Media Question – Verizon, Netflix, Wireless, Time Warner, Phone, Internet TV
Hi Molly -
I hope you’re doing well. I’m glad the new computer and printer are working out so well for you so far.
We’re dealing with three services:
Phone Internet TV
Currently you have Verizon for Phone/Internet and Time Warner for TV.
Phone service provides you with a traditional land-line for making and receiving calls using one or more wired or cordless handsets. That’s easy. Many people don’t use this service at all and alternatively rely exclusively on their cell phones.
TV service provides a scheduled broadcast of various channels. These are either by cable or satellite. Both Standard and High Definition service is available for either cable or satellite. DVR (recording and playback, Digital Video Recording) is also an option for both.
Internet service is really the crossover and unquestionably the essential service. You can make calls (using services like Skype or Vonage), watch TV (via computer or internet-equipped media devices), and rent movies directly over the internet.
The streaming services (Netflix, AppleTV – apple.com/appletv, GoogleTV – google.com.tv, Wii, Playstation, and most Blu-Ray players) require solely an internet connection. Some TV you can now watch using your internet connection though most is pay-as-you-go rentals. Some shows you can watch on the TV and others on the computer. It’s all very complicated right now.
Here’s the biggest problem with streaming services: Their success and their quality depend entirely on the reliability and speed of your internet connection. The Verizon service you have now is actually inadequate to effectively receive ANY streaming services – via the Wii or any other method. Transmitting audio and video over the internet is a data intensive process – if your internet connection is slow they won’t work.
Unfortunately Time Warner is the only other telecommunications carrier in this area, but I feel that TW can offer better services than anyone else. Their internet is fast (nearly 10x faster than what you have now), their phone service is reliable and the TV service has great quality – including many HD and On-Demand channels. So while the Verizon/DirecTV option is cheaper, it’s definitely not the better service.
Verizon may upgrade their service out here and offer FiOS (Fiber service) which would allow them to compete service-wise and cost-wise with Time Warner (including the ability to ditch DirecTV and satellite for TV). But that may never happen.
Hope that information helps – let me know if you’d like me to fill in any blanks.
Best,
hunter
On Jan 10, 2011, at 11:45 AM, Molly Polk wrote:
> hi Hunter > > I hope you’re doing well – I used our new printer for the first time yesterday and it seems great – thank you! > > I’m researching options for phone/internet/tv plans as we’ve been with Verizon for phone/internet and Time Warner for TV for awhile and I haven’t assessed. > > It seems that the Verizon DirecTV plan (bundling internet, phone, and tv) is the best deal – do you have any experience with it at all? TWarner’s plan seems more expensive, and also I hate to have to have a new modem, etc. installed when it seems like everything internet-wise has generally worked pretty well with Verizon. > > Alternatively, we now have a Wii and can stream from Netflix….but we still would need a TV service (whether thru Time Warner or Verizon) in order to watch TV. Is that correct? I can’t keep up with all of this new media – but it’s exciting! > > I’d appreciate it if you could pass on any advice. > > many thanks and hope to see you ’round soon. > Molly
TV Headphones Digital Audio
Hi Dusty -
I hope you’re enjoying your new TV.
There is a small problem with the headphones. I’ll explain.
For the headphones to work, the TV must output its sound to them.
The TV has two audio outputs. One is an analog headphone jack. The other is a digital audio output.
The headphone jack is designed to output sound only to the headphones when connected. That won’t work – you wouldn’t be able to watch with her because the TV speakers would be disabled.
The digital output can simultaneously output audio to both the TV speakers and to the headphones, BUT the headphones (and all like them) are analog, so we must convert the digital signal to an analog signal.
I had a converter with me and installed it yesterday. It works fine for DVD and basic TV, but not with the digital TV channels because digital TV uses a different digital encoding called Dolby. The converter I had can’t convert Dolby Digital.
So the easiest option would be to replace the converter I installed yesterday with a more sophisticated version that can convert both standard digital audio and Dolby digital audio. Like this one:
http://www.gefen.com/kvm/dproduct.jsp?prod_id=5980
It’s not cheap – like $100 vs $60 or the one I installed yesterday.
Sorry for all the technical details. Let me know what you think.
Best,
hunter
On Jan 8, 2011, at 5:47 PM, Dustin wrote:
> Hi Hunter, > > We’ve just bought a new TV — an LG 32LE5300 — from Amazon, and I have been able to do no more than unpack it and attach the stand. It’s pretty clear where the cable (for cable TV) goes that connects to the wall, but when I got to the section on connecting additional equipment (our DVD player) I cannot proceed. > > The little colored jacks supplied with the new TV are not just like the colored jacks from our old one — so it does not appear that I can simply unplug the jacks from the old and insert them into the new. > > So I think we need help. I imagine that for anybody who is familiar with electronics it should be only a matter of ten minutes. Can you send somebody? > > We are around for the next few days, but leaving on Friday afternoon the 14th for two weeks in the sun. > > Dusty
hunter greene Brainspiral Technologies, Inc.
Jane, Williamstown
Posted by webadmin@brainspiral.com on January 19, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Thanks,Hunter! So glad I got a Mac!
TV is working out great….HUGE improvement!
**********
Regarding: Mac Laptop Updates and Installation of a new 40″ LED TV with matching Blu-Ray player for streaming Netflix.
Filed under Client Comments · Tagged with