Gift Guide – Best gifts for TV and movie lovers 2015

1. Xbox One Holiday Bundle

It’s really becoming the go-to piece of gear for many cord cutters and TV/movie watchers. If you’re a gamer and also a Netflix addict then look no further. Also, Microsoft is offering some amazing deals on bundles this holiday (including one with Fallout 4 – get ready to kiss 100+ hours of your life away). Seriously though, I love my Xbox One and it is my main streaming box for Netflix, Plex, NHL Gamecenter etc.

2. Roku 4 streaming video box

This one is a bit of surprise. I never was a huge fan of Roku boxes in the past.  But this year they killed it. One of the most versatile boxes on the market has been made even better with the addition of true 4K video support. Check this one out if you are in the market for a stand-alone streaming media box.  It kicks some serious ass.

3. Microsoft Surface Pro 4

I haven’t gotten around to doing a full review on this sucker yet, but for my money it is probably the best tech release this year. Period. It’s not only a slim and capable tablet, but with the added type cover, this is truly the all in one device that can finally replace your laptop. I’ve had mine for almost 2 months now and it is an amazing piece of gear. If you know someone who needs a new laptop, consider the Surface Pro 4.

4. Western Digital 4TB external hard drive

What are you going to do with all of your digital movies? Well, external drives are now 4 terabytes!  Meaning that you can safely plug this guy into your streaming server or Xbox One and enjoy almost limitless storage (not quite, but it’s about as close as you can get right now).  And right now Amazon is running a sweet deal on this guy.

5. Google Chromecast 2

How do you follow-up on a smash hit streaming device?  Well, you make it better. This year’s refresh of the Chromecast offers a much nicer form factor, speedier innards and finally support for your blazing fact Wireless AC router and 5Ghz band. And it’s only $35!  If you don’t one (or a couple) of these then you are really missing out on the best deal in consumer electronics.  Period. See my review here.

6. Nexus 6P smartphone

For when your loved one is wanting to watch some Netflix or surf the web on the go. I’m a huge fan of the Nexus brand of smartphones from Google. This year Huawei has really upped the build quality on probably the best Android phone on the market. It’s unlocked too, so you can take it to any phone provider and just slap in a SIM card.

7. Motorola Moto 360 smartwatch

This second edition version of my favourite smartwatch does not disappoint. It was the first out of the gate with a round-faced smartwatch last year. And this year they have amped up the speed of the innards for an even smoother Android Wear experience. The software side from Google has also been beefed up since the first edition and it really is a great experience now.

8. NVIDIA Shield TV Android TV box

This is my vote for the best overall streaming box launched this year. It is fast, capable and comes with a kickass gaming controller. This is what Android TV should be, and right now you can’t find a better Android TV box. Nothing comes even close to the NVIDIA Shield TV’s quality and speed.

9. VIZIO E Series 50 inch LED TV

If you know someone who REALLY needs a great new TV, but don’t want to break the bank, this where you want to start looking. VIZIO has been turning heads this year with the best sub-$500 line of TVs this year. They really are a great deal. And for image quality snobs, they have gotten some really great objective reviews this year too. I like the 50″ but they come in sizes going all the way down to 24 inches.

10. DLink AC1900 router

What good is all of this great new connected equipment if you don’t have a great router to actually handle all of your web traffic? This is a huge seller on Amazon. Mainly because it is reasonably priced and features dual band and wireless AC. There are certainly better routers on the market, but nothing close to the mix of quality and affordability that the AC1900 brings.

I hope this list helps you wade through the confusing world of consumer electronics this year. I’m a big dork so feel free to send me an email if you have any questions.  Happy Holidays!

The post Best gifts for TV and movie lovers 2015 | Gift Guide appeared first on Cord Breaker .

Seriously, what is with this helmet?

But if we have a real, working hoverboard, why the eff don’t we have modern, convenient, affordable television? Sure, Netflix, Hulu and the swathe of new streaming services have pushed us some of the way there, but we have a long way to go.

