An AppleTV Experience: A Year Without Cable

[ipedro]

^ Absolutely. I would compare it to living with your kids all your life and all of a sudden they go away to college and the house is quiet.

"Always on" TV is just something that's there. It creates an atmosphere. It gives the impression that there's somebody else in your home. The person on TV is "talking directly to you", so it's no surprise that when that's gone, something just seems really off.

Regardless, I can say that I no longer feel that sense of something missing. I've become used to listening to music on TV around the clock instead.

I do, however still feel disconnected from my local reality to an extent. Despite reading the local newspaper, I'm missing some locally produced shows that aren't available on iTunes/podcasts.

With regards to live broadcasts, I think we'll get there eventually. TV is a broadband internet device, the technology is there, Apple just needs to make the deals, secure the broadcast rights and implement it.

They could sell a different type of TV show in the iTunes Store: a live TV show. You could, for example buy a live baseball game for $1.99. When the show is about to come on, your TV would display a message with a countdown where you can opt to watch the show immediately or play it when you're ready in a "delayed live" mode.

 

[Indohottie]

wow.. i never even thought of this.. rather then paying for cable just purchase what I want to watch and use the apple TV to display it... pretty slick idea...

 

[godslabrat]

I don't see myself ever giving up cable, but I can't help but try to play devil's advocate. So, a few questions:

1) Certain members of the household enjoy shows such as "The Biggest Loser" and "America's Got Talent". These shows are not (AFAIK) on iTunes, and aren't offered on DVD as they have very little replay value. Is there a workaround for this if I don't get cable? An antenna is not an option for me.

2) For those who gave up cable, did you give up basic, basic+digital, or the whole mega-movies-sports-porno-plus package?

 

[gcmexico]

I don't see myself ever giving up cable, but I can't help but try to play devil's advocate. So, a few questions:

1) Certain members of the household enjoy shows such as "The Biggest Loser" and "America's Got Talent". These shows are not (AFAIK) on iTunes, and aren't offered on DVD as they have very little replay value. Is there a workaround for this if I don't get cable? An antenna is not an option for me.

2) For those who gave up cable, did you give up basic, basic+digital, or the whole mega-movies-sports-porno-plus package?

*
regarding shows that aren't on itunes, you have to search the net to see if they are posted anywhere to watch...hulu.com is a great site...best bet is to go to the shows website, most channels today show the current episode on the web, nbc has episodes of the office, heroes, etc...

I gave up the whole thing!!

but I must say...my set up is different, I have the ATV and my computer hooked up to my flat screen TV on the wall...I have my TV basically as a second display monitor...I have safari, skype and ichat opened on that screen so I do video calls from my TV, have a web cam set up under the TV, and surf safari for tv shows...I love my set up (wish I had a bigger tv though!)...I don't know if I would be able to give up cable if I had to sit in front of my computer to watch shows online

That's why I'm now for ATV to come with safari and a tv tuner...just for local channels

 

[rjg001]

I'm seriously considering dumping DirecTV in the fall and going with an OTA HD antenna and AppleTV. I love DirecTV - had it for years and no serious complaints at all. I love the HD channels. But there is just so much crap on and I just don't feel I watch enough of the good stuff for what I'm paying (or that there even is enough good stuff).

Only problem will be my Cardinals baseball games. Most are on Fox Sports Midwest. It will be very hard to let go of those.

 

[Keebler]

^ Good to see a couple of TV die hard fans like me.

To be honest, it was most difficult in the beginning as I was so used to turning the TV on in the morning and leaving it on all day (I work from home). It was a friend that was always there. Once I disconnected, there was an eery silence.
The allure of cable (how easily I forgot about the crappy reality tv programming) was ever present and it took some serious resolve to stay with TV.

Analyzing what's on TV on any given day, you'd likely come up with a high percentage of re-runs, say 70% and then maybe 15% live tv such as news and sports and then only 5% of new content.

With those figures in mind, it's the 70% that you should be targeting to get on your TV to reproduce the experience of cable/satellite.

