The Budgeteers' Guide to 21st Century TV
The Budgeteers' Guide to 21st Century TV
A layman's technical companion to TV without cable or satellite
About the Book
The Budgeteers’ Guide to 21st Century TV is an independent, technical companion for those seeking TV without the “help” of cable or satellite providers. Finding practical knowledge and useful approaches can take days into weeks of internet searching and expensive shopping. It’s easy to get waylaid into doing nothing because the options look really difficult or inappropriate. Additionally, manufacturers often focus on their products and solutions in isolation, often choosing to ignore the fact that many practical solutions utilize multiple vendors and mixed technologies. By providing our readers with a systematic overview, along with some in-depth useful examples, we hope to save you time and money, make the process more fun, and increase your chances of success.
This book caters for readers of all technical levels. It isn't dumbed-down, but it also isn't full of jargon. You don't have to have a technical bent, but even if you do, you may still find out some cool new ways to watch TV.
Major themes of the book are:
- Understanding and taking control of technology you own.
- Not paying for content that is freely available.
A lot of the information in this book is specific to the United States.
About the Author
Table of Contents
Preface
Getting ready
Before proceeding...
What skills do you need?
Choosing how to proceed.
Chapter 1: Introductions
1.1 Specs and stuff
Resolution and screen size
Bandwidth — bits per second and stuff
Closed Captions
1.2 Digitally Broadcast-to-air TV
Introduction to Antenna TV
What is an antenna?
Introduction to TV tuners
Networked TV tuners
Using Networked Tuners with Multiple TVs and devices
Do you need an networked tuner?
1.3 Smart TVs
Introduction to Smart TVs.
1.4 Digital Video Recorders (DVR)
Introduction to DVRs
Networked DVRs
Integrated DVRs
Do you need a DVR?
Do you need a networked DVR?
1.5 Streaming Gadgets
Introduction to streaming gadgets
Introduction to Roku
Introduction to AppleTV
Introduction to Amazon Fire TV and FireOS
Introduction to SlingTV Air TV player
Using multiple gadgets on one TV — HDMI switches
1.6 Chromecast and AndroidTV
Android consoles and TV Boxes
Introduction to Chromecast and Android TV
Chromecast dongles
AndroidTV and the NVIDIA Shield
1.7 Personal Computers and TV
Why attach a computer to a TV?
Introduction to the Intel NUC
Introduction to the Mac Mini
Stick computers
Remote input for PCs — keyboards, trackpads, etc.
Chapter 2: Getting content
2.1 Antennas
Can you get broadcast-to-air TV at your place?
Choosing a digital TV antenna.
Getting the signal – and finding a home for the antenna.
Do you need a signal pre-amplifier?
Mounting the antenna.
2.2 Streaming
Internet streaming
"Live" Cable channel streaming services
Alternative "live" streaming sources
Sports
Movies and TV shows
2.3 Optical Disks
Optical disk formats
When to use an optical disk?
Chapter 3: Moving Content
3.1 Networks
The Home network
Streaming on the home network
Network Connections — Wires and Radios
Choosing between wired or wireless.
The Router
The Internet Service Provider
Finding and fixing streaming problems
Using multiple WiFi bands for smoother streaming
Keep it all working
3.2 Wires
"Fun" with Coax
HDMI, Display Port and other multi-media connections
HDCP and DRM
Chapter 4: Watching content
4.1 Smart TVs
Smart TV Operating Systems (OS)
4.2 Networked Tuners
Installing a HDHomeRun Connect Tuner
Watching live TV in an app
Maintaining a HDHomeRun Tuner
4.3 DVRs
Networked DVRs
Networked DVR — TabloTV
Set up a TabloTV
Using a TabloTV
PC based DVRs — MythTV, NextPVR
4.4 Streaming Gadgets
Streaming — Overview
Set up a Roku
Set up an Amazon Fire TV
What is Google Casting?
Setup Casting Receivers — AndroidTV & Chromecast
Casting from apps and the Chrome browser
4.5 PC and Mac computers
Streaming in a web browser
Troubleshooting browser streaming
Watching Broadcast TV on a PC using a tuner
4.6 Privacy
Who is watching the watcher?
Chapter 5: Example projects
Project skills and cost rankings
5.1 SmartTVs and live broadcast-to-air TV
Using an antenna with a Smart TV
The TV guide
5.2 Internet Streaming
Is this the right option for you?
Unbundling the cable TV bundle.
Making it work
5.3 Streaming "Cable Only" channels
Example: Hulu Live
Example: Playstation Vue
Sling TV Air TV Player
You can't always get what you want...
5.4 Combining streaming gadgets and broadcast-to-air TV
A networked DVR as a Roku channel
Watching Broadcast-to-air TV in FireOS
Chromecasting TV to the big screen
5.5 AndroidTV
Installing apps on AndroidTV
NVIDIA Shield — an AndroidTV console
Watching a networked tuner as a Live Channel on AndroidTV
Using a networked DVR with AndroidTV
Casting to AndroidTV
Watching Amazon Instant Video on the NVIDIA shield
Trouble shooting AndroidTV
5.6 Personal Computers and TV
Keyboards, mouse and network
Watching a Tablo DVR in a web browser
5.7 TV on Apple computers and Apple TV
A Mac Mini computer with Tablo TV
A Mac Mini computer with a HDHomeRun tuner
AppleTV and a TabloTV DVR
5.8 Plex DVR on an NVIDIA Shield
Preparation
Install the Plex client and Media Server
Configure the Plex DVR
5.9 Money saving ideas
Using less internet
Little or no internet
Thank you..
