Customer ServiceeRegister
The Gadgetress ~ TV, mobile and Internet: Covering technology's monthly bill

Archive for the 'Video & TV' Category

« Previous Entries

10 ways to watch TV cheaper

April 9th, 2010, 8:10 am by
Read more:

My prediction: This is going to be a big year for TV. But not because the last episode of “Lost”  airs next month. Or because yet another season of “American Idol” is one of this year’s highest rated shows.

What’s changing is how we watch TV. Hulu.com, which offers a ton of recently aired TV shows, is a mainstream hit. There are trials by Time Warner Cable offering subscribers access to some cable TV shows on the Web. Dish announced something similar (read: “Coming soon: Dish to let users watch TV online“).

Cable TV companies are losing subscribers. Online video sites, which allow users to pick and choose what they want to watch, are gaining viewers. And for the first time last fall, a major cable provider took its fight against the ever-increasing fees paid to networks to rebroadcast shows public. Something has got to give!

While the state of paid TV is undergoing a monumental change, several services are already available to help consumers pay for only what they want to watch. Now, there’s probably more than 10 suggestions on how to watch web TV on a TV, but you get the picture.

While you can hook up a computer to your PC (a la Windows Media Center or some other DIY software), I’ve tracked down some newer alternatives to pipe TV shows from the Web to your big screen TV.  I’ve listed some below, but I’m sure every reader has his or her own favorites. Please share with the rest of us in the comments and if I’m able, I’ll elevate them to the list below. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • • • • | 26 Comments »

Sezmi TV a deal at $20/month but not for everyone, says tester

April 8th, 2010, 7:35 pm by

This is part of a series of stories. See links below for more.

Read more:

In his quest to find an alternative to cable TV, Josh Kaplan signed up last fall to test a brand new TV service called Sezmi. This hybrid online, over-the-air broadcast would ultimately cost $4.99 to $19.99 a month when it launched in February 2010. But as a tester, the Long Beach resident got it all for free.

His verdict? Not ready for prime time.

“I really want them to be successful,” said Kaplan, who lives in Long Beach. “I love to hear of an upstart that’s challenging the status quo. I’ve actually been pleasantly surprised by the quality because I wasn’t expecting much.”

Sezmi launched in the Orange County market in February 2010 offering a different kind of TV service. Besides the usual free over-the-air channels like CBS and Fox, the Sezmi box also offers around 15 cable channels, including CNN, Nickelodeon and Discovery. The Belmont, Ca. company has contracts with Turner Broadcasting, Discovery, Viacom and NBC Universal.

The $4.99 price includes the over-the-air channels and Youtube access; the $19.99 price includes everything else. That’s a steal compared to Kaplan’s current TV bill of $175 for Verizon FiOS TV and Internet service, which continues to creep up.

But set up was off putting to Kaplan. He had difficulty connecting the box to his home network so Sezmi sent him a Homeplug kit that routes Internet service over the home’s electrical system. Still there were issues but after “about 4 to 5 days, I happened to get it to work,” he said. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • • | 4 Comments »

Ditching cable for Xbox saves Seal Beach man $70/month

April 8th, 2010, 5:12 pm by

This is the first in a short series about alternatives to TV service. More coming on Friday.
DITCHING CABLE: Jeremy Baker gave up cable after he lost his job. But he still watches the latest shows thanks to services like PlayOn, Netflix and others. Photo by CINDY YAMANAKA

Everything changed when Jeremy Baker lost his job in November 2008 — including how he watched TV.

The Seal Beach resident  didn’t watch a ton of TV but his cable bill had crept up to $130 a month. Scrambling to cut costs, he canceled cable and bought a Microsoft Xbox 360 game console.

Read more:

“I know it doesn’t make sense but I did the math. After 6 months, the Xbox was paid for,” Baker said.

It’s what he did with the Xbox that helped him save money. By changing the source of his TV service, Baker was able to watch most of his favorite shows on his TV for half of what he had paid the cable company.

