Category: Entertainment

Ruku – Hulu – Netflix

The title three are a winning combination. Here is how it breaks down:

Roku box: $80
Hulu signup: free
NetFlix signup: free

Monthly cost:
Roku: 0
Hulu: 0
Hulu Plus (optional) $9
NetFlix (optional) $9

We chose to go with Hulu Plus (which gives you more current programming: House, Glee, etc.) and NetFlix (Watch Now option for movies, old series, etc.) and have more than we can keep up with.

In OUR case, we also have a DVD player and an old TiVo (any DVR will work) We get a NetFlix movie that comes in, and we immediately record it onto TiVo, and then send it back to get another movie. NetFlix movies are unlimited as to how many times you can get DVDs per month. We average about ten DVDs per month.

Anyway, let me know if you have a question.

Robert

Damn you all . . .

Oh… not you, the viewer…

Damn you… Damn all of you spammers.

I went in today to moderate comments, and there were EIGHTY FOUR spam messages and ONE valid Comment.
Why do you do this to us all?
It’s just a degree of terrorism!
You cost many of us time.
You cost us money.
You cause us grief.
Why not get a job digging ditches like the rest of us?!?

OK… I’ll retract the epithet.
I will, however, ask God to cause you infinite equipment malfunctions.

Roku – a new way to watch TV

Three Days Ago:

Just discovered (and bought) a Roku box. For a one-time cost of about $80 (and an Internet connection) you have access to lots of FREE web feeds such as the old Andy Griffith and I Love Lucy; and for $8 per month you have access to current stuff like Glee and House.

Today:

First full night of Roku last night. There will be a definite settling in period, but it looks as if this might work. The one drawback is that you have to manually add channels and program titles (or actors) you want to Hulu Plus, but this is a one-time process. It pulls your NetFlix requests and populates that channel automatically. Watched for 4 hours, and the quality is far superior to the VGA output from a dedicated laptop computer, which is what we were using.

TV :: 2019 Q2 :: Ready to Move

Due to health concerns, our plan for a five-year home could not be realized. We are moving into a place that offers assisted living if things get really bad.

The good part is that there is FREE Direct-TV.  Surprisingly, we are not all that excited about being plugged into the Matrix again – after living free from a cable for so long, but life goes on.

Here is a list to help us figure this new system out.

What we are watching on Direct-TV

  • Misc Movies
  • Good Eats
  • AZ Family – cooking show

What we are watching on Netflix

  • Grey’s Anatomy
  • NCIS
  • Longmier
  • Blue Bloods
  • Father Brown
  • Outlander

TV :: 2019 Q1 :: Books on Tape

This page is currently under TEST. These links were received from MakeUseOf.com I have not yet tested their links, but they are here (for now) for your perusal.

Other links provided by people commenting on this article:

AudioforBooks.com offers a growing library of free audiobooks for its members. Membership is free and there are other benefits for subscribers.

http://www.mister-wong.es/users/_501318196/

Don’t forget http://LightUpYourBrain.com and http://FreeMP3AudioBooks.com

Also, www.overdrive.com publishes a HUGE catalog of audio books that are offered through memberships at your local library. Only downside is that you may have to wait for the title to become available, and the title expires and cannot be played after 14 days, but if you move the audio book title you want to keep out of Overdrive’s “My Media” folder and it’s yours forever!

My favorite book is the Bible. You can get an audio download here: http://www.biblegateway.com/ where there are nearly 100 different version to compare

For Muslims, there is an audio version of Holy Quran as well, http://www.mp3quran.net/eng/ To read it online check out, http://quran.com/

And this is MY favorite tool to maintin my vast collection 🙂 http://www.the-airheads.com (My Audiobook Collection) an extensive tool for my Audiobooks.

