No more DVR :( too expensive

[DVC Daisy]

Roku is ok but very limited in what it can do.
Yea new apple tv 3 can't be jail broken yet. Still working on it. You can install the program on iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, pc, Mac. Then just airvideo from iPad to new apple tv or get cables to hook from iPad into tv.

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Grrrr..... That is exactly the problem, I want wireless - Airplay is perfect! But the reviews for the Amazon app says it does not support Airplay (audio only).

I really need to be a bit more technology advanced. Or maybe just wait until Fall Break & have DS deal with it

 

[kiki02]

Roku is ok but very limited in what it can do.
Yea new apple tv 3 can't be jail broken yet. Still working on it. You can install the program on iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, pc, Mac. Then just airvideo from iPad to new apple tv or get cables to hook from iPad into tv.

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sent roku back.

lousy for us, imo. and i still had to sign up for stuff.

 

[lovemymac]

Grrrr..... That is exactly the problem, I want wireless - Airplay is perfect! But the reviews for the Amazon app says it does not support Airplay (audio only).

I really need to be a bit more technology advanced. Or maybe just wait until Fall Break & have DS deal with it

When you jailbreak anything can do AirPlay. Actually for amazon there is an add on for amazon for xbmc and xbmc and anything within it can do AirPlay.

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[DVC Daisy]

When you jailbreak anything can do AirPlay. Actually for amazon there is an add on for amazon for xbmc and xbmc and anything within it can do AirPlay.

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Would I be able to do this with a new Apple TV?

 

[lovemymac]

No cant jailbreak new apple tv yet. Just apple tv 2. If you wanted to do the same thing you could get a cheap Mac mini and plug it into the tv and have a dedicated Home theater that will do more then the atv will.

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[lovemymac]

Now you can AirPlay to the new atv. You can JB your iPad/ iPod iPhone and install xbmc that way and then AirPlay the video over to your new atv.

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[hsmamato2]

see....some of you are getting so technical,and let's face it,expensive that it is the complete opposite of OP's original thread..... jailbreaking,tech specs,memberships here and there,and you might as well just keep the cable!
Here's the little I know for us non techie,non mac (read:expensive stuff) people.... OTA using an antenna is free,and easy. takes 5 minutes to set up.
A roku box hooked up is cheap (less than 50 straight up) and EASY. streams a number of EASILY watched things like netflix and hulu.
A Tivo is easy to hook up,once you pay a high initial cost (used,ebay,lifetime membership)
A dvd recorder is easy to use also,once you pay initial cost.
All these other things seem to require extra time,money,and tech savvy that don't = EASY.
Again, if that's what people want to do,that's fine. I myself am keeping the sat. box for a while,then likely just using an antenna for what I can't stream on a simple roku or whatever.

 

[My2Pixies]

I have gone the Netflix and Hulu Plus through the Roku route before, with a digital antenna for local stations. I hated it. Netflix had an abundance of B movies that I had never heard of, and very few actual shows worth watching. Hulu wasn't worth the fee at all. I had fun playing Angry Birds on the Roku but that was really the only thing I used it for. It was all a waste of money. IF I were to do it again, I would either get Amazon Prime or just purchase shows off of iTunes and watch them on my laptop. However, I ended up going back to having cable with a DVR and I'm very happy with it. I would cut down on many other expenses before I dropped it again.

 

[Nayan]

I agree about Netflix just sucking lately. I'm dropping the streaming since we never watch anything on it anymore. I did a comparison on what I pay for cable now and what it would cost to get the same experience with streaming. It would cost way more to ditch it, plus it would be a hassle and I'd still be missing things. Not worth my money, time or aggravation.

 

[lovemymac]

I need to upload my video on the benefits of xbmc. Its the only way I was willing to drop satellite. I miss some shows in HD but otherwise I get so much more.
I get to watch tons of stuff that is not anywhere else.
Netflix has some stuff I liked but amazon prime is catching up and with newer movies and shows them Netflix.

 

[lovemymac]

Btw I don't mean to come across as arguing. I just want to give the idea of the xbmc. I wish I had known about it before we signed a year agreement with DTV. It has been so cool watching all this stuff free and dropping netflix and Hulu plus on my tv.

I still have amazon prime because I use it for other things. Anyway thanks for listening.

 

[JB2K]

What about another option LIKE tivo, no monthly fees?

Are there other units you can buy that 's a dvr but w no monthly fee?

To the best of my knowledge, there's nothing in the commerical marketplace that offers a "free" DVR.

That said, the user has 2 options:

• Buy a TiVO with lifetime service built-in -- no more fees -- ever...
  
• Hire someone with computer knowledge to build you a DVR from an old laptop (Warning: it won't be user-friendly, unless you really happen to like playing with electronics).

 

[DVC Daisy]

see....some of you are getting so technical,and let's face it,expensive that it is the complete opposite of OP's original thread..... jailbreaking,tech specs,memberships here and there,and you might as well just keep the cable!
Here's the little I know for us non techie,non mac (read:expensive stuff) people.... OTA using an antenna is free,and easy. takes 5 minutes to set up.
A roku box hooked up is cheap (less than 50 straight up) and EASY. streams a number of EASILY watched things like netflix and hulu.
A Tivo is easy to hook up,once you pay a high initial cost (used,ebay,lifetime membership)
A dvd recorder is easy to use also,once you pay initial cost.
All these other things seem to require extra time,money,and tech savvy that don't = EASY.
Again, if that's what people want to do,that's fine. I myself am keeping the sat. box for a while,then likely just using an antenna for what I can't stream on a simple roku or whatever.