He purchased PlayOn software for $30 and got a subscription to Netflix. For $8.99/month, Netflix offers unlimited access to its online video library, which includes thousands of movies and TV shows, plus one DVD rental at a time. PlayOn gave him access to several TV shows plucked from sites like the popular Hulu.com, ComedyCentral.com (including ”The Daily Show with Jon Stewart“) plus an assortment of on-demand shows from MTV, Food Networks, HGTV, SyFy and Discovery Channel.

The best part? He can still watch it all on his regular TV, thanks to the Xbox.

“I got really into watching the old ‘Law & Orders’ and every ‘SVU’ and ‘Criminal Intent,’”  Baker said. “I’m probably paying $60 a month.” Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Internet • Video & TV • • • • • • • • | 27 Comments »

Time Warner joins 3-D cable frenzy for Tiger’s return

April 7th, 2010, 7:49 am by

Time Warner Cable has put its foot in the 3-D TV ring and said Wednesday it will offer the upcoming Masters Tournament in 3-D. The golf event, which has the added publicity of Tiger Woods returning to the tournamnet,  starts April 8.

Time Warner, however, will only offer the coverage on demand, unlike other cable providers Cox Communications and Comcast Corp. (see “Cox getting into 3-D; ESPN 3-D starts in June“). Those companies are offering viewers a mix of live 3-D broadcasts and on-demand coverage.

Offering 3-D broadcasts is a big step for cable companies, which are maxed out when it comes to channel capacity on existing cable lines. Hence, they tend to be behind the competition for the number of HD channels offered. While Cox is using switched digital video technology to convert some channels into a type of on-demand channel so they’re not broadcasting 24/7, Time Warner has been moving the space-hogging analog channels to digital.

Time Warner’s 3-D coverage will be available until April 30 to customers with a cable HD box and HDMI cord. But to get the full 3-D experience, consumers must also have a 3-D HDTV.  (Read related story: “Should your next HDTV be 3-D?)

“We remain committed to bringing our customers not just the latest programming, but the most innovative ways to watch it. The Masters coverage and these viewing parties will provide a good test for the future rollout of 3-D TV in our footprint,” said Melinda Witmer, Executive Vice President of Programming for Time Warner Cable in a statement.

If you don’t have a special TV but were hoping to watch the game in 3D, Time Warner is hosting two private viewing parties. Looks like anyone can sneak in to the San Diego event. Here’s where to show up: The Country Club of Rancho Bernardo on Saturday, April, 10th, from  1:00 PM – 4:00 PST, at 12280 Greens East Rd, San Diego, CA 92128. More details at Time Warner’s site.

Previously on 3-D TVs:

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • | 2 Comments »

Reasons why you can’t order Verizon FiOS TV

April 5th, 2010, 11:36 am by

Last week, Verizon gave Orange County the most detailed information to date on where its elusive FiOS TV and Internet is offered.

The company listed 19 zip codes in area cities that may qualify for the fiber-optic services that boasts Internet speeds of 50 megabits per second and a slate of the most HD channels nationwide. But as I mentioned in the original post, this doesn’t mean that EVERYONE who lives in those zip codes can order FiOS TV and Internet service. Jon Davies, with Verizon, offered the zip codes to help readers, not frustrate them.

“I was hoping it would help readers get a better sense of where we are — I didn’t mean to cause frustration! But, as you know, the biggest challenge we’ve always had with FiOS is making it available to everyone who wants it,” Davies said.

So, to help clarify availability in those zip codes, I’m listing reasons why you may not be able to order FiOS for your home.

1.  You live on the wrong side of the zip code. Zip codes don’t conform to the boundaries of Verizon’s footprint so some customers in these areas may be AT&T customers. Verizon is targeting its existing wired telephone base first before it expands outside its territory. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Internet • Video & TV • • • | 20 Comments »

Verizon FiOS plans 3-D TV broadcasts by 2010 holiday

April 2nd, 2010, 10:42 am by

It’s been a big week for 3-D TV news, as DirecTV gave the new ESPN 3-D channel a June launch date while several cable providers said they will air the upcoming Masters Tournament in 3-D (Time Warner Cable is joining the effort too, announcement is coming).

