Primitive free streaming!

[Midpack]

Our TV is not one of the newer models with wireless internet streaming capability built it. But I was able to connect our laptop to our TV (video: VGA out to RGB in and audio: headphone out to audio in) and monkey with the TV input screen size to get an almost full screen. The picture seemed very good, though not full HD. Essentially the TV is just a big monitor, I know this is no revelation whatseover to our technophiles here. But I knew it was possible - and I've been meaning to try it for days weeks months years a half decade.

So I surprise DW when she comes home last night, watching a commercial free episode of a sitcom she likes that aired last night, streaming from basic hulu.

Was she impressed?

Nope. I know news, sports & some shows/networks are still a problem even with paid streaming like hulu+, but when I told her we can drop DishTV and move to streaming, she wasn't impressed. 'We are plenty frugal, you are NOT taking away our ($55) DishTV subscription - period.'

This is gonna be an uphill battle...

[pb4uski]

While I have been thinking about the same thing, I am only a small step ahead of you in that I knew DW would cry foul without even asking.

I use the same set-up for watching away ice hockey games of a college team that we follow.

However, couldn't you enhance the result by combining it with OTA HDTV? IOW use OTA HDTV for the OTA channels (CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, etc) supplemented by Hulu+ and other internet sources for cable channels?

That isn't an option for me since the rural area we live in has lousy OTA reception, but I would think it might be possible in Chicagoland.

[Animorph]

It is nice for times when the DVR misses a show. We can go to the network site and stream missed episodes. Now I'm set up to do that with my smartphone connected to the TV. I watched Netflix at my Mom's house yesterday through my phone connected to her TV. At least we've got her connected to the internet and with an HDMI HDTV now.

[pb4uski]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Animorph It is nice for times when the DVR misses a show. We can go to the network site and stream missed episodes. ....

Yes, I accidentally erased the nightly news which unbeknownst to me include the end of one of her shows that was running late as a result of football overtime, so I was able to hookup my laptop to our HDTV as Midpack described and get online and let her view the part I erased, restoring peace to the house.

She couldn't fast forward through the commercials, but she was happy to be able to see the rest of the show.

Happy wife = happy life (or at least that is what she keeps telling me).

[Texas Proud]

Be aware that not ALL shows are streamed...

My wife wants to watch a show on Animal Planet and it is not streamed... I refuse to upgrade our Dish account just to get Animal Planet for ONE show...

I have also missed some shows that I record on the DVR and they are not shown in full on their respective host websites...

There was one show that I was lucky that I could watch, but I had to log onto my Dish account to access it... don't know why, but did not care...

Also, remember that you have to have a higher speed to watch some of these.... we do not have that high of speed (we do have as high as AT&T will give us) and I do not want to go to cable for internet....

[BLS53]

My experience has been that with the pay cable channels, you have to be a subscriber with your cable TV package, before you can access their internet streams. They don't want people bypassing cable services, for free internet streams. The pro sports leagues are really bad about this. The only games on free TV anymore, are the NFL games on Sunday, and a handful of MLB and NBA games. Anything else, you're going to pay subscription fees one way or another.

Internet streaming will never reach it's potential as long as the cable TV industry has a strangle hold on it. The same reasoning applies as to why they don't allow purchasing channels a la carte, and require subscriptions to dozens of channels, you may or may not want.

[HFWR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pb4uski Happy wife = happy life (or at least that is what she keeps telling me).

And, per another thread, you are always wrong, so better admit it!

I've thought about buying an el cheapo tower, then adding a wireless keyboard, for my own primitive youtube, Amazon Prime, porno PBS, etc. streaming system. Have VGA, IEEE 1394 aka Firewire, HDMI, DVI, component, and composite inputs on the TV. Unfortunately, the surround system is not so flexible, but could probably hack something together...