By building a large library of shows that you enjoy watching over and over – in my case, reruns of Seinfeld and Friends – and then mixing in some new content from video Podcasts and a small few season's passes to your favorite current shows, you got yourself your very own network, playing only what you like.

I already have access to a great morning show – NBC's Today – via podcast, albeit late in the day (heck, I wake up late every morning anyway!). Then I can get my fix of an ever growing collection of classic rerun shows, podcasts and YouTUBE videos for the middle of the day. Anderson Cooper and Larry King podcasts complete the late day. All I need is a good talkshow such as Conan O'Brien to top off the night.

With regards to Hulu and some of the networks' sites, their availability is limited to the USA. IP's from other countries are blocked.

Nonetheless, it's still early in this experience and I'm optimistic that TV will eventually leave the title of "hobby" behind as Apple's plans come together and TV's part in the grand plan comes up.

pedro, sidereel.com is another site for watching tv shows that I watch all the time here in the great white north. works well. I watched the entire first 2 seasons of dexter on it. (I had missed quite a few episodes)

 

[Superman07]

For those that have done this, how many of your are using torrents to get HD content? If so, I feel like this is cheating and actually defeats the purpose.

As I've said in other threads, I'll echo comments by those that would like to see access to Hulu and network HD feeds (e.g. ABC).

 

[gcmexico]

For those that have done this, how many of your are using torrents to get HD content? If so, I feel like this is cheating and actually defeats the purpose.

As I've said in other threads, I'll echo comments by those that would like to see access to Hulu and network HD feeds (e.g. ABC).

*
don't use torrents here...just hulu, network sites, and itunes

 

[mikenike192]

well torrents can be a great source for content if you know what you are doing for instinse i have a program called TVSHOWS which automatically downloads new episodes of shows in a quality of your choosing when they become available which is usually 2 hours after air time. Then I have an automator script that automatically converts it to h.264 apple tv format in visual hub then from there its only a matter of tagging it when I wake up which isnt necessary but i just like it then I have new episodes for the next day.

Since downloading a TV show torrent is still IMO nothing worse than recording a show on your DVR or even on VHS and not watching commercials

 

[belunos]

I've seen some hints here that some people assume the DTV switchover = automatic HD, and that's not the case. If you have a local that is standard definition when the switchover happens, it will still be standard definition. The DTV switchover is about how the channels are broadcast, not their resolution.

Regarding the subject of the thread, I'm not even close to giving up my precious directv. I kind of assumed that most people that use ATV were already users of a DVR of some flavor, but it honestly doesn't sound that way. I know there's crap on tv, but I haven't watched any of it since I got my first Series II Tivo. I watch a lot of shows spread over a lot of channels, and it's a breeze to just set up series links and let my DVR handle the filtering of all the other garbage on TV.

Just my $.02

 

[gcmexico]

well torrents can be a great source for content if you know what you are doing for instinse i have a program called TVSHOWS which automatically downloads new episodes of shows in a quality of your choosing when they become available which is usually 2 hours after air time. Then I have an automator script that automatically converts it to h.264 apple tv format in visual hub then from there its only a matter of tagging it when I wake up which isnt necessary but i just like it then I have new episodes for the next day.

Since downloading a TV show torrent is still IMO nothing worse than recording a show on your DVR or even on VHS and not watching commercials

*
is torrents a site? does it have xfiles?

 

[Chris Rogers]

I'm thinking about doing the same thing but how do you watch live sports?

 

[fivepoint]

^ Absolutely. I would compare it to living with your kids all your life and all of a sudden they go away to college and the house is quiet.

"Always on" TV is just something that's there. It creates an atmosphere. It gives the impression that there's somebody else in your home. The person on TV is "talking directly to you", so it's no surprise that when that's gone, something just seems really off.

Regardless, I can say that I no longer feel that sense of something missing. I've become used to listening to music on TV around the clock instead.

I do, however still feel disconnected from my local reality to an extent. Despite reading the local newspaper, I'm missing some locally produced shows that aren't available on iTunes/podcasts.

With regards to live broadcasts, I think we'll get there eventually. TV is a broadband internet device, the technology is there, Apple just needs to make the deals, secure the broadcast rights and implement it.

