Apple TV To Go? Take your Apple TV on a trip? Yeah, you’re probably thinking “Talk about bad timing. Should have explained this before I started my trip.” What’s The Problem? The Apple TV is a great streaming platform. So is Roku, FireTV, and Chromecast. Everything I’m saying here probably applies to all of these products but I haven’t tested with them so hedging my bets just a bit. Vacations whether active or laid back, always have some downtime where we want to catch up on our favorite series, stumble upon the latest TEDTalks, or maybe just watch some random craziness on YouTube. Some hotels and vacation accommodations may have a TV with Netflix, YouTube, or other apps built-in, you can’t count on it. You probably don’t want to punch in your login details on someone else’s system. Just plug in to an HDMI port on the hotel TV, power-up and start watching TV, right? Well, not so fast! Assuming you can get to an available HDMI port (that’s getting a lot easier now), Apple TV and most dedicated network devices can’t log in to someone else’s Wi-Fi network. Hotels, coffee shops, campgrounds, and most travel locations have Wi-Fi. But instead of just the traditional network name (aka “SSID”) and password, you must also open your web browser and sign-in to access the network. It’s kinda lame - often the magic password is just your last name and room number, but that still is enough to stop your Apple TV dead in its tracks. The problem is that …
Cord Cutter
Cord-Cutter: Live TV Streaming Services For 2020
Stop paying high prices for cable or satellite TV service by becoming a cord cutter. But don't give up watching live TV - news, sports, and other programs live, as they happen. Most of these services offer a range of free and subscription options. Most paid plans have a free trial period so you can check them out first. Each service has a different mix of included program content with upgrades available for an additional fee.Take a look at each service to see which matches your current broadcast, satellite, or cable service.As a cord cutter you may not need to replace all your current channels - just look for the ones you actually like watching. In addition to the following live television streaming options, you may be interested in these premium movie and tv show streaming services. Check out these hardware streaming devices that are alternatives to the built-in SmartTV apps that come with your tv or DVD player. Enjoy becoming a cord cutter! …
Cord-Cutter: The Best Media Streaming Devices for 2020
Stop paying high prices for cable or satellite TV service. Firstly, check out this list of some of the best media streaming devices to bypass the shackles of traditional Cable TV or Satellite providers. Secondly, choose a live tv streaming service for your favorite news, sports, or programs. Thirdly, don't forget the premium options for exclusive hit series and movies you can enjoy as a cord cutter. …
Cord-Cutter: Best Premium Online Video Services for 2020
You can stop paying high prices for cable or satellite TV service. Look at these affordable alternatives. You can sign-up for the free trial offer before you decide on a monthly or yearly subscription discount. Afterwards, you can add a live tv streaming service so you don't miss your local stations, news, or sports programs, too! Lastly, as a bona fide cord cutter, upgrade from the built-in SmartTV apps to one of these streaming boxes for better audio and video quality. …
Cord Cutter Quick Guide For For 2020
No, Not The Video Game You may heard the term cord cutter, but unless you are an avid tv nerd, you may not be familiar with the details. Here’s a quick introduction to help you get started. What Is A Cord-Cutter? This means discontinuing Cable TV service by disconnecting the coaxial cable feed coming into the home. Cord-cutting started as a counter-culture protest when techies figured out they could replace most of broadcast and cable television with cheaper alternatives. You can replace subscription Cable TV or Satellite TV without giving anything up. Cord cutters have several motives: Saving money - Cable fees have continued to creep upward. Fees for HD, multiple cable boxes, other add-ons, plus the phony mandatory service fees add up.Don't forget the and taxes and other mysterious charges that leave you stuck paying $50 to $100 for what used to be free broadcast television. More hardware viewing choices - Cord cutters want to watch TV programming on devices other than TV’s. Your smartphone, tablet, computer, and specialized electronics like video game consoles all make sense. Traditional TV viewing is limited to actual TV equipment only. A La Carte Services - Cable TV has a lot of additional services including sports passes, special interest channels, and local/regional shows. They are grouped into inflexible bundles which means you pay a lot more just to get what you actually want. Better Recording - Cable TV boxes with …