Other books by this author
Authors have earned$10,089,287writing, publishing and selling on Leanpub, earning 80% royalties while saving up to 25 million pounds of CO2 and up to 46,000 trees.
Learn more about writing on Leanpub
The Leanpub 45-day 100% Happiness Guarantee
Within 45 days of purchase you can get a 100% refund on any Leanpub purchase, in two clicks.
See full terms
Free Updates. DRM Free.
If you buy a Leanpub book, you get free updates for as long as the author updates the book! Many authors use Leanpub to publish their books in-progress, while they are writing them. All readers get free updates, regardless of when they bought the book or how much they paid (including free).
Most Leanpub books are available in PDF (for computers), EPUB (for phones and tablets) and MOBI (for Kindle). The formats that a book includes are shown at the top right corner of this page.
Finally, Leanpub books don't have any DRM copy-protection nonsense, so you can easily read them on any supported device.
Learn more about Leanpub's ebook formats and where to read them
Top Books
- #1
C++20
Rainer GrimmC++20 is the next big C++ standard after C++11. As C++11 did it, C++20 changes the way we program modern C++. This change is, in particular, due to the big four of C++20: ranges, coroutines, concepts, and modules.
The book is almost daily updated. These incremental updates ease my interaction with the proofreaders.
- #2
A Guide to Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
Dr. Bertalan MeskoCan we stay human in the age of A.I.? To go even further, can we grow in humanity, can we shape a more humane, more equitable and sustainable healthcare? This e-book aims to prepare healthcare and medical professionals for the era of human-machine collaboration. Read our guide to understanding, anticipating and controlling artificial intelligence.
- #3
C++ Best Practices
Jason TurnerLevel up your C++, get the tools working for you, eliminate common problems, and move on to more exciting things!
- #4
Atomic Kotlin
Bruce Eckel and Svetlana IsakovaFor both beginning and experienced programmers! From the author of the multi-award-winning Thinking in C++ and Thinking in Java together with a member of the Kotlin language team comes a book that breaks the concepts into small, easy-to-digest "atoms," along with exercises supported by hints and solutions directly inside IntelliJ IDEA!
- #5
Sockets and Pipes
Type ClassesSockets and Pipes is not an introduction to Haskell; it is an introduction to writing software in Haskell. Using a handful of everyday Haskell libraries, this book walks through reading the HTTP specification and implementing it to create a web server.
- #6
Introducing EventStorming
Alberto BrandoliniThe deepest tutorial and explanation about EventStorming, straight from the inventor.
- #7
node-opcua by example
Etienne RossignonGet the best out of node-opcua through a set of documented examples by the author himself that will allow you to create stunning OPCUA Servers or Clients.
- #8
Ansible for DevOps
Jeff GeerlingAnsible is a simple, but powerful, server and configuration management tool. Learn to use Ansible effectively, whether you manage one server—or thousands.
- #9
Functional Design and Architecture
Alexander GraninSoftware Design in Functional Programming, Design Patterns and Practices, Methodologies and Application Architectures. How to build real software in Haskell with less efforts and low risks. The first complete source of knowledge.
- #10
Composing Software
Eric ElliottAll software design is composition: the act of breaking complex problems down into smaller problems and composing those solutions. Most developers have a limited understanding of compositional techniques. It's time for that to change.
Top Bundles
- #1
Software Architecture for Developers: Volumes 1 & 2 - Technical leadership and communication
2 Books
"Software Architecture for Developers" is a practical and pragmatic guide to modern, lightweight software architecture, specifically aimed at developers. You'll learn:The essence of software architecture.Why the software architecture role should include coding, coaching and collaboration.The things that you really need to think about before... - #2
All the Books of The Medical Futurist
6 Books
We put together the most popular books from The Medical Futurist to provide a clear picture about the major trends shaping the future of medicine and healthcare. Digital health technologies, artificial intelligence, the future of 20 medical specialties, big pharma, data privacy, digital health investments and how technology giants such as Amazon... - #3
PowerShell
3 Books
Buy every PowerShell book from Adam Bertram at a 20% discount! - #4
Cisco CCNA 200-301 Complet
4 Books
Ce lot comprend les quatre volumes du guide préparation à l'examen de certification Cisco CCNA 200-301. - #5
Linux Administration Complet
4 Books
Ce lot comprend les quatre volumes du Guide Linux Administration :Linux Administration, Volume 1, Administration fondamentale : Guide pratique de préparation aux examens de certification LPIC 1, Linux Essentials, RHCSA et LFCS. Administration fondamentale. Introduction à Linux. Le Shell. Traitement du texte. Arborescence de fichiers. Sécurité... - #6
Modern C++ by Nicolai Josuttis
2 Books
- #7
Django for Beginners/APIs/Professionals
3 Books
- #8
Learn Git, Bash, and Terraform the Hard Way
3 Books
Learn Git, Bash and Terraform using the Hard Way method.These technologies are essential tools in the DevOps armoury. These books walk you through their features and subtleties in a simple, gradual way that reinforces learning rather than baffling you with theory. - #9
Software Architecture and Beautiful APIs
2 Books
There is no better way to learn how to design good APIs than to look at many existing examples, complementing the Software Architecture theory on API design. - #10
Digital Future of Healthcare and Pharma
3 Books
These three popular e-books from The Medical Futurist describes how digital health technologies will shape the future of health, healthcare, medicine and pharma with exciting infographics in a digestible format.
