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anyone using internet TV instead of CABLE?

hush

Señor Member
Veteran
I've been off of TV service for going on 4 years now. I can't tell you how much this one decision has benefitted my life! I originally made the decision to save money, since I had already been primarily watching Netflix shows and movies more often than TV networks. But then another side effect revealed itself immediately after canceling my cable service... I started watching WAYYYY less television than I ever did before. The wife, too. We both noticed that the TV stayed off more than it was ever on, and that lack of background noise has been peaceful. Then we noticed that while we watched anything on Netflix, the lack of commercials helped us to stay focused on what we were watching so that we really get into our shows more. We never realized how badly the commercials affected our television viewing experience until they were removed from our lives, and it has been wonderful.

We started off using a Home Theater PC that I built for the purpose, but soon I realized how unnecessary that was, and bought a Roku to replace it. The HTPC was repurposed as a DAW for recording music in my home studio. So I have been using a Roku for several years now, until just a few months ago when I bought a Chromecast, which has completely replaced the Roku. Now we just call shows up on the smart phone, through any app necessary, whether Netflix, or YouTube, or whatever, and stream it straight to the TV, without the need for an extra streaming box. I gave my Roku to my parents so that they, too, could cancel their cable service. I recommend everyone do the same, actually.

The only down side to this type of TV watching is that you can't watch stuff that is being aired on the networks as it is being aired. In other words, you can't be the type that NEEDS to watch the brand new episode of whatever so that you can talk to your friends about it the next day at the water cooler. That hasn't been a problem for us. We couldn't care less about waiting. A lot of shows require us to wait an entire year before they show up on Netflix, if at all. Other shows require us to wait until the following day, before it shows up on the network's website or app, like HBO and Showtime. (If you have friends who pay for premium channels with their cable service, ask them for their password to access the on demand service... These networks have openly announced that they have no problem with password sharing). And things like sports games are probably completely inaccessible to streaming boxes. It's a good thing my wife and I don't give a fuck about sportsball.

Life has gotten so much better since I gave cable the middle finger. I didn't even expect 90% of the benefits that resulted from it. I would say that there is literally only ONE thing that has sucked about not watching regular TV anymore: because we don't see commercials, we never see any movie trailers, so we never know what movies are coming out or when, so it's a big hassle every time we want to have movie night, because we don't know what to watch! But we are remedying that by utilizing more word-of-mouth recommendations by friends and family.
 

IGROWMYOWN

Active member
Veteran
hush check out rotten tomatoes for your movie trailer/review needs....lack of commercials is a good thing for us no more food commercials almost EVERY tv break we've lost some LBs.
 

Marlo

Seedsweeper
ICMag Donor
Veteran
I'm surprised no one has mentioned XBMC. They have everything.... movies, TV Shows, porn, international channels, tech channels, etc Just no live TV.
 

armedoldhippy

Well-known member
Veteran
Pornhub, Tube8, and your imagination, you know, like the good ol' days :D does cable even have porn beside the playboy channel (which sucks) and skinamax?

I used to get a Mexican porn channel (by accident. I KNOW my wife did not order it:)) all they had were interviews with gorgeous naked Latino actresses who were filmed sitting on tall bar stools. they were ladylike (no crossing/uncrossing of legs) and beautiful! I did not understand a word they said, but would watch for hours...:tiphat:
 

Mikell

Dipshit Know-Nothing
ICMag Donor
Veteran
I used to get free British porn and never watched it.


"Oh love, oh love, oh love, you're such a go-a"



Xhamster, Motherless.
 

Former Guest

Active member
25r30wi.gif


Sounds like you gave it a go :D
 

indalo

Member
Been watching Sky up til last night. Gale force winds ripped my 2.4 M disc off the roof, blew it down to the beach I guess, lol Good thing I got a Smart tv, Filmon from now on
 

RB56

Active member
Veteran
sounds like you watched it to me

I've seen British porn. Pudgy and pasty. Since I'm pretty sure even pudgy and pasty people prefer to watch porn featuring non-pudgy, non-pasty people, I'm really not sure who the intended audience could be.
 

Mikell

Dipshit Know-Nothing
ICMag Donor
Veteran
Of course I watched it once :D There were naked people.

I've seen British porn. Pudgy and pasty. Since I'm pretty sure even pudgy and pasty people prefer to watch porn featuring non-pudgy, non-pasty people, I'm really not sure who the intended audience could be.

Right? Bad teeth, terrible accents. Maybe I'm picky, but I prefer porn stars who enunciate their Hs'.
 

#1cheesebuds

Well-known member
Veteran
I got rid of cable 2 years ago now and Im loving it. I watch my tv shows on the internet. woo hoo. shows like dirty jobs, mythbusters, top gear, pawn stars, and every things else in between. :)

the money I save allows me to buy organic groceries.
 

D. B. Doober

Boston, MA
Veteran
I got rid of cable 2 years ago now and Im loving it. I watch my tv shows on the internet. woo hoo. shows like dirty jobs, mythbusters, top gear, pawn stars, and every things else in between. :)

the money I save allows me to buy organic groceries.

Those are all History Channel shows! :)
 

StoneyK

Member
Veteran
This really is what net neutrality is all about. Without neutrality the large cable and large communication companies would be legally able to filter your internet viewing so you only can see only what they want you to, not just what is available on the internet. The entertainment industry in the US is mostly against net neutrality, so they can control the transmission on the internet their copyrighted materials (movies, books, music) that are sent originating from other countries that have no such copyrighted laws, from there to here. They want to be able to stop that. They spend millions to thwart that now. Be so much easier (cheaper) for them if net neutrality wasn't law. Big communication is in favor so that they can control what you see and only transmit that programming that is in their company's favor.

Obama has said he is in favor of net neutrality. But that is just in the theory of freedom and liberty and what he knows we all want to hear. I think he lied. The US capitalist economy thrives on you not knowing all the alternatives. Competition is NOT equal in the US anymore. Lieing, cheating, stealing, and complete lack of ethics and honesty have become part of the US business and just to compete companies have to be that way now. But that unethical garbage is NOT needed in a democratic capitalist economy and in fact works against this economy functioning the way it should. That also kinda fits into to that conspirasist theory that our country has been hijacked by a few rich and powerful entities though when he says that but is in reality against it. Sure seems like that. Look at Wally World. But I digress, little off topic.

I heard it suggested that this whole N Korean hacking into Sony computers scandal was actually orchestrated and provided tools and strategies by those elements in the US government that want us to think, "See? You need the governments intervention in controlling the internet, so things like this can't happen". Sound like something the NSA would do to you?

Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming. View Image


Net nuetrality is about speed NOT content.
Net nuetrality makes sure whatever website we access isit comes up in the same speed no preference is givin to large websites and you cant pay more to get extra bandwidth eveyone gets the same its NUETRAL.
now what they would like to do is nake ot so the big boys can pay for bandwidth basically making sites that cant afford to pay for the bandwidth very slow or unusable entirely.This would have a huge effect on the number and variety of sites you gwt to visit cause if they cant afford bandwidth they wont get seen... making the internet very controllable...
So your kinda close in that it would be used for control your just not understanding what net nuetrality actually is.


Look into droid tv, costs me 120 a year it downloads all my shows to my phone an I stream or watch them there all the commercials get taken out for you too its awesome!!!!!
 
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StoneyK

Member
Veteran
So basically if your goin to bestbuy , com to buy somethin your internet will fly but when we come to visit our icmag the connection would be very slow.
So not taking it away per say but makin it real hard to enjoy thats for sure.
 

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