Computer/Internet based television

Question

I'm considering canceling my cable provider account (Brighthouse here in Florida) and moving to a computer based entertainment system. I'm somewhat familiar with several different solutions like apple tv, finding stuff to watch online (hulu.com, cbs.com, etc.), and netflix.

But I also know that the offerings on those sites aren't always complete listings of episodes, and sometimes it's only clips. I also haven't been able to find any kid's programming online (ie. Cartoons, doesn't have to be for babies, but just, you know, cartoons) as that is an important consideration for me.

So what are my options SU? How cost effective are they in relation to simply keeping my cable provider? And how timely would I be able to watch new episodes of things like True Blood and Dexter? legal methods are preferred.

Answer 1

You could probably get a lot of mileage by getting a digital converter box (or a digital ready TV), a DVR, and a good antenna. A lot of the stuff I watch comes on network TV.

I have a PC connected to the TV in my living room, and I use Hulu Desktop to watch Hulu content. Hulu has lots of shows, but they often keep just 5 episodes, and inexplicably, it's not always the most recent 5. Shows are usually available the day after they initially air. Hulu does a good job of posting the date new shows will be available on the show pages.

I am also a Netflix subscriber. If you have an XBox, I find that to be the best way to stream Netflix since the streams are HD. Netflix seems to have a lot of kids shows available for streaming as well. I watch Leverage and NCIS on Netflix, and shows are posted the morning after they air. The advantage of Netflix is that you can always get DVDs for past seasons of shows delivered to you to fill in gaps.

There are some shows I haven't been able to stream online. For really old stuff I just get the DVDs via Netflix. For recent stuff you can always find shows using Bit-torrent, but you didn't hear that from me. :-)

Answer 2

Gizmodo ran a great article on this very topic:
http://gizmodo.com/5366161/life-without-cable-or-satellite-tv-is-easier-than-you-think