Failing to modernize television

It’s really amazing to see the amount of great content that can be accessed without having an official cable subscription. Just check out this list and you’ll see the scope of services available. The problem is that none of these options (even in tandem with one another) provide a very modern or convenient experience. The fact of the matter is that cord cutting CAN get you everything you need. The problem is that it is fragmented and often unwieldy for the average consumer.

Look, I can get everything I need from the following setup:

• OTA antenna receiving local HDTV content (free minus cost of antenna)
• Netflix subscription ($7.99 per month)
• HBO Now ($15 per month)
• Amazon Prime Instant Video ($8.25 per month)
• NHL Gamecenter Live ($8.33 per month)
• TOTAL:  $39.57 per month

Not bad right? Without wading into illegal streaming, I can pretty much maintain the content that I would watch on regular cable TV with the above services. For me it makes sense.  I can watch most content on-demand and pick and choose from content that I actually care about as opposed to be force-fed 15 different variations of Storage Wars and… My $600 wedding … or whatever the kids are watching lately…

The problem arises when a normal consumer is trying to make the jump from one combined service (cable TV) to the above more fragmented approach. The idea of jumping around between apps and interfaces isn’t really the best experience. And to be honest, I understand why many still see cable as a viable alternative even though it is way more expensive.

Google’s try for our living room

Googles’s first attempt at gaining a foothold in our entertainment lives was a pretty big flop. Google TV was at best a niche product for early adopters. Their second kick at the can, Android TV , has been a pretty great product actually. It tries to bring together all of the services that people might want. It also allows us to Chromecast from our computer if a service isn’t yet available. All around it is a great experience. But again, it suffers from the inability to replicate the TV experience that average consumers are expecting. Maybe over time the built-in search on Android TV will bring forward a new way to consume media that is both different from the current live cable TV model, and equally convenient. But that day isn’t here just yet.

If you’re interested, probably one of the best streaming boxes on any platform currently available is indeed an Android TV box.

Can Apple get it right?

We know that September 9th is a big day for cord cutters. Especially cord cutters that live and breathe Apple. To be honest, that is not me. But I am still really excited to see what the new 2015 Apple TV brings forward that might right the wrongs of Apple’s recent foray into living-room entertainment. We know that Apple is hard at work with building formal deals with cable providers to be able to offer some kind of lean TV experience that will deliver TV shows the day that they air. We also know that Apple is working on bringing more gaming capabilities to their new box, but that really is a side show at this point. Can Apple bring the holy grail to would-be cord cutters? Only time will tell, but I am excited to see what they announce on September 9th.

Is this what the 2015 Apple TV will look like? Probably not. But it’s nice and shiny.

A vision of what internet TV should be

Let’s do a little thought experiment. Doc Brown shows up at my door tomorrow, dishevelled and seemingly freaking out about something.

“Mark! We need to do something about your kids!  It turns out that they’ve grown up to be real assholes.”

So I slide in a few tubes of plutonium and hop in the Delorean next to Doc ready for arguably the most interesting time travel trip ever. The flux capacitor… fluxes … and boom, we’re in the year 2040. I figure that if we’re going to remedy my kids’ asshole-ness that I may as well get a peak at what future-folk watch on TV.

Long story short, we de-assholed my kids (it was a long process that I won’t get into here). But here’s the interesting part.  They figured it out! TV is actually intuitive and affordable n 2040.

Here’s what it looks like:

1. Cable companies have given up on the old ad-driven models of live TV delivery.
2. All TV services are available on all devices (Android, Apple, whatever) so you no longer have to pick between what works well and what has the best services. There is one interface to access live TV, local TV, archived shows and movies.
3. Basic local TV channels are all delivered over the internet (for free) as a public service but it is strictly limited to weather and local news.  Everything else can be accessed on demand.
4. Live TV still exists, but it is through apps instead of traditional cable.
5. The cost is reasonable. It is about $30-$40 for all TV programming.  Movies are accessed on demand through the “New Netflix” which has deals with all major production houses.
6. TLC has reverted back to actual learning-based television.
7. Conan O’Brien’s head is still hosting a late night talk show.