10 Best Websites For Free Audio Books

by Saikat Basu on Aug. 23rd, 2010

free audio books

Busy times call for some workarounds. One of the distinct advantages of audio books over its more physical form is that it saves time. Audio books take away a sliver of fun from the enjoyment of a book, but if the voiceover is well done, it makes up for it.

With the explosion of personal media players like iPods and even mobile phones which can carry media files, even a routine walk can be turned into an education.

Not all books are good for easy listening. Audio books on goal setting and motivation lend themselves well to listening while walking. That’s not to say you can’t enjoy an audio narration of a novel or even a bit of poetry.
The search for audio books may not always get you the title you want. Even then, you can get a few gems when you go searching. So, where do you go searching for free audio books to download and enjoy?

The following ten audio book websites, of course.

Booksshouldbefree

free audio books

At this address you get free audio books in multiple genres and languages. You can check out the Top 100, drill through the genres, or use the Google search at the top to get the free audio book for download.

Downloads are available in mp3 and iTunes format. The books are mostly classical literature and very well organized with reviews and a small preview. You can also check out the Wikipedia links on the book and the author.

NewFiction

free audio book downloads

NewFiction.com is one of the better ‘lookers’ in the class of free audio book websites. Perhaps, because it’s about ‘iSoaps’ or fictionalized stories delivered in episodes daily. Stories are voiced by trained dramatic actors for your aural appeal.

You can subscribe to the ‘iSoaps’ and play episodes online, get it as a podcast, or download it to your PC or your portable device (iPod, cell phone etc).

ThoughtAudio

free audio book downloads

ThoughtAudio is a neat little audio book website with a neat collection of classical works. You can listen to them online or download them in segments. You can also view the written text of some of the books as a PDF download.

LibriVox

free audio book downloads

Our previous thorough review on LibriVox covers this audio book website. LibriVox is a repository of free audio books in the public domain. It is a volunteer driven site, where enthusiasts record freely available books and make them available as MP3 downloads or podcasts.

You can also volunteer to be a reader, no qualifications other than an audible voice is necessary. You can search through the collection using the catalog search on the site. An advanced search option is also available.

Podiobooks

free online audio books

Podiobooks is a similar episodic audio rendition of free audio books as podcasts. Like lot of podcasts, you can receive them as RSS feeds or download them directly. The number of categories is well covered from alternative history to chick lit and satire. The audio book site has about 434 titles in its stock.

Open Culture

free online audio books

Audio books are just one of the sections covered on this site which focuses on educational media collected from other sites. You get to download free courses from universities in MP3 format, language lessons as podcasts, and a variety of other podcasts that cover subjects like technology, travel, music, science, and more.

Learn Out Loud

free online audio books

LearnOutLoud.com is a well designed and large collection of audio books. Their catalog has 25,000 audio and video titles in a mixture of paid and free. You can click on the tab marked as Free Stuff to access the free audio books that are available for download with a right click.

All usual genres are well represented. For instance, if you are into self development, you have 425 titles to choose from. All titles are rated and reviewed.

Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg is the ongoing effort to digitize and archive cultural works in the form of eBooks. It also works in co-operation with websites like LibriVox and AudioBooksForFree for creating audio books. As a result, you can browse through their comprehensive list of human and machine read audio books.

You can go through the list alphabetically for author and title. Audio books are also available in a number of languages. But the quicker way would be to use the Advanced Search page.

Storynory

A free audio book site especially for children is a nice little place for classic children stories like ‘A Christmas Carol’, fairy tales ‘Aesop’, educational stories that cover The Bible or history, and lots of other original stuff. You can download a free audio story every week.

Librophile

free audio books

The interface at first glance appears a bit off-the-wall. Then you realize that it’s a search tool for eBooks. Librophile collects and displays eBooks mostly from LibriVox and Audible. Click on the Free button and then go through the listings.

A mouseover over the thumbnail cover gives you a sketchy summary. You can download the free audio books as a ZIP file, play it in the browser, or check it out as a readable eBook. Clicking on a title takes you to the Audible or LibriVox website.

