indiegames
December 11th, 2009, 22:40
http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/9/2009/12/500x_custom_1260565832551_img_0948.jpgThe most popular story on the New York Times website chronicles the tale of a couple doing something I don't think I could do.
This is one brave couple that you can read about on the Times. They have canceled their cable service. They have decided that they will still watch TV, still watch movies, but they will not give a dime to the cable company. The author argues that his Netflix-armed Xbox 360 (http://kotaku.com/tag/xbox360/), Hulu.com, iTunes and a variety of other services:
We still come home from work and watch any number of shows, just like the people who continue to pay for cable. We just do it a little differently, starting the computer and then using services like Hulu, Boxee, iTunes and Joost. Another interesting twist to this experience is that we're no longer limited to consuming traditional programming. With these applications we can spend an entire evening flicking through videos from YouTube, CollegeHumor or Web-only programs.
...Explanations follow of each of the above services, and then...
While Microsoft's Xbox 360 (starting at $200), is not absolutely necessary for this setup, it delivers an array of lively entertainment options. I can, of course, play video games, but I can also rent movies (through the Xbox marketplace or through Netflix's online viewing service), and browse Twitter and Facebook, with a new feature that lets you watch a streaming interface of your social networks flow across the screen.
Me? I'd miss boxing and RealSports on HBO and "accidentally" stumbling onto Monday Night Raw every sixth Monday night. Plus, I want to watch Lost live, when it's in season. Could anyone out there do this? Actually, are any of the Kotaku faithful already doing this?
Cable Freedom Is a Click Away (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/10/technology/personaltech/10basics.html?_r=1&em) [The New York Times]
http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?p=1 (http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?p=1) http://a.rfihub.com/eus.gif?eui=2226 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/kotaku/full?d=yIl2AUoC8zA</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/kotaku/full?a=75gzC9zypao:-c5pJEQlGKM:yIl2AUoC8zA) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/kotaku/full?d=H0mrP-F8Qgo</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/kotaku/full?a=75gzC9zypao:-c5pJEQlGKM:H0mrP-F8Qgo) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/kotaku/full?i=75gzC9zypao:-c5pJEQlGKM:D7DqB2pKExk</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/kotaku/full?a=75gzC9zypao:-c5pJEQlGKM:D7DqB2pKExk) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/kotaku/full?i=75gzC9zypao:-c5pJEQlGKM:V_sGLiPBpWU</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/kotaku/full?a=75gzC9zypao:-c5pJEQlGKM:V_sGLiPBpWU)
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/kotaku/full/~4/75gzC9zypao
More... (http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/kotaku/full/~3/75gzC9zypao/couple-chucks-cable-box-settles-for-pc-and-xbox)
This is one brave couple that you can read about on the Times. They have canceled their cable service. They have decided that they will still watch TV, still watch movies, but they will not give a dime to the cable company. The author argues that his Netflix-armed Xbox 360 (http://kotaku.com/tag/xbox360/), Hulu.com, iTunes and a variety of other services:
We still come home from work and watch any number of shows, just like the people who continue to pay for cable. We just do it a little differently, starting the computer and then using services like Hulu, Boxee, iTunes and Joost. Another interesting twist to this experience is that we're no longer limited to consuming traditional programming. With these applications we can spend an entire evening flicking through videos from YouTube, CollegeHumor or Web-only programs.
...Explanations follow of each of the above services, and then...
While Microsoft's Xbox 360 (starting at $200), is not absolutely necessary for this setup, it delivers an array of lively entertainment options. I can, of course, play video games, but I can also rent movies (through the Xbox marketplace or through Netflix's online viewing service), and browse Twitter and Facebook, with a new feature that lets you watch a streaming interface of your social networks flow across the screen.
Me? I'd miss boxing and RealSports on HBO and "accidentally" stumbling onto Monday Night Raw every sixth Monday night. Plus, I want to watch Lost live, when it's in season. Could anyone out there do this? Actually, are any of the Kotaku faithful already doing this?
Cable Freedom Is a Click Away (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/10/technology/personaltech/10basics.html?_r=1&em) [The New York Times]
http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?p=1 (http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?p=1) http://a.rfihub.com/eus.gif?eui=2226 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/kotaku/full?d=yIl2AUoC8zA</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/kotaku/full?a=75gzC9zypao:-c5pJEQlGKM:yIl2AUoC8zA) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/kotaku/full?d=H0mrP-F8Qgo</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/kotaku/full?a=75gzC9zypao:-c5pJEQlGKM:H0mrP-F8Qgo) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/kotaku/full?i=75gzC9zypao:-c5pJEQlGKM:D7DqB2pKExk</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/kotaku/full?a=75gzC9zypao:-c5pJEQlGKM:D7DqB2pKExk) http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/kotaku/full?i=75gzC9zypao:-c5pJEQlGKM:V_sGLiPBpWU</img> (http://feeds.gawker.com/~ff/kotaku/full?a=75gzC9zypao:-c5pJEQlGKM:V_sGLiPBpWU)
http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/kotaku/full/~4/75gzC9zypao
More... (http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/kotaku/full/~3/75gzC9zypao/couple-chucks-cable-box-settles-for-pc-and-xbox)