Amazing right? That is where TV should be going. Doc dropped me off at home back in good old 2015… And now I’m really yearning for a better TV experience.

But hey, we have a hoverboard. Which is nice.

The post The state of TV in 2015: We have hoverboards, why don’t we have modern internet TV yet? appeared first on Cord Breaker .

Cord cutting means completely cancelling cable TV and moving to internet-based streaming services and antenna-based local TV. But there are cases that aren’t so clear. There seems to be a new blurry area of media consumption that is rearing its head. It sometimes involves some of the same large corporate players that have for so long dominated the TV space. And it is starting to combine the idea of on-demand content with the admittedly comfortable couch-surfing-friendly cable TV we have all become to love and expect.

The missing piece: Channel surfing

I haven’t had full-blown cable TV for almost a decade. And to be honest I don’t really miss it all that much. But last year when I moved into a building that was offering a free 6 months of HD cable, I said “Why not?” So for half a year I had access to pretty much everything. Basic channels, HBO, live sports, disgustingly strange TLC shows…  You name it. The verdict: I still hate most TV programming. After the six month trial I immediately packed the cable boxes up and dropped them off on the counter at my local cable provider.

But there is one nagging thing that leaves me, a self-proclaimed cord cutter, a bit wanting. It’s the ability to just flick on the TV and veg out. No thinking, just consume what is on without really knowing what I need to search for. It sounds dumb, but that experience is something I have missed since ditching that 6 month cable subscription.

It seems that a lot of people in decision-making roles at start-ups and even large telecom companies understand the yearning of consumers on this one. Dish Network is now offering their Sling TV service for a reasonable price of $20 a month (for the basic package). PlutoTV is offering a really great free internet TV service that curates interesting content from across the web and assembles it into a much more “live-TV-like” interface. And even Apple is rumoured to be launching a brand new Apple TV platform in September that will surely involve some form of live-TV subscription. And in North America there have been more and more calls for slimmed down cable TV packages that allow consumers to only pay for what they actually watch.

All the signs are there. Consumers and TV providers alike are both ready push into the next era of TV. It’s not quite cord cutting. It’s more like “cord shaving.” Bringing live TV to consumers in a much more targeted way, over the internet.

Watching together is a powerful thing

I don’t necessarily see this trend of providing “cord shaving” services as the death rattle of the cable TV industry. People want to be able to surf channels. But perhaps more importantly, there is something to the idea of watching a show communally. Netflix loves to tout the merits of binge-watching shows. And I’m not one to disagree. But an equally powerful way of consuming content is watching together. There is something sort of comforting in the fact that when I am wasting my evening watching Bachelor in Paradise (I can’t stop watching) that there are thousands more that are sharing in that activity. It is a group watching dynamic that gives me a sense of shared community.

Even PlutoTV’s app has provided this feeling of community for me. When I admittedly watched episode 1-4 of R. Kelly’s Trapped in the Closet on PlutoTV’s platform, I knew that hundreds of others were sharing in this self destructive act. And it was a good feeling.

Yes, this is a real channel on PlutoTV. And yes, I watched 4 parts…

It’s the same with live sports. Nobody likes having to PVR a game and watch it the next day. The magic is gone by then. You know in your heart that everyone else has already seen that touchdown… that bench clearing brawl…  that messed up national anthem attempt by Roseanne.

Long live live TV. Long live shaving the cord.

The next Apple TV

Everyone is talking about all of the tech specs around a new potential Apple TV . Will it be the new A8 chip?  Will it have a touchscreen on it’s remote? To be honest, I’m more intrigued with how Apple is wooing TV companies to buy into a new model, or at least new-ish model, of TV programming.