Do you have any other free audio book site to add to the list? Personally, I have found audio books to be the best way to beat traffic jams. What about you?

Image Credit: PlayfulLibrarian

(By) Saikat is a techno-adventurer in a writer’s garb. When he is not scouring the net for tech news, you can catch him on his personal blog ruminating about the positves in our world.

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TV :: 2018 Q4 :: Watching Now

Watching – 2019 Q2

@ = Amazon – Ø = Netflix – © = CBS All Access

Avenues of Entertainment

  • Acorn TV – $5 – This was recommended, but I am not familiar with it. – British
  • Amazon Prime
  • ABC App
  • Cable (usually COX) – TiVo
  • CBS App
  • CLICK HERE.
  • Cloud DVR – I know absolutely nothing about this
  • Digital Antenna – TiVo
  • HBO / Showtime / Starz
  • Hulu and Hulu Plus
  • MP4 files on a Thumb Drive
  • Netflix
  • NBC App
  • Philo – $16-20 – I don’t know too much about this
  • Public Library
  • RedBox – $5 per DVD rental
  • Sling – $25-40
  • Ted Talks
  • TV Channels Online
  • YouTube / Vimeo

Regular TV Programming

  • Alex, Inc – _____ – Season 1 Ep – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • American Idol Talent Show – – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Americas Funniest Video – – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Bang Goes the Theory – Amazon – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Beckett
  • Big Bang Theory – ______ – Season ___ Ep – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Blackadder II – Amazon – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Brain Games – Amazon – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Burn Notice @ – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Cheers – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Chef Tips – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Chuck @ – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Crown – Netflix – Season 2 – not started – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • CSI – Amazon – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Daredevil – Amazon – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Deadwood – Amazon – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Dr Blake – Netflix – Season 1 Ep # – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Dr Ken – Amazon – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Elementary – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Emerald City – Amazon – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Eureka @ – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Father Brown – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Final Conflict – Netflix – – Season 1 Ep 9 ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Firefly – Hulu – Season 1 Ep 2 ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Frasier – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Game of Thrones – Amazon – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Goliath @ – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Good Doctor – TiVo and Hulu – Season 2 Ep # – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Good Place – Hulu – Season 3 – # – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Gotham – TiVo – Season 3 Ep # – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Grace and Frankie – Netflix – Season 3 Ep # – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Grays Anatomy – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Great British Baking Show – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Grey’s Anatomy – Netflix – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • High Castle @ – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Hill Street Blues – Amazon – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Homeland – Amazon – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • How it’s Made – Amazon – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Impastor – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • IT Crowd – Netflix – Season 1 Ep # – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Jack Ryan @ – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Limitless – Season 1 Ep # 15 – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Longmire – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Marco Polo – Amazon – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Master Chef Jr – TiVo – Season 6 Ep # 5, 6, 7
  • Merlin – Netflix – Season 1 Ep 1 – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Midsommer Murders – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Minority Report – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Monk @ – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Mr Robot – Amazon – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Murdock Myst – Hulu Season 1 Ep # 11
  • Narcos – Amazon – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • NCIS – Amazon – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Office, The – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Orville – Amazon – – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Outsourced – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Psych @ – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Rome – Amazon – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Rookie
  • Royal Pains – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Salvation – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Scorpion – TiVo – Season ____ Ep # – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Scrubs – Hulu – Season 1 Ep # 3 – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Splitting Up Together – Hulu – Season 1 Ep # 3 – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • ST Enterprise @ – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • ST Orig @ – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • ST TNG @ – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Star Trek © – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • The 100 – Amazon – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • The Man in the High Castle – Amazon – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • The Prisoner – Patrick McQuen – Amazon – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Tick 2003 – Amazon – Season 1 Ep # 7 – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Tick 2017 – Amazon – Season 2 – not started – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Twilight Zone – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Twin Peaks – Amazon – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • UnSuper – Season 1 Ep 4 – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • VEEP – Amazon – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
  • Young Sheldon – TiVo – Season ___ Ep ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Operas and Stage Performances

