Time Warner raising rates again. Get this...

[ponyo]

Ok so for you htpc guys with cable or OTA - what software are you actually using to DVR stuff?

Windows media center. It's free with Windows 7.

 

[rh71]

500 Channels of commercials, all on at the same time so you can't even surf and watch 2 programs at once. Cancelled mine, only internet and rabbit ears for me.

The commercials all at the same time bugs me the most. I understand why it happens, but it's just annoying.

It is downright theft regarding the add-on fees. As if all the taxes (not their fault) weren't tough enough. I would also say to cancel it. I haven't cut tv because we're only doing 2 boxes and don't have many extras so it's just ~$110/mo. If it got close to 150 I would cut. We really only watch Bravo/HGTV/Cooking/NHLN on a consistent basis. Everything else especially off the major networks I torrent for convenience/DVR purposes anyway. I figure I'm already paying for the content.

I have a Hauppauge PVR card and for some reason WMC doesn't seem to work for it.

 

[NutBucket]

ROKU has a TWC app - you can essentially eliminate a cable box and replace it with the ROKU.

Only if you subscribe to TWC cable...internet access only gets you nothing.

 

[ponyo]

The annoying part is how they are moving most sports events to cable so we can't watch it over the air. Because sports is pretty much all you need to watch live TV for.

The ideal schedule for me is I started subscribing to cable around October and ended it at the end of March. That means I get the most of the football season and some of the basketball season (college and pros). And then I stopped my subscription until it's toward the end of the year again. Seemed to work out the last time so I'm going to do it again this year.

Yeah, that's annoying. But my sports viewing habit changed as well. I just watch less sports. If I really want to watch the game, there are like million free live sports streaming sites. And I can stream it to my TV, phone, or tablet with zero ads.

 

[destrekor]

Ok so for you htpc guys with cable or OTA - what software are you actually using to DVR stuff?

With OTA, you have something close to a million* options.

With CableCARD - you are basically stuck with WMC. DRM and all that jazz. And through collusion of some kind, Microsoft's WMC is really the only option for DRM cable content.
Which sucks because Microsoft is starting to ignore the wishes of the HTPC crowd. I am fine with Windows 8.1 and WMC and the extra charge for WMC, but I'm even happier with the free WMC licenses I picked up and the crazy early deal prices for Win8 Pro. Definitely paid off in the end - I wasn't sure I'd really use WMC, then I decided to build an HTPC. I stripped the license from the laptop I didn't care to use anymore and put it all on the HTPC. Actually really glad I bought the two licenses when I did.

That said, Win 7 and it's built-in WMC is probably a little superior for the actual DVR/PVR/HTPC abilities. The market for Media Center Extenders has basically dried up, but the Ceton Echo still exists and is compatible with Windows 7. The Xbox 360 is also a viable extender.

On Windows 8, it's down to only the 360. Not even the XBONE can pull extender duties.

I'd love to see Microsoft correct that at some point - Windows 8 is superior for HTPC. Navigation in the "Metro" environment can be spotty (depending on specific remote or other choice), but it's a great 10-foot UI, and also enables better media center apps. The Windows 8 Netflix app, for instance, is superior in every way to the browser experience. No surround sound or SuperHD in the browser, for instance - you get both in the app. The Win8 app selection still leaves much to be desired, but in time I think it will make a great HTPC for those who want a one-stop shop. I still prefer to switch to the Roku once I'm no longer interested in live or recorded cable, but others may not like that idea.


*slight exaggeration

 

[SunnyD]

With CableCARD - you are basically stuck with WMC. DRM and all that jazz. And through collusion of some kind, Microsoft's WMC is really the only option for DRM cable content.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?

Someone better not tell my HDHR Prime equipped with a CableCARD, which feeds ANY of the number DLNA-capable devices on my network directly and also my Plex Media Server (running on Ubuntu).

Or better yet don't tell any of the numerous Tivo users out there.

 

[Ns1]

With OTA, you have something close to a million* options.

With CableCARD - you are basically stuck with WMC. DRM and all that jazz. And through collusion of some kind, Microsoft's WMC is really the only option for DRM cable content.

I presume WMC is more than capable of recording those OTA streams too though? Does it just save the broadcast as a .wmv file or something when it's over?

Clearly, I have never looked at Win7/Media Center for this purpose.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I presume WMC is more than capable of recording those OTA streams too though? Does it just save the broadcast as a .wmv file or something when it's over?

Clearly, I have never looked at Win7/Media Center for this purpose.

Yes, WMC will record OTA as well, but Destrekor's point was that with OTA, you don't have to use WMC and can use free alternatives such as NextPVR. For example, I have a Silicondust HDHomerun Dual network tuner and a Hauppauge 2250 PCI-e card installed in my second server, which has NextPVR installed. I record shows on it (the HDHomerun Dual picks up the local HD channels and the Hauppauge 2250 picks up SD channels under channel 100 from my cable provider). I then have NextPVR connected to Plex so I can watch my recordings anywhere.

This isn't possible with WMC but then again, getting DRM content isn't possible with anything EXCEPT WMC. I nearly tossed in the towel and got a cablecard, a Silicondust HDHomerun Prime, and some NUCs to run WMC on but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

 

[Ns1]

^^^

Thanks ICF

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?

Someone better not tell my HDHR Prime equipped with a CableCARD, which feeds ANY of the number DLNA-capable devices on my network directly and also my Plex Media Server (running on Ubuntu).

Or better yet don't tell any of the numerous Tivo users out there.

