Good TV programming without whore companies? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Herk · 03-24-2009, 10:42 AM

I need your help again, Tufp(yeah, I've coined a phonetic). Actually, millions of us need your help. Sidebar, this may be suited for Entertainment, but the minds I need browse this forum.

I don't watch much TV, save Lost religiously. Well, given that caveat, I don't watch any TV on my TV. I just bought a 46"HDTV yesterday, and I'd like to have some decent programming, and by "I", I mean my wifey. The only two options we have here in KCMO are TimeWarner and DirectTV. Well, basically TimeWarner is out because they don't deserve to participate, but we gave them a fair shot.

Basically they said that you have to sign up for 2-year contract, but that they cannot tell us what the price will be in 12 months. What the hell? You want me to sign up for a potentially-hundred-million-dollars-more clause? DirectTV, does not have a package that excites me at all.

Sorry for the preface, here goes. I want to build a small box to attach to the PC. Ubuntu or some linux distro. I want it to deliver something LIKE hulu or ABC.com to my TV. Here is the problem, ABC.com's full episode player will not work in linux, and I've yet to get it working in Firefox w/Wine.

Is there a way to do this? Can I get a decent programming package delivered over my broadband? Are there any companies that are doing this? Delivering a premium signal through your internet connection, bypassing cable companies?

I just feel that it is a sham, because I know I can watch some good TV in my computer room. I just want to be able to do it in a more TV-like way complete with DVR via a small Ubuntu box. Can you steer me in the right direction?

catback · 03-24-2009, 02:44 PM

that's a boat load of work just for TV, If I were you I'd just hook the computer to the TV and have a nice 47" screen to watch whatever on.

Personally I think TV is overrated.

Herk · 03-24-2009, 03:04 PM

Oh I agree wholeheartedly, but my tv is far from my main box, and I'm willing to go the extra mile to avoid donating to the TimeWarner-loves-to-screw-you fund.

Rekna · 03-24-2009, 03:59 PM

xbox360+netflix. Also I think there are ways to play hulu on the xbox if you have another windows computer but I haven't looked into it yet.

---------- Post added at 11:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:55 PM ----------

Here you go, PlayOn Digital Media Server | MediaMall Technologies. You can use this to stream Hulu, CBS, YouTube, CNN, ESPN to your xbox 360. Also the netflix player in the 360 is awesome.

braisler · 03-24-2009, 04:07 PM

I torrent recent TV shows (I know, I know.. the horrors of piracy), then stream video to my xbox360 hooked to my basement TV. Works for me. The only caveat is that I usually watch the shows the day after they are actually broadcast because of the delay in the posting and downloading of torrents.

n0nsensical · 03-24-2009, 08:40 PM

BitTorrent. It ain't a hundred percent legal but ya know... Build it and they will come. I still pay for cable too.

Willravel · 03-24-2009, 09:06 PM

I pay for Dish Network (in 4 years the price went up once, by like $1 a month, and there have been plenty of channels introduced since I signed up), and DVR, so I tend to DVR everything I'm not around to watch live. It works just fine for me, I only pay like $80 a month iirc and that includes a 2-TV DVR and a standard box for the guest room.

Hulu and ABC look bad enough on my 22" screen. On a 40+" HDTV, it's going to be abysmal. If you're totally dead set against paying for what you watch, just download 720p TV shows off mininova or something onto a basic PC. I guess at least a 1.8GHz dual core, 2GB RAM, and a halfway decent video card would be all you need. I've got a dumpy little Intel GMA 950 64MB video card and I can run 1080p videos just fine so long as I'm not doing graphic intensive work at the same time.

kutulu · 03-25-2009, 11:03 AM

I torrent the shows that I miss. One thing to check out is if your total downloads are capped through your ISP. If you will be downloading every show you watch you might consume a lot of bandwidth.

Willravel · 03-25-2009, 11:14 AM

My Comcast is capped at 250GB a month.

That's the equivalent of downloading 35 seasons of tv shows that are ~350MB each. Or 714 episodes of tv shows that are 350MB each. Or about 350 movies. Or about 230 720p tv shows. Or about 35 blu-ray movies. My point is that it would take a lot of use to reach the cap.

kutulu · 03-25-2009, 07:51 PM

Mine is 50 I think. I think I actually got close to it this month.

Willravel · 03-25-2009, 08:21 PM

50GB is too little for broadband, I'd complain.

westothemax · 03-26-2009, 07:19 AM

I know you said "without whore companies" but I really like my xbox 360 for this, even though Microsoft is one of the skankiest whore companies. I haven't really checked out the xbox 360 video market place, but I have used my xbox 360 for netflix streaming and its pretty slick. Another thing the xbox 360 has going for it is you can download 720p videos with bittorrent or whatever on your computer and stream it to your xbox. I run tversity on my main desktop at home for this.