Instruments Only

  • Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony
  • The TEN Tenors
  • The Texas Tenors: Wish you were here

Operas

  • 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue – 1976 – Leonard Bernstein – ABOUT
  • A Chorus Line
  • A Quiet Place – 1983 – Leonard Bernstein – ABOUT
  • Abduction from the Seraglio
  • Anything Goes – ABOUT
  • Aquarius
  • The Arc Between – Winter Dance – ABOUT
  • Arizona Lady
  • Ariadne on Naxos
  • Barber of Seville – ABOUT
  • Big River
  • The Bodyguard, The Musical
  • The Boob Show
  • The Book of Mormon
  • Boris Gudonov
  • Buddy Guy
  • Candide – 1956 – Voltaire / Leonard Bernstein – ABOUT
  • Carmen
  • Carousel
  • Celtic Nights – Oceans of Hope
  • Chapter Two – Neil Simon
  • Charlie Parker’s Yardbird – Daniel Schnyder – ABOUT
  • Chicago the Musical
  • Cinderella
  • Company
  • Cosi tan Tutte
  • Cruzar la Cara de la Luna
  • Das Rheingold – ABOUT
  • Death of a Salesman
  • Dialogues of the Carmelites
  • Diary of Anne Frank
  • Disney’s Aladdin
  • Dolores Claiborne
  • Don Giovanni
  • Don Pasquale
  • Doves Flight
  • Dybbuk – 1974 – Leonard Bernstein – ABOUT
  • Elixir of Love
  • Esther
  • The Exterminating Angel
  • Fidelio
  • Follies
  • The Foreigner
  • Gideon’s Knot
  • Gobsmacked!
  • Gospel of Mary Magdeline
  • Green Day’s American Idiot
  • Hair
  • Hairspray
  • Hand to God
  • Hansel and Gretel
  • Henry VI – Part One
  • Hercules vs the Vampire
  • How to Succeed in Business
  • In the Heights
  • It’s Only a Play
  • Jake Heggie
  • Joseph and Technicolor Dreamcoat
  • The Journey to Reims
  • The King and I
  • The Kiss – Smetana
  • Kurky Boots
  • La Cenerentola – Rosinni
  • L’assedio di Colais
  • L’elisir d’Amore
  • L’italiana in Algeri
  • La Faniculla del West
  • La Fille du Regiment
  • Flight
  • La Forza del Destino
  • La Perichole
  • La Traviata – Giuseppe Verdi – ABOUT
  • Les Miserables
  • The Liar
  • Love is Here to Stay – Gershwin
  • Macbeth
  • The Magic Flute
  • Major Barbara – ABOUT
  • Maria de Buenos Aires – Astor Piazzolla – ABOUT
  • Marriage of Figaro – Mozart – ABOUT
  • Maddi’s Fridge
  • Man of La Mancha
  • Matilda
  • Men are From Mars – Women are from Venus
  • The Merchant of Venice
  • The Merry Widow
  • The Merry Wives of Windsor
  • The Micado – Gilbert and Sillivan
  • Million Dollar Quartet
  • MoTown the Musical
  • Mulan
  • Notre Dame de Paris
  • The Nutcracker
  • The Odd Couple – Neil Simon
  • Oklahoma!
  • On the Town – 1944 – Leonard Bernstein – ABOUT
  • On the Waterfront
  • One Drop of Love
  • Opera 101 – The Audition
  • Othello
  • Out of Darkness
  • Outside Mullingar
  • Owen Wingrave
  • Parson’s Dance
  • Pearl’s in the House
  • The Phantom of the Opera
  • Plated and Staged
  • Poncho Sanchez and his Latin Jazz Band
  • The Producers
  • The Queen
  • The Rakes Progress
  • Rent
  • Riders of the Purple Sage
  • The River Bride
  • Rothschild’s Violin
  • Rusalka
  • The Secret Garden
  • Seong – Jin Cho
  • Shen Yun
  • Siege of Calais
  • Silent Night – Kevin Puts – ABOUT
  • Song from the Uproar – Mazzoli
  • Songfest: A Cycle of American Poems for Six Singers and Orchestra – 1977
  • Spring Awakening
  • Street Scene
  • Streetcar Named Desire
  • Sunday in the Park
  • Sweeney Todd
  • Tancredi
  • The Tempest
  • The Tipping Point – Spring Dance – ABOUT
  • Thomas Andes
  • Tosca
  • Trouble in Tahiti – Bernstein
  • Xerxes
  • West Side Story – 1957 – Leonard Bernstein – ABOUT
  • Wicked
  • Witches of Venice
  • Wonderful Town – 1952 – Leonard Bernstein – ABOUT
  • Yamato
  • You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown – ABOUT
  • Zurich Chamber Orchestra

