Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Mar 22, 2016 21:14:05 GMT -5
Maybe I'm old fashioned (or just old), but in the age of big screen HD TV's, it makes little sense to me to watch TV on a dinky little phone screen. Heck, I can barely read the text it's so small......
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Post by MonkeyMan on Mar 23, 2016 5:07:34 GMT -5
Maybe I'm old fashioned (or just old), but in the age of big screen HD TV's, it makes little sense to me to watch TV on a dinky little phone screen. Heck, I can barely read the text it's so small...... Maybe? I'm not sure about Apple products, but I can cast just about anything from my Android phone to my TV via Chromecast. So with the DVR function one could potentially record a broadcast and watch it later on the big screen.
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Mar 23, 2016 6:56:09 GMT -5
Maybe I'm old fashioned (or just old), but in the age of big screen HD TV's, it makes little sense to me to watch TV on a dinky little phone screen. Heck, I can barely read the text it's so small...... Maybe? I'm not sure about Apple products, but I can cast just about anything from my Android phone to my TV via Chromecast. So with the DVR function one could potentially record a broadcast and watch it later on the big screen. Yea, but the big screen already has a tuner and if you have a DVR box attached, you can already do that. I understand that there are people out there who actually seem to enjoy the TV watching experience on a tiny phone screen, but that's just not me. I want the "movie theater" experience, complete with surround sound.
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Post by MonkeyMan on Mar 23, 2016 8:40:32 GMT -5
Maybe? I'm not sure about Apple products, but I can cast just about anything from my Android phone to my TV via Chromecast. So with the DVR function one could potentially record a broadcast and watch it later on the big screen. Yea, but the big screen already has a tuner and if you have a DVR box attached, you can already do that. I understand that there are people out there who actually seem to enjoy the TV watching experience on a tiny phone screen, but that's just not me. I want the "movie theater" experience, complete with surround sound. True for me and you, but there is a whole new generation (millennials) many of which have no cable or satellite service at all and get most of what they watch via the internet. That is who I believe this service is aimed at, pops.
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Mar 23, 2016 12:11:25 GMT -5
Yea, but the big screen already has a tuner and if you have a DVR box attached, you can already do that. I understand that there are people out there who actually seem to enjoy the TV watching experience on a tiny phone screen, but that's just not me. I want the "movie theater" experience, complete with surround sound. True for me and you, but there is a whole new generation (millennials) many of which have no cable or satellite service at all and get most of what they watch via the internet. That is who I believe this service is aimed at, pops. Yea, their eyesight is much better than mine........ but not for long if they keep staring at small screen phones......
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Post by cbrown on Mar 23, 2016 13:34:17 GMT -5
I have nieces & nephews and all they do is stare at their phones. They only communicate via text messages. I think the art of conversation is going to die with this group.
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Post by MonkeyMan on Mar 23, 2016 15:20:45 GMT -5
I have nieces & nephews and all they do is stare at their phones. They only communicate via text messages. I think the art of conversation is going to die with this group. When I'm in social settings and see someone with their head buried in their phone I'm compelled to take it and beat them with it. And in a restaurant, during the meal? Forget about it!
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Mar 23, 2016 17:47:17 GMT -5
I have nieces & nephews and all they do is stare at their phones. They only communicate via text messages. I think the art of conversation is going to die with this group. When I'm in social settings and see someone with their head buried in their phone I'm compelled to take it and beat them with it. And in a restaurant, during the meal? Forget about it! I'm with you on that. To me it's the height of ignorance to be in an in-person group setting and have one or more people ignoring the group in favor of who they are communicating with over the phone. I fear that this latest generation of kids will eventually loose the ability to socialize in person, or be so awkward, that they'll avoid it.
