The TV Thread

[GCn20]

1 hour ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

Torrent?

Yea...probably do that. I'm not a big fan of piracy but if it is pirating from Apple I can probably sleep at night.

[GCJenks]

2 hours ago, GCn20 said:

Yea...probably do that. I'm not a big fan of piracy but if it is pirating from Apple I can probably sleep at night.

How do you feel about Amazon? A Firestick can open your world to a bunch of APK's that would have it. Film+ does for sure.

[bustamente]

An android box opens up anything you want to watch with the various addons available.

[Super Duper Negatron]

Started watching Silo on Apple. Intrigued so far. It helps that I just came off seeing Dune and it has the same actress.

I know I already recommended it upthread, but Beef on Netflix...watch it.

[GCn20]

3 hours ago, GCJenks said:

How do you feel about Amazon? A Firestick can open your world to a bunch of APK's that would have it. Film+ does for sure.

Amazon is good. I will look into that

2 hours ago, bustamente said:

An android box opens up anything you want to watch with the various addons available.

Would love it..but I am not that tech savvy

[bustamente]

23 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

 

Would love it..but I am not that tech savvy

Neither am I but it is a lot easier than you think, there are tutorials on you tube on how to set up and box, download a build and away you go

[GCn20]

12 hours ago, bustamente said:

Neither am I but it is a lot easier than you think, there are tutorials on you tube on how to set up and box, download a build and away you go

I'll look into it. I have very limited skills but if it is fairly easy I'll give it a shot. I have great internet that I pay through the nose for, so why not.

[Tracker]

1 hour ago, GCn20 said:

I'll look into it. I have very limited skills but if it is fairly easy I'll give it a shot. I have great internet that I pay through the nose for, so why not.

The simplest way is to buy an Android box and subscribe to a good IPTV service- about $12.00 per month. I have Primus internet service and for $55.00 per month I get 75-95  MBPS almost completely stable. I switched because we had no end of problems with Bell/MTS for many months and finally gave up on them.

[GCn20]

2 minutes ago, Tracker said:

The simplest way is to buy an Android box and subscribe to a good IPTV service- about $12.00 per month. I have Primus internet service and for $55.00 per month I get 75-95  MBPS almost completely stable. I switched because we had no end of problems with Bell/MTS for many months and finally gave up on them.

I spend most of my time in Thompson these days so Bell/MTS is what I've got. However, it has been really good up here....other than the price. What kind of Android Box and IPTV service would you recommend?

[Tracker]

Just now, GCn20 said:

I spend most of my time in Thompson these days so Bell/MTS is what I've got. However, it has been really good up here....other than the price. What kind of Android Box and IPTV service would you recommend?

I recommend a box with 4 gig of ram, 2.5-5.0 wifi capability and 4K video output. The brand name does not seem to be critical. the IPTV server I recommend is Choice1 which also sells boxes for about $50.00. These boxes have WiFi capability but work best on an ethernet. Choice1 has excellent support service and will offer a 24 hr free trial and is pretty easy to set up. IPTV is still evolving and does have the odd glitch but a helluva lot cheaper and better than Bell or Shaw. Movies show up within 48 hours of theater release.

[bigg jay]

22 minutes ago, Tracker said:

I recommend a box with 4 gig of ram, 2.5-5.0 wifi capability and 4K video output. The brand name does not seem to be critical. the IPTV server I recommend is Choice1 which also sells boxes for about $50.00. These boxes have WiFi capability but work best on an ethernet. Choice1 has excellent support service and will offer a 24 hr free trial and is pretty easy to set up. IPTV is still evolving and does have the odd glitch but a helluva lot cheaper and better than Bell or Shaw. Movies show up within 48 hours of theater release.

Depending on your TV, you may not even need a box.  Some smart TV's (android based) allow you to download the apps straight to your tv.   That's what I have been doing for a few years now after my last box got bricked.

[GCJenks]

36 minutes ago, GCn20 said:

I spend most of my time in Thompson these days so Bell/MTS is what I've got. However, it has been really good up here....other than the price. What kind of Android Box and IPTV service would you recommend?