Best Movies of All Time

  • 12 Angry Men
  • 2001 Space Odyssey
  • 8 1/2
  • A Place in the Sun
  • A Time to Kill
  • African Queen
  • Alien
  • All About Eve
  • All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Amadeus
  • American Beauty
  • American Graffiti
  • An American in Paris
  • Annie Hall
  • Apartment, The
  • Apocalypse Now
  • Back to the Future
  • Ben Hur
  • Best Years of our Lives, The
  • Big Lebowski, The
  • Blade Runner
  • Bonnie and Clyde
  • Boogie Nights
  • Braveheart
  • Bridge on the River Kwai, The
  • Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
  • Casablanca
  • Chinatown
  • Cinema Paradiso
  • Citizen Kane
  • City Lights
  • Clockwork Orange
  • Close Encounters
  • Dances with Wolves
  • Dark Night, The
  • Dead Poets Society
  • Deer Hunter, The
  • Departed, The
  • Die Hard
  • Dirty Dozen, The
  • Double Indemnity
  • Dr Strangelove
  • Dr Zhivago
  • ET: The Extra-Terrestrial
  • Fargo
  • Fight Club
  • Forrest Gump
  • French Connection, The
  • From Here to Eternity
  • Full Metal Jacket
  • General, The
  • Giant
  • Gladiator
  • Godfather, The
  • Gone with the Wind
  • Goodfellas
  • Goodnight and Good Luck
  • Goodwill Hunting
  • Graduate, The
  • Grapes of Wrath, The
  • Great Dictator, The
  • Green Mile, The
  • High Noon
  • Inception
  • It Happened One Night
  • It’s a Wonderful Life
  • Jaws
  • Jurassic Park
  • Karate Kid
  • Lawrence of Arabia
  • Maltese Falcon, The
  • Matrix, The
  • Mean Streets
  • Midnight Cowboy
  • Mr Smith Goes to Washington
  • Mutiny on the Bounty
  • My Fair Lady
  • Nashville
  • Network
  • North by Northwest
  • Notorious
  • On the Waterfront
  • Once Upon a Time in the West
  • One Flew over the Cukoos Nest
  • Panther Panchali
  • Patton
  • Philadelphia Story, The
  • Pianist, The
  • Pirates of the Carribbean
  • Platoon
  • Princess Bride, The
  • Psycho
  • Pulp Fiction
  • Raging Bull
  • Raiders of the Lost Ark
  • Rain Man
  • Ran
  • Rashomon
  • Rear Window
  • Rebecca
  • Rebel without a Cause
  • Requiem for a Dream
  • Rocky
  • Saving Private Ryan
  • Schindler’s List
  • Searchers, The
  • Seven
  • Shane
  • Shawshank Redemption
  • Shining, The
  • Silence of the Lambs
  • Singing in the Rain
  • Some Like it Hot
  • Sound of Music, The
  • Stagecoach
  • Star Wars – Episode IV
  • Star Wars IV: A New Hope
  • Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
  • Strangers on a Train
  • Streetcar Named Desire
  • Sunset Boulevard
  • Taxi Driver
  • Terms of Endearment
  • The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
  • There will be Blood
  • Third Man, The
  • Titanic
  • To Kill a Mockingbird
  • Tokyo Story
  • Toy Story
  • Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The
  • Unforgiven
  • Usual Suspects, The
  • Vertigo
  • West Side Story
  • Wizard of Oz, The
  • Wuthering Heights
  • Y Tu Mama
  • Yankee Doodle Dandy