There's also AppleTV, though Apple is right up there with Microsoft. Or a Roku Player that can stream from Amazon and Netflix.

Herk · 03-26-2009, 08:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by braisler

I torrent recent TV shows (I know, I know.. the horrors of piracy), then stream video to my xbox360 hooked to my basement TV. Works for me. The only caveat is that I usually watch the shows the day after they are actually broadcast because of the delay in the posting and downloading of torrents.

This is precisely what I used to do. However, I sold my Xbox360 and prefer to watch the show legitimately, even if I have to mute the advertisements.

---------- Post added at 11:01 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:47 AM ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by westothemax

I know you said "without whore companies" but I really like my xbox 360 for this, even though Microsoft is one of the skankiest whore companies. I haven't really checked out the xbox 360 video market place, but I have used my xbox 360 for netflix streaming and its pretty slick. Another thing the xbox 360 has going for it is you can download 720p videos with bittorrent or whatever on your computer and stream it to your xbox. I run tversity on my main desktop at home for this.

There's also AppleTV, though Apple is right up there with Microsoft. Or a Roku Player that can stream from Amazon and Netflix.

Hilarious. BTW, I used TVersity, as well. Loved it. I sold the Xbox though to get a PS3. Hell, maybe that device will get me what I need, but I'd rather not download the shows via torrents. I'm all about the Apple TV, but I've got to be able to make something similar with a little open source box. I found a service called Zentoo, but it appears not to be in the US.

sapiens · 03-26-2009, 08:06 AM

Have you considered Boxee? I believe it runs on Linux. It also handles hulu, netflix, and a number of other services that offer legal content.

ASU2003 · 03-26-2009, 08:58 PM

I've heard of Popcorn Hour, but have no experience with it. I don't even know if it does what you are looking to do.

I use Mythbuntu and record HD OTA TV shows. It costs $20/year for the TV guide, but it is difficult to get streaming to work.
MythVodka - MythTV
The computer hardware was somewhat expensive. But it was worth it.

biznatch · 04-03-2009, 03:39 PM

My friend runs a really powerful computer (512 Mb video card, 3 gigs of ram, good processor) with a wireless keyboard + mouse.
It's hooked up to his home theater and 41 inch Samsung TV. It runs hulu in high definition in full screen, and the image looks amazing, especially for Flash video.
You can also stream all the Netflix stuff, however I think it's IE only.
But don't underestimate a a good PC in your TV entertainment rack. I played left 4 dead on that thing, full res, high settings, surround sound, and it doesn't get much better than that.

03-24-2009, 10:42 AM	#1 (permalink)
Herk Insane Location: Kansas City, MO	Good TV programming without whore companies? I need your help again, Tufp(yeah, I've coined a phonetic). Actually, millions of us need your help. Sidebar, this may be suited for Entertainment, but the minds I need browse this forum. I don't watch much TV, save Lost religiously. Well, given that caveat, I don't watch any TV on my TV. I just bought a 46"HDTV yesterday, and I'd like to have some decent programming, and by "I", I mean my wifey. The only two options we have here in KCMO are TimeWarner and DirectTV. Well, basically TimeWarner is out because they don't deserve to participate, but we gave them a fair shot. Basically they said that you have to sign up for 2-year contract, but that they cannot tell us what the price will be in 12 months. What the hell? You want me to sign up for a potentially-hundred-million-dollars-more clause? DirectTV, does not have a package that excites me at all. Sorry for the preface, here goes. I want to build a small box to attach to the PC. Ubuntu or some linux distro. I want it to deliver something LIKE hulu or ABC.com to my TV. Here is the problem, ABC.com's full episode player will not work in linux, and I've yet to get it working in Firefox w/Wine. Is there a way to do this? Can I get a decent programming package delivered over my broadband? Are there any companies that are doing this? Delivering a premium signal through your internet connection, bypassing cable companies? I just feel that it is a sham, because I know I can watch some good TV in my computer room. I just want to be able to do it in a more TV-like way complete with DVR via a small Ubuntu box. Can you steer me in the right direction? __________________ -Blind faith runs into things!-

03-24-2009, 03:04 PM	#3 (permalink)
Herk Insane Location: Kansas City, MO	Oh I agree wholeheartedly, but my tv is far from my main box, and I'm willing to go the extra mile to avoid donating to the TimeWarner-loves-to-screw-you fund. __________________ -Blind faith runs into things!-

03-24-2009, 08:40 PM	#6 (permalink)
n0nsensical Junkie Location: San Francisco	BitTorrent. It ain't a hundred percent legal but ya know... Build it and they will come. I still pay for cable too. __________________ "Prohibition will work great injury to the cause of temperance. It is a species of intemperance within itself, for it goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation, and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A Prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded." --Abraham Lincoln Last edited by n0nsensical; 03-24-2009 at 08:43 PM..