They could sell a different type of TV show in the iTunes Store: a live TV show. You could, for example buy a live baseball game for $1.99. When the show is about to come on, your TV would display a message with a countdown where you can opt to watch the show immediately or play it when you're ready in a "delayed live" mode.

I don't see myself ever giving up cable, but I can't help but try to play devil's advocate. So, a few questions:

1) Certain members of the household enjoy shows such as "The Biggest Loser" and "America's Got Talent". These shows are not (AFAIK) on iTunes, and aren't offered on DVD as they have very little replay value. Is there a workaround for this if I don't get cable? An antenna is not an option for me.

2) For those who gave up cable, did you give up basic, basic+digital, or the whole mega-movies-sports-porno-plus package?

I DO NOT understand how antennas receiving OTA transmissions could not be an option for you guys. They are like $15, the size of a small picture frame, and you can leave them inside of your console. Are you thinking of the huge old-fashioned metal ones that go on top of the roof?

There ARE alternatives. I get over 10 HD stations (not to mention SD) over my local FREE OTA. I get this through a $15 rabbit-ear type antenna.

 

[fivepoint]

I've seen some hints here that some people assume the DTV switchover = automatic HD, and that's not the case. If you have a local that is standard definition when the switchover happens, it will still be standard definition. The DTV switchover is about how the channels are broadcast, not their resolution.

Regarding the subject of the thread, I'm not even close to giving up my precious directv. I kind of assumed that most people that use ATV were already users of a DVR of some flavor, but it honestly doesn't sound that way. I know there's crap on tv, but I haven't watched any of it since I got my first Series II Tivo. I watch a lot of shows spread over a lot of channels, and it's a breeze to just set up series links and let my DVR handle the filtering of all the other garbage on TV.

Just my $.02

Here is what I did:

• My wife and I made a list of every single show we watch. We both ended up with a list of about 10 shows.
• Of those 20 shows, we subtracted the ones that were available via local stations (can still get that content via OTA Antenna) which was about half.
• Of the 10 remaining shows, we subtracted the ones that were available via AppleTV, which was about half again.
• So, out of the 20 shows we "watch" there were about 5 that we couldn't get through AppleTV or OTA.

Unfortunately, those 5 shows were some biggies. And even though we could probably find a way to get those over the web, we decided to let the technology mature a little before we took the jump. When we do (I'm guessing a year or two) (or maybe tomorrow depending on Apple's announcements) I think we'll save quite a bit of money. We spend about $70/month now... which adds up to be around $800 per year. That is a decent amount of cash!

Here's to hoping Apple gets additional content... and soon.

 

[Chris Rogers]

for those that have "made the switch" how soon is an episode available from iTunes?
Let's say a new episode of Heroes airs tonight how soon would I be able to get it?
Not free, correct? What about reality shows like So You Think You Can Dance?

The way my gf have been doing it for the past few years is taping everything when it airs and just watch when we feel like it.

Is there a solution for sporting events? I gotta have HD sporting events and Sports Center daily.

I'm guessing I can go with a combo of regular TV and ATV (I store things on my PC and connect via HDMI to my HDTV) but ideally I'd like to have everything in the same place if you know what I mean.

I'd love to save $100/mo (Internet plus HD Cable - no premium) but only if I don't have to do so much work with different systems.

 

[badmac78]

I recently made the switch also (in another post)

I got tired of recording a show and having the signal so bad that the recorded show is messed up. Also for the # of shows I watch I felt like I could get them online (legally) or through ATV. The only one is Foodnetwork where we watch all the shows.

I applaud anyone who decides to "kill their TV" if you will and make a conscious effort to be deliberate about what they pay for vs. what they watch.

 

[ozarkchoir]

I'm close...

I did the Mac Mini hooked up to the living room tv thing. Got the Apple TV in our bedroom. We are still not satellite free yet...but getting closer. (I'm hoping within the year)...

But right now it's the sports. Football is a necessity in our house...the whole high def thing has made sports amazing. Not sure I can get rid of that.

