To go along with Botch -Some older laptops have S-video outputs as well.
Please give me your ideas to beat the cost of internet/phone/cable package...
by FlyingHighNow 36 Replies latest jw friends
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dgp
This might work for you (for TV):
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garyneal
good ideas everyone
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moshe
A landline telephone is expensive due to all the taxes and fees. Back in the day when a landline was the only telephone option state and federal government used the phone company as a cash cow to raise tax revenue. I would drop my landline, except I don't want to trade my functional 911 emergency service for an iffy cell phone 911 service. If you have an alarm system make sure there is a way for you to continue alarm monitoring without Pots (plain old telephone service).
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FirstLastName
If you do not mind a higher upfront cost - I have Ooma. Its a VOIP service. After the initial cost - its is free for life. Its a very good quality. Now between internet and cable and phone(free now), I pay about $45 a month.
Hope you find something that works for you !
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breakfast of champions
It's not available where I live, but people who have FiOS LOVE IT and they sometimes run specials. Just a a thought.
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designs
I have Time Warner at home and it stalls, freezes up and is slow, I have COX at the Store and it works fine, T-Mobile for my cell phones, tried and stopped Magic Jack it is to weird, but none of it is cheap anymore even with bundles. Look forward to some answers.
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WhatWasIThinking
A Roku player will let you stream Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Pandora to a TV. They range in price from $60-100. An Xbox 360 or PS3 will also stream Netflix and Hulu Plus. They also give you the ability to buy or rent movies and TV shows on demand. Apple TV will stream pretty much whatever you have on your computer and plays Netflix.
The best option is just an inexpensive computer. There are no limitations on Netflix streaming to non-computers but with Hulu there are quite a few shows that it will only stream to a computer.
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FlyingHighNow
Thank you. I noticed this on AOL tonight: they mention the Roku player:
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Anime Nerd
Regarding your antenna situation, you should go to a website called tvfool.com. Click on "Check your address for free TV." Then click on "Click Here." Now type in your address and the height (in feet) that you'll be placing the antenna at. The website will spit out a report. The report will tell you what tv stations you can pick up; how far away you are from the televion station's broadcast towers; and what compass direction you should have your antenna face, for the best reception. You can than create a link to the report, so that other people can look at it. (Don't worry, it won't show your address.) From TVFool's main page, you can also click on "See which TV stations you can get on a map." This will show you a less technical, more visual representation of the data.
Now go to a website called avsforum.com. On the left hand side of the page, you will see a box called "Site Navigation." Click on "HDTV Area." Now click on "HDTV Technical." Now start a new thread, and title it something like, "Help me find the right antenna." Describe in great detail, where you want to place your antenna. Copy and paste the http address from the results page that you got at tvfool.com, into your post (The one you got from "Check your address for free TV"). This will greatly help the posters on avsforum in assisting you.
AVSForum is a great forum. I find the people there very knowledgeable and helpful. They will give you suggestions on what antenna to buy, and where to place it for best results.
If you live close enough to the TV station's transmition towers, you may be able to get great tv reception, even with an indoor antenna, on the first floor. If you are too far away, you'll have to mount an antenna on the roof of your apartment. If your landlord won't let you put an antenna on the roof, he may be breaking the law. From the FCC's website:
"In 1996, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted rules for Over-the-Air-Reception Devices (“OTARD” rules). The OTARD rules prohibit restrictions on a property owner or tenant’s right to install, maintain or use an antenna to receive video programming from direct broadcast satellites (DBS), broadband radio services (formerly referred to as multichannel multipoint distribution services or MMDS) and television broadcast stations (TVBS). However, there are exceptions to the OTARD rules, including provisions for safety and preservation of historic areas."
Although some restrictions and exceptions may apply. Read more about it here: http://www.fcc.gov/guides/installing-consumer-owned-antennas-and-satellite-dishes
Look on the top of your roof. Your landlord may already have an antenna that everyone in the apartment can use. Although the signal will probably have been split so many times, it may be too weak to watch. In which case, you'll need an amplifier.
If you can't get decent reception by putting an antenna in your aparment, and your landlord doesn't have a communal antenna on the roof; you could try asking the people who live above you, if you could install an antenna in there apartment, and then split the signal, and run a cable down to your apartment.
There's no reason you shouldn't be able to get nbc, cbs, abc, fox, cw, pbs, etc. for free.
P.S. Sorry for the length of this post.