Do you have HBO? I was told by several people that you can't stream/view/record HBO with anything except WMC and that this limitation applied to anything with the "Copy Once" flag set by your cable provider.

 

[destrekor]

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?

Someone better not tell my HDHR Prime equipped with a CableCARD, which feeds ANY of the number DLNA-capable devices on my network directly and also my Plex Media Server (running on Ubuntu).

Or better yet don't tell any of the numerous Tivo users out there.

Sorry, I was referring to PC only. Of course you can use it in a Tivo directly (or a Moxi like I owned, or whatever else exists in the way of retail DVRs out there, if anything)

Something tells me you aren't using recording functionality.

DLNA to watch live content is one thing, but there are plenty of aired programs (over subscription cable) that have DRM set to Copy-once, and AFAIK, there are no ways to view even live content with that flag on anything other than Windows Media Center.
It also complicates media sharing, because content with such flags cannot be viewed on anything other than the original device that recorded it, so you can't record to a server and watch elsewhere. The only caveat: if you use extenders, you can watch such DRM content on any display attached to an Extender.

 

[shortylickens]

Econ 101: Cost of production has NOTHING to do with sale price.
They are charging more because they can.


Get yourself some FIOS. Or something else.
Tell them you are sick of their bullshit and will be using satellite instead.
ACTUALLY QUIT! Cancel service.

I promise you will get a call offering a huge discount.
They expect the majority to go along with their price hikes. They've always got room for a few exceptions, if you play it right.

 

[SunnyD]

Econ 101: Cost of production has NOTHING to do with sale price.
They are charging more because they can.


Get yourself some FIOS. Or something else.
Tell them you are sick of their bullshit and will be using satellite instead.
ACTUALLY QUIT! Cancel service.

I promise you will get a call offering a huge discount.
They expect the majority to go along with their price hikes. They've always got room for a few exceptions, if you play it right.

Not from Comcast. They'll just say "Bye." and never look back, and laugh at you when you come crawling back.

 

[KlokWyze]

Haven't paid for cable in 5+ years. What a waste.

They raise rates on the suckers because anyone who sees through their shit product cancels it. As Shorty pointed out, as soon you cancel, you get the discount.

More and more are cancelling so they are gouging the suckers more and more.

 

[squarecut1]

I hope that, for most people with such attitudes about what they can find on TV or streaming media, they just fail to find what actually appeals to them. Perhaps they like the lesser-produced independent dramas as opposed to the mass-produced, massive-budget films and shows.

Yes. I quite like foreign movies. German Spanish Persian etc...with subtitles. So much more depth than the typical American commercial stuff

 

[DesiPower]

Sports

Main reason why I have cable.

*Cough* *Cough* XB *Cough* MC *Cough* *Cough*

 

[Shadowknight]

Ok so for you htpc guys with cable or OTA - what software are you actually using to DVR stuff?

I'm using a Mythtv backend, but I'm using XBMC Frodo to watch tv and setup recording. Unfortunately, switching channels through XBMC is a lot slower than doing it through Mythtv natively

 

[SunnyD]

Sorry, I was referring to PC only. Of course you can use it in a Tivo directly (or a Moxi like I owned, or whatever else exists in the way of retail DVRs out there, if anything)

Something tells me you aren't using recording functionality.

DLNA to watch live content is one thing, but there are plenty of aired programs (over subscription cable) that have DRM set to Copy-once, and AFAIK, there are no ways to view even live content with that flag on anything other than Windows Media Center.
It also complicates media sharing, because content with such flags cannot be viewed on anything other than the original device that recorded it, so you can't record to a server and watch elsewhere. The only caveat: if you use extenders, you can watch such DRM content on any display attached to an Extender.

I could tell you a few things, but nah...

Let's just say that that Copy-Once flag... yeah, it doesn't exactly work the way it's supposed to unless the software adheres to it.

 

[squarecut1]

Sports is the only draw on cable tv. Yes there are streaming sites but the quality is pretty bad. Low resolution on flash player... and who wants to watch it on laptop anyway

 

[destrekor]

I could tell you a few things, but nah...

Let's just say that that Copy-Once flag... yeah, it doesn't exactly work the way it's supposed to unless the software adheres to it.

Send a PM if you must, but please go on.

I haven't seen any suggestions anywhere of there being alternatives, so I'd definitely like to hear more.

 

[ch33zw1z]

They're pricing themselves out of their own market. As the older generation moves on to the pearly gates, they'll find more and more it will be harder to keep us.

 

[squarecut1]

There is no practical alternative to cable, esp with regards to sports. Plus they have monopolies. So they can easily get away with this

 

[tHa ShIzNiT]

Sports is the only draw on cable tv. Yes there are streaming sites but the quality is pretty bad. Low resolution on flash player... and who wants to watch it on laptop anyway

this.

and the GF just wont allow it. I cut the cable last year, it lasted for about a month before she gave in. now she pays for a majority of the charge. she siphons money from me in other ways though, of course.

 

[BladeVenom]

There is no practical alternative to cable, esp with regards to sports.

Buy tickets to local sporting events.

 

[ponyo]

Sports is the only draw on cable tv. Yes there are streaming sites but the quality is pretty bad. Low resolution on flash player... and who wants to watch it on laptop anyway

You can get HD quality stream using Acestream.

I'm fine with watching it on my TV using JB Apple TV2. If all the TVs are occupied, I just watch it on my HP Touchpad tablet. That's when the low 1024x768 resolution on a tablet comes in handy. I don't use Flash or web browser. Who wants to deal with pop up ads and malware?