Category: tech

Is à la carte cable really the answer?

On By Eric BuchmanIn cable, DVR, sports, tech, television, Unfunny2 Comments

There’s a growing demand for “à la carte” cable pricing — i.e. the ability to pick and choose just the individual channels you want.

After all, why pay for stuff you aren’t using?  You don’t want the electric company forcing you to keep your lights on when you’re not home.  Paying only for the TV that you plan to consume makes sense.  More choice and lower bills?  Sign me up!  Right?

Wouldn’t it be nice to order cable like we order dim sum?

There’s just one problem with that line of thinking.   There isn’t a direct correlation between the bulk of your cable bill and the number of channels your receive.  Choice is definitely good, but we could wind up paying more for less.  A lot less.

Continue reading “Is à la carte cable really the answer?” →

Why is Sprint still airing their “first” Evo commercial?

On By Eric BuchmanIn cell phones, tech, UncategorizedLeave a comment

I saw this commercial again just last night.  I get that when the HTC Evo came out in June, Sprint wanted to really play up its “first” status among 4G cell phones, which was a great idea back when it was the only 4G phone.  But all Sprint’s doing now is reminding people the Evo is the oldest 4G phone out there.  Not sure that’s the message they want to be sending.

Side note: Does anyone even remember what the first 3G or 2G phones were? Nope. I don’t, and I actually pay attention to these things. The commercial pretends like being the first 4G phone is as iconic and groundbreaking as being the first rotary phone or the first rocket into space, but as far as I can tell, only three cell phones have officially reached icon status:  the first iPhone, the Motorola Razr, and Zack Morris’s grey brick mobile phone.  That’s it.

Though it helped make Zack popular at school, it also lead to his fatal brain tumor.

Sony’s Google TV remote is a handful. Literally. And not in a good way.

On By Eric BuchmanIn tech, television, UnfunnyLeave a comment

Sony's Google remote has way too many buttons

I tried out Sony’s Google TV solution at a Sony store today.  No, make that:  I tried to try out Sony’s Google TV solution.   I wanted to write a quick post today about my first thoughts on it, but I can’t, because I spent more time trying to figure out the darned remote than I did actually using it.

The remote is a perfect example of “too much of a good thing.” 90% of the buttons are only needed very occasionally, which means for most basic tasks (like, say, watching TV) it’s just a lot of wasted and confusing space.  And when you do need to use one of the extra buttons, it’s not-at-all obvious which button is the right one to press.  I had to **gasp** ask a sales guy for help with something as simple as moving the cursor when using the Google TV web browser (the answer: the large round button on the upper right doubles as a mini touch-pad — cool, but not the least bit intuitive).

I still want to try Google TV at home at some point, but based on my five minutes with Sony’s solution, I’m now leaning towards giving Logitech’s Google TV box a try.  Its remote interface has to be better, right?

Not all TV viewers were created equal…

On By Eric BuchmanIn cable, DVR, tech, television, Unfunny4 Comments

Some viewers are simply more valuable than others. No, I’m not talking about the precious 18-49 demo. CBS has been doing just fine going after all the eyeballs they can, even those with cataracts. I’m talking about the fact that how you choose to watch a TV show significantly affects your power as a viewer. Here’s my list, from the most powerful way to watch to the least:

Continue reading “Not all TV viewers were created equal…” →

So you want to break up with your cable company…

On By Eric BuchmanIn cable, DVR, tech, television, UncategorizedLeave a comment

There’s nothing worse than staying in a bad relationship way past it’s natural expiration date, yet that’s what always winds up happening. We worry we can’t find anything better. We focus too much on the few good times, not enough on the multitudes of bad ones. We deceive ourselves into thinking things will get better.

That’s why I’m here.

I’m here to tell you can do better.

I’m here to tell you that things don’t have to be this way.

I’m here to tell you how to break up with your cable company.