No one knows for sure, but there are rumours that the new Apple TV platform will incorporate access to content that as of right now is relatively locked down by TV providers.  For a rumoured $40, Apple is targeting their new service to the next generation of cord cutters…  er cord shavers… But will it go down the SlingTV route, and literally give a window into live television? Or are they going to setup an overarching streaming TV service that deals the deathblow to cable companies once and for all? Only time will tell. But if there is one company that can popularize the cord-shaving approach to media consumption for the masses, it’s Apple. Like them or not, these are the guys that changed the way we consume music almost overnight.

Shaving is the new cutting

I for one think that cable TV will hang around a little while longer. Like I said, people want to be able to surf channels. And they certainly want to be able to have a communal viewing experience with things like sports and to some extent mainstream TV.

We won’t be seeing the average person fully cut the cord anytime soon. Instead, we’ll see services that satiate the above two needs in different ways. Ethernet will supplant coax, but the fundamentals of TV will last. That is, unless Apple decides to rebuild another industry…

So keep shaving away at that cord. Who knows, you might wake up someday and cable companies will be a thing of the past…

Happy cord cutting!

The post Shaving the cord: The future of internet TV or cable by another name? appeared first on Cord Breaker .

But what exactly is available for would-be cord cutters with kids? Here are my picks for the top 3 services for kids programming for cord cutters without cable TV:

Cord cutting with kids – Top 3

1.  Netflix

Netflix is the biggest player when it comes to children’s content available on-demand through streaming services.  When you login to Netflix on a media streamer you are greeted with a screen similar to the one below which actually has a kids version of the service.

The Netflix Kids interface is meant to be fully navigable by children themselves. The actual interface is ingenious. It lays out familiar children’s characters along the top of the screen, allowing kids to spot their favourite and immediately be able to select an episode. It’s all simplified and very intuitive. Available programming includes:

• PAW Patrol
• Bubble Guppies
• Dora
• Team Umizoomi
• Peppa Pig
• Curious George (my favourite as a kid)
• Caillou
• Transformers: Recue Robots
• My Little Pony
• Barbie
• Go Diego Go!
• SpongeBob Squarepants
• Super Why!
• Madagascar
• Blue’s Clues
• iCarly
• Sesame Street
• Bob the Builder
• and a lot more that I don’t even have room to mention

Needless to say that Netflix fits the kids niche REALLY well. And I didn’t even mention the collection of kid friendly movies that are available. Netflix accounts use a profile system which can be used to set parental controls so kids don’t go exploring into mature content. A good explanation of how to do that is here.

Amazon Freetime on the Fire TV

2.  Amazon Instant Video + Amazon Fire TV

Amazon has amassed a large database of kids programming as well. However, here you’d be best served as an Amazon Prime member as it would give your kids the chance to watch a little bit of everything without breaking the bank. If you have Prime you will have access to a metric tonne of children’s content. And of course the best way to enjoy Amazon services is on one of their excellent streaming devices like the Amazon Fire TV. With the Fire TV parents also have the option to disable purchases and put a PIN on the device as well as block certain types of content. If safely locking down content is your biggest concern, then the Fire TV is definitely your best bet since Amazon both owns the hardware and the software, making the parental controls baked right into the product.

Amazon also offers a service called Amazon Freetime , which is basically their answer to Netflix’s huge library of on-demand kids programs. For as low as $2.99 a month (if you’re a Prime member), parents can give their kids swathes of age-appropriate content that rivals Netflix’s offerings above.

Another big draw of the Fire TV is the close integration of games into the package. Since it is basically an offshoot of Android, hundreds of kid-friendly games are available to play with the included gamepad. This includes favourites like Angry Birds and Minecraft. It beats shelling out $500 for new Xbox!