04-03-2009, 03:39 PM	#16 (permalink)
biznatch Junkie Location: France	My friend runs a really powerful computer (512 Mb video card, 3 gigs of ram, good processor) with a wireless keyboard + mouse. It's hooked up to his home theater and 41 inch Samsung TV. It runs hulu in high definition in full screen, and the image looks amazing, especially for Flash video. You can also stream all the Netflix stuff, however I think it's IE only. But don't underestimate a a good PC in your TV entertainment rack. I played left 4 dead on that thing, full res, high settings, surround sound, and it doesn't get much better than that. __________________ Check it out: The Open Source/Freeware/Gratis Software Thread

03-24-2009, 02:44 PM	#2 (permalink)
catback Psycho Location: North America	that's a boat load of work just for TV, If I were you I'd just hook the computer to the TV and have a nice 47" screen to watch whatever on. Personally I think TV is overrated.

03-24-2009, 03:59 PM	#4 (permalink)
Rekna Junkie	xbox360+netflix. Also I think there are ways to play hulu on the xbox if you have another windows computer but I haven't looked into it yet. ---------- Post added at 11:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:55 PM ---------- Here you go, PlayOn Digital Media Server \| MediaMall Technologies. You can use this to stream Hulu, CBS, YouTube, CNN, ESPN to your xbox 360. Also the netflix player in the 360 is awesome.

03-24-2009, 04:07 PM	#5 (permalink)
braisler Addict Location: Midway, KY	I torrent recent TV shows (I know, I know.. the horrors of piracy), then stream video to my xbox360 hooked to my basement TV. Works for me. The only caveat is that I usually watch the shows the day after they are actually broadcast because of the delay in the posting and downloading of torrents.

03-24-2009, 09:06 PM	#7 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	I pay for Dish Network (in 4 years the price went up once, by like $1 a month, and there have been plenty of channels introduced since I signed up), and DVR, so I tend to DVR everything I'm not around to watch live. It works just fine for me, I only pay like $80 a month iirc and that includes a 2-TV DVR and a standard box for the guest room. Hulu and ABC look bad enough on my 22" screen. On a 40+" HDTV, it's going to be abysmal. If you're totally dead set against paying for what you watch, just download 720p TV shows off mininova or something onto a basic PC. I guess at least a 1.8GHz dual core, 2GB RAM, and a halfway decent video card would be all you need. I've got a dumpy little Intel GMA 950 64MB video card and I can run 1080p videos just fine so long as I'm not doing graphic intensive work at the same time.

03-25-2009, 11:03 AM	#8 (permalink)
kutulu Junkie	I torrent the shows that I miss. One thing to check out is if your total downloads are capped through your ISP. If you will be downloading every show you watch you might consume a lot of bandwidth.

03-25-2009, 11:14 AM	#9 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	My Comcast is capped at 250GB a month. That's the equivalent of downloading 35 seasons of tv shows that are ~350MB each. Or 714 episodes of tv shows that are 350MB each. Or about 350 movies. Or about 230 720p tv shows. Or about 35 blu-ray movies. My point is that it would take a lot of use to reach the cap.

03-25-2009, 07:51 PM	#10 (permalink)
kutulu Junkie	Mine is 50 I think. I think I actually got close to it this month.

03-25-2009, 08:21 PM	#11 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	50GB is too little for broadband, I'd complain.

03-26-2009, 07:19 AM	#12 (permalink)
westothemax Insane Location: Bay Area	I know you said "without whore companies" but I really like my xbox 360 for this, even though Microsoft is one of the skankiest whore companies. I haven't really checked out the xbox 360 video market place, but I have used my xbox 360 for netflix streaming and its pretty slick. Another thing the xbox 360 has going for it is you can download 720p videos with bittorrent or whatever on your computer and stream it to your xbox. I run tversity on my main desktop at home for this. There's also AppleTV, though Apple is right up there with Microsoft. Or a Roku Player that can stream from Amazon and Netflix.

03-26-2009, 08:06 AM	#14 (permalink)
sapiens Junkie Location: Some place windy	Have you considered Boxee? I believe it runs on Linux. It also handles hulu, netflix, and a number of other services that offer legal content.

03-26-2009, 08:58 PM	#15 (permalink)
ASU2003 immoral minority Location: Back in Ohio	I've heard of Popcorn Hour, but have no experience with it. I don't even know if it does what you are looking to do. I use Mythbuntu and record HD OTA TV shows. It costs $20/year for the TV guide, but it is difficult to get streaming to work. MythVodka - MythTV The computer hardware was somewhat expensive. But it was worth it.