Does anyone here use hulu or netflicks instead of cable?

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[+6] - jcboy - 03/16/2017I have, they only get an hour of TV a day, the Puerto Rican and I are tyrants :P
[+4] - jcboy - 07/22/2017Not only is the Hulu app for Apple TV a steaming pile of ****, the "My Stuff" section and your "Watchlist" when viewed through a browser are not in sync. That's impressively...
[+3] - engineer - 05/14/2013You can stream and surf at the same time. I have two wired computers, one wireless computer, an Ipad, several Ipods, a Wii and a PS3 all connected at the same time during a typical day. The...
[+3] - Lordyaswas - 11/25/2014Having just entered the 21st Century by purchasing an iphone AND a Smart TV Sony Bravia in the same month, I now find myself staring at them and wondering if I am making full use of such gadgets....
[+3] - joefromchicago - 01/15/2016[quote="jenniesmith011"] I watch network and basic cable shows on Hulu (on a one-day delay), PBS shows on the PBS website, and catch up on other cable shows on Netflix when the full...
[+3] - chai2 - 07/21/2016Oh God. I just watched one of the Worst documentaries on NF. Well, I scanned past quite a bit. Tony Robbins: I'm Not Your Guru. What a shyster this guy is. It's hard to believe there...

@chai2,

I have Netflix but I am still using discs by Mail because I can play the movies on my large TV. I am thinking about changing to streaming because of the lack of wait time.

Joe(I like movies)Nation

2 Replies

@Joe Nation,

uh huh, I know about the discs by mail.

Apparently thats an add on now to their streaming thing. Don't know if you can still get it as a stand alone.

That's all I know about, and I feel like a dinosaur.

On their website, netflix says...

Unlimited Movies & TV episodes
For only $7.99 a month, instantly watch unlimited movies & TV episodes streaming over the Internet to your TV via a PS3, Wii, Xbox 360 or any other device that streams from Netflix. You can also watch instantly on your computer too!

So here's the deal, I have no idea what a PS3 is, and I though a Wii and Xbox were things you played video games on.
I hardly ever even turn the TV on, and my husband just likes to record CSI, some stuff from the SyFy channel, um...let's see, some others those crime shows and stuff. He indicated he could surely find shows to get interested in that hulu/netflix offers.

All I know is it costs a shitload of money each month, and even he'll admit he doesn't get his money's worth. When I say cable I also mean direct TV, satalite and all that crap. It's all the same. We discussed it a little and we decided to look into it when he comes back from a trip he's on for a couple of weeks.

I don't know if our TV is compatible with what hulu/netflix does. I wouldn't mind buying whatever device makes it so, if it' under $100 or so. I'm just not good w/ technology as far as hardware.

$7.99 a month sure sounds good, but then why are people using cable if it is so great?

0 Replies

@chai2,

No cable for me. I have my computer hooked up to my television. I watch network and basic cable shows on Hulu (on a one-day delay), PBS shows on the PBS website, and catch up on other cable shows on Netflix when the full seasons become available on disc (e.g. Mad Men). Works great if you don't mind a little delayed gratification.

1 Reply

@joefromchicago,

****, I don't care if a show is 24 hours old. Who cares?

When you say you have your computer hooked up to your TV, does that mean someone can't be, for instance on A2K, while the other person is watching a show?

Do you need a special device or TV to do this?
What does it cost you?

1 Reply

@chai2,

chai2 wrote:

When you say you have your computer hooked up to your TV, does that mean someone can't be, for instance on A2K, while the other person is watching a show?

On my set-up, that's correct. I really don't know if you can hook up two computers to the same internet connection, with one watching streaming video and the other surfing the web. Someone who is more computer savvy than me would have to answer that.

chai2 wrote:

Do you need a special device or TV to do this?

I have a TV that can connect to a VGA cable - the same kind of cable you'd use to connect your computer to a monitor - so if your TV has the same kind of connection, you probably already have all the hardware that you need. You might also be able to connect with an HDMI cable. Not sure if that's standard with your TV - my TV is about six years old, so it's not some recent innovation.

In effect, I use my TV as a computer monitor - it's the same general principle. If your TV can't connect to your computer, it's not a bad investment to get one that can. The cost of a new TV is probably less than four months worth of cable service.

chai2 wrote:

What does it cost you?

Nothing, apart from the monthly cost for Netflix (and, of course, the cost of the internet service). I don't have Hulu Plus and I've never felt the need to buy it.

1 Reply

@chai2,

I use NetFlix Streaming and Internet/Web for all of my TV viewing. It works great for me, very inexpensive, no commercials and better selection of movies.

I only have 1 data feed coming into the house, that's a high speed Internet connection for about $50/month. NetFlix costs about $9/month for the streaming (I don't do any mail order stuff, I don't even have a DVD player in the house).