Hulu Kids web interface

3.  Hulu (subscription)

Hulu is another option for parents. And since Hulu is almost always offered on the same streaming devices that Netflix is, then it could provide the ultimate kid-friendly cord cutter one-two punch. Hulu Kids is Hulu’s kids-only offering which also does not include any ads (most of Hulu’s other programming does have ads). You do have to have a Hulu subscription to access Hulu Kids. But this could be another great option for people who are already Hulu subscribers.  The favourites are all there from The Wiggles to Sesame Street . But if you already have Netflix or Amazon Freetime, then there is little reason to also pay for Hulu just for the kids content.

Wrap up

Any of these three options will serve any cord cutter with kids well. There are also many other options including buying movies from iTunes for use on the Apple TV, buying content from Google Play for the Chromecast and Android TV, and of course the multitude of other streaming services such as:  CBS All Access, National Geographic Kids, PBS Kids, Sesame Street Go, WatchDisneyChannel etc. And SlingTV offers some great kids programming if you are a subscriber and live in the US. Check out our handy guide for what service is compatible with which media streamer.

But for most it’s as simple as a $7.99 Netflix subscription. If it works, don’t fix it if you ask me. If you’re a bit more concerned with parental controls then the Amazon Fire TV and Freetime combo can’t be beat.

Happy cord cutting!

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My pick for best universal remote control for cord cutters

Now this is relatively subjective, but here is my pick: The Logitech Harmony Smart Control.

There are a couple long-held beefs that I have with remote controls that this remote handles nicely.

1. They are hard to setup and complicated to update

This is an area that Harmony nailed a few years ago. Unlike some other remote brands that really need a professional to program, the Harmony line uses a really easy to use database of pretty much every device that exists. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to pull my hair out when reprogramming my old URC remote. Get a new device with the Harmony? Just log into the app and adjust your setup in the graphical user interface. I added a new device to my setup a couple months ago and it literally took all of 5 minutes to fix up everything in the app on my Mac.

The Harmony Smart Control uses a macro-based system so you have 3 activity buttons (each doubling with a long press to a total of 6 activities) that you can apply a macro to. A macro is where you would say:

“Okay, when I press the movie button: turn on my TV to this input, turn on my A/V receiver to DVD, then switch on my Xbox One.”

Then the system automatically walks through those steps when you push the button. Now onto my other big beef with other remotes.

2. They are massive battery hogs

I’ve owned a bunch of remotes over the years. But even my previous Harmony remotes suffered from horrendous battery life due to one thing: big bright screens. Like your smartphone, the screen is what draws the most juice. I picked the Harmony because… get ready for it… It doesn’t have a screen! It’s a simple looking remote with only physical buttons. And because of that, the internal watch-sized battery lasts close to three years! I’ve had my remote for over a year and haven’t even thought about the battery.

Look, I have enough stuff around the house that needs charging daily. My TV remote does not need to be part of that.

What makes the Logitech Harmony Smart Control so great for cord cutters?

This remote works on your WIFI network which is a bit different than most of the remotes on the market. And since most cord cutters pride themselves on a good local network, why not piggyback on this?

Older remotes relied on one of two ways of communicating with your equipment. First is the old fashioned infrared (IR) signal. Meaning that when you press a button, you generally need line of site to interact with the devices that are in front of you. This causes a couple issues (especially for home theatre folks). (1) Your stuff needs to be visible. You can’t hide your stuff in a cabinet or another room with a strictly IR remote. (2) IR is pretty awful for macros. I remember a decade ago when IR remotes were all the rage and you would click the “Watch TV” button. All of your gear would start clicking on… Until… that one piece missed the signal. Then you’re stuck. I remember many times in frustration when I would have to physically get up and turn off the devices manually to get back to square one. You might as well have not had a remote to begin with!

The other way that remotes generally communicate is via radio frequency. Now don’t get me wrong, I love RF! The problem lies in the fact that RF can (1) interfere with other equipment in the home, and (2) the devices that were really good at RF tend to be ones aimed at custom home theatre installers, not just an average consumer. RF remotes communicate with a central controller that sits with the equipment and convert the RF signals to IR signals. So in actuality, this system uses IR at the end of the chain. IR codes are sent out via IR flashers stuck to your equipment that come from the remote control box.

