Apple TV

[Dorkenstein]

My mother currently pays $70 bucks a month for my grandparents to get cable. That might not sound like an awful lot but she wants me to look for alternatives that cost less. I would gladly give her some suggestions but nearly all of them involve having a computer and the internet, which my grandparents do not possess. Anyone here know of/use such a service that is cheaper than cable and doesn't involve dish installation? Thanks in advance.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

Why not a dish installation? Its typically free and is one of the cheapest ways to get service.

Otherwise hit up antennaweb.org and check if the stations in the area are ones that your grandparents would desire. Maybe you can get by with an indoor antenna. Remember though that the analog channels will switch to digital soon (hopefully). Also if your grandparents have a older television they'll be needing a converter box.

Seriously though I would just look at getting Dish Network.

 

[Kaido]

You have to buy every single song, TV show, or movie that you download from the iTunes Store on the AppleTV. Unless, of course, you hack it with Boxee

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: Kaido
You have to buy every single song, TV show, or movie that you download from the iTunes Store on the AppleTV. Unless, of course, you hack it with Boxee

Yep, Boxee on Apple TV is about to replace my cable.

 

[sivart]

Have them monitor the channels they watch. If 95% are OTA, then get a DTV convert box / antenna combo or better yet a new TV with an antenna. $70 a month is a lot and adds up fast.

 

[Dorkenstein]

Cool. Sivart, when you say Dtv are you referring to Digital TV or Direct TV? Also, can someone explain to me how Boxee works, and why you can get stuff for free with it? Thanks.

 

[Old Hippie]

Unless, of course, you hack it with Boxee

I had to Wikipedia that but I'm still kinda in the dark.

I thought it was an Apple thing but it seems like everybodys in on the action.

 

[sivart]

Originally posted by: Dorkenstein
Cool. Sivart, when you say Dtv are you referring to Digital TV or Direct TV? Also, can someone explain to me how Boxee works, and why you can get stuff for free with it? Thanks.

DTV = digital TV - free to air, $0 per month

Only cost would be the converter box / new TV and antenna.

I realized about 3 years ago that I watched network programming 90% of time and now watch HDTV via an antenna over the air only. I figured I'd saved about $1800 in the last 3 years (I was paying $50 a month for analog cable). That is a nice chunk of change.

Plus it helps me justify my blu-ray purchases

 

[KeithP]

You can rent items on an AppleTV in addition to buying them. I tried Boxee on an AppleTV I found the UI frustratingly slow. As for your purposes, I can't imagine that an AppleTV running Boxee would be a good choice for your grandparents. The AppleTV is really geared around a person that has a computer running iTunes. For instance, if they were to purchase content from the iTunes store, without a computer, there would be no way to back it up.

Like others have mentioned, I think going with a simple OTA antenna would be your best bet. Or maybe you can call the cable company and get a lesser service for less money.

You may also want to give Dish a call. Even if you don't want it, get a quote from them then call your cable company and threaten to switch if they don't give you a better deal.

-KeithP