Since last post, I have been on a quest to direct myself on what other tidbits need to be added to my home network. I was pleasantly surprised to find that TV Streamer/GoodPlayer App combo on my iPad is actually able to stream an HD TV program from the HDHomeRun Prime. That means that the HDHomeRun App by Elgato will probably be eliminated from my iPad 2. It doesn't make any sense to have more than one App to perform a function especially if the second App not only performs the functions of the first but exceeds it in many ways. The GoodPlayer App actually has some other capabilities that I had not explored previously. So I consider it worth the extra money. So now I have pretty much full up streaming to my iPad 2, at least until Verizon changes their CableCard policies (got wind of that one with a letter from them about some coming changes affecting CableCards). So far, the TV programs that I like can be watched where I like on the iPad. It would really make it a whole lot simpler and obviate the need for all these network changes if I could just stream to anything from any STB or DVR like a number of competitors do.
I am currently paying about $170 a month (1 STB and 1 DVR with no movie channels) for TV / Internet [25/25] / Telephone. That is a big hunk of change and as the economy starts changing more, I will be looking for ways to cut that amount down. I typically get into these things for the long haul until the company does something that causes me to leave. That's what happened with our subscription to Cox Communications - they didn't have some of the niceties that Verizon FIOS did. However, speaking from experience, Verizon is in the business of making money and I have noticed a definite cost per month creep that is just about to the tilt point of $175. It won't matter that they have a blue zillion channels or have really top of the line data speeds if I can't afford it. I don't have movie channels because I already have a stash of DVDs at home and I rent DVDs. I don't stream from Netflix anymore because I found myself not interested in what movies they did have to offer. I don't use video on demand because its an additional cost that I am not willing to pay. I am not interested in going to see latest releases multiple times because I am pretty much a see it one time person, unless I really like the movie then I will buy a DVD. I rip my DVDs so that it is easier to pull them up and watch them in my house using Plex Media Server / Windows Media Center / iTunes, and no I don't loan my ripped DVD files to anyone - so don't go around and accuse me of being a pirate just because I want convenience. This constant push to charge for every view of a movie is for the birds. The big houses are wondering why they are not getting customers at the movie houses it's because of the cost of going there.
My real desire is to be able to get to my TV and movies from any TV or computer in the house with a minimum of cost and do it while learning a little about media streaming.
This is a blog mostly about techie things, what I am doing to my apartment network on the cheap, IOT, 3D Printing, Raspberry Pis, Arduinos, ESP32, ESP8266, Home Automation, Personal Weather Stations, Things That Go Bump in the Night, and some side issues that need discussing. Remember, sometimes the journey to an end is as much fun as the goal achieved!