The Harmony Smart Control does something similar to the RF remotes, but it simply uses WIFI instead of normal RF for the first step in the chain. But why is being on WIFI helpful? Well, like I said, everyone has a WIFI network now, so it just makes sense to use it. Second, the Harmony Smart Control can also use your smartphone or tablet as a secondary remote since it is now a network connected device.

For the more technically inclined the Harmony Smart Control can also connect to IR flashers sent from the control box to devices that are maybe harder to reach. Out of the box the remote relies on a single flasher that “floods” the area near your equipment with IR blasts. This works well, but only if your equipment is all visible from the control box. I personally have two extra IR flashers going to my Xbox One (which is notoriously hard to trigger) and my TV which is a bit finicky as well. Nothing beats not having to point the remote at anything anymore. it even works while under a blanket.

The wrap up

So technicalities aside, the major reason I use the Logitech Harmony Smart Control is because it is easy. I know how to use some of the more complicated systems out there. And for many home theatres things like Crestron are totally necessary. But for 90% of cord cutters out there, they just need a reliable, simple remote. The Harmony Smart Control is that remote for me.

Happy cord cutting!

Please note that some of the links to the devices above are Amazon affiliate links, meaning that if you click and purchase one, I get a small commission at no cost to you. I’d appreciate it if you do click on them if you are considering buying anyway. But truthfully I do own a Harmony Smart Control and it is super awesome.

The post What’s the best universal remote control for cord cutters? appeared first on Cord Breaker .

—-

Apologies to our American and international readers, this post is going to deal with the Great White North. But the lessons likely apply to other countries as well.

There is a lot of confusion over what exactly Shomi and CraveTV are. Canadians are seeing these services promoted all over traditional TV broadcasts. Are they competitors to Netflix and Hulu? Yes? Sort of. Actually, not really.  Let me explain.

What are Shomi and CraveTV?

While Rogers (owner of Shomi) and Bell (CraveTV) present the streaming services as the new cool streaming services to hit the market, they are really missing the whole point for many Canadians:  We want to be able to choose what to consume and not be bullied into paying for expensive cable packages with sixteen flavours of Storage Wars and Pawn Stars. That’s not to say that these services aren’t valuable, they just aren’t standalone streaming services. As it stands right now you need to have a cable (or internet subscription in the case of Shomi) to access them.

If you are sticking with Rogers for your internet, several of the packages actually include Shomi access in them which is a good first step. But until these services are more than just cable TV+, they just won’t be a viable option for cord cutters.

Rogers and Bell: Prove me wrong about your services.

Happy cord cutting!

The post Shomi some value: Why Shomi and CraveTV aren’t what they seem appeared first on Cord Breaker .

But dare I say, I think the Xbox One is starting to come into its own. I’m starting to really understand the approach Microsoft was promoting way back in 2013. I think the Xbox One truly is the best machine for any would-be cord cutter out there. I personally use it as my multimedia hub and couldn’t be happier.

I’m a casual gamer. I tear it up on The Crucible in Destiny from time to time (damn you Xur, damn you to hell!). But the majority of my use of my Xbox One is as a multimedia hub.

How Xbox One helps me in cord cutting

Any decent system that aims to ditch cable needs a rock solid streaming device of some kind. I’ve used several, including the WDTV Live, Xbox 360, Roku and, of course the Swiss Army knife of the streaming world, the Chromecast. But nothing has come close to the Xbox One in terms of speed, connection quality and interface.

Speed

I live in an apartment that doesn’t make using wired connections very simple or asthetically pleasing. But streaming 1080p movies with surround sound isn’t exactly the easiest on the home network. But low and behold, when I connected the Xbox One to my A/C router, boom! It worked. Beautifully. No hiccups. No artifacting. These were all things I dealt with when using the other devices above. I stream content from Plex at ridiculously high bitrates with full DTS Master HD sound with no problem.