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Post by MonkeyMan on Mar 24, 2016 7:37:14 GMT -5
When I'm in social settings and see someone with their head buried in their phone I'm compelled to take it and beat them with it. And in a restaurant, during the meal? Forget about it! I'm with you on that. To me it's the height of ignorance to be in an in-person group setting and have one or more people ignoring the group in favor of who they are communicating with over the phone. I fear that this latest generation of kids will eventually loose the ability to socialize in person, or be so awkward, that they'll avoid it. Amen. Neither of my kids (14 and 11) have phones, but they have use to my old, pre-paid flip phone when they're away from home, and if they forget it they can use one of their friends/teachers phones to call/text if need be. My daughter did have a tablet but it was revoked for over-use after being warned about it several times. She is allowed limited use of my wife's phone for Instagram (whatever the hell that is) with her friends and we monitor it closely and my son also uses it occasionally for use with his MiP robot, but that's about it for him. They have access to the laptops for homework and some limited access for general web surfing, but always in a common area of the home. We're not raising "social retards" over here. Today they're both tasked with writing actual thank you letters to their uncle in Washington state for the birthday cards he sent. Oh yeah, we're "the worst parents ever". Mission accomplished.
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Post by cbrown on Mar 24, 2016 9:33:25 GMT -5
When I'm in social settings and see someone with their head buried in their phone I'm compelled to take it and beat them with it. And in a restaurant, during the meal? Forget about it! I try and take my dad out to dinner at a nice restaurant at least once a month. While out, I see entire families with tier heads buried into their phones while sitting at their table. It amazes me.
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Mar 24, 2016 9:36:57 GMT -5
When I'm in social settings and see someone with their head buried in their phone I'm compelled to take it and beat them with it. And in a restaurant, during the meal? Forget about it! I try and take my dad out to dinner at a nice restaurant at least once a month. While out, I see entire families with tier heads buried into their phones while sitting at their table. It amazes me. "Amazes" would not be the word that I would use. "Saddens" would be about the kindest word I can use....
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Mar 24, 2016 9:45:14 GMT -5
I'm with you on that. To me it's the height of ignorance to be in an in-person group setting and have one or more people ignoring the group in favor of who they are communicating with over the phone. I fear that this latest generation of kids will eventually loose the ability to socialize in person, or be so awkward, that they'll avoid it. Amen. Neither of my kids (14 and 11) have phones, but they have use to my old, pre-paid flip phone when they're away from home, and if they forget it they can use one of their friends/teachers phones to call/text if need be. My daughter did have a tablet but it was revoked for over-use after being warned about it several times. She is allowed limited use of my wife's phone for Instagram (whatever the hell that is) with her friends and we monitor it closely and my son also uses it occasionally for use with his MiP robot, but that's about it for him. They have access to the laptops for homework and some limited access for general web surfing, but always in a common area of the home. We're not raising "social retards" over here. Today they're both tasked with writing actual thank you letters to their uncle in Washington state for the birthday cards he sent. Oh yeah, we're "the worst parents ever". Mission accomplished. My wife and I (mostly my wife)have caved to the peer social pressure that infects the teenage social order. My daughter has an iPhone 6, which she spends most of her time on. I forbid use of it at the dinner table, and she has it taken from her for certain infractions (like getting a bad grade). But when she doesn't have it, she is completely out of the loop with her friends and softball team(s), as they all communicate via text, Instagram, or SnapChat. As much as I'd love to give her a simple phone that she can use when we need to contact her, the reality is that as much as I try, I can't hold back change. Or if I do, she'll only end up more alienated than she already is.
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Post by MonkeyMan on Mar 24, 2016 10:16:28 GMT -5
My wife and I (mostly my wife)have caved to the peer social pressure that infects the teenage social order. My daughter has an iPhone 6, which she spends most of her time on. I forbid use of it at the dinner table, and she has it taken from her for certain infractions (like getting a bad grade). But when she doesn't have it, she is completely out of the loop with her friends and softball team(s), as they all communicate via text, Instagram, or SnapChat. As much as I'd love to give her a simple phone that she can use when we need to contact her, the reality is that as much as I try, I can't hold back change. Or if I do, she'll only end up more alienated than she already is. I told my daughter that we'd consider letting her get a phone once she lands a "real" job, which may not be long because she's been talking about getting one for some time now. I figured that would give her incentive to get out there and start earning, and it would also afford me some peace and quiet. Winning!