However for movies, and most of our TV shows we do everything through the computer set up and I love it. I took some serious time to rip all of our movies in the household, and most of our TV Shows (it just takes forever). But still paying $50 a month for satellite just for sports is a bit much.

Here's to hoping that eventually I'll be free from the chain of Dish Network.

But now I'm getting back to Monday Night Football ESPNHD... it's hard to beat.

 

[FightTheFuture]

thought i would chime in on this conversation - i've been unemployed since June and killed the digital basic cable but kept the cable modem. i am picking up tiny freelance jobs here and there so high speed is important to keep.

not only did i kill cable, but i stopped TiVo as well - so it's a double whammy for me. there was a recent survey that most people couldn't live without their DVR - i was a TiVo fiend. but cutting the cable has definitely added perspective. i don't own an TV but i do have a 23" cinema display like you mentioned before, CNN has free podcasts - but so does MSNBC, which is probably not in your area. it also forces you to search for other content. G4 also has a podcast for most of their shows and i've been exploring podcasts in things i'm interested in, self improvement, lowering your carbon footprint, etc. etc.

as for the tv, well i have a big dvd library, close to 400 discs. it's rather nice going back and watching them again. i knew there was a reason i bought all those seasons of Lost! if you need a diversion from when your eyes start watering from working at photoshop too long, fire up the ps3 and terrorize liberty city.

as for hockey season? well, what better way to help me beat my introversion than to force myself to walk across the street and watch the wings pound on the leafs at the sports pub. maybe it'll help me get over being a shut in.

i guess i'm saying that i see where your coming from and every time i see a new picture posted on a blog of a wheatpaste that banksy put up in front of a CCTV camera, a little part of me feels that i've separated myself from the marketing barrage.

 

[thechris.prince]

"Switched in April"

I wanted to drop in my thoughts for those of you thinking about ditching cable. I hate hate hate Comcast just on basic principal. Nashville, it's all we got.

It's a little weird at first, but adjustment to selecting what you want when you want happens fairly quick. The amount of amazing Podcast content really makes up for the junk that's being pumped into our houses. I NEVER watched a podcast before, but now I'm addicted to quite a few. Moblogic is outstanding. I've ended up looking forward to daily updates to podcasts over a new episode of a show once a week. Well, minus a few exceptions of course. There are things to miss for sure. Sports are difficult to come by, but I hit up a local pub and enjoy the atmosphere anyways.

HD movie rentals look pretty good. I'm sure you've seen it's not Blu-ray, but much better than SD. The amount of TV shows hitting HD will grow, and NBC is back!

If you have an iPhone our Touch the Remote app is brilliant. To sum it all up, if your on the fence pick up the tv and keep the cable for a month. Really try to go a few days or weeks at a time on only the tv. Ease into it I guess. Me, I just picked an antenna for local HD programming and won't be giving Comcast any more of my money. Oh and check out appletvjunkie.com for a great resource on what's available. Those guys are a great tool for someone without a "program guide."

Hope that helps!

 

[ipedro]

... So my girlfriend moved in and I got to observe a complete "digital distribution virgin" discover tv.

At first I didn't tell her that she could watch HD Over-the-Air live TV by hitting the Input button because I wanted her to make the effort to understand the tv concept. She didn't quite figure out how you could watch any show you want, at any time and that it comes out cheaper to just pay for your favorite shows, rather than full cable but with a little bit of explanation she got it.

I showed her my previous cable bills and we calculated that per year, I was spending $1500 on cable TV!! :O That works out to 750 episodes of TV shows on iTunes! I doubt I'd watch that much TV. But if I kept my same cable budget available for iTunes purchases, that would allow me to buy 2 shows per every single day of the year. Not bad.

Now the problem became apparent when she realized she couldn't watch her favorite shows. We're in Canada and the iTunes store here is quite bare with regards to TV shows.

I created a clandestine US iTunes account and I was just amazed at all the available content. I was like a kid in a candy shop! If I'm able to live without cable with just podcasts and bit torrent downloaded shows, Americans have it easy!

