Freedom at last!

[Cave Man]

Well, after 10 years as a DirecTV customer, I have terminated the service. I'm happy enough with the Apple TV that I'm simply not going to pay the $600 per year to have 150 channels, of which only 20 or so that I ever used. It's too bad DirecTV (or Dish Network) will not let you pick the channels you want and pay only for them - they may have kept me as a customer.

Apple TV has freed me!

 

[zap2]

Awsome...I'd love to do it, but somethings just don't come on iTunes yet(House M.D., Criminal Minds ect)


Although it would be a bad idea to get rid of a cable box for 2. We'll see. Also the big black bar on my TV that show up with to many iTunes things turns me off of ATV only.



Stilll very cool!

 

[BigPrince]

Just curious what Apple TV does for you that you no longer require Direct TV. Aren't they two totally different things?

 

[Cave Man]

Just curious what Apple TV does for you that you no longer require Direct TV. Aren't they two totally different things?

I don't watch as much TV as I used to, so I'm pretty choosy about the programs I follow. Right now, it's Battlestar and the Daily Show, both of which I can get through ITMS. Kids also like Noggin (which was one of the reasons why DirecTV was so high - it's only offered in one of their higher-cost packages) and movies. The grandparents have bought them a number of movies and I'm putting them onto the hard drive using Handbrake. Our local library also has a great selection of DVDs, which I can also get onto ATV using Handbrake, including several TV shows that I'd like to see (especially '24').

I also get 6 or 7 on-air channels, including the majors. Reception isn't perfect, but it's pretty good for most. So I can still keep up on the news and local happenings, plus the network shows.

My biggest gripe about ATV is its lack of folders for specifying movie locations. I'm hopeful that Apple will rectify this in an update - but I won't hold my breath. But, I figure for $600 in savinges a year from DirecTV (and after my $300 ATV and a 400 gig USB drive for about $120) I'll be able to buy from ITMS enough to keep me entertained for years to come - and at less cost. I'm also happy I didn't have to buy a new TV (mine's 480i 4x3).