The difference is these are being explicitly sold as "wireless," and not just someone not knowing better.
The Tech Random Crap Thread
- Thread starter DarkAudit
- Start date
There's always a section in "real" ESD training where they basically tell you this.
And also where they tell you the straps aren't just a wire attached to your skin, there's also a 1MΩ resistor in there to help protect you from accidentally completing a circuit to the mains.
--Patrick
As I said....elsewhere, whatever, Minor Rant or something, our local TV cable providers are moving to a system where commercial breaks can't be fast forwarded anymore, and all recordings will automatically start with a 1 minute non-skippable ad block.
Which, since I'm paying about €130 a month for the privilege, rubs me quite the wrong way.
So I'm looking at alternatives, but my knowledge of all things Chromecast, Roku, whatever, is perhaps not absolute zero but still somewhere in the regions where nitrogen freezes solid. Luckily, I know a place with lots of gadget- and tech-knowledgeable people who will happily answer questions for me!
But since I don't feel like going to Stackoverflow, you guys will have to do
What kind of gadgets are there, and which ones would you recommend?
How do I use'm? This may sound very tech-illiterate, but, you know. I plug a...Chromecast, or whatever, into a USB slot on my TV. Then I launch, let's say, the BBC app on my smartphone and cast to the Chromecast? So is it like casting directly to my TV from my phone, in the sense that I can't really use my phone for anything else in the mean time? If so, what are the benefits? Is it even useful to do something like this if I have a smartTV with a bunch of apps installed already?
If I'm dropping cable, I'm looking towards using at least 2 or 3 different Belgian commercial streaming apps, and I'll probably get Netflix or Disney+ or whatever as well.
Which, since I'm paying about €130 a month for the privilege, rubs me quite the wrong way.
So I'm looking at alternatives, but my knowledge of all things Chromecast, Roku, whatever, is perhaps not absolute zero but still somewhere in the regions where nitrogen freezes solid. Luckily, I know a place with lots of gadget- and tech-knowledgeable people who will happily answer questions for me!
But since I don't feel like going to Stackoverflow, you guys will have to do
What kind of gadgets are there, and which ones would you recommend?
How do I use'm? This may sound very tech-illiterate, but, you know. I plug a...Chromecast, or whatever, into a USB slot on my TV. Then I launch, let's say, the BBC app on my smartphone and cast to the Chromecast? So is it like casting directly to my TV from my phone, in the sense that I can't really use my phone for anything else in the mean time? If so, what are the benefits? Is it even useful to do something like this if I have a smartTV with a bunch of apps installed already?
If I'm dropping cable, I'm looking towards using at least 2 or 3 different Belgian commercial streaming apps, and I'll probably get Netflix or Disney+ or whatever as well.
Roku is good in that it is fairly platform independent, pretty much everything works on it. It just plugs in to an hdmi spot in your TV.
With Roku, you typically install an app for the provider on the Roku itself, and you play and browse the content through that. You can also chrome cast whatever doesn’t have an app.
Smart TVs are usually pretty garbage, unless it happens to run Roku software already.
With Roku, you typically install an app for the provider on the Roku itself, and you play and browse the content through that. You can also chrome cast whatever doesn’t have an app.
Smart TVs are usually pretty garbage, unless it happens to run Roku software already.
That's a shame, because I was going to suggest a Roku also. I got hooked on the system back in 2015. Prior to that, I used a PS3 and DLNA to stream movies from my home server. But when PS4 was rumored to lack DLNA support, I switched to the Plex/Roku system. I assume lots of folks did, because that's when Roku really started to take off.
That said, I did a quick search, and there's a $.99/month ($12/year) app that's supposed to stream local Belgium channels it says. https://channelstore.roku.com/details/94e9bf3bb9a55801cf17c7c246c1e07d/belgium-tv
The biggest drawback to cutting the cord is the variety of places you now have to then pay to watch various things at - especially if you don't want ads to play. I cut the TV cord almost a decade ago.
I'm currently paying for Hulu (with Disney+/ESPN+), Discovery+, HBO Max, Netflix, Paramount+, Amazon Prime, and am currently getting the ad-supported Peacock since I changed to xFinity at my new place (but I can't get the ad-free one even though I'm paying for their best internet package). However, there are free streaming places (at least available here in the US) - Crackle, Pluto TV, and Tubi (might be more) that stream older stuff for free or just a basic login (usually ad-supported).
As for devices, I like the Roku we have hooked up to our TV, but if it's not available where you are, that's not going to help you. I'd check to see if things like ChromeCast devices, AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, etc. are available to you - a Chromecast device would let you set it up on your phone and then "cast" it to the TV for playback. I picked the Roku because I also have a Plex server at my house and Roku was the only one that has a Plex app. Alternately, you can do what I was doing - hook up a lower power computer with an HDMI output to the TV.
I'd also stay away from most of the "smart tvs" for your apps - they don't keep them updated as often and are generally a lot less functional.
As for setup - most of those paid sites have an "add your device" process that you sign in on a webpage/app on a computer/phone/tablet and then enter a code to sync the device to your account. I think when I did this last setup when I moved, there were only like two or three that didn't have that with my Roku.