I have multiple sources for any shows I want to watch and only pay for things that I really want to see.

1. NetFlix ($9/month)
2. Hulu (free)
3. YouTube (free)
4. Podcasts (free)
5. iTunes (selected purchases)
6. Various Web Sites with whatever they happen to show (free)

My equipment is primarily Mac based. I have an AppleTV box ($99) plugged into my big flat screen TV and everything flows to the screen through that little box (it's slightly bigger than a cigarette box).

The AppleTV itself allows streaming of various things (like channels), but it also supports "AirPlay" (an Apple function) which allows me to show my computer screen or iPhone or iPad directly onto the big TV wirelessly.

So if I want to watch something from the Web, I bring it up on my iPhone, start it playing and then press AirPlay (which makes the image show up on my TV), then put the iPhone back in my pocket and forget about it (it continues to play). I can do the same thing with any computer I have in the house and from just about anywhere in the house.

Equipment cost: About $100 (flat fee, one-time cost) for the AppleTV Box, plus whatever machines/devices I already have.

Monthly data cost: About $60 (High Speed Internet plus NetFlix)

Miscellaneous costs: Depends on which shows I purchase and from what source (like iTunes), but generally are around $1 to $2 per show or movie.

0 Replies

@joefromchicago,

You can stream and surf at the same time. I have two wired computers, one wireless computer, an Ipad, several Ipods, a Wii and a PS3 all connected at the same time during a typical day. The computers, Ipad and game systems can all stream Netflix and it is not unheard of to have Netflix on two TVs at the same time. The PS3 is an especially flexible streaming device because it is wireless, can play DVD's and Blu Rays, can access media servers to view pictures and can run Netflix (and I think Hulu as well.) It also plays games! I think the Xbox360 does the same thing minus the Blu Rays.

1 Reply

@chai2,

I use all three major streaming services: Hulu Plus, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. I'm happy for the most part. I am slighty peeved at the networks for not allowing some of their Hulu shows on the Hulu Plus account which allows the shows to easily play directly on the TV. And many networks are too slow in updated the slightly older seasons on the Netflix service.

2 Replies

By the way, Chai, PS3 means Sony Play Station 3, a video game console--they mention some other game consoles there, too.

If you have a fiber-optic DSL connection (DSL=digital subscriber line), you can have more than one computer hooked up, and if you have one of the game consoles mentioned, you could also have your movies at the same time. This will not be true if your internet connection is over coaxial cable. It is possible to hook up several devices in series on a coaxial connection, but you would still be limited. So, over a coaxial connection, you could surf the web and play a video game which is available to game consoles--but you couldn't also watch a movie. (I believe that over coax, it would be either or for games or movies.)

Most DSLs these days are for fiber optic systems, rather than coaxial. Check with your internet service provider to find out what you are using. (Of course, if your cable access is over coaxial--the cable has a device [called an RCA jack] which screws into the back of either a control box or the television, so you can figure that one out for yourself. Fiber optic systems usually connect through an RJ11 phone jack . . .

. . . it would really be worth it to switch to fiber optic if your system is over coaxial right now.)

These are a male (left) and female (right) RCA jacks for coaxial cable:

http://p.globalsources.com/IMAGES/PDT/B1047290496/F-Socket-Wall-Plates.jpg

This is a BNC jack for coaxial cable--these are used almost exclusively for closed circuit television connections in security systems, so i very much doubt that you would see this in your home:

EDIT: I should add that if you have a fiber optic DSL, theoretically, the sky's the limit on how many devices you can have connected and running at one time. I've never looked into this, so i don't know if Netflix or Hulu require you to have a game console, but i suspect that it could come into either a computer or a game console.

1 Reply

@engineer,

engineer wrote:

You can stream and surf at the same time. I have two wired computers, one wireless computer, an Ipad, several Ipods, a Wii and a PS3 all connected at the same time during a typical day. The computers, Ipad and game systems can all stream Netflix and it is not unheard of to have Netflix on two TVs at the same time. The PS3 is an especially flexible streaming device because it is wireless, can play DVD's and Blu Rays, can access media servers to view pictures and can run Netflix (and I think Hulu as well.) It also plays games! I think the Xbox360 does the same thing minus the Blu Rays.

You obviously are much better connected than I am! If chai is looking for a bare-bones set-up, though, none of that is necessary except the internet connection, the computer, and the TV. The PS3 sounds nifty, but if you're not actually playing games on it, I'm not sure if there's any advantage to buying that over buying a mid-range computer for the same price.

1 Reply

@tsarstepan,

tsarstepan wrote:

I am slighty peeved at the networks for not allowing some of their Hulu shows on the Hulu Plus account which allows the shows to easily play directly on the TV.