Continue reading “So you want to break up with your cable company…” →

Cable Boxes are Evil

On By Eric BuchmanIn cable, DVR, tech, television3 Comments

From 1950 to 1980, watching TV was super easy: All you had to do was remember what time your favorite shows would be on and then turn a knob to tune in.  So simple.  The process required less than 0.0000001% of your brain power, freeing America to do some pretty cool things during that time span, like walk on the moon, march for civil rights, and impeach a president.

Then came a wolf in sheep’s clothing that sought to annihilate the elegant simplicity of TV watching: The Cable Box.   Sure it came with dozens of enticing channels, but it rendered useless the TV’s own dial and it made hooking up a VCR a complicated mess.  It also made life hell for every 10 year old boy who was forced to become their home’s I.T. guy.

Fortunately, electronics manufacturers saw a need for simplicity, and they started sticking cable tuners right into a multitude of devices. The result:  cable-ready TVs & VCRs that relegated cable boxes only to those who desperately needed to buy pay-per-view programs (i.e. boxing & porn) or unscramble premium channels (i.e. less interesting boxing and simulated porn). Thus the 1990’s became the golden age of cable: 60 to 70 additional channels, no special box required.  With that hassle eliminated, America saw it’s greatest decade of prosperity since the end of World War II.   We even had time to impeach another president.

But then the cable companies fought back. “Sure you can get up to 70 channels with no box,” they said in a dark alley behind the middle school, “but that’s BASIC cable. Wouldn’t you like something better? Something DIGITAL?” Ooh, digital cable. Hundreds of channels! Better sound and video quality! The ability to watch movies on demand! “Sounds great!” we shouted, “but what’s the catch?”

“That’s the best part,” they responded. “There isn’t one!”

Ah, but there was.

Continue reading “Cable Boxes are Evil” →

10 Observations About Hulu Plus on the PS3

On By Eric BuchmanIn cable, DVR, tech, television5 Comments

Hulu's App for the PS3

1.  My computer has been hooked up to my living room TV for a while now, so Hulu is no stranger to my big screen, but the PS3 interface is a much more natural fit for TV shows than a web browser.   Overall, it feels nice and polished, and using it is a pleasant experience.

2. When you start watching a TV show on the PS3, then switch over to watching it on another device, you can pick up right where you left off. Very nice touch.

3. If you have multiple Hulu-friendly devices, Hulu Plus is well worth the ten bucks a month for the added accessibility alone.

4. On the other hand, if you don’t have multiple Hulu-friendly devices, it’s a waste of money.   If you have no need or desire to watch Hulu on anything but your computer, Hulu Plus isn’t for you.  Aside from a back catalog of just a few shows you might actually watch, Hulu Plus offers little you can’t get on Hulu’s free regular service (actually it offers less — see #5).

Continue reading “10 Observations About Hulu Plus on the PS3” →

A Midsummer Day’s Update

On By Eric BuchmanIn cable, cell phones, techLeave a comment

A follow-up to some some previous posts…

1. Apple released a software update to iMovie for iPhone.  Works like a charm now.  No more still image issue.

2.  Looking forward to trying out Hulu Plus.  Between that and ESPN3.com, I figure I can get 60% of my TV watching needs from just two websites, and I can access them from just about any web-connected device I own.   Speaking of ESPN3, I have no idea why ESPN and internet service providers aren’t promoting it more.  It’s friggin’ great.  ESPN3 is basically all the sporting events that ESPN covers made accessible via the web, with many more exclusive to the web.  Not all ISP’s offer it though.  A list of ESPN3.com compatible ISPs can be found here.

3.  Still not regretting returning the EVO.

iPhone 4: the antenna isn’t an issue for me, but this is…

On By Eric BuchmanIn cell phones, tech1 Comment

Yesterday I started making my first video using iMovie for iPhone 4.  I was giddy.  I couldn’t believe I was making a project on my cell phone with the same non-linear ease I used to only expect from a top-of-the-line desktop machine (I’ve been using Final Cut Pro since the day it came out over a decade ago).   There were some limitations, of course, but nothing I couldn’t work around.   I made a video for my girlfriend, timing pictures and video of her nephews and niece to one of her new favorite songs. I showed it to her on the phone’s high quality screen.  She loved it.  She wanted to share it with her sister 3000 miles away.   And that’s when I had a problem.  A big problem.  Every time I tried to export the video, the app crashed.

