Streaming TV

[alldodge]

Streamed my first show from DSL to laptop to TV (SYFY show) and got caught up on a show. This got me thinking about why not stream everything, but everything is probably not available. Do like my DVR and watch shows without commercials, also can pause and rewind.

There is no TV air waves close by to see local channels (CBS, ABC, NBC, etc), so no news without something. IS there a way of watching local channels online without a service?

 

[GA_Boater]

Google KODI. It is a streamer service and I have been able to watch Fox and NBC sports channels. Kinda cheaty, but it works.

 

[alldodge]

Thanks, will have a look, but as most know I'm weird and I don't watch sports at all. Will watch super bowl only because wife supplies me with Bar B Q, beer and other things

 

[GA_Boater]

With KODI you can watch anything, including broadcast channels like ABC, etc. I found it when trying to find a way to watch Nascar when races weren't on the broadcast channels.

No comment on weird. LOL

 

[southkogs]

I watch almost exclusively by streaming ... but I'm not a heavy "watcher" of much of anything.

You can find tons of content on YouTube. Most other networks have some sort of a streaming option too. Add Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and the bouquet of other sites and there's no shortage of stuff to watch.

 

[MTboatguy]

Daughter gave us a Kindle Fire TV box for Christmas, have yet to hook it up, but we do watch some streaming stuff through out smart blue ray player and I love the fact there is no commercials in it, I find it amazing without the commercials how short the night time drama really are!

 

[GA_Boater]

I didn't mention KODI is free. I'm a cheap SOB.

 

[MTboatguy]

I didn't mention KODI is free. I'm a cheap SOB.

Well, Cheap SOB's are some of my best friends! I am going to have to investigate that program, looks very interesting!

 

[GA_Boater]

MT - I have a Chromecast and cast the stream to a big screen on the wall. It's kind of iffy about working all the time. I do have a second PC with a large monitor and that works flawlessly. If your remember during the races I had trouble finding a stream and KODI solved that for me.

 

[MTboatguy]

I remember, you were living vicariously through the rest of us there for a while!

 

[GA_Boater]

It would have hard to visualize Logano getting Kensethed on MRN, although that was on regular TV.

 

[thumpar]

I bought a Chromecast after having Rokus. It went back to the store the next day. I now have 3 Rokus and can usually find a channel for most content. I really like Plex.

 

[GA_Boater]

I wouldn't get a Chromecast again, it's too proprietary, The Fire TV or what ever Amazon calls it is interesting. It would work better streaming through my Fire tablet.

 

[alldodge]

Appreciate the input, Since I just started I'm probably going to have to do some more tries. So far just a show on SYFY but appears to work real well in the evening. During the day it would stop and not come back. Had to refresh and then watch the commercials and move it forward to where we were.

Haven't heard of the smart blue ray player, would guess it has a hard drive in it. I have the older HD-DVD player, hardly ever use it. With satellite the weather is always a factor, so when it gets bad the TV goes out :facepalm: when you could really use it.

My nephew uses the X-box but never asked how it works, and don't play games. Wouldn't mind getting rid of satellite if I could stream live, or next to live shows.

 

[southkogs]

Rokus are pretty nifty, though I've only used them in display work at the office. I've used the Chromecast a little and didn't care for it. I have an Apple TV and I really like that quite a bit.

 

[JASinIL2006]

I have an Apple TV, too, and it's quite nice. My brother has a Roku. They're very similar and both are easy to use and have lots of content options.

 

[gm280]

Our cable is now going total digital and therefore handing out their little conversion boxes for every TV. However, these little boxes are only free for one year and then they are going to charge $2.99 per TV to continue using them. So I have plans to built two more over the air TV antennas and drop cable except the high seed internet capabilities.

I built one already for my shop's TV and amazingly, I receive 27 channels over the air and they are HDTV as well. And since they are so cheap to built (some regular house wire and a piece of wood) I will put one on each TV and then between a Fire Stick and Netflix, we will watch whatever we like. Cable is gone. JMHO!

 

[alldodge]

When I lived in Louisville we had the standard analog outside antenna. The area went to digital and the same antenna work just fine for the 20 something cannels. If we didn't move I would still be using it. Installed Mom (Louisville) a standard antenna in the attic, and it still works just fine, she also has cable.

As for the boxes, look on ebay and craigslist for folks that have those boxes. I had a couple years ago and gave them away. Mom still has one for one TV but there is no cost. But building your own box has it's own reward

 

[bruceb58]

Haven't heard of the smart blue ray player, would guess it has a hard drive in it

No hard drive. They are basically the same thing as having a smart TV. They have the apps built in to stream from services like Netflix, Amazon.... Same thing as having a Roku built in.

 

[thumpar]

I went antenna about a year ago. The channels I had on cable I never watch. Now it is antenna and Roku. There are about 22 channels on antenna here.