Not sure I follow you here. I watch shows on Hulu without any problem at all. I thought the only advantage to Hulu Plus is that you have access to past seasons and to some shows that are exclusive to the service.

1 Reply

@tsarstepan,

tsarstepan wrote:

I use all three major streaming services: Hulu Plus, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. I'm happy for the most part. I am slighty peeved at the networks for not allowing some of their Hulu shows on the Hulu Plus account which allows the shows to easily play directly on the TV. And many networks are too slow in updated the slightly older seasons on the Netflix service.

I haven't tried Amazon Prime before. Does it work the same way that NetFlix works (unlimited streaming for a fixed price per month)? Is the selection any better than NetFlix?

2 Replies

@Setanta,

Setanta wrote:

If you have a fiber-optic DSL connection (DSL=digital subscriber line), you can have more than one computer hooked up, and if you have one of the game consoles mentioned, you could also have your movies at the same time. This will not be true if your internet connection is over coaxial cable.

In my case the Internet connection is over coax from my cable company and it plugs into a modem. Then regular old Ethernet comes out the other side. Once everything is on ethernet then every machine in the house works over the internal network. Download speeds (for the Internet segment) are in the 30Mbps range and Upload speeds are in the 5Mbps range (for the $50/month that I pay). I think I could pay more and get more, but I don't seem to need it.

1 Reply

@rosborne979,

Yeah, i had coax DSL, and it met my needs nicely. The Girl and I now have fiber optic, but we only use it for the box.

0 Replies

@joefromchicago,

joefromchicago wrote:

tsarstepan wrote:
I am slighty peeved at the networks for not allowing some of their Hulu shows on the Hulu Plus account which allows the shows to easily play directly on the TV.

Not sure I follow you here. I watch shows on Hulu without any problem at all. I thought the only advantage to Hulu Plus is that you have access to past seasons and to some shows that are exclusive to the service.

The Simpsons and Hannibal are two examples where you can't access on Hulu Plus (streaming directly into the TV). You can only watch the whole episodes via Hulu or straight to the computer. Of course you can directly connect an HDMI cord from the computer to the TV but I like to surf on my laptop when I watch junk TV so that's out of the question. So technically, Hulu Plus has a slight disadvantage over regular Hulu.

0 Replies

@rosborne979,

rosborne979 wrote:

tsarstepan wrote:

I use all three major streaming services: Hulu Plus, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. I'm happy for the most part. I am slighty peeved at the networks for not allowing some of their Hulu shows on the Hulu Plus account which allows the shows to easily play directly on the TV. And many networks are too slow in updated the slightly older seasons on the Netflix service.

I haven't tried Amazon Prime before. Does it work the same way that NetFlix works (unlimited streaming for a fixed price per month)? Is the selection any better than NetFlix?

There is a one time yearly fee which includes the free shipping for Amazon Prime products (which is the main reason I subscribe every year). For the most part, Amazon has the same stuff as Netflix but now Amazon has its new set of pilots and original shows they're presently showcasing and trying to promote which includes the TV adaptation of the comedy zombie movie, Zombieland.

0 Replies

@joefromchicago,

joefromchicago wrote:

The PS3 sounds nifty, but if you're not actually playing games on it, I'm not sure if there's any advantage to buying that over buying a mid-range computer for the same price.

But they're not the same price. A decent PC desktop with Blu-ray will run you $400-$500. More if you want extra memory, faster performance, built in WiFi, etc. Of course a PC is also much more flexible. You can get a PS3 from Wal Mart for less than $250 and it is TV ready. Not saying that is the best solution but if all you want is a great video access device, it works great.

0 Replies

@rosborne979,

rosborne979 wrote:

I haven't tried Amazon Prime before. Does it work the same way that NetFlix works (unlimited streaming for a fixed price per month)? Is the selection any better than NetFlix?

Doctors: Cancer Patients Who Watched ... Amazon Pilot Daily Showed Signs Of Remission
http://tinyurl.com/cq2cc3s

0 Replies

Well, I called netflix today and they explained how it worked. you can get a blue ray device for $80 plus that will serve the purpose.

I'm sure we'll end up getting the 1 or 2 week trial (1 week for hulu, 2 weeks for netflix) while keeping the cable on, to see how it works out.

I'm confident it will.

At first I was confused why everyone doesn't just do this. I mean, you can always watch news online, get the weather etc.
If you're not obsessed with a particular show, and don't care if it's brandy new fresh to talk about around the water cooler, who wouldn't want to pay $8 a month to watch TV?

Then I thought, "oh, I'll bet it has to do with the sports channels" We don't pay attention to sports either.

We'll get to this toward the end of the month, figure it out.

Thanks.

1 Reply

Does anyone here use hulu or netflicks instead of cable?

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