That was me that ran the thread off of the rails I have no intention of getting rid of my cable or TiVo, I just thought I could lower my expenses (purchasing/renting DVDs) by figuring out how to watch Amazon Prime stuff I am getting for free anyway on my TV.

Still have not figured it out.

But sorry if this ran the thread off topic

 

[SuzanneSLO]

That was me that ran the thread off of the rails I have no intention of getting rid of my cable or TiVo, I just thought I could lower my expenses (purchasing/renting DVDs) by figuring out how to watch Amazon Prime stuff I am getting for free anyway on my TV.

Still have not figured it out.

But sorry if this ran the thread off topic

You can use the airplay mirroring function on most mid-2011 or earlier Macs to watch Amazon prime on your TV using an Apple TV. I haven't yet tried Amazon Prime Instant Vdeo specifically, but I was able to watch an episode of Glee showing on Fox.com that way. Obviously, if you don't already have a compatible Mac, this is not a cheap solution! -- Suzanne

 

[lovemymac]

We have directv till our contract is up and we pay $5 for DVr service. But it goes back to if you just want to cut some costs or want to cut cable.
I have always found cable more expensive then satellite.

 

[muffyn]

That might depend upon what cable service provider you have. I recently got rid of a lot of channels and our dvr. Can you believe the DVR box cost $25 per month and the box without the dvr cost $5 with Charter?
.

we are running 6 dvr boxes, they are $15 each. & we have a LOT of channels, yup our cable bill is a gazillion $$, but, we don't have one of those expensive phone bills so I think its worth it.
(hubby has a work phone, & we have vonage)


IF its only ONE cable DVR box, I just can't see any savings getting netflix or hulu etc ,VS convenience// you still have to pay a subscription, and unless you have a tv that will play these programs, watching them on your computer , just is NOT worth getting rid of the dvr box.
you have to weigh whats important to you , i guess./

 

[muffyn]

well, a DVD recorder with hard drive works like a DVR. you record the show(s) onto the hard drive, and you can play them back later. it will also allow you to burn the show to a DVD, if you'd like to keep it. pretty simple, and all you have to pay for is the unit itself. no subscriptions or fees.

I haven't read all the replies on here, but did anyone mention that these units are a rare commodity? (almost extinct like the dodo bird)
for MONTHS people have been trying to find these 'animals'
(read some of the threads on the AV forums)
panasonic made great ones, but you can only find them rebuilt, if you are lucky for over $400. & the ones you CAN find do NOT have a tv tuner, so you can only record from a cable box, on whatever the channel you have set..
I LOVE mine dearly & have been worried what.when mine dies what would I do!!!
LUCKILY, recently, & I do mean recently , walmart has finally got a shipment in on these boxes, though they are magnavox, not as great as panasonic. I just snapped one up for $225, so I have a back up now.

 

[momof3ds]

We had 1 DVR box streaming to 2 tvs with satellite. No movie channels. Our bill for sat service alone was $85 a month. They refused to give us any deals except movie channels free for 3 months. When we lowered our channel package, we lost the hd channels.


Now, with hulu, netflix and tivo : our bill is around $35 a month. Add in another 5-10 a month for new movie rentals and we are still saving money. And, I plan to switch the tivo to a lifetime subscription after the holidays. Then our monthly bill is down to $20-25 a month.

And, with an antenna, that we already had, we get around 15 channels and the hd from the networks and PBS is much clearer since the signals aren't compressed.

Oh, Apple TV will not currently mirror amazon video You need a roku box or a wifi tv for amazon video.

we are running 6 dvr boxes, they are $15 each. & we have a LOT of channels, yup our cable bill is a gazillion $$, but, we don't have one of those expensive phone bills so I think its worth it.
(hubby has a work phone, & we have vonage)


IF its only ONE cable DVR box, I just can't see any savings getting netflix or hulu etc ,VS convenience// you still have to pay a subscription, and unless you have a tv that will play these programs, watching them on your computer , just is NOT worth getting rid of the dvr box.
you have to weigh whats important to you , i guess./

 

[DVC Daisy]

Oh, Apple TV will not currently mirror amazon video You need a roku box or a wifi tv for amazon video.

True! We did get a roku box - cheap one @ Best Buy & it was super duper easy to set up & link my Amazon Prime account. I love it. Not sure if it is worth it unless you have Amazon Prime or Hulu or something anyway, I don't know. But I have Amazon Prime for shipping & now I can watch a ton of stuff included with Prime on my TV. Great picture, no buffering issues, etc. no commercials, decent selection & easy to use. Just what I needed

 

[kiki02]

True! We did get a roku box - cheap one @ Best Buy & it was super duper easy to set up & link my Amazon Prime account. I love it. Not sure if it is worth it unless you have Amazon Prime or Hulu or something anyway, I don't know. But I have Amazon Prime for shipping & now I can watch a ton of stuff included with Prime on my TV. Great picture, no buffering issues, etc. no commercials, decent selection & easy to use. Just what I needed

LOL what is the connection of amazon prime and tv? It's only $79 a year, so that's good but what kind of movies would i get thru it ? and are there any other fees?