Reduce Outrageous Monthly Satellite TV Expense

When can I get rid of my outrageous Satellite TV bill? TV is free, so why are we paying so much?

I am currently paying over $110.00 per month for DIRECTV.  This includes 4 DVR’s,  HD content without any movie channels like HBO.  As a result of economic conditions I am continually looking for ways to reduce expenses.  This has prompted me to keep an eye on current and upcoming technologies that will allow me to reduce expenses.  I am looking for a solution that will allow me to keep most of the features and capabilities as my DIRECTV service offers.  I can’t live without my DVR.  The DVR is the best invention since sliced bread.

It seems like people have forgotten that TV is free.  With an inexpensive off air antenna you can receive local channels in HD which I have found recently includes many more channels than you might expect.  All your prime-time favorites like CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC and many more are available for free.  You can even see a Guide that will tell you what is playing on each channel.  What is missing is the ability to record, pause and rewind and best of all subscribe to a season pass.

Option #1:

The closest option for replacing DIRECTV and keeping the features I love is “TiVo” using the free Off Air TV signal (supported on TiVo Premiere & Premiere XL but not Premiere XL4).  Switching has some upfront costs especially when replacing 4 DVR’s.

To go the TiVo route here is the low down on costs.

Costs for 4 TiVo Premiere receivers with multi-service discount:

	DVR's	Monthly	Total Monthly
1st year	$149.00ea	$12.99	$101.63
2nd year+		$9.95	$39.80

Costs for 4 TiVo Premiere XL receivers with multi-service discount:

	DVR's	Monthly	Total Monthly
1st year	$249.00ea	$12.99	$134.96
2nd year+		$9.95	$39.80

What you will be missing:

Unless you pay for Cable in addition to the fees mentioned above, then say good bye to Discovery Channel, Nickelodeon, DIY network, ESPN etc.  The grass isn't always greener on the other side.   I am hesitant to switch although this option is looking increasingly attractive.

Option #2:

What about all the other streaming options where you use your internet connection along with a subscription service to watch TV and movies on demand?

Apple TV and PS3/Netflix users are the only ones that offer HD 1080p content.  Read the fine print.  If they say they offer HD content you are most likely only getting 720p.

There is also Amazon Instant Video, hulu, and Netflix.  Did I miss any?  Here is a good comparison post I came across.  How they stack up.

Show stoppers:

No access to popular prime-time TV shows.
I would need 4 devices, one for each TV.
No DVR for recording live TV and sports from off air signals.

More info coming soon….

Control Iphone on PC Without Jailbreaking

A new enhancement that I hope will be available soon is the ability to control your iPhone/iPad from your PC.  If you are familiar with “Jailbreaking” there is a solution which involves installing software called Veency via Cydia and using VNC software on your PC/Mac all for free.  Installation and usage can and should be much more simple and convenient so that your average user can benefit.  I have been Jailbroken before, but I have been using my phone without Jailbreaking for a while now and I am doing just fine.  I may have to revisit Jailbreaking again though.

 

As an example, I have a radio docking station which plays music from my iPhone.  If I want to make any changes I have to get up and make the change.  If I want to read email or text I have to remove it from the doc.  If I could cut the cord (See Cut the Cord post) this would diminish the need for this feature.  Even if the phone is plugged into the computer I want to be able to control it from my PC.  I work from home so I am on my computer all day.  This would be a great benefit but I would prefer not to have to Jailbreak my iPhone/iPad.

Resources:

There are plenty of videos on how to do this on a Jailbroken phone. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ2FP2Ppz2E

Jailbreaking is legal now and there are tons of sites that will help Jailbreak your phone.  Just Google “Jailbreaking”.  I just found this comprehensive guide on Jailbreaking http://www.idownloadblog.com/jailbreak/

 

iPhone/iPad - Cut the Cord Please!

With Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and soon to be Near-Field Communication we should be able to eliminate the need for the cord to stream music, movies and photos to a PC, TV, Home/Car stereo, PS3, Projector, Printer and other devices? 

I have seen examples of this technology on NCIS and Hawaii Five O and other shows where they swiftly swipe from their iPad in the direction of a screen and the image is magically thrown onto to the nearest TV.  Does this exist or is this just Hollywood special affects?  We are already syncing wirelessly.  Obviously manufacturers would have to add functionality to their devices.  Most new TV's and other devices have WiFi capabilities or are connected via Ethernet already and software updates can provide new enhancements.

If I want to listen to music on my car stereo, I have to purchase and plug into an RF transmitter cradle or if my car stereo has an auxiliary input I can use an audio cable to listen to music.  With  three iPhone's an iPad and iPod in our family, things can become very messy in a hurry on family trips.  Between the 12 volt charger cables, FM Transmitter cradle and/or audio cord and Seagate GoFlex Satellite drive, I have a messy maze of cords and hardware in my center console. If I dock my iPhone in an RF transmitter cradle I sometimes can't read it and wish I had it in my hand (Accept if I am driving of course.  Don't text and drive!).  Good luck texting or answering a phone call from the passenger seat of course while the iPhone is docked in a cradle. I hears Ford is building WI-fi connectivity in their vehicles so this could happen.