I've been using Starlink since moving out of the city last year and have had virtually no issues. With hardware on sale for $199 up front it is hard not to recommend it to anyone still stuck with BellMTS or one of the wireless providers (Explorenet etc).

[GCn20]

1 minute ago, GCJenks said:

I've been using Starlink since moving out of the city last year and have had virtually no issues. With hardware on sale for $199 up front it is hard not to recommend it to anyone still stuck with BellMTS or one of the wireless providers (Explorenet etc).

I have been thinking about going Starlink Roam. I can use that in both Winnipeg and Thompson and pay just one internet bill. I have super tall pines and spruces around my cottage, as it is in old growth forest. I might get a buddy of mine to bring his dish over and see what kind of reception I might get.

[Fatty Liver]

3 hours ago, bigg jay said:

Depending on your TV, you may not even need a box.  Some smart TV's (android based) allow you to download the apps straight to your tv.   That's what I have been doing for a few years now after my last box got bricked.

My LG Smart TV lasted less than 4 years before the screen went black, moved back to a monitor of the same dimensions hooked up to a PC for gaming and TV viewing and couldn't be happier.  I found the Smart TV concept to be very simplistic, more controlling, both pushing and monitoring certain platforms, products and advertising, plus it was full of useless features that were never used, I think a better name would be "Idiot TV".  With a PC you have full control of the function and the viewing content, I honestly can't see any disadvantages especially with streaming becoming so prevalent.

[Rod Black]

19 hours ago, Super Duper Negatron said:

Started watching Silo on Apple. Intrigued so far. It helps that I just came off seeing Dune and it has the same actress.

I know I already recommended it upthread, but Beef on Netflix...watch it.

Sounds like they are “mapping out” two more seasons. Different actors. 

Edited June 14, 2023 by Rod Black

[Super Duper Negatron]

1 minute ago, Rod Black said:

Sounds like you they are “mapping out” two more seasons. Different actors. 

Interesting. So almost White Lotus-style I guess.

[Rod Black]

Just now, Super Duper Negatron said:

Interesting. So almost White Lotus-style I guess.

White Lotus season 3 is an apparent “go”. Planned for Thailand. 

[blue_gold_84]

3 minutes ago, Fatty Liver said:

My LG Smart TV lasted less than 4 years before the screen went black, moved back to a monitor of the same dimensions hooked up to a PC for gaming and TV viewing and couldn't be happier.  I found the Smart TV concept to be very simplistic, more controlling, both pushing and monitoring certain platforms, products and advertising, plus it was full of useless features that were never used, I think a better name would be "Idiot TV".  With a PC you have full control of the function and the viewing content, I honestly can't see any disadvantages especially with streaming becoming so prevalent.

Smart TVs usually have tutorials to help users maximize features and applications, similar to any other smart device out there these days. I can only speak from my own experience with GoogleTV (Sony Bravia XR A80J) but it ran a setup assistant program from the first power-up, connecting to wi-fi, set-up with the soundbar/subwoofer, and allowing me to sync it with other devices such as my smartphone (Google Pixel 6 Pro), PS5, and Nvidia Shield Pro* connected to the upstairs non-smart TV. The app sharing feature is particularly convenient, IMO. It's also fully customizable to streamline your viewing experience depending on what you watch, organize the apps based on usage/preference, and you can turn off ads completely in the settings.

I'm not sure if LG runs proprietary software but it could be similar to what Samsung does (which I dislike quite a bit). I can connect a USB flash drive and watch downloaded movies/shows on my TV without issue but I was unable to do so on my friend's Samsung smart TV.

* I highly recommend the Nvidia Shield Pro if the proprietary software on your smart TV isn't making the grade (you can even use your regular TV remote to operate it)

[GCJenks]

3 hours ago, GCn20 said:

I have been thinking about going Starlink Roam. I can use that in both Winnipeg and Thompson and pay just one internet bill. I have super tall pines and spruces around my cottage, as it is in old growth forest. I might get a buddy of mine to bring his dish over and see what kind of reception I might get.