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Post by MonkeyMan on Mar 24, 2016 11:46:42 GMT -5
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Post by cbrown on Mar 25, 2016 12:30:06 GMT -5
"Amazes" would not be the word that I would use. "Saddens" would be about the kindest word I can use.... Agreed. But I'm amazed people can actually sit together at a table and not not talk to each other at all. I can't imagine what they are like at home...
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Mar 25, 2016 12:38:11 GMT -5
"Amazes" would not be the word that I would use. "Saddens" would be about the kindest word I can use.... Agreed. But I'm amazed people can actually sit together at a table and not not talk to each other at all. I can't imagine what they are like at home... At home? Picture 4 (or more) people sitting in the family room, each with their own laptop/mobile device. Each of them exploring their favorite haunts...... And not a word is spoken between any of them. Welcome to the modern American family....
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Post by cbrown on Mar 29, 2016 9:45:31 GMT -5
At home? Picture 4 (or more) people sitting in the family room, each with their own laptop/mobile device. Each of them exploring their favorite haunts...... And not a word is spoken between any of them. Welcome to the modern American family.... Sad, but true.
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Post by MonkeyMan on Apr 27, 2016 14:05:29 GMT -5
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Post by MonkeyMan on May 16, 2016 12:43:57 GMT -5
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Post by MonkeyMan on Jun 2, 2016 11:30:34 GMT -5
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Jun 2, 2016 13:42:02 GMT -5
A "Must Have" for cord cutters who like to time shift their viewing habits. But at over $400 it's a pretty big hit in the wallet. Especially when you consider how quickly technology is changing. It's very likely that this device will end up obsolete in less than 5 years.
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Post by MonkeyMan on Jun 2, 2016 16:51:33 GMT -5
It is a lot up front, but compared to similar TiVo units which charge a monthly fee for the program guide it's not a bad deal especially if you factor in a $0 per month cable bill, which is the whole point.
It is upgradable via software updates so I doubt it becoming obsolete so soon, unless ATSC 3.0 is put on some sort of fast track.
I love mine. Best tech purchase I've made in years.
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Jun 2, 2016 20:53:33 GMT -5
It is a lot up front, but compared to similar TiVo units which charge a monthly fee for the program guide it's not a bad deal especially if you factor in a $0 per month cable bill, which is the whole point. It is upgradable via software updates so I doubt it becoming obsolete so soon, unless ATSC 3.0 is put on some sort of fast track. There are a bunch of new content delivery methods in development. The big push now, especially for cable companies who know their traditional market is dwindling, is to make content viewable across a variety of devices, from Big screen 4K TV's, all the way down to smart phones. ATSC 3.0 will have a part to play in all that, and like I said before, technology has been advancing in leaps and bounds. 1080p HD TV has only been popular (and affordable) for less than 15 years, and we've already obsoleted that in favor of 4K. Digital cable didn't really hit the market until the 90's, and look how far that has advanced since. Before that we had 40+ years of relatively unchanged analog NTSC TV. It's hard to predict what the TV viewing landscape will look like in 5 years. But I'd be willing to bet it will be different than what we have now.
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Post by MonkeyMan on Jun 2, 2016 21:29:18 GMT -5
Well speaking for myself, I'm going to keep and use mine as long as it remains operable and I receive signals over the air. Monthly savings aside, there's a certain feeling of liberation not having to rely on and deal with some multimillion/billion dollar corporation with customer service reps located in some third world country in order to simply watch television, and therein lies the value, at least for this guy.
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Jun 3, 2016 7:10:25 GMT -5
Well speaking for myself, I'm going to keep and use mine as long as it remains operable and I receive signals over the air. Monthly savings aside, there's a certain feeling of liberation not having to rely on and deal with some multimillion/billion dollar corporation with customer service reps located in some third world country in order to simply watch television, and therein lies the value. Or until whomever is supplying the guide information decides to no longer provide it (or decides to charge for it). I completely agree with your desire to use you devices as long as you can. Unfortunately, there are external factors that are out of your control, which can override your desires. This is what scares me into not wanting to risk dropping such a heavy price (Heck I paid that much for the TV).