Today, Verizon chimes in. The company however, isn’t joining the 3-D trend just yet. It’s too early, says Shawn Strickland, vice president of FiOS product management for Verizon.

Currently, consumers need a 3-D HDTV and special glasses to view 3-D broadcasts. But beyond a handful of Blu-ray Disc movies, there is very little 3-D content available.

“The market for 3-D TV is very, very early in its development. We’re monitoring the early sales of 3-D TVs with interest and expect to announce a 3-D offering well in advance of the holiday TV shopping season, when 3-D television sales will expand,” Strickland said.

But don’t count out Verizon. Strickland goes on to say that its FiOS TV service has become the leader in HD channels and offers the most to consumers who can order the TV service. “Ultimately we expect to provide the same industry leadership with 3-D,” he added.

So, it sounds like Verizon FiOS will offer 3-D broadcasts before the end of the year.  And not just one channel but “our commitment will be to bring the broadest range of 3-D programming,” Strickland said. He adds that Verizon is actively negotiating with “a number of companies in the emerging 3-D value chain.”

Now if only more consumers could order FiOS…

More on 3-D TVs and 3-D viewing:

Posted in: Video & TV • • • | 1 Comment »

Verizon reveals where FiOS really is in Orange County (Drumroll please…)

April 1st, 2010, 2:30 pm by

This is not an April Fool’s Day joke. After pestering Verizon for months, I finally got more details today about the availability of Verizon’s FiOS TV and Internet service in Orange County. Apparently, 70,000 households and businesses here can order the alternative TV service powered by fiber-optic lines.

The company offered a zipcode breakdown, which doesn’t necessarily mean you can order service if you live in that zip code. Apartment or condo dwellers need permission from the landlords or homeowner associations before FiOS can offer service.

So, where is Verizon FiOS in Orange County? Drumroll please… Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Internet • Video & TV • • • • • • • • • • • • | 50 Comments »

AT&T U-verse TV non-update update for Orange County

March 31st, 2010, 11:30 am by

Readers searching for an alternative TV service have been asking for months: Any updates on the AT&T U-verse roll out?

It’s been 8 months since last summer’s series detailing the company’s decision to stop pursuing 7 Orange County cities, including Cypress, Dana Point, Irvine, Lake Forest, Newport Beach, San Clemente and Tustin. AT&T ran into roadblocks with the city governments to install large utility boxes above ground. The cities wanted underground structures. AT&T decided it wasn’t worth the time or money.

So, what’s happened since? AT&T just got back to me with an answer and you’re probably not going to like it.

“No updates to report on the OC cities,” said Katie Keating, with AT&T.

More on the U-verse impasse

> More on U-verse Impasse<

Keep in mind, U-verse has expanded tremendously in the past year. According to the company’s 2009 earnings report, it doubled the number of U-verse customers to 2.1 million and it still plans to make the service available to 30 million by the end of next year.

AT&T continues to market to new customers in Aliso Viejo, Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Garden Grove, La Habra, La Palma, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo, Orange, Placentia, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Stanton, Villa Park, Westminster, and Yorba Linda.

But like the other newish TV service, Verizon FiOS, there have been no expansions into new cities. This week, the Associated Press reported Verizon is winding down FiOS expansion. We already knew this was happening in Orange County last year and the company confirmed as much just a few months ago.  If you can’t get FiOS today, you probably won’t be getting it for a very, very long time. Sounds like the same is true with U-verse, at least for the 7 cities previously mentioned.

There is still some hope that Orange County cities will get fiber Internet, if not TV service. Google’s recent pitch to help out cities build fiber networks did attract some local attention. Fullerton, Mission Viejo and Anaheim all made a bid (read earlier story: “Orange County doesn’t go crazy for Google’s 1 gbps fiber Internet“).

More on U-verse:

Posted in: Video & TV • • • • • • • • • • • | 25 Comments »

« Previous Entries
SEO Powered by Platinum SEO from Techblissonline