I blogged about how I was cutting my monthly bills down by cutting my cable service. Well here is an update on how that is going.
1. Experiment with Digital Antenna
This was a no go. Since Digital does not go near as far I could not receive any local channels. So that $36 premium antenna, well it is getting returned. Damn FCC said "hey lets screw over all those people in rural areas with this digital thing"
2. Internet Streaming
This is going well. It has some advantages and disadvantages, but hey its free or mostly free. Some people may have to buy equipment for this if they don't want to watch it on their computer monitor.
A. Advantages
-Its Free with few intrusive ads
-Availability. You can watch it anytime you want. No more I got to stay up for that show, or I can't do that thing because I'm addicted to my show and I must watch it even if it makes me miss hanging with friends. Well to a degree. Most sites only keep the past 5 episodes. So you can miss one if you don't go to watch it for 6 or so weeks after it aired.
-No more channel surfing. Well this is kind of both an advantage and disadvantage. You don't flip through channels. However, I got myself psychological used to the remote. It took me a bit not to think about flipping through channels and actually messed with my head for awhile.
B. Disadvantages
-Sometimes it does not stream well with speed packages. You may have to upgrade a little here. This will cost you more, but not as much as the cable/satellite service. So you still save money. (Unless you go to FiOS, that has killer speeds but starts in the range of the other services, and I can tell you that you don't save that much with the sole called bundled packages)
-Picture Quality. It can be blotchy, and sometimes the audio does not match the picture. This also could be helped by an increased speed.
-Branded TV. This really is not a disadvantage per say but it is branded with logos. At least Hulu is. However it does not take long to not even notice these branded logos.
-No more channel surfing
-Connection to a tv for those that
C. My Opinion So Far....
So far this has worked out. It does take some time to get used to it. You need to get used to the picture quality, the streaming delays, and the simple change psychologically. If you watch on your computer screen you need to be used to a smaller screen. However I use an old laptop streaming low speed broadband to my 40" LCD tv. This setup works. You will come across some quality issues but so far it has not been to bad. Hulu and the Network channels work fine. Netflix from its compression does have a bad image quality.
What I recommend is to send it to your tv if you have one capable of it. (You can make old ones capable with adapters but it will effect quality) Most LCD, LED's have a VGA port. Keep in mind that is just for audio. You still need computers speakers. If you have an HDMI capable video card then you are in luck. It transfers both audio and video. However you will likely have to change a setting on your computer to make it do so. More on setup, adapters later in part 2.
I recommend a min speed of 1MB Download and 768k upload for your broadband. To let you know though I am running it on a 768/128 so it is possible at lower speeds. If you are into more quality then a 3MG/768k could be a good investment without breaking the bank. (Depending on the company)
This method has saved me 2 months of service. In one year at my cheap cable service fee of 30 a month saves 360 a year. If you pay 45 it would save 540, 60 would save 720 a year. Add also that you are maximizing your dollar for your internet service, getting more out of what you are already paying for.
I have also found some shows I wouldn't normally have watched that I found are decent shows. So in a way it has got me watching more which is bad, however when I finally get my elliptical it might not be so bad. I can then do that while I watch shows. I need something to keep me entertained while I do it. So I don't get bored. The bad could turn into a good.
Well I'm out for now. I will blog some soon on the adapters, etc, that you can get or should get and other setup options in part 2. Peace out....
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Verizon: They SUCK...
Okay .. so I go to upgrade my service to a higher speed. I do this online, thinking hey I can get the online price. Well apparently they don't know what they are doing.
First I get home and use the internet for 5 to 10 minutes. Worked fine. I go to get on later at around 8. It didn't work. I was like hmm.... ok lets reboot the modem. Nothing happens. Ok lets see if my password change had anything to do with it. So I change my password on the connection in the modem... still nothing. So I reset the modem... nothing.
I then call tech support. She runs a line test. Seems to be fine. She does something else on her end that she did not tell me till the end of the call. She has me go through the motions of turning off the modem, etc. Ok yeah it works. She tells me it was on their end. So not 2 minutes after I hang up, the internet light turns red. Ok I'm thinking .... now what.
I call back. The new tech guy looks at the ticket from before so he knows I have an account. He asks me to verify all my info, in which I did. He then goes to run a line test. "Well sir I see this account does not exist anymore" .... I was like what.... I just talked to a tech like 15 minutes ago. (Was on hold for 10-12 min after the light turned red). He states he does not know what happened and that I would have to create a new account but the sales office was not open at that time so I would have to call back. I said I am not calling back tomorrow. I told him to contact the sales office himself and get it fixed. I should not have to deal with this and they had to make it right. A little harsh I know but it ticked me off that my account just disappears.
Ok so I get a call back today. The account is back up. So I ask why the service was placed back to the original speed. He states they are in the process of upgrading and it will be done soon. I then ask why it was not upgraded when they turned it back on. Well aparently their "system" took my account off and did not upgrade it. They had to put another request in, also it tried upgrading a different account. I was like ok, can you put me through to sales to see if this order is going to be completed.
So now I'm on hold again... for about 10 min. He assures me that it is in and requested. So I get a call later. Its verizon. Its a tech support guy. He asks if I got my internet up and running.... I'm thinking what the heck. Didn't I just tell the other person that but it was not upgraded. I asked him what he showed my package as. He stated the upgraded one. So I tell him I am not getting that speed because I am in the modem and it tells me the old speed. He ran a line test. And sure enough.... it was the old speed. He then calls over to the sales department. This one tells him that it should be done with.... um then why did the sales guy I talked to say it was not completed yet. HELLO. Now this tech guy says. Ok I will take care of this and I will call you when it is complete, so you don't have to call us back.
