Category: Shopping

The New (and Improved?) Apple TV

apple-tv-remoteApple has finally released the first new AppleTV model in several years.  What was once considered a “hobby” by Steve Jobs has finally matured into an impressive multimedia device!

The 4th version of the AppleTV has a familiar shape and footprint but it’s at least twice the height (and heavier too).  The remote has undergone a major upgraded to include a touch screen and Siri integration as well as an internal, rechargeable, battery that is reported to last up to three months of regular use (charged by the now Apple-standard lightning cable).

I ordered the 64GB unit for $199 on the first day it was available for pre-order (Apple also offers a 32GB device for $50 less).  Being impatient I opted for the next day shipping option in the hopes of receiving a new toy in time for the weekend.

Well it didn’t happen.  My package was stuck on a loading dock in Tennessee and didn’t leave until sometime on Sunday.  Apple refunded my overnight shipping cost which was appreciated (I had to call them to get this done though).  I love the ability to get detailed tracking of packages but this had the reverse impact as the shipment didn’t get updated for days.

While reviewing the Apple forums full of other people waiting for their shipments I learned about a carrier in Europe that not only tells you the status of your package but you can see the progression on a real-time map.  If that wasn’t cool enough you also know the name of the delivery driver along with a 30-minute delivery window (also updated in real time).  Talk about stalking the delivery Guy!

AppleTV 4 Ports
Being an early adopter can be fun but it has its frustrations as well.  Physical setup of the new Apple TV was relatively smooth once I figured out a work around for the missing “optical audio-out” (S/PDIF) I was using with the last model.  The App Store, which is one of the big selling factors of this new model, was not very exciting the first couple of days.  Not a lot of “must have” apps and nothing was categorized so finding apps to download and try out was not as easy as it should have been.

Now that things have been up and running for a few weeks the store is getting better and more useful apps are starting to become available.  The Siri remote is the real star here.  With it you can basically ask for a particular movie, actor, or genre and a list of options magically show up on the screen complete with a list of where you can view the content and pricing (if any).  Right now this search is limited to Netflix, Hulu and the Apple Store but it’s supposed to be opening up to other services soon.  This is a similar feature that Roku has had for a while but dictating with your voice is the new (and better) input method.

App StoreI’ve written two posts about my Cord Cutting project and how it’s been going.  The new AppleTV has made the transition from Cable to Over The Air (OTA) content and streaming media a lot easier and the App Store keeps getting better every day.  I think as this platform matures there could be some interesting capabilities surface that will make the 4th generation AppleTV an integral part of the entertainment stack.

It’s time to start thinking about the next electronic purchase and I’m pretty sure it’s going to be a TV upgrade. My 38″ Plasma has served me well for many years but 55-60″ of UHD (or 4k) video sounds very appealing.  And the prices keep coming down to the sub-thousand level which makes it a more attractive buy.

I’m wanting to get a bigger screen and possibly install it over the fireplace.  I’ve heard good and bad things about this mounting location but after seeing an articulating wall mount that allows you to pull the TV down in front of the (unlit) fireplace for a better viewing angle I think that’s the way I’m going to go.

I’d love to hear from any of you who have feedback on the over-the-fireplace mounting option.  Is it that bad?  I’m going to be 15+ feet away from the screen so that makes the viewing angle relatively flat (that was the main complaint from people who chose the higher mounting position).

Thoughts?  Please leave them in the comments section below.

Cutting the Cord on Cable TV (Week 2)

 

Part 1 can be found here

So we’re ending week 2 of the Cord Cutting Experiment and I’ll have to say it’s been mostly OK so far.  I’m still missing the DVR a little because all my favorite shows were available in one place and ready to watch when I was.

Having said that by using a DVR I was not taking advantage of all the online programming that’s available out there.  You can still “Time Shift” but you have to find the content in various applications and services vs. it being grouped together.  You also have some limitations with shows only being available for a limited time (kind of like the storage space limitation on a DVR).

107-2313_BK_BI tried a few iOS apps that help track shows and remind you when the are on.  That’s nice to be able to do but you have to remember the shows are available the day after online in most cases.

I’ve also had some reception related issues with one of the local stations (ABC).  The signal bounces all over the place from 35-90%.  I repositioned the OTA Antenna this weekend and that made a big difference.

I’ve found some good online resources and talked to friends and co-workers about this experiment and have found a lot of people are cheating a little by using someone else’s (usually parents or relatives) cable tv account login to access online content.  This gets you over some of the content limitations of going strictly non-cable.  In fact, a lot of the AppleTV apps require a cable TV subscription login before they will even work!

I upgraded my Hulu Subscription the other night to the higher tier that all but eliminates commercials. I tried living with them for a week and it was driving me crazy.  It’s worth another $4 in my opinion.

So in the end I went from $120 a month to less than $20.  The $100 savings is worth it so far and I’m going to give this some more time before making a final decision on the overall experience.  So far it’s still very positive!