Capability

The Xbox One is a very capable machine when it comes to decoding video files. MKV files are decoded natively and support for Dolby Digital and DTS is a breeze. But one of the really great things about the audio processing on the Xbox One is how it actually transcodes the audio to either Dolby Digital or DTS no matter what the source material is. I have a wireless headset that can decode Dolby Digital, so the fact that the Xbox One does the heavy lifting and outputs a sound format that my headphones are compatible with is real bonus. In comparison, the WDTV Live didn’t handle movies with DTS soundtracks very well and I would find myself having to stumble around through the menu to switch between audio settings.

Interface

Let’s be honest, some of the interfaces that come with video streaming devices are god awful. I love my WDTV Live, but I’m the first one to admit that it’s interface looks like cat barf on a hot day. It lags, freezes and just generally is not a great experience. Xbox One is the opposite. The interface works. It gets out of the way and allows me to sit down on the couch and be watching something ten seconds later.

Apps

Like I said before, I use Plex as my media centre religiously. Seriously, if you aren’t using Plex I don’t know what’s wrong with you (no offence to the guys over at Kodi). The apps I use the most for consuming media:

• Plex
• Netflix
• NHL Gamecenter (for my Ottawa Senators fix)
• Twitch
• Youtube

The modern design on each of these apps is great, but I wasn’t super impressed with the music offerings on Xbox One. But let me fill you in on a secret…

The Plex Xbox One interface is sexy

My secret, HDMI passthrough

HDMI passthrough sounds like the most boring thing ever. But it’s actually one of the more useful pieces of technology on the Xbox One. Take any HDMI device, plug it into the HDMI input on the back of the Xbox One. Now you can access that device from the Xbox One interface via the TV app.

I have my Chromecast plugged into one of those HMDI ports which solves the Xbox One’s music app problem. Now I can add these apps to my list since I can access them via Chromecast:

• Google Play Music
• Songza
• PocketCasts (for my money the best single podcast app that exists)

Do yourself a favour and buy yourself a Chromecast. Your Youtube browsing will be at least 400% more efficient!

Other tips

If you’re serious about movies and having your media sit in another room, consider getting a Mac Mini. I’m not a Mac fanboy or anything like that, but the Mac Mini does an amazing job with transcoding video on the fly for streaming via Plex to my Xbox One.

Get a TV tuner. I haven’t done this yet, but Microsoft just released a digital tuner for the Xbox One that you plug your over-the-air HDTV antenna into so you can tune into local broadcasts. See my post about HDTV via antenna here. Apparently its works really well and Microsoft has promised to bring full DVR functionality to the Xbox One soon.

Get a universal remote. I have a Logitech Harmony Smart Control remote that is perfect. It is simple, durable and talks to the Xbox One flawlessly. And the battery on the thing lasts three years! I also have a home theatre setup, so it really simplifies the whole experience of controller my TV, receiver, Xbox One.

The future is looking bright

The Xbox One might have stumbled out of the gate a bit. But honestly, I think it’s really growing into the machine it always wanted to be. And cord cutters like myself are better off for it. So if you were on the fence about whether the Xbox One is for you, give it a serious shot if you intend on cutting the cord anytime soon.

There is a new 1TB storage version of the Xbox One which looks pretty awesome. In Canada it’s going for $449 right now with the Halo Master Chief Collection.

The post The Xbox One has become the cord cutter’s dream and I’m reaping all of the benefits appeared first on Cord Breaker .

Let’s start with the basics of cord cutting:

1. Cord cutting is the basic idea of completely cancelling your cable TV service in favor of using a mix of local over the air TV content and internet-based video streaming services like Netflix or Hulu.
2. No, it is not illegal. People that are self-proclaimed cord cutters tend to talk about sticking it to the man a lot, but don’t confuse this with illegal activity. Everything on this website is 100% legal and you shouldn’t feel afraid to try anything I recommend.
3. Cord cutting can save a lot of people a LOT of money.