So that is my story. The Verizon "Experience" for me at least has never been a pleasent one. To bad I have no other option for my high speed interenet. I would be gone from Verizon in a heartbeat....
First I get home and use the internet for 5 to 10 minutes. Worked fine. I go to get on later at around 8. It didn't work. I was like hmm.... ok lets reboot the modem. Nothing happens. Ok lets see if my password change had anything to do with it. So I change my password on the connection in the modem... still nothing. So I reset the modem... nothing.
I then call tech support. She runs a line test. Seems to be fine. She does something else on her end that she did not tell me till the end of the call. She has me go through the motions of turning off the modem, etc. Ok yeah it works. She tells me it was on their end. So not 2 minutes after I hang up, the internet light turns red. Ok I'm thinking .... now what.
I call back. The new tech guy looks at the ticket from before so he knows I have an account. He asks me to verify all my info, in which I did. He then goes to run a line test. "Well sir I see this account does not exist anymore" .... I was like what.... I just talked to a tech like 15 minutes ago. (Was on hold for 10-12 min after the light turned red). He states he does not know what happened and that I would have to create a new account but the sales office was not open at that time so I would have to call back. I said I am not calling back tomorrow. I told him to contact the sales office himself and get it fixed. I should not have to deal with this and they had to make it right. A little harsh I know but it ticked me off that my account just disappears.
Ok so I get a call back today. The account is back up. So I ask why the service was placed back to the original speed. He states they are in the process of upgrading and it will be done soon. I then ask why it was not upgraded when they turned it back on. Well aparently their "system" took my account off and did not upgrade it. They had to put another request in, also it tried upgrading a different account. I was like ok, can you put me through to sales to see if this order is going to be completed.
So now I'm on hold again... for about 10 min. He assures me that it is in and requested. So I get a call later. Its verizon. Its a tech support guy. He asks if I got my internet up and running.... I'm thinking what the heck. Didn't I just tell the other person that but it was not upgraded. I asked him what he showed my package as. He stated the upgraded one. So I tell him I am not getting that speed because I am in the modem and it tells me the old speed. He ran a line test. And sure enough.... it was the old speed. He then calls over to the sales department. This one tells him that it should be done with.... um then why did the sales guy I talked to say it was not completed yet. HELLO. Now this tech guy says. Ok I will take care of this and I will call you when it is complete, so you don't have to call us back.
So that is my story. The Verizon "Experience" for me at least has never been a pleasent one. To bad I have no other option for my high speed interenet. I would be gone from Verizon in a heartbeat....
We eat some crazy shit.....
http://eatthis.menshealth.com/slide/worst-meal-america
Take a look at the link above.... now wonder we are all fat....
Add less activity levels and the food from that link we should be all clogged up.
Take a look at the link above.... now wonder we are all fat....
Add less activity levels and the food from that link we should be all clogged up.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
10 Reasons .....
Bad Analysis: 10 reasons people make stupid decisions
http://badanalysis.blogspot.com/2006/10/10-reasons-your-co-workers-make-stupid.html
10 Reasons To Choose Linux in a Bad Economy
http://www.daniweb.com/news/post976148.html
10 Reasons Why Child Beauty Pageants Are Bad For Girls
http://jezebel.com/5356953/10-reasons-why-child-beauty-pageants-are-bad-for-girls/gallery/
Top 10 reasons why teens aren't that bad « Is This Mike On?
http://mikehenneke.mvourtown.com/2009/09/18/top-10-reasons-why-teens-arent-that-bad/
10 Reasons Why Smoking Is Bad | eHow.com
http://www.ehow.com/list_5481530_reasons-smoking-bad.html
The Top 10 Arguments Against DRM
http://www.learnoutloud.com/content/blog/archives/2006/11/the_top_10_argu.html
Bad Job Interview? 10 Reasons You Didn't Get the Job Offer
http://www.workcoachcafe.com/2009/04/20/10-reasons-you-didnt-get-the-job/
Top 10 reasons to take a bad photograph
http://www.nikondigital.org/pages/articles/top10_badphoto.htm
10 Reasons Sugar is Bad
http://www.formerfatguy.com/weblog/2007/09/10-reasons-sugar-is-bad.asp
Top 10 Reasons Why The BMI Is Bogus
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106268439
The 10 Real Reasons Why Geeks Make Better Lovers
http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/commentary/sexdrive/2007/04/sexdrive_0406
http://badanalysis.blogspot.com/2006/10/10-reasons-your-co-workers-make-stupid.html
10 Reasons To Choose Linux in a Bad Economy
http://www.daniweb.com/news/post976148.html
10 Reasons Why Child Beauty Pageants Are Bad For Girls
http://jezebel.com/5356953/10-reasons-why-child-beauty-pageants-are-bad-for-girls/gallery/
Top 10 reasons why teens aren't that bad « Is This Mike On?
http://mikehenneke.mvourtown.com/2009/09/18/top-10-reasons-why-teens-arent-that-bad/
10 Reasons Why Smoking Is Bad | eHow.com
http://www.ehow.com/list_5481530_reasons-smoking-bad.html
The Top 10 Arguments Against DRM
http://www.learnoutloud.com/content/blog/archives/2006/11/the_top_10_argu.html
Bad Job Interview? 10 Reasons You Didn't Get the Job Offer
http://www.workcoachcafe.com/2009/04/20/10-reasons-you-didnt-get-the-job/
Top 10 reasons to take a bad photograph
http://www.nikondigital.org/pages/articles/top10_badphoto.htm
10 Reasons Sugar is Bad
http://www.formerfatguy.com/weblog/2007/09/10-reasons-sugar-is-bad.asp
Top 10 Reasons Why The BMI Is Bogus
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106268439
The 10 Real Reasons Why Geeks Make Better Lovers
http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/commentary/sexdrive/2007/04/sexdrive_0406
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