy Central.  But the selection of TV shows constantly increase on Netflix, so...I don't think I have too much to worry about.

Errors of Man

What you are about to read is real. I'm serious. Cause if I made this up, you would be like, "Can't you come up with something better Tom? I mean really."

I found a note card the other day, it had a list of six items on it and the title was, Errors of Man. This particular list literally blew me away when I first read it. I understand that most of you may have some of these same items on your own list, but some won’t.

This list, written by Unknown, I believe deserves to be heard. I also think that we should try to understand the author as well. But if you feel a spontaneous nose bleed coming on, or lightheadedness, stop reading immediately.

1. Raised in Church

Which church? (The fact that I found this note in Utah County puts the odds at over 80% chance that he was raised a Mormon.) Would he have listed this as his number one if he was raised in a different religion? Maybe, but I doubt it. What if his dad was a General Authority or Bishop who was always gone to meetings, and then came home just to bring the obedience hammer down?

My guess is that he just wanted to sin without guilt. That seems to be the most common reason for people who resent being raised in a church.

1. Raised by a postal worker

Now this particular choice can lead to a common misconception, or stereotype. Did his father or mother take out work frustrations on him? Did they have guns?

Wait, now I’m falling into the stereotype. Pardon me.

Alright, I do believe most postal workers aren’t bad parents. Most are certainly unstable and many are jerks, but necessarily bad parents. That seems like a stretch. So without knowing this guys background, I am going to make some unfair assumptions. I believe that if his postal parent just would have taken out frustrations on the customers, like all the other postal workers do, his childhood would have been much less stressful.

2. Born on Abe Lincoln’s B-Day

Well, this choice seems completely obvious. Alright, this one really threw me for a loop. This is the moment that if you aren’t saying to yourself WTF then I suggest you find someone close to you, preferably with an IQ higher than your score of 58. Have them explain it to you.

3. Married Amber

Amber, huh? I don’t know this woman, but I know lots of woman who don’t treat their husbands right. I have to believe that this woman was selfish. Don’t you think? I mean, if she knew what this guy had gone through in his life so far, she would have bent over backwards to make his life more comfortable. I just can’t believe that a guy who was born on Abe Lincoln’s Birthday could have been at fault in this situation.

She probably even made him fold his underwear. Who folds underwear? Nobody sees it. It goes underneath all your clothes so who cares if it is a little wrinkled? If you want to keep the different colors together, fine, but don’t fold the stupid things. There’s a name for people who fold underwear. It’s called OCD.  It's not freakin normal.  Come on!

4. Sympathy note

This could be anything. Was this a note that he himself wrote? If so, it was probably full of embarrassing emotional crap. What if he actually wrote down that his heart was broken or something like that. Dude… That would make him look like a total pansy. Ugh. Or what if he clearly showed that he wasn’t really a man at all because he mentions that he cried while he wrote the note? Oh man. If he did, I hope he kept his receipts on his jeans so he could trade them in for some pink skirts that match his blouse.

5. Still born on Abe Lincoln’s B-Day

Amazing, isn’t it? Dude is so pissed about being born on Lincoln’s Birthday that he makes sure to mention it twice. What is up with this? Did he hate the guy? Did he hate the fact that Lincoln always stole his thunder on his own birthday? Did his friends give him a black top hat for a birthday present? For the record, I happen to like Abe. I think he is one of the finer US presidents. Why would this guy be so mad that Abe stole his birthday from him? Guess we will never know.

I think everyone should make a list like this, but if you actually consider doing something like this you should be a little more careful about your choices. So what did we learn from all this? Well, we learned that a person can experience regret from being raised in a church, being raised by a postal worker, marrying a selfish(?) woman, writing out your feelings and most importantly, sharing a birthday with Abe Lincoln. The only good thing this guy did on his list was to keeping his name off of the card.

But…I personally want to thank you, Anonymous, for making my day.