|
|
|
Written by Crystal Little
|
|
Friday, 17 November 2006 |
|
|
|
|
 Our regularly scheduled programming is becoming increasingly obsolete.
Thanks to TV on DVD, the iTunes Music Store, network Web sites, gadgets like eyeTV and ATi, digital video recorders and services like TiVo and ReplayTV, it’s possible to watch TV without conventional cable.
Customizing a TV habit can be a heady prospect, much like ordering a triple grande extra vanilla 2 percent caramel macchiato at the coffee shop.
As viewers begin to fit shows like ABC’s “Lost” and The CW’s “Veronica Mars” around their life’s schedule — instead of planning their night in sync with the network’s lineup — they’re finding a love for this not-so-remote control.
[ cost of convenience ]
Services that allow viewers to watch TV at their convenience come with a price. Here’s a rundown:
iTunes. More than 200 shows available for $1.99 an episode; $34.99 season passes for several shows like “Desperate Housewives,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Lost.” Season pass for “Heroes,” $42.99.
30-gigabyte video iPod: $249; 80-G video iPod: $349. Software, free. www.apple.com/itunes.
Digital cable plus DVR (through local cable; monthly price varies by location).
TiVo (device plus service): Device fees: Free, $30 and $130, depending on storage capacity. One-year service plan is $224; two-year plans are $369; three-year plans with “one year free” offer are $369. Plus cost of cable or satellite service. www.tivo.com.
ReplayTV includes device and service fee: $12.95 a month or $299.99 for the lifetime of the unit. Plus cable or satellite service. www.replaytv.com.
eyeTV Hybrid $149.99; includes built-in TV tuners, ability to record, and TiVo-like features. www.elgato.com.
ATi About $200; with built-in TV tuners, the ability to record to hard disk, and TiVo-like features. http://ati.amd.com.
Webisodes. Free (for cost of Internet service). Episodes usually up on sites within 24 hours of the broadcast.
TV on DVD (prices from Amazon.com.) Prices vary, generally $29.99-$59.99; HBO shows are pricier, with the sixth season of “The Sopranos” costing $63.27 and “Deadwood’s” first-season a whistle-inducing $99.98. Seasons generally released just before the next season starts on TV. Q | Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register. |
|
|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
| |
|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
|  | over and out | |
| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
|
|