The CRTC reported in 2014 that the average Canadian spent $191 a month on communication services. That’s right, A MONTH! A good portion of this is often spent on high cost cable services and internet packages. So in a typical family they spend $2,292 dollars. We can do better people!

But what about that Bachelor in Paradise? How are you going to possibly get your fix of twenty-somethings passing out in hot tubs? The most amazing thing to me is how few people know about the various ways that you can access television content (often for free or close to free). Take our scantily clad friends from Bachelor in Paradise for example:  Would it surprise you to know that in most Canadian and American urban centres that you can tune into free HD channels over the air?

Let me digress for a moment here (don’t worry it will come full circle, I promise). Remember that scene in Back to the Future where Lorraine’s dad had just set up their new television set so they could watch Jacky Gleason while they ate?  Of course you do (because it’s from one of the best movie’s ever released).

Lorraine’s dad: the first cord cutter?

Young folks might ask: “What are those metal bits on top of old TVs?” Those are rabbit ear antennas that were used to tune into VHF television signals… in the 1950’s. Of course back then you could only tune in a couple channels and the quality was like watching scrambled pornography. But that’s not the point. The point is, what if I told you that, like Lorraine’s dad, you could plug these suckers into your brand new HDTV and receive crystal clear HD channels that are even better than from cable and satellite providers? Well, you can, and you should give this a go.

I live in Ottawa and can received about 7-8 channels of HD programming including CBC, CTV, CityTV. In Toronto it’s even more and in larger cities in the US it is not uncommon to be able to access over 20 HD channels… for free. And, low and behold your precious Bachelor in Paradise is on CityTV! So, go, buy a cheap antenna and try your hand at receiving HD content as a test.

It does get a bit more complicated than the good old days with rabbit ears, but it doesn’t have to.  There are a few different types of antennas. Powered, non-powered, different shapes, ugly, more attractive, “rated for HDTV” (this BS by the way). But at the end of the day, you could literally grab an old antenna that has coaxial cable dangling from the end and screw it into the antenna input on your HDTV and you may tune into some of the great local programming. Programming that a lot of people mistakenly think they would miss if they cut the cord.

I will go more in-depth into the idea of tuning into over the air (OTA) HD television broadcasts soon in another article. There are some tips and tricks with placement and managing your expectations around what you will actually receive, but at the end of the day most people don’t even know this exists. They pay for HD cable to watch local news and a few hockey games, not realizing that the same content is already flowing freely through the air, just waiting for you to smarten up and grab hold of it.

If there is one cheap experiment to start you on your way to cord cutting mastery, it is buying an over the air antenna (or scrounging through the den for the one that you assumed you would never need again). I have used several over the past few years. The one that I had the best luck with was the Mohu Leaf 50 Indoor HDTV Antenna which doesn’t really look like a traditional antenna.  It is flat, relatively appealing to the eye and is powered by USB (something that people often have a spare on the back of their HDTV anyway). It’s not a perfect antenna, but for the money it does the job in most urban areas. OTA purists would probably be better served by something more beefy, but in my experience something like the Mohu is a good step in the right direction for would-be cord cutters.

It’s nice to be able to sit down and surf through a few channels mindlessly. And thanks to over the air HD signals, that is still possible. You may sacrifice the odd episode of Honey Boo Boo or whatever the latest abomination from TLC is, but you will get your local news. You’ll get the playoff game between the Leafs and Sens. You’ll get… Bachelor in Paradise … Fully cutting the cord allowed me to really prioritize what constitutes good TV programming. It allowed me to stop watching crap and learn to love the antenna.

So go out there and buy an antenna, set it up at the dinner table and watch the hell out of it like Lorraines dad did. And if you have no idea what this insane reference is, first of all, shame on you. Second, go and rent Back to the Future. And third: “Say hi to your mom for me.”

The post Cord cutting: How I learned to stop watching crap and love the antenna appeared first on Cord Breaker .