A simple Google search turned up this support document on Apple’s website.

Apparently iMovie currently has a problem with still images:  use more than a dozen or so in a project and you could start to have issues exporting.  I had close to 40 photos in my project.   Playing around with the suggested settings didn’t help.  Apple’s final suggestion:  Use less photos.

In other words:  When all else fails, start over again with lesser ambitions.

That’s not an attitude I’m using to hearing from Apple.

Anyways, I’m not going to do that. I’ll continue to show off the video on the phone while I wait for a bug fix (it’s clearly a bug — the App has no problem processing all those photos on the fly during editing or playback — just when compiling for export).  When that will come, no clue.  Apple seems a little busy at the moment.  But at least while I wait I can listen to some podcasts…

Why I returned my HTC Evo 4G

On By Eric BuchmanIn cell phones, tech3 Comments

The Super Phone

First up, I didn’t do it because of the iPhone 4.  Doubt me if you will (and I know you will), but it’s true.

I also didn’t return it because of the screen.  Sure it might not have the highest resolution available, but it’s still pretty darn impressive.  In fact, the screen size was the one thing I might’ve kept the phone for, despite my other gripes.

I didn’t do it because of Android.  Well, not explicitly because of Android.  I don’t mind Android.  I love the widgets, I love the way I could customize the home screen.   I really liked many of things Andoid does that aren’t even options on the iPhone.  I even liked HTC’s custom “Sense” interface.

I didn’t do it because of the battery.  Sure, the battery life of the brand new Evo was only marginally better than my two year old iPhone 3G, but it was a lifespan I could deal with, and if it got worse, buying a new battery would be easy and painless.

And I didn’t do it because of the lack of 4G.  Guess what?  Despite the fact that Los Angeles isn’t yet an officially supported 4G city, I found plenty of places around town with 4G service, including my own neighborhood.  That was actually one of the biggest, more pleasant surprises about the phone.

No, I did it because of one word:  Podcasts.

Yes, you read that right.  Podcasts.

Continue reading “Why I returned my HTC Evo 4G” →

My Summer Experiment

On By Eric BuchmanIn cable, DVR, tech, television5 Comments

On Memorial Day I did something I thought I’d never, ever do.  I cancelled my cable.  Like many, many people, I looked at my cable bill (about $100/month) and wondered if I really watched THAT much TV.  Unlike most people, though, I’m not trying to create a cheaper alternative by watching TV via the internet.  I’m trying to create a better solution.

I mean, if I just bought every episode of every show I watched for $2 on iTunes, would that even come close to $100?  I work in TV, I grew up with TV as my babysitter, I truly believe TV is in a golden age of quality right now (reality TV aside), and I still don’t think I watch 50 episodes per month.  So if I just bought every show a la carte, not only would I get the same time shifted content I get via a DVR, but I’d also have the choice to watch it wherever I want — on my TV, on my laptop, on my iPad, or even on my iPhone.

That right there is an improvement.

The two downsides?  No live content.  And no option to start watching things the same night they aired (iTunes content doesn’t appear until the next day).

So it’s not a perfect system by any means.  At least not yet.  Like I said, it’s an experiment, and I’m going play with different variables all summer.  I’m giving myself a $100/month budget to acquire as much content as I can through legal means.

Here’s the equipment I already have to work with:

  1. A desktop computer already hooked up to a large TV
  2. laptop
  3. PS3
  4. Wii
  5. iPad
  6. iPhone

If I have to buy any new equipment, like an Xbox or an Apple TV, I’ll divide the cost by twelve and count that amount against the 100 bucks/month I’ve allotted myself.

I’ll be checking back in over the summer to share tips and tricks that I’ve found…

-Eric

ps – so you know, I don’t consider having to actually load up a web page just to watch a single TV show an improvement over cable… I’m going to avoid that as much as possible.