Cord Cutter: Navigating TV Choices in 2020
What’s On TV If you haven’t noticed, while you are becoming a cord cutter for viewing mainstream TV, technology moving from high definition to ultra high definition and even creeping towards 8K. A quick history of TV formats in the United States The easiest way to categorize the different models available is by the image resolution displayed on the screen. Traditional analog broadcast TV had 525 lines of resolution and is the baseline everything else is compared with. High Definition Digital TV has 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution. This is typically called HD or 1K television. The new Ultra HD (or 4K) TV’s feature 3840 x 2160 resolution which is four times the pixel resolution - that’s 400% more! New TV’s bring even more confusing image choices for cord cutter With technology it is too easy for manufacturers to avoid making hard decisions. Engineers and designers love to put multiple features and capabilities into a product and leave it up to the consumer to sort it all out. So HD and 4K televisions have many confusing options - multiple resolutions, different refresh rates, contrast ratio, color rendering, color range, and that’s just the beginning. HD televisions are available in both 720 and 1080 resolution, both interlaced (“i”) and non-interlaced (“p”) versions, and 4K provides even more choices for refresh rates. As if that wasn’t enough, the new crop of 4K televisions brings new whiz-bang features including wider color gamut, …
Are 4K HDMI Cables All The Same?
I was wrong about 4K HDMI Cables? Or Was I? I just ran into a situation hooking up 4K HDMI cables that caused me to re-think a strongly held position. I’m usually an easy-going type of person, but once in a while, a few things really bother me. As a consumer, and later as a product manager / marketing manager at several high tech companies, I have always had the customer’s interest at heart. As a smart home systems integrator, I am upset when I see shady business practices or questionable sales tactics focused on profit (and greed). Charging What The Market Will Bear Selling grossly over-priced accessories, especially 4K HDMI cables, has often put me “on a mission” to educate the “regular guy or gal” and set the record straight. I have been vocal in telling friends, clients, and customers that there is no difference in HDMI cables. Under most circumstances, the least expensive no-name cables provide the same result as the expensive fancy brands. That used to be true, but now I must admit, I learned the hard way that the answer is “it depends”. Gold-Plated AV Cables If you’ve been around the consumer electronics and stereo industry, then you’ve probably come across the salesperson trying to sell you gold-plated (literally!) AV cables. Whether it’s speaker wire with 100% pure, oxygen-free solid copper wire, or simply connection wires for your DVD player or other device with RCA jacks, there are always several grades to choose from. When …
4K TV Upgrade – Is Now The Right Time?
Besides lights, HVAC controls, and security systems, smart homes almost always include automated entertainment systems. Whether it’s a modest “all-in-one” remote control for TV, Blu-ray player, and perhaps a game console or a fully-custom home theater that is the envy of everyone, the cornerstone of any AV system is the television. Over the years we’ve seen some fads (such as 3D TV) come and go. If you jumped in too early, you paid a lot of money for technology that was unproven, hard to use, and ultimately faded into oblivion before ever becoming mainstream. The latest buzz to catch everyone’s attention is 4K (or “Ultra HD”) television. This week I’m going to try and demystify the technical jargon and provide guidance on whether you should upgrade your current TV to 4K. What is 4K Television? 4K TV is the next step in the continuous evolution of television technology. After a long time with very little change, we have seen the explosion in low-cost consumer electronics design and manufacturing providing a steady stream of TV improvements. We’e gone from standard definition (SD), to high-definition (HD) to Ultra high-definition or as most people called it - 4K. Each of these technologies incorporates many changes that affect picture quality, sound quality, transmission standards, user interfaces and more but consumers have focused on picture quality because, simply, that’s what the industry marketing and advertising has …