I browsed through all the shows by network and added those that I liked to my favorites. What resulted was a screen with a nice wide selection of only the shows that I like (and my girlfriend's too). At any point when I feel like watching TV, I go to my TV favorites screen and pick one. There's always something on

 

[badmac78]

first full month cable free

So I posted on a different thread, but I'll give updates here.

I was paying $140/month (model + HD cable)
now just cable modem = $60
I have a mini arriving tomorrow that will be the iTunes hub that will have an eyeTV attached to pull in TV (OTA) and move it to iTunes (yay!)

so if I say I'm saving 480 thats 24 complete seasons of shows (for the year)assuming that each show-season is $40 . . (80 x12) / 40.

We also have netflix (3 movies at a time $19.95/mo)
I have the entire series of Torchwood, Dexter, etc on the list so that I get to watch when I want.

Neilson is going to have to some up with a new way to get ratings info to the networks . . .

FYI - I have a feeling that I will be selling all of my dvd's on craig's list or ebay once I complete the conversion. If anyone is interested I can provide a listing.

 

[ipedro]

My (over a) year long experiment continues and I'm very pleased with the selection of TV shows on the US iTunes store. I got a $100 iTunes card and I'm using it for when I just want to sit down and watch TV without thinking too much.

I also went ahead with my original plan of picking up an EyeTV which makes recording shows available in HD free OTA and then transferring them to tv very easy and convenient.

The problem is that I have a MacBook Pro and it won't always be connected to the EyeTV. I'll also run out of HDD space soon (I installed a 320GB in the MBP). I'm thinking of getting a Mac Mini for the purpose of running as an entertainment hub for all my media (movies, tv, music, photos) which would feed my MacBook Pro and tv.

Knowing that the a Mac Mini upgrade is either immanent or it'll be scrapped, I'm finding it hard to buy a new one. For the purpose that I'll be using it, I really don't need anything powerful. The EyeTV 250 Plus that I got has on board video processing.

What do you guys think of me picking up a G4 box? Either a Mac Mini or an iMac?

 

[badmac78]

Get the mini . . .

My mini is installing all the udpates as we speak.

I have a macbook and came to the same conclusion that I would not be able to keep the eyetv attached to the laptop. The only concern I have now with turning the mini into a media server is that I sync my iphone to the laptop.

I am concerned that I won't be able to sync my phone as I have in the past moving the iTunes library file over to the mini. Can the laptop and the mini share the same library file? Can they share the same Library and have different library files?

 

[Alfie]

I started weaning myself from cable tv tonight. I gave up my dvr supplied by the cable company, and with that I said goodbye to HBO and some HD channels. I still have traditional non-hd cable.

I was watching all that stuff and recording things so rarely, I decided to try life without it. I will be saving about $260/year. With that money I plan to buy season passes to Heroes, Smallville, and Supernatural, three shows that I really try to watch each week. Even after buying those shows, I am still over $100 ahead, and now have the added benefit of watching the shows on both tv's in my house (two apple tv's), or my computer, or my ipods. I'm not stuck to the tv that has the dvr hooked to it.

I don't think I'll regret the move at all.

 

[ipedro]

Good for you!

The tv is proving to be very valuable in this shift away from cable.

I was initially regretting having bought the EyeTV after discovering all the amazing content on the iTunes US store. It is in fact convenient and pretty affordable to buy only the shows that I watch so the EyeTV was seeming redundant and unnecessary.

After playing with it for a couple of days, I'm finding a good use for it that fits within the system as a complement to iTunes. The EyeTV records the shows that I watch only if I get a chance to – casual TV watching – while the US iTunes card that I bought will be for tv series with high production value that I plan on watching over and over.

In short, if I'm reluctant to pay for a show on iTunes, I'll schedule it to record on EyeTV instead and have it in my list on my tv for moments when I sit down and just want to watch something without giving it all my attention.

Here's what I'm watching now, and which system I'm getting it from:

EyeTV:
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Letterman
Local newscast
SNL
Family Guy
Seinfeld
Friends

iTunes:
Heroes
Smallville
Knight Rider
Grey's Anatomy
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