Streaming is cost effective?
Steps to implement on my ancient plasma TV:
1. Cancel AT&T U-verse (yes, I'm one of the holdouts who actually like it**)
2. Sign up for high(er)-speed DSL service on the SAME LINE. See, I only have a choice for home internet between AT&T (twisted pair) and Comcast (coax). Had Comcast once; not going back for ANY reason. Pretty sure either company will make me pay dearly for internet-only service, given what I'm paying now as PART of the U-verse.
3. Sign up for various streams: Netflix, Hulu.
4. Oh, and buy an antenna for the TV -- never needed one since I got it; had U-verse since April 2008.
So, maybe I'd break even on the monthly costs, and maybe I won't. I figure it works now, so why "fix" it? If I do it later and need a new TV/display due to ATSC 3.0, GOOD -- I can retire the old plasma!
** The neighborhood wiring is from 1993-94 and in poor shape. The techs have been improving the junctions at various neighbors' houses between me and the main digital head-node, but when they do -- including when houses sell and new neighbors move in and AT&T comes out for new service -- my line goes full-dark for a few hours. Wouldn't be so bad if the DVR would still play independently, but alas. And the equipment mysteriously degrades over time: I've gone through 3-4 DVRs and 4-5 modems/gateways/Wi-Fi & Ethernet hubs. But overall it works, and actually getting better.
(In that same timeframe, I've had only ONE tiny Vonage VoIP box. There was a second, prior unit which suffered a lightning spike that passed THROUGH Comcast's modem/Ethernet hub without affecting the hub but frying the Vonage box AND my old laptop's Ethernet port.)
Biting the hand that feeds IT