Apple Remote is a step in the right direction, but what if I am at a friends house and I want to be the DJ or share some photos on their equipment.


Are you listening Apple?  You are already working on this right?  I would find it hard to believe if I were the first person to think of this.

In the meantime while you wait for this feature and you are looking for an FM Transmitter cradle there are two important features I would like to point out.

1. If you use a cover for your iPhone make sure it will work with the cradle without having to take the cover off.  You will notice this one has a short flexible power connector VS some that have a fixed power connector.  This one works great with my Otterbox Case .
2. The FM Transmitter cradle shown here has an adjustable mount that is NOT flexible.  I would avoid using ones with a flexible neck if possible.  I don't like mine.  For one it is permanently stuck in the 12 volt adapter hole but most of all the adjustable neck won't stay in the position that I like.

Future Technologies - I Can't Wait!

1. iPhone/iPad fling transmitter - Lets cut the cord please
2. Control on iPhone/iPad from your PC without Jailbreaking
3. DVD’s a thing of the past?  Details forthcoming.
4. Near Field Communication
5. Why are we paying so much to watch TV?  Solutions to keep an eye on:
1. Free over the Air TV with TIVO
2. Netflix, HULU, Apple TV, Amazon, Roku
3. HDMI over Air
4. in order to get HD quality signal transferred to your HDTV, both the transmitter and receiver need to be plugged into the same circuit. In other words, both plugs need to be connected to the same breaker in your fuse box.
5. RF TV Remote
6. Near Field Communication

Details to Follow....

New Apple iPad plays 1080p HD movies - 500GB Seagate GoFlex Wireless Drive

My 7 year older daughter was always complaining about her portable DVD player.  The DVD's are scratched and her selection is dwindling.  I really wanted to replace the DVD player with newer technology.  I know that DVD's are going the way of the 8 track Tape which is fine by me.  I started to think about all the reasons the family could use an iPad or similar tablet style device.  We have a lot of movies stored on a portable USB drive, so I figured I could just hook it up to the pad and watch movie.  Not so easy if you buy the iPad.

I researched how I could watch them via an iPad on the road.  If I couldn't find a way then I wasn't sure I could justify buying the iPad.  The iPad comes in 16, 32 or 64GB sizes none of which are enough to suite my needs.  One movie alone can take up 8GB.  Sure, you could shrink them, but I am picky when it comes to picture quality.  You still need room for apps, photo's and music.

I read it may be possible to connect a USB device using the apple Camera kit, but it wasn't clear enough to me that it would work.  I eventually found out about the Seagate GoFlex Satellite drive and was convinced to give it a try.  The GoFlex drive runs on a rechargeable battery and creates a Wi-Fi hotspot allowing the iPad to connect to it wirelessly.  We bought the new 3rd generation iPad and the GoFlex and I am happy to say the combination works very well.  If your movies are stored in 1080p you will be amazed with the picture quality on the retina display.

How it works(short version):

1. Upload movies to a folder on the GoFlex Satellite drive
2. Unplug GoFlex Satellite drive from the USB port on the computer - (Required before the Wi-Fi signal will activate)
3. Turn on the GoFlex Satellite drive and wait a few moments until both lights are solid green.
4. On your iPhone/iPad go to "Settings" then "Wi-Fi" and connect to the "GoFlex Satellite" Network.  Should see a blue light flickering now on the drive.
5. Using the free iPhone App called "GoFlex Media", open it and watch movies, view photo slideshows, listen to music and view documents.

It's that simple once you are all setup. My 7 year old is a pro after just a couple times using it.


But wait:  It wasn't simple at 1st.  Don't worry.  I have resolved my issues and I thought I would pass on my knowledge to help improve the success of others.  Problem is the iPad will only play certain video formats.  Supported formats: H.264 video up to 1080p, 30 frames per second, .m4v, .mp4, and .mov.  More details found on their web site (http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/).  These format limitations can be worked around in some cases which I will explain later.

The Seagate GoFlex Satellite drive comes with a Free iPhone App (GoFlex Media) which will play the iPad supported formats.  Formats that I tried and confirmed do not work are m2ts, mkv, avi, mpg and others I presume.  I found only a small percentage of my movies were in a format that could be played through GoFlex Satellite.  I anticipated this and was confident there was a solution out there.  This is where I spent a lot of time trying to make things work.  To speed things up for you I recommend the free Handbrake Video Conversion software.  I had issues with it at first so I will hopefully save you some time with some settings which I will explain later(See Bonus section below "Air Playit"). 