I’ve gotten some great feedback on this subject and I look forward to more!  Feel free to leave your questions and comments in the space below.

Cutting the Cord on Cable TV (Week 1)

I came home the other day and my DVR was acting odd.  Only a few shows remained & they were all marked for deletion.  A quick check of available space confirmed my suspicions…  The hard drive was dying and taking all of my saved content with it.

I work with a bunch of “Millennials” and none of them subscribe to cable TV.  The number one reason seems to be cost.  I’ve toyed around with the idea of becoming a “cord cutter” but hadn’t made the move yet.  This was a perfect time to give it a shot.  A quick call to the cable company saved me $120 a month in cable subscription fees and started me on this journey.

51bQI0nhcpL._SY450_I purchased the new Apple TV released last week (future review topic for sure), and a new Over The Air (OTA) antenna for local channels.  After some initial setup I was ready to roll.

The Apple TV allows me to access Netflix ($7.99 a month) and Hulu (also $7.99 a month) so for $16 I’m getting more content than I could ever consume.  My Internet cost is reimbursed by my employer so this is working out to be a good deal.

The $60 OTA antenna I purchased from Amazon works amazingly well and pulls in all the local channels along with a bunch of sub-channels that I’ll never turn on.  This setup will cover the major sporting events I want to watch as well as some Prime Time shows I watch on occasion.

The only thing I’m missing so far are the DVR capabilities and NFL RedZone.  I’m learning that most network shows are available for streaming on Hulu the day after they air so if I miss it live I can usually find it online.

I’m still in the first week but so far so good.  I’ll report back in a few weeks and let you know how it’s going and if I’m still happy with the decision to ditch Cable TV.

Have you cut the cord?  Are you thinking about?  Let me know in the comments section below.

Part 2 of this article can be found here.

Update – Our Favorite Chip Wins National Competition!

B-n-G-ChipsLooks like our favorite chip won the 2015 Lays “Do Us a Flavor” competition & the winner is from Noblesville Indiana!

Local coverage Here and Here.

Hopefully this means the Biscuits & Gravy chips will be easier to find in the local mega-marts.

Have you tried them yet?  What do you think?

 

 

Buy This – Biscuits and Gravy Lays Potato Chips

I love Lay’s potato chips but these flavor contests they’ve been having were lost on me (until now).  The year several new flavors were released and I decided to try a few of them.

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The Ruben tasted like Rye bread to me.  Not bad but not great.  There was an occasional tartness from the kraut flavoring but the Rye taste was the dominant flavor.

The Gyro (I’m a big gyro fan) had a B.O. smell/taste.  Gross!

The Truffle version had no discernible truffle taste to it at all.  I can handle a little truffle but I usually think it’s over done on dishes.  This was more of a sour cream and onion flavoring but not as good.

That leaves us with Biscuits and Gravy.  It tastes just like it’s supposed to!  Subtle sausage seasoning and a powdered creamy component that, when mixed together, was outstanding.

I must not be alone in my desire for these.  Like the elusive Chicken and Waffle flavor that was such a hit last year (I never got to try them because no one had them in stock), the B&G flavor is absent in all but a few obscure places. The local gas station has small $1.50 bags and Subway has all the flavors in the single serve bags.

If you’re going to jump on board and play the Lays Flavor Game start with the Biscuits and Gravy.  I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

Indianapolis – Midland Arts & Antiques Market

I was catching up on some of my favorite blogs & came across a reference to the Midland Arts & Antiques Market in a post about Ralston’s on Mass by Indianapolis Restaurant Scene.  By the way, IRS is the #1 Indy food blog on Urbanspoon (with good reason) & you should check it out!

I drive by the Midland building all the time & never realized what it was.  I was downtown at the annual company picnic with the boy on Saturday & we decided to check this place out on our way home.  First of all, this place is HUGE! The sign on the east side says it used to be an old window & door factory.  It’s also a little tricky to get to because of the one way streets.

Plan on spending a few hours to see everything.  I’m going back to shoot more pictures of the unique items being sold in the 150+ booths & display cases.  Here are some of the more unique things I saw while visiting.

Every Day Carry – P-7 Suspension Clip

TEC-Accessories-P7

The P-7 Suspension Clip by TEC Accessories is one of those EDC accessories that makes a lot of sense once you see how well it works.  I try to keep a small key chain but even what I carry can be a little bulky in some situations.  The P-7 helps keep your keys and accessories from bunching up in the bottom of your pants pocket.

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By clipping the P-7 to the edge of your pocket the keys can hang vertically and all but disappear.  It also keeps your keys from falling out of your pocket accidentally.

 

When I received the P-7 in the mail it was even smaller than I expected and adds very little bulk to your key chain once installed.  The clip is very sturdy and all but impossible to bend during normal use.

If you have more items on your key chain than you want, and hate the way it gathers at the bottom of your pocket, give the P-7 a try!

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