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TV :: 2018 Q3 :: Alternatives

TV Viewing Alternatives

At one point in time, there was VHF/UHF and cable.  Cable was a no brainer if you wanted crisp clear images.

These days though, this is not the case.

Here is a list of options with cost estimates, benefits and drawbacks.  It is not comprehensive, but WTH I am not a corporation, I am a viewer like you.

Digital Antenna

  • I have this.
  • I run my digital antenna into my TiVo (lifetime subscription) box.  Otherwise TiVo costs about $20 per month… I think.  The boxes these days are around $600.
  • The cost is a one-time outlay of about $100 for a decent antenna.  Don’t skimp, get the best you can afford.
  • The benefit is that it remains absolutely free after the initial purchase
  • The drawback is that it requires a (nearly) line of sight to the towers, and has a range of (realistically) no more than 65 miles.
  • You can get anywhere from a few to nearly a hundred channels

Cable (usually COX)

  • I have basic
  • They nearly had a monopoly, and the cost shows it.  The cost is about $40 for basic, and it goes up to about $300 per month based on what premium channels you want.
  • The benefit is that it’s easy to understand and navigate
  • The drawback is the hellacious cost

Netflix

  • I have this.  I have a two-DVD per month plan and a one-device streaming plan
  • This cost is reasonable, but not as great as it used to be.  The cost is about $10 for each plan – and that is per month
  • The benefit is that it is very flexible, and there are no commercials.
  • The drawback is that it requires an internet data plan of at least 5 mBps – better if you have 20.

YouTube / Vimeo

  • Benefit:  If you have a Smart TV you can do this.  It is currently mostly free.
  • Drawback:  I find it kind of cumbersome to find programming.

Great Courses

  • I do this.  It is about $20 per month, but has everything from Dog Training to Quantum Physics
  • If you are into education, this is a good thing to have.

Ted Talks

  • Free, and great if you like educational stuff

Amazon Prime

  • I have this
  • The benefit is that you have a decent selection of programming at no cost
  • The drawback is that – there is nothing free in life – and Amazon makes their money with commercial advertising.  Not too bad, but commercials?  Yech.
  • Amazon Prime used to be $79 per year, then went up to $99.  For 2019 the price is now $119.  There are all kind of web coverage about if this is worth it, or not.  For me, it is.

MP4 files on a Thumb Drive

  • Before I got rid of all (1000+) of my DVDs, I burnt them to a 5 TB drive.  As I want something, I burn it to a thumb drive, stick it in the TV USB port and go from there.
  • The benefit is that it is totally free
  • The drawback is that it was a PITA getting all of the files to MP4 format, with about 2% failure rate – but remains free.  It is also a bit of a pain retrieving a movie when I want it

Hulu and Hulu Plus

  • I have basic Hulu.  The benefit is it is only $10 per month.
  • The drawback is that you have commercials.  The same one, usually, over and over.  SIGH
  • Hulu Plus has additional programming and no commercials, but is about $20 per month… I think.

Philo – $16-20 – I don’t know too much about this

Acorn TV – $5 – This was recommended, but I am not familiar with it.

