I’m doing the product testing right now to determine if it’s feasible to drop cable.
I’ve set up my HTPC and tried out Boxee, XMBC, and Media Center. All are cool in some aspects, but the web TV content is really lacking.
Most of it seems to be clips, crappy internet shows, and a smattering of network TV shows that I’m not interested in.
Where do you all get content?
Are you only interested in TV? Hulu, Hulu+, Netflix Instant, the network’s websites, sometimes even youtube. If you want movies, you can add Vudu to the list. Often times it’s a matter of figuring when a particular show is going to air.
For example, I missed Desperate Housewives last week (shut up). I know I can go to ABC.com and watch it, but after a few weeks it’ll be gone, Hulu+ may or may not have it after that (I don’t have Hulu+ and don’t usually bother checking). After a while, it’ll be on DVD and considerably longer after that it’ll show up on Netflix instant where it’ll be available for about a two years.
Actually, I appear to have chosen a bad example, it seems every episode of DH is available for free on Hulu right now.
If you are willing to pay - Amazon on Demand, Itunes (most expensive two, but quickest to update. Like, overnight) and Netflix (cheapest but furthest lead time).
Netflix and Comedy Central is all I need right now. I got tired of paying $120/month to subsidize other peoples’ sports channels (in HD no less). Now I pay $8/month, but I’m a low-demand user. I don’t need to see any specific title. As long as I can find something interesting on Netflix, I’ll watch whatever is offered.
There’s also over-the-air local stuff, which I may watch some day if the DSL ever goes out.
sidereel.com links to megavideo which posts nearly everything about 12 to 14 hours after it airs.
cool! thanks. Exactly what I was looking for.
keep it coming if you can think of more.
icefilms.info
Has just about everything 20 minutes after it airs.
Just beware a lot of ISPs are starting to put caps on download limits. AT&T DSL will be capped at 150g a month and AT&T U-Verse will be capped at 250g per month.