Could this replace my cable?

[gdubmedia]

I'm extremely interested in the Revue, or the Sony unit (minus the blu-ray...), as we don't have cable, but have shows we like to watch and keep up with. Should I grab a Google TV set-up, or just wait till Hulu plus arrives on my PS3?I like all the features of the Google TV, but wanna make sure I don't have to have cable for it to work, and all that jazz.

Hope ya'll are enjoying it!!

 

[cpagan2000]

EVO will always be king

 

[lament]

Google TV is pretty useless without a set-top cable box.

If you don't have one, it's just a $300 box on its own HDMI port that can search and play web content, and play a limited number of video/audio files.

In that case, there are cheaper boxes that do more.

 

[eddieo]

Lament,
Can you name some alternate setups? ("there are cheaper boxes that do more") and why they might be better for a non-cable TV subscriber?
Thanks,
eddieo

 

[lament]

There'a a million media streamer boxes (WD TV, Xtreamer, Asus O!Play, Patriot Box Office, etc.), but they're lacking any sort of uniformity in bringing all the content together, and they usually lack web content but are great at streaming your local content. Also their GUI is almost always awful.

The Boxee box, on the other hand, brings everything together:

- a unified search: search your local content, online web channels, broadcast/cable channels that offer streaming content (SyFy, Hulu, CBS, ABC, NBC, etc)
- playback of your local or networked content (up to 1080p without breaking a sweat) in just about any video/audio format
- scrapes your content for metadata (poster thumbnails, actor, year, summary, etc)
- social integration (among your other Boxee friends, but also Twitter and Facebook. If any of the people you're following posts a video via Twitter or Facebook, it'll show up on your home screen to play)
- apps for everything. if there's a site that has video content and there isn't an app for it, make one

In comparison to Google TV, it has a "Boxee browser" which is geared for browsing sites that feature web content and not so much a full browser experience.. but it's based on Webkit so they could easily make something like that.

As I posted in another thread, the only thing that sucks about the Boxee box is the unknown of Netflix (since it's Linux based and Silverlight runs on Mac and PC and isn't currently implemented in the Linux software version of Boxee). I'm hoping they use Moonlight (the open-source, Microsoft-approved version of Silverlight) to get it up and running.

And if you look at all of my posts recently in these Google TV threads, you'd think I worked for Boxee.. sadly, I don't. I'm just a big fan and have been using it forever.

 

[simplygoogletv]

I'm extremely interested in the Revue, or the Sony unit (minus the blu-ray...), as we don't have cable, but have shows we like to watch and keep up with. Should I grab a Google TV set-up, or just wait till Hulu plus arrives on my PS3?I like all the features of the Google TV, but wanna make sure I don't have to have cable for it to work, and all that jazz.

I have a Logitech Revue, and I don't have cable or satellite. Currently I can't watch TV through the Revue, but there are options. As explained here, you can use an external tuner box to watch your over the air channels through the Revue. Unfortunately it adds to your costs, but it's still cheaper than cable or satellite.

 

[04redgto]

There'a a million media streamer boxes (WD TV, Xtreamer, Asus O!Play, Patriot Box Office, etc.), but they're lacking any sort of uniformity in bringing all the content together, and they usually lack web content but are great at streaming your local content. Also their GUI is almost always awful.

The Boxee box, on the other hand, brings everything together:

- a unified search: search your local content, online web channels, broadcast/cable channels that offer streaming content (SyFy, Hulu, CBS, ABC, NBC, etc)
- playback of your local or networked content (up to 1080p without breaking a sweat) in just about any video/audio format
- scrapes your content for metadata (poster thumbnails, actor, year, summary, etc)
- social integration (among your other Boxee friends, but also Twitter and Facebook. If any of the people you're following posts a video via Twitter or Facebook, it'll show up on your home screen to play)
- apps for everything. if there's a site that has video content and there isn't an app for it, make one

In comparison to Google TV, it has a "Boxee browser" which is geared for browsing sites that feature web content and not so much a full browser experience.. but it's based on Webkit so they could easily make something like that.

As I posted in another thread, the only thing that sucks about the Boxee box is the unknown of Netflix (since it's Linux based and Silverlight runs on Mac and PC and isn't currently implemented in the Linux software version of Boxee). I'm hoping they use Moonlight (the open-source, Microsoft-approved version of Silverlight) to get it up and running.

And if you look at all of my posts recently in these Google TV threads, you'd think I worked for Boxee.. sadly, I don't. I'm just a big fan and have been using it forever.

I've seen a few talk up Boxee, and i just played with the software version on my laptop for an hour or so and omg........I really hope there standalone box is a GREAT departure from the software version! VERY unimpressed!

 

[kamtsa]

I have a Logitech Revue, and I don't have cable or satellite. Currently I can't watch TV through the Revue...

@simplygoogletv, do you find sufficient content on the web to watch?

In this living room we still watch 60% DVR recordings, 25% Netflix Instant (movies and documentaries) and 15% NORA: Practice Makes Purr-fect. Old habits die hard.

 

[lament]

I've seen a few talk up Boxee, and i just played with the software version on my laptop for an hour or so and omg........I really hope there standalone box is a GREAT departure from the software version! VERY unimpressed!

wait.. you really don't think they're developing a completely different version just for the Boxee box, do you? Cuz that's kinda ridiculous. The software you downloaded from the site will look and feel just like the Boxee box version. The only thing that will change will be some tweaks under the hood, the addition (or removal) of some settings that won't apply.. and hopefully the inclusion of Netflix.

curious what didn't you like about it exactly? "Very unimpressed" doesn't really tell us much.

 

[hakoreh]

my problem is even if it would work and i loved it i dont have the sports. i cant watch hockey, or baseball or anything - legally anyways. that's what's stopping me from going the hulu ditch cable way in the first place.