If you download the Starlink App there is a function to test the reception based on the location and view of the sky. Just to let you know the $199 hardware sale is only for residential users, however the most recent version of the app allows users to charge the type of service you have. Also if it is going to be stationary in each location you could stay on residential and just change the service address. $140/month vs $170/month for Roam. 

[bigg jay]

31 minutes ago, blue_gold_84 said:

Smart TVs usually have tutorials to help users maximize features and applications, similar to any other smart device out there these days. I can only speak from my own experience with GoogleTV (Sony Bravia XR A80J) but it ran a setup assistant program from the first power-up, connecting to wi-fi, set-up with the soundbar/subwoofer, and allowing me to sync it with other devices such as my smartphone (Google Pixel 6 Pro), PS5, and Nvidia Shield Pro* connected to the upstairs non-smart TV. The app sharing feature is particularly convenient, IMO. It's also fully customizable to streamline your viewing experience depending on what you watch, organize the apps based on usage/preference, and you can turn off ads completely in the settings.

I'm not sure if LG runs proprietary software but it could be similar to what Samsung does (which I dislike quite a bit). I can connect a USB flash drive and watch downloaded movies/shows on my TV without issue but I was unable to do so on my friend's Samsung smart TV.

* I highly recommend the Nvidia Shield Pro if the proprietary software on your smart TV isn't making the grade (you can even use your regular TV remote to operate it)

Yeah my first smart tv (Toshiba FireTV) was full of the proprietary software as well.  The last couple tv's we've bought were not for our main use (bedrooms or our camper) so we went with cheaper ones off Amazon (TCL) to see how they were.  Those ones had way less bloatware/advertising and were very customizable so for what we paid and what we use them for, they've been great.

[FrostyWinnipeg]

21 hours ago, blue_gold_84 said:

I'm not sure if LG runs proprietary software but it could be similar to what Samsung does (which I dislike quite a bit). I can connect a USB flash drive and watch downloaded movies/shows on my TV without issue but I was unable to do so on my friend's Samsung smart TV.

If your comp is running all the time you can run media server software on it to share the files to the tv. No need to transfer to USB stick and not much impact on resources.

Edited June 15, 2023 by FrostyWinnipeg

[Noeller]

49 minutes ago, bigg jay said:

Yeah my first smart tv (Toshiba FireTV) was full of the proprietary software as well.  The last couple tv's we've bought were not for our main use (bedrooms or our camper) so we went with cheaper ones off Amazon (TCL) to see how they were.  Those ones had way less bloatware/advertising and were very customizable so for what we paid and what we use them for, they've been great.

My TCL 65" in our basement is fantastic. My cousin had bought one after doing a ton of research, and I followed suit... don't regret it for a second. Huge fan of that TV and the relatively inexpensive cost. 

[FrostyWinnipeg]

 

[bustamente]

On 2023-06-13 at 6:47 PM, Super Duper Negatron said:

Started watching Silo on Apple. Intrigued so far. It helps that I just came off seeing Dune and it has the same actress.

I know I already recommended it upthread, but Beef on Netflix...watch it.

I've caught the first two episodes kinda on the fence about this one but think I will see where it goes

[WinnipegGordo]

On 2023-05-31 at 5:10 PM, Noeller said:

I loved the final season. My goodness is Anthony Carrigan an absolute delight.... and Stephen Root doing Stephen Root things, just dominating virtually every scene he's in. Hader proving yet again that he's a genius who is so much more than what he showed on SNL. He's a real cinephile and is currently working on a horror movie, which (and I'm not into horror movies) I have no doubt is going to be incredible. When Guillermo Del Toro is singing your praises and willing to pop in for a cameo, you know you're doing things right...

If you are a fan of Carrigan and Root then check out Hiking with Kevin Nealon on YouTube. They were both on recently.

Edited June 18, 2023 by WinnipegGordo