Had enough of my cable company...

Gyrene

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 28, 2014
Messages
377
I built my media computer about a year ago and love it, I can record satellite, despite them telling me I can't, I can play DVD and Blu Rays with it, on both of my TV's and I also have a Sony blue ray, that does not play blu rays any longer, but it works great for streaming, so I really don't know why I continue to pay Dish prices! One of the things, I like about my media center, is I can record satellite TV, copy to a thumbdrive and then plug into the "broken" sony blu ray and play the show also, but I am definitely looking at the alternatives. I am getting ready to dump my phone company and use the magic jack full time, I will just sign up with one of the small local DSL providers for broadband.
DSL is SLOW.
 

thumpar

Admiral
Joined
Jun 21, 2007
Messages
6,138
At our old house we could only get 1.5mb DSL through the phone company. It just wasn't cutting it because when I would do a big download Netflix would cut out on the TV. I switched to the local cable company for internet. At first I was leery because they always had poor service but it has worked out OK. I get 50mb but they offer up to 105mb. The fastest the phone company can do is 20mb but you have to get fiber to get it and that only works if you are a couple hundred feed from a splice.
 

MTboatguy

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Jul 8, 2010
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8,988
I am 22 miles from the Central Office, and 9 miles from the closest amplified switch, I am over 20 miles from the closest cable company feed, it ain't going to happen without a huge investment on my part. Actually, I can watch many shows over the internet with no problem, FOX, CBS, ABC and some of the satellite stations, so things work out ok.
 

gm280

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
14,585
I actually had Dish Network for decades...literally! But we decided that we were merely watch only about six or seven channels and we had 500 +. And we made the hard decision to cancel Dish and go with just the basic cable so we could get high speed internet. We saved well over $1000 dollars a year AND it didn't take very long to get use to other programs offered with just basic cabling offerings. It really is amazing what you can get use to when you only have a few options. But with us it was more of a background TV while we surfed the net most of the tie anyways. So not too bad. And then I saw a schematic of a very simple "Digital TV Antenna" on the net. So one day I decided to make one of them with some available 12 gauge copper house wire. We now have 18 crystal clear digital stations and two others with a little weaker signal with the antenna sitting right beside the TV. I don't know how many more we could get with it in the attic. I was really amazed at what is transmitted over the air totally free for anybody to watch... Happen campers now!
 

rbh

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Mar 21, 2009
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ADSL-VS-FTTH-VS-coax
SM fiber goes for miles before it needs to be regenerated? Copper is a single pair back to the central office or fiber concentrator, about 4500M on 22GA is about the best you can get while coax is basically daisy chained so when there is a heavy usage time evenings/weekends everything slows down.

But the biggest issue is not the delivery cable- fiber/copper/coax it is the equipment on the ends.
 

Volphin

Lieutenant
Joined
Jun 5, 2011
Messages
1,405
I dropped my landline in '99. I wanted to go to broadband TV, but the wife still uses our DTV as a noisemaker... maybe I'll change in a year or so.
 

bruceb58

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
30,454
Got my Ooma going today. Only a few dollars in taxes unless you go premier with all the call blocking. I will be doing the same up at my vacation house.
 

MTboatguy

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Jul 8, 2010
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8,988
I hooked up a Magic Jack GO on Saturday and so far am thrilled with the quality and how easy it was to get going, $35.00 a year and no other charges! We now have 2 magic jacks going, so our parents can all us at no cost and I don't have to pay all of the darn taxes and access fees that get added onto our landline bill
 
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thumpar

Admiral
Joined
Jun 21, 2007
Messages
6,138
We used to have a Magic Jack. They work great. The only reason we didn't renew was that everyone but the 6 year hold has a cell phone and we didn't use it. Great product though.
 

Gyrene

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 28, 2014
Messages
377
All the satellites are stationary over the equator so the further north you are, the lower the angle. I have a friend that gets satellite TV fine in Alaska. The angle of the dish is somewhat deceiving because of the antenna design. The satellites are actually much higher over the horizon than what it looks the way the antenna is pointed.
But if the satellites were higher (greater altitude) the angle would be more vertical.
 

Boomyal

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Aug 16, 2003
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12,072
Got my Ooma going today. Only a few dollars in taxes unless you go premier with all the call blocking. I will be doing the same up at my vacation house.

I'm late to this conversation. You do need internet for this Ooma, don't you? Also can you back feed your house phone wiring to power all the phone extensions throughout the house?
 

MTboatguy

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Jul 8, 2010
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Extensions? I just use a 3 station cordless phone system, have two in the house and one in the garage. All 3 are working through the magic jack, which is hooked directly to my router and not to a computer like the old MJ. Paid $49.00 for the device, which includes the first year of service and then it is $35.00 a year after the first year for service, so $35 bucks vs $1200 a year I am now paying!
 
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bruceb58

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Mar 5, 2006
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30,454
I'm late to this conversation. You do need internet for this Ooma, don't you? Also can you back feed your house phone wiring to power all the phone extensions throughout the house?
Yes you do need internet. I haven't done so yet but you can back feed your house wiring.

Look up the reviews of the MagicJack and the Ooma on Amazon before you decide which one to get.
 

MTboatguy

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Jul 8, 2010
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In the past, the Magic Jack had some problems, we have had one for several years now, but over the last year, and with the introduction of the new version, it has worked quite well, which is the reason I purchased another one, the new GO model is getting good reviews, the old one, was not getting good reviews, it is like anything else electronic, they improve as the learn new things and VOIP is still an evolving technology, My Dad tried Vonage and it was terrible.
 

redneck joe

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 18, 2009
Messages
10,200
For DirecTV, the best way to do it is just get every receiver as a DVR and have whole home. It's just one price no matter how many DVRs you have. Even if you have a receiver without a DVR, you can watch recordings off the other DVR with the normal receiver.



have to have the correct equipment for that, starting out at the dish
 

redneck joe

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Mar 18, 2009
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All the satellites are stationary over the equator so the further north you are, the lower the angle. I have a friend that gets satellite TV fine in Alaska. The angle of the dish is somewhat deceiving because of the antenna design. The satellites are actually much higher over the horizon than what it looks the way the antenna is pointed.


Correct. The signal actually comes in steeper than the angle of the reflector would make it appear, then bounces forward to the LNB in a more horizontal manner.


AK also has a different reflector as does HI.
 

bruceb58

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
30,454
One nice thing about both Ooma and MajicJack(i think it is true with MJ) is that if you are in a location with no cell service but have wifi, you can make calls with a free app on your smartphone. This is especially useful for me since there is lousy cell service at my GF's cabin in our local mountains.
 
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