Comments on: Cable/Satellite vs Free TV http://lowtechtimes.com/2008/02/11/cablesatellite-vs-free-tv/ steam trains, bluegrass music, low-tech solutions, and hi-tech problems Tue, 07 Feb 2012 02:22:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: S.P. Gass http://lowtechtimes.com/2008/02/11/cablesatellite-vs-free-tv/comment-page-1/#comment-1942 S.P. Gass Mon, 04 May 2009 11:53:01 +0000 http://lowtechtimes.com/2008/02/11/cablesatellite-vs-free-tv/#comment-1942 OnDemand, thanks for the great comment. I've been thinking about buying/renting episodes of 24, which I just started watching this season. By the way, what is the planted tanks hobby? Netflix also offers a $5 plan (only 2 movies a month) which could even be enough for some people. If interested, I updated this post recently at: http://lowtechtimes.com/2009/04/06/the-case-for-free-tv/ OnDemand, thanks for the great comment. I’ve been thinking about buying/renting episodes of 24, which I just started watching this season. By the way, what is the planted tanks hobby?

Netflix also offers a $5 plan (only 2 movies a month) which could even be enough for some people.

If interested, I updated this post recently at: http://lowtechtimes.com/2009/04/06/the-case-for-free-tv/

]]> By: OnDemand http://lowtechtimes.com/2008/02/11/cablesatellite-vs-free-tv/comment-page-1/#comment-1941 OnDemand Mon, 04 May 2009 09:26:13 +0000 http://lowtechtimes.com/2008/02/11/cablesatellite-vs-free-tv/#comment-1941 I used to have Dish Network with the 200 channels. Well, the majority of them were useless. First of all, 200 sounds like a lot but when literally half of the channels are crappola (chinese/japanese or some other foreign language I couldn't understand, way too many QVC type channels, religious channels > no offense to religious people but to non-religious people, these channels are useless), it suddenly doesn't sound like such a good deal. On top of that, there were only about 7 or so channels I absolutely watched consistently and were only offered through cable. Boomerang, Discovery, Animal Planet, Natl Geo, Science Channel, Bravo, and some cartoon networks is all I watched pretty much. Was it worth $80 a month/$960 a year? At the time, yes. But when money got tight, the cable was cut out. I realized how much time I actually had for more important/educational/interesting things. I re-took up my hobby of planted tanks and spend more time going out. My alternative has been Netflix. I can watch shows through streaming and rent shows or movies that are out for a very affordable cost ($15/month). I also buy TV boxsets of shows I really love and watch them in rotation/mixed a lot. I pay something like $100 for an entire 9 seasons of a show (something like 300hrs worth of viewing time) and re-watch them. And since I have a good variety, I'm always sure to not get tired of them. On top of that, there's always something good to watch on TV because I'm in control of the content! Basically what it comes down to is I never miss out on a show I'm interested in (with Netflix), I get to watch my favorite shows all the time (box sets), and I get a sort of PPV alternative--Netflix's Watch It Now. OK, now I sound like I'm getting paid or something. Seriously though, I don't miss it. The only thing I still miss after all this time is Boomerang. There's just something about old cartoons that's so comforting. Not worth $80/month though. I used to have Dish Network with the 200 channels. Well, the majority of them were useless. First of all, 200 sounds like a lot but when literally half of the channels are crappola (chinese/japanese or some other foreign language I couldn’t understand, way too many QVC type channels, religious channels > no offense to religious people but to non-religious people, these channels are useless), it suddenly doesn’t sound like such a good deal. On top of that, there were only about 7 or so channels I absolutely watched consistently and were only offered through cable. Boomerang, Discovery, Animal Planet, Natl Geo, Science Channel, Bravo, and some cartoon networks is all I watched pretty much. Was it worth $80 a month/$960 a year? At the time, yes. But when money got tight, the cable was cut out. I realized how much time I actually had for more important/educational/interesting things. I re-took up my hobby of planted tanks and spend more time going out.

My alternative has been Netflix. I can watch shows through streaming and rent shows or movies that are out for a very affordable cost ($15/month). I also buy TV boxsets of shows I really love and watch them in rotation/mixed a lot. I pay something like $100 for an entire 9 seasons of a show (something like 300hrs worth of viewing time) and re-watch them. And since I have a good variety, I’m always sure to not get tired of them. On top of that, there’s always something good to watch on TV because I’m in control of the content!

Basically what it comes down to is I never miss out on a show I’m interested in (with Netflix), I get to watch my favorite shows all the time (box sets), and I get a sort of PPV alternative–Netflix’s Watch It Now. OK, now I sound like I’m getting paid or something. Seriously though, I don’t miss it. The only thing I still miss after all this time is Boomerang. There’s just something about old cartoons that’s so comforting. Not worth $80/month though.

]]> By: admin http://lowtechtimes.com/2008/02/11/cablesatellite-vs-free-tv/comment-page-1/#comment-1879 admin Fri, 03 Apr 2009 12:29:27 +0000 http://lowtechtimes.com/2008/02/11/cablesatellite-vs-free-tv/#comment-1879 pseudonymous in nc: Glad to hear it. I've had good luck with the Silver Sensor antenna from Phillips and plan to write a review of it shortly. pseudonymous in nc: Glad to hear it. I’ve had good luck with the Silver Sensor antenna from Phillips and plan to write a review of it shortly.

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