I'm currently paying for Hulu (with Disney+/ESPN+), Discovery+, HBO Max, Netflix, Paramount+, Amazon Prime, and am currently getting the ad-supported Peacock since I changed to xFinity at my new place (but I can't get the ad-free one even though I'm paying for their best internet package). However, there are free streaming places (at least available here in the US) - Crackle, Pluto TV, and Tubi (might be more) that stream older stuff for free or just a basic login (usually ad-supported).
As for devices, I like the Roku we have hooked up to our TV, but if it's not available where you are, that's not going to help you. I'd check to see if things like ChromeCast devices, AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, etc. are available to you - a Chromecast device would let you set it up on your phone and then "cast" it to the TV for playback. I picked the Roku because I also have a Plex server at my house and Roku was the only one that has a Plex app. Alternately, you can do what I was doing - hook up a lower power computer with an HDMI output to the TV.
I'd also stay away from most of the "smart tvs" for your apps - they don't keep them updated as often and are generally a lot less functional.
As for setup - most of those paid sites have an "add your device" process that you sign in on a webpage/app on a computer/phone/tablet and then enter a code to sync the device to your account. I think when I did this last setup when I moved, there were only like two or three that didn't have that with my Roku.
Dave
Staff member
Rokus and Chromecasts are a lot alike in many ways. They basically function the same way. For both you do still have to have internet with wifi so while you can cut your cable out, you still are beholden to (probably) the same company for some money.
Essentially what you'd be doing is loading media apps onto your Chromecast and then using those. And a lot of them are paid. Like HBO Max, Disney+, etc. So in the end you'll still be paying someone for your content. The good thing Chromecast has over Roku, though, is the ability to use your laptop and cast directly from there to your TV. So if you have a site that you stream movie from, you can put them right up there where you can't (easily) do so with a Roku.
And while I was typing this, others said much the same thing.
Essentially what you'd be doing is loading media apps onto your Chromecast and then using those. And a lot of them are paid. Like HBO Max, Disney+, etc. So in the end you'll still be paying someone for your content. The good thing Chromecast has over Roku, though, is the ability to use your laptop and cast directly from there to your TV. So if you have a site that you stream movie from, you can put them right up there where you can't (easily) do so with a Roku.
And while I was typing this, others said much the same thing.
Just FYI AppleTV now has a Plex app as well. And so do Google Play, the Microsoft Store (Windows), the App Store (macOS), and many more:
...I don't necessarily recommend installing the Android Auto version, though. For...safety reasons.
--Patrick
With the above in mind, I end up paying less than I paid for cable tv. I already had Amazon prime and Netflix, so it was no added cost to make the switch. I don't use a lot of paid channels like HBO Max or Hulu. And we were lucky enough to get a year of Disney+ for free through a Verizon promo. If I weren't already paying for Amazon prime, I'd have gotten a year for free when I started new internet service here in Texas because they had a new subscriber promo.
I paid about $200/month for cable and premium channels. Mostly because I wanted the cartoon channels for my son, and my wife and her g/f had to have sports channels. Over the last couple of years, the whole household has drifted away from watching cable tv and toward using the roku and all the streaming services to find stuff to watch, so I knew it wouldn't be a hard sell to switch to all streaming (unlike 3-4 years ago, when I was shot down on the suggestion)
When I finally cut the cable, I let the ladies pay for the various sports subscriptions (MLB, ESPN etc). And my son is now away at college, so I don't need the cartoons. So, now I pay $60-ish a month. But it would be worth it to look at what channels you would likely be paying individually for, for streaming, to decide if it makes sense to cut the cable cord.
Dave
Staff member
I just looked at Chromecast built-in apps and Plex is now one of them.
Same. It got to where the only thing I was watching was Mythbusters, and when that finally went off the air, there was nothing left.
--Patrick
figmentPez
Staff member
Holy shit, there's a company trying to sell an earbud subscription service. Pay a monthly fee to get a pair of wireless earbuds, which they can remotely disable at any time.
I'd ask "Why does such stupid service exist?" but I know the answer is "Because stupid people will pay for it."
I'd ask "Why does such stupid service exist?" but I know the answer is "Because stupid people will pay for it."
I am pretty much expecting this to happen to everything over time. Homes, computers, cars, appliances, you name it.
—Patrick
Car leasing for private individuals, light-as-a-service, and kitchen-as-a-service already exist. Too late with that prediction!
Garbage idea for a garbage product from a garbage human working for a garbage company.
Harsh, but fair.
If you're not running into any stability issues, then there shouldn't be any reason to undo the overclock. If you're going to update the BIOS, however, then yes, I would recommend undoing the overclock before you update the BIOS, and then work your overclock back up again from scratch after you update, just in case the BIOS update introduced some new and exciting variables to your overclock equation.
--Patrick
I meant two years, not three. And it turned out the latest BIOS version was just the next highest version. Still two years old at this point. Whish I guess is fine, as the subsequent BIOS releases were really meant for the newer Zen 2 CPUs.