Sling – $25-40 – This used to be free.  I don’t know too much about the new paid version

Cloud DVR – I know absolutely nothing about this

RedBox – $5 per DVD rental – This remains a popular standard.  I’ve done it a few times, but not too often.  I think the loan period is only two days, with a stiff penalty after that.

TV Channels Online – I know absolutely nothing about this

Public Library – This is free – I did it once years ago, so can’t comment on current technology

HBO / Showtime / Starz – Each is about $10 and they have recent movies, but not a whole lot of selection options.

That’s about all that I have time for.  If you want to explore some more,

CLICK HERE.

TV :: 2018 Q2 :: Now Showing

Currently watching on TV

@ = Amazon  –  Ø = Netflix  –  © = CBS All Access

  • Alex, Inc.
  • Big Bang ©
  • Burn Notice @
  • Cheers
  • Chef Tips
  • Chuck @
  • Elementary
  • Eureka @
  • Father Brown
  • Frasier
  • Goliath @
  • Gotham
  • Grays Anatomy
  • Great Brit Bak
  • High Castle @
  • Impastor
  • Jack Ryan @
  • Limitless ©
  • Longmire
  • Midsommer Murders
  • Minority Report
  • Monk @
  • NCIS
  • Orville
  • Psych @
  • Royal Pains
  • Salvation
  • Scorpion ©
  • ST Enterprise @
  • ST Orig @
  • ST TNG @
  • Star Trek ©
  • Twilight Zone
  • Young Sheldon ©

TV :: 2018 Q1 :: Best Movies

The Best Movies of All Time

12 Angry Men
2001 Space Odyssey
8 1/2
A Place in the Sun
A Time to Kill
African Queen
Alien
All About Eve
All Quiet on the Western Front
Amadeus
American Beauty
American Graffiti
An American in Paris
Annie Hall
Apartment, The
Apocalypse Now
Back to the Future
Ben Hur
Best Years of our Lives, The
Big Lebowski, The
Blade Runner
Bonnie and Clyde
Boogie Nights
Braveheart
Bridge on the River Kwai, The
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Casablanca
Chinatown
Cinema Paradiso
Citizen Kane
City Lights
Clockwork Orange
Close Encounters
Dances with Wolves
Dark Night, The
Dead Poets Society
Deer Hunter, The
Departed, The
Die Hard
Dirty Dozen, The
Double Indemnity
Dr Strangelove
Dr Zhivago

ET: The Extra-Terrestrial
Fargo
Fight Club
Forrest Gump
French Connection, The
From Here to Eternity
Full Metal Jacket
General, The
Giant
Gladiator
Godfather, The
Gone with the Wind
Goodfellas
Goodnight and Good Luck
Goodwill Hunting
Graduate, The
Grapes of Wrath, The
Great Dictator, The
Green Mile, The

High Noon
Inception
It Happened One Night
It’s a Wonderful Life
Jaws
Jurassic Park
Karate Kid

Lawrence of Arabia
Maltese Falcon, The
Matrix, The
Mean Streets
Midnight Cowboy
Mr Smith Goes to Washington
Mutiny on the Bounty
My Fair Lady
Nashville
Network
North by Northwest
Notorious
On the Waterfront
Once Upon a Time in the West
One Flew over the Cukoos Nest
Panther Panchali
Patton
Philadelphia Story, The
Pianist, The
Pirates of the Carribbean
Platoon
Princess Bride, The
Psycho
Pulp Fiction

Raging Bull
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Rain Man
Rashomon
Rear Window
Rebecca
Ran
Rebel without a Cause
Requiem for a Dream
Rocky
Saving Private Ryan
Schindler’s List
Searchers, The
Seven
Shane
Shawshank Redemption
Shining, The
Silence of the Lambs
Singing in the Rain
Some Like it Hot
Sound of Music, The
Stagecoach
Star Wars – Episode IV
Star Wars IV: A New Hope
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Strangers on a Train
Streetcar Named Desire
Sunset Boulevard

Taxi Driver
Terms of Endearment
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
There will be Blood
Third Man, The
Titanic
To Kill a Mockingbird
Tokyo Story
Toy Story
Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The
Unforgiven
Usual Suspects, The
Vertigo

West Side Story
Wuthering Heights
Wizard of Oz, The
Y Tu Mama
Yankee Doodle Dandy

TV :: 2017 Q4 :: Movies to Rent

Movies to Rent

Rent these movies on Netflix when available.  Still cheaper than the theater – plus we can watch in our pajamas.  Be sure to watch the Trailer on YouTube.