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Post by MonkeyMan on Jun 3, 2016 9:30:19 GMT -5
As an aside, there is a basic program guide broadcast over ATSC 1.0. I also have one of these DVR's on a second TV, Mediasonic Homeworx HW-150PVR. Far more affordable, but the user interface leaves much to be desired.
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Post by BBB on Jun 3, 2016 10:09:03 GMT -5
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Post by MonkeyMan on Jun 3, 2016 19:07:49 GMT -5
Well speaking for myself, I'm going to keep and use mine as long as it remains operable and I receive signals over the air. Monthly savings aside, there's a certain feeling of liberation not having to rely on and deal with some multimillion/billion dollar corporation with customer service reps located in some third world country in order to simply watch television, and therein lies the value. Or until whomever is supplying the guide information decides to no longer provide it (or decides to charge for it)... Funny you mention that. Channel Master posted this on their Facebook page today... "Many of you have asked us about the future of your DVR+ guide, which is using Rovi software, now that Rovi is in the process of acquiring TiVo. To be clear, we have a contract with Rovi and your DVR+ guide is not going anywhere. And also please know that even if we were to decide to make a change some day in regard to your DVR+ guide, it would only be to make a change for the better. It is important to note that 100% of Rovi’s business, and the vast majority of TiVo’s business, is providing products and services to Cable and Satellite operators worldwide. Both companies are strongly tied to the Pay-TV industry. TiVo’s retail consumer products are a very small part of what TiVo does today. While we can’t speculate too much on what the new combined company will do in the future, here is a recent quote from Rovi’s CFO: “Being in the hardware business isn’t something that necessarily excites us... There are several box providers out there who have direct-to-retail. We’ll be looking at the possibilities of working with them, having them control the box. And while that would be a partnership and we wouldn’t get all the sales as a result, we think that’s probably a better way to approach the consumer space.”"
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Sandbagger
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Post by Sandbagger on Jun 3, 2016 20:15:44 GMT -5
Or until whomever is supplying the guide information decides to no longer provide it (or decides to charge for it)... Funny you mention that. Channel Master posted this on their Facebook page today... "Many of you have asked us about the future of your DVR+ guide, which is using Rovi software, now that Rovi is in the process of acquiring TiVo. To be clear, we have a contract with Rovi and your DVR+ guide is not going anywhere. And also please know that even if we were to decide to make a change some day in regard to your DVR+ guide, it would only be to make a change for the better. It is important to note that 100% of Rovi’s business, and the vast majority of TiVo’s business, is providing products and services to Cable and Satellite operators worldwide. Both companies are strongly tied to the Pay-TV industry. TiVo’s retail consumer products are a very small part of what TiVo does today. While we can’t speculate too much on what the new combined company will do in the future, here is a recent quote from Rovi’s CFO: “Being in the hardware business isn’t something that necessarily excites us... There are several box providers out there who have direct-to-retail. We’ll be looking at the possibilities of working with them, having them control the box. And while that would be a partnership and we wouldn’t get all the sales as a result, we think that’s probably a better way to approach the consumer space.”" This perfectly illustrates what I was talking about earlier. Nothing is forever ("forever" in the tech world used to be ~20 years, now you're lucky to get 7) in this rapidly growing and changing tech world, where mergers, buyouts and changes in the market drive where these companies concentrate their efforts. Everything looks great right now, but you can't predict where their heads will be at in a year or two. I'd be interested to see what the conditions of the contract are with Rovi, and if there are any escape clauses, or if the contract can become void if Rovi is acquired by another company (like Google, who likes to buy companies just for their patents). It's also possible that a completely new content delivery method may drive the development of a much better (or just different and incompatible) guide format. Let's hope it stays good for you.
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Post by MonkeyMan on Jun 3, 2016 21:25:25 GMT -5
Worst case scenario? I do without the 7-10 hours of broadcast television I watch per week, a good portion of which is the news and that's usually depressing. Honestly, the amount of "free" (not factoring internet cost) content I get with my Roku is more than I could ever watch. And I'll just head over to my buddy's house to watch the Eagles. Suddenly I recall the "Kill your TV" t-shirts from the 80's.
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