A few weeks back we got a flat screen television. I like it, the picture is big enough for the living room and I can see the numbers on the screen during sporting events again. I run the sound through my home theater system and it's more than adequate for sight and sound aesthetics.
Two nights ago we bought a Roku, a device the size of a hockey puck that organizes wireless internet video and audio content and allows you to stream the images and sounds over your television - freeing up the laptop for other time sucking things. It's also said to eliminate your need for cable, but I'm not too sure of that.
Last night I subscribed to Netflix, an eight dollar a month service that contains a vast library of film and television programming. After one day, I'm impressed with what it has to offer. If I can sit around all night and watch Cracker episodes that I did not watch twenty years ago, I consider that eight bucks a month well spent. Plus, there are many, many movies that I have not seen, all ready to stream for me at the click of the remote. There's so much on Netflix, I do not think there's a need to look into Amazon Prime, which does has a decent library of more current materials.
Heck there's so much on other channels that there really is not much need for Netflix, but Netflix is where a lot of the fun is at. It can be a real rabbit hole of discovery and re-discovery, too.
What I'm disappointed in, so far, is that the Roku and its private channels do not offer much live streaming content, at least not what I'm interested in or able to find yet. My interest is sports, soccer in particular. I've researched this online and found it may be available, but I have not found any. Or, what was previously available has been taken down. Such is the life of someone seeking free pirated content. There are a couple of interesting private channels that have old, public domain films. Quite a bit of searching to do here.
If there was a decent streaming service available, and Fox Soccer2go is not it, I'd be right on it. If the BBC would get it's head out of its ass and give us in the states a version of the iPlayer I'd be there. Frankly, I'm tired of watching Everton on dodgy links and $20 is on the edge of what I want to pay for Fox, especially with them losing the EPL after this season. Not a big fan of watching stuff on the laptop all the time, and going to a sports bar is fun, but they're out of my way - and I can't always get there. We'll just have to wait for the summer to see what NBC does with soccer programming.
The Roku is a great little piece of technology though. I'm not sure it's going to allow me to eliminate any layers of cable at this time, however it really gives me an option because I do not watch a lot of current television, other than sports. And anything that gives me a real reason to use Pandora again, and crank it through my stereo, is not necessarily a bad thing.
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