Alice 3D – May 27
√ Coco
Finding Dory 3D – June 17 Ghostbusters 3D – July 15 Independence Day 3D – June 24 Tarzan 3D – July 1
Star Trek 3D – July 22
Turtles 3D – June 3
X-Men 3D – May 27
Jungle Book 3D – April 15 Mission: Impossible – Fallout Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom The Equalizer 2
Skyscraper
Oceans 8
Incredibles 2

EVENING ENTERTAINMENT

MOVIES TO WATCH

The Handmaid’s Tale
Hereditary – (horror)
The Spy who Dumped Me Oceans Eight
Mission Impossible 6 Fallout
Ant Man and the Wasp
Jurassic World – Fallen Kingdom Incredibles 2
Other new Star Wars
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Foils War
George and Richard
The Words that Built America Stranger Things
Death in Paradise
Girl – Dragon Tattoo
Last Week Tonight
Mrs Fishers Adventures Longest Year

PHOENIX THEATER EVENTS TO WATCH

Spamilton: An American Parody
Kinky Boots
Curious incident of the dog in the night time The Sound of Music
Million Dollar Quartet
Americano
Soundheim on soundheim
Festival of New American Theatre Something Rotten
Rocky Horror Picture Show
Hair

  • 120 Beats Per Minute ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
  • Ant-Man
  • Ant-Man and the Wasp . ★ ★ ★ ☆
  • √  Arrival
  • Avengers: Infinity War ★ ★ ★ ★
  • Batman v Superman
  • Boundaries . ★ ★ ★
  • Captain America: Civil War – 2017
  • Captain America: Winter Soldier – 2014
  • Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – 2014
  • Deadpool
  • Deadpool 2 ★ ★ ★ ★
  • Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
  • Get Out
  • Ghostbusters
  • Guardians of the Galaxy – 2014
  • Guardians of the Galaxy – VOL 2 – Watch others
  • Hearts Beat Loud ★ ★ ★ ☆
  • √  Hidden Figures
  • I, Tonya
  • Incredibles
  • Incredibles 2 ★ ★ ★ ★
  • Inside Out
  • Interstellar
  • Iron Man 3
  • Justice League
  • Jurassic World
  • Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom★ ★ ☆
  • Leave no Trace ★ ★ ★ ★
  • The Lego Movie
  • Lego Batman Movie
  • Logan – see other X Men movies – 2016
  • The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
  • √  The Martian
  • Oceans 11, 12, 13
  • Oceans 8 ★ ★ ★
  • RGB ★ ★ ★ ★
  • Sausage Party
  • √  Secret Life of Pets
  • Sorry to Bother You ★ ★ ★ ★
  • Star Trek: Beyond Action – 2017
  • Star Trek: Into Darkness – 2013
  • Spiderman: Homecoming – watch others too
  • Star Wars: Solo – A Star Wars Story
  • Star Wars: The Force Awakens
  • Star Wars: The Last Jedi
  • Star Wars: IX
  • Terminator: Genisys
  • √  Tomorrowland
  • Won’t You Be My Neighbor ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
  • Wonder ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
  • The Theory of Everything
  • Three Billboards
  • Three Identical Strangers ★ ★ ★ ★
  • War for the Planet of the Apes – 2017
  • X Men: Days of Future Past – 2014
  • X Men: Apocalypse – 2018
  • √ Zootopia