Handbrake settings and instructions for converting unsupported movie formats:

1. Download and install the free Handbrake Video Conversion software. 
2. In HandBrake, select the Source button and pick the video you want to convert.
3. Under "Presets" select "Regular" then "High Profile" if you want the highest possible quality.
4. I recommend you set a desired Default path so that you will know where the new converted movie file will be located.  To accomplish this go to "Tools" then "Options" then "Output Files" and

Remember that the quality of the output is dependent on the quality of the source file.  Here is a screen print showing the settings.

Other key points:
Make sure to install the latest firmware which improves on battery life and will allow you to connect to the internet while connected to the GOFlex Wi-Fi connection.
The when the Seagate GoFlex Satellite drive is connected to your computer via the supplied USB cable the battery will automatically recharge.  It also comes with a 12volt and 120volt cord for recharging.


Bonus:
The GoFlex system will work great when you are on the road, but when you are at home on your wireless network you will prefer to use "Air Playit" (http://www.airplayit.com/).  The big advantage is it's ability to play many more video formats.  No need to convert your movies.  I haven't found a format it would play yet.  Additionally you don't need to connect to the GoFlex Wireless network which is an extra step.
You will find the free app in the App store.
Requires a PC version of Air Playit to be running on your computer.
I think Apple has something similar as well but I have not tried it.

Fishing Rancho Seco Reservoir in Sacramento

My dad and I fished Rancho Seco reservoir in Sacramento this past Sunday and I thought I would share some photos and information. My dad caught most of the fish. He had the hot fly. The crappie he caught is the biggest i have ever seen but I heard about a 2lb+ bluegill caught here as well.

There was a fishing derby here this weekend and one in the past. They have been planting lots of trout including fish 2 lbs up to 6 according to the Fish Sniffer report on Feb 16th. They actually dumped some trout on Sunday. We suspect two of the trout we caught were from the truck that dumped while we were fishing. The trout delivery caused frenzy. The doc was underwater due to so many fishermen fishing off of it. Four Sheriff's showed up just to make sure things remained peaceful. I actually saw one of them casting a line out to try his luck. I wonder if he had his fishing license.

Fishing was slow overall. We had to work at it pretty hard but did better then most of the other 200 people fishing the lake. The biggest trout was (17" 2.22 lbs) using T-14 line at about 10-15 ft deep late in the day. Best fly was dark green with black tail with Flashabou wrapped along with short shuck on body. All my fish were caught on this fly.

Someone caught a big bass there too. I snapped a photo from afar. I am pretty sure i heard them say he was over 8lbs. Nice catch. Judging by the size of her belly I presume she was feeding on fresh planted trout.

Christmas in Puerto Morelos

My family decided to spend Christmas in Puerto Morelos Mexico this year. Puerto Morelos is a short drive South of Cancun. There were 12 of us in all. Rather then spend a bunch of money on gifts we spent it on travel expenses and excursions. Puerto Morelos is a family friendly town and was not overrun with Tourists. It is much less expensive then Cancun and not so crowded.

We stayed at the Posada El Moro. It may be the best deal in town for the money. It was no 5 star resort by any means, but for location and staff I give it a 10. It has a pool with a shallow area for kids. It is less then a block away from the center of this family friendly town and has free Internet Access in the hotel lobby for its guests. There is some construction going on and they have some kinks to work out with the hot water heater and AC unit in the room we were in, but over all it was a pleasant stay.

We snorkeled from the uncrowded beach just a couple blocks from the hotel. You won’t see much more life if you took a guided snorkeling tour at the reef so you may want to save your money. Snorkeling off the beach was great. Schools of bait fish swarmed by our feet as we entered near the beach. We saw countless Barracuda some of which appeared to be at lease 4 feet long. They seemed to hang out in about 12 feet of water just 30 yards from shore. If you keep going you start to come unto some rocks about 50 yards out and you will see all kinds of life.

I came across a flat fish that appeared to be some sort of Flounder. I was able to get close enough to it to touch its tail. As I did this the fish made a hard left hand turn and appeared to try to reach back to my hand to bite me. I of course evaded his attack and decided I shouldn’t bother him any more. Little did I know this fish is a member of the Electric Ray family? This Ray will stun its prey with electricity. Had I known this Ray was electric I might have kept my distance. It pays to know your fish.

I made two tank dives on this trip and after this I now understand how Steve Irwin (R.I.P.) may have been succumbed to an attack by a Sting Ray. I was cruising along near the bottom of sandy area. I had no idea I was directly over a resting Sting Ray. Out of seemingly nowhere a Sting Ray jumped out from under his sanding shelter and swam away. I was startled and also lucky to have my Camera ready and snapped a quick pick. Perhaps I was lucky to still be alive. The long spear that extends out of the picture appears to be very dangerous. Since this was a popular dive spot perhaps the ray didn’t feel threatened as he was used to encountering humans.