Using computers and technology to save money gives me a purpose. I want to help other people do the same.
So... It's official. I hate all TV service providers. DirecTV, Comcast, Dish Network... they all suck. They're big enough that they don't have to care about their customers so they don't. There's thousands of posts online on blogs, message boards, and other places for people to complain that back up what I have to say. I'm still working with a nasty issue with DirecTV because they just don't care about their customers. Awful awful awful.
So here's the deal. I've cancelled my TV service and I've never been happier. I'm saving $50 a month and I get to watch all of the shows I love. How? I'll tell you. There's a variety of websites that provide a TV-like experience.
First, and probably the best of all of them is Hulu. It completely free, has hundreds of popular TV shows, and works great!
Next comes Netflix. For less than $15 a month, we can check out 2 DVDs at a time, and we have access to TONS of streaming movies and TV shows. You can't beat that price, and they get DVDs to us withing 2 business days. It's amazing.
Third would be the various network websites. Networks like NBC, Fox, and ABC usually post new episodes of their shows within a couple of hours of them airing. I can wait that long for free.
And a distant fourth would be torrents. What's a torrent? If you have to ask, you're missing out. I'm not sure of the legal ramifications, but with a good torrent you can usually have any show you want within 24 hours - even way old episodes and seasons. Get an awesome BitTorrent client like uTorrent, then you can find the torrents on sites like IsoHunt and Pirate Bay. Like I mentioned, downloading TV shows is kind of a legal gray area. I don't view it any different than using a DVR to record the shows I like and watch them later, but it could technically be considered illegal. Oh, and don't forget an awesome media player like VLC. Some videos you download might have weird formats that idiot media players like Windows Media Player can't handle.
Big Gripe #1: "But I don't want to watch my shows/movies on my tiny computer monitor." There's two approaches to this. First, get a bigger monitor. You're saving $50 (or more) a month, why not? Second, hook your computer into your TV. Huh? Yeah, it can be done and in most cases it's as easy as buying a cable. Let's talk about hooking your computer to your TV.
PC-To-TV Awesomeness #1 - S-Video
Almost all TVs have an S-Video input. And a wide variety of desktop computers have an output, and I've never seen a laptop without one. So go to Wal-Mart, but a $10 cable and hook your PC up. It's way easy.
PC-To-TV Awesomeness #2 - VGA/DVI
All computers have either a VGA or DVI output. The connector is usually blue or white respectively. Some TVs, especially the more modern ones, have a VGA input, and a lot of them have a DVI input as well. If you have HDMI, you can get a DVI to HDMI converter at NewEgg.
PC-To-TV Awesomeness #3 - HDMI
In addition to converting DVI to HDMI, a lot of computers (especially laptops) have an HDMI output. HDMI makes things way easy.
PC-To-TV Awesomeness #4 - Audio
At its easiest, get a 3.5 Stereo to RCA adapter at Wal-Mart. Less than $5. Take the cable from the sound card in your computer to the white and red RCA connectors on your TV. Viola.
Now if you're an audiophile, or just like really nice sound, some PCs (both desktops and laptops) have what's called a SPDIF port on them. This is a digital output that allows for 5.1 and 7.1 audio. There's a coax version that uses regular RCA cables, and a fiber optic version that uses, you guessed it, fiber optic cables. You'll need to make sure your PC and TV/Audio Receiver both support one or the other if you want digital audio. Digital audio is also available if your PC has an HDMI port. And that's way easy. You can pick up any of these cables at Wal-Mart on the cheap.
If your PC doesn't have digital audio, and you want it and your TV/Audio Receiver supports it, you can buy a new sound card for your computer at NewEgg for less than $50.
Big Gripe #2: "But I like to watch sports." What's the matter with you? Sports are boring. Since I don't watch sports, I really don't know what to tell you on this one. There's some websites online that charge a reasonable amount ($50/year) to get access to live, streaming sports, but you're on your own with that one. You want to save money? Ditch sports.
Big Gripe #3: "But I only have one computer." I must admit, this is a tough one. However, you can easily pick up an inexpensive computer on eBay, Geeks, or the Dell Outlet for less than $200. Dedicate it to being your media PC and you're set.
Additional Perks:
1. You can use a music service like Pandora, iTunes (groan) or your favorite radio station's website and listen to music on your nice sound system.
2. Your computer probably has a DVD player. Kill two birds with one stone and save room. You can even get Blu-Ray players for your PC at NewEgg. Nice.
3. Now you can see your family photos on your TV. You can set your screen saver up to show them and now you can brag to anyone that comes over!
4. Umm... you're saving at least $50 a month. That's $600 year (quick math). I wouldn't mind that much to spend on Christmas...
5. Your kids can't "stumble upon" a naughty show.
