Random Thoughts Thread Part 4

Post #201 » by **TheSecretWeapon** » Fri Sep 18, 2015 5:21 pm

I tried Fios and hated it. Picture quality was fine, but I couldn't stand the interface. Installation was a bad sign: the tech had to try seven boxes to get two that would work. Both of the "good" boxes kept malfunctioning and had to be reset every week or two. It was beyond maddening.

I've since come to despise Verizon for lots of other reasons. Can't wait for my cell service contract to expire so I can change to another company without paying them even more money. I have six f-ing lines with them and their customer service -- every interaction -- is just miserable.

Higga · Post #202 » by **Higga** » Mon Sep 21, 2015 2:50 pm

TheSecretWeapon wrote:I tried Fios and hated it. Picture quality was fine, but I couldn't stand the interface. Installation was a bad sign: the tech had to try seven boxes to get two that would work. Both of the "good" boxes kept malfunctioning and had to be reset every week or two. It was beyond maddening.

I've since come to despise Verizon for lots of other reasons. Can't wait for my cell service contract to expire so I can change to another company without paying them even more money. I have six f-ing lines with them and their customer service -- every interaction -- is just miserable.

Guess everyone's experience is different. I have loved Fios since day one. No issues with it whatsoever.

Induveca · Post #203 » by **Induveca** » Mon Sep 21, 2015 3:09 pm

Sling tv via an Amazon Firestick, along with HBO Now/Netflix/Hulu gives me everything I need. Around 40 a month. If you're an Amazon Prime member (most people I know are) you also have access to all of their content.

No wires and you can take it anywhere you travel.

Apple's soon to come service is going to destroy Sling though if the rumored deals/pricing come to pass.

Post #204 » by **TheSecretWeapon** » Mon Sep 21, 2015 4:29 pm

Induveca wrote:Sling tv via an Amazon Firestick, along with HBO Now/Netflix/Hulu gives me everything I need. Around 40 a month. If you're an Amazon Prime member (most people I know are) you also have access to all of their content.

No wires and you can take it anywhere you travel.

Apple's soon to come service is going to destroy Sling though if the rumored deals/pricing come to pass.

I'm about to get the Amazon Firestick and an HD antenna. I looked at Apple TV, but they don't support Amazon Prime. That might change with the new one coming out, which they're saying is app-based. We'll see. The price (shockingly) is a lot higher for Apple TV than for other TV streaming services. Firestick supports Hulu and Netflix (and just about everything else, best I can tell). And it's inexpensive. With Sling, I'll be around $20 a month, which seems about right for the amount of TV we actually watch.

keynote · Post #205 » by **keynote** » Mon Sep 21, 2015 5:04 pm

I haven't cut the cord entirely, but I have a Roku and a Chromecast. Unless you're locked into a music streaming service other than Spotify (e.g., Apple Music/Beats, Google Play Music, Amazon Prime Music) and you want to use your streaming box to play music, I strongly recommend Roku over Apple TV, Fire, etc. Roku has all of the major video services, and Roku also has a healthy community of "private channels", so there's a lot of random -- and often free -- content available. Think old movies, exercise video libraries, streaming church and synagogue services, etc. Roku also has a Plex channel, which is great for streaming your own media content from your own private media server (or your friend's media server). Fire has Plex as well; Apple TV does not.

I'd only recommend Apple TV for Apple-heads who only want to buy Apple products and don't care about having access to the full breadth of content available. But beyond that very limited use case, I'd steer clear.

The Chromecast is $35 full retail, so it's an easier impulse buy than the Roku or Apple TV. I'm a Google Play Music all-access subscriber, so I didn't mind buying both. There are some fun Android apps compatible with Chromecast that stream content from a variety of sources. And, like Roku's "private channels", there are other Android apps not listed in the Google Play store that provide access to other content as well. There's a Chromecast-friendly Plex app for Android as well. While you can stream content to a Chromecast via iOS, the library of enabled apps is smaller -- and, of course, since iOS is more locked down than Android, you can't install any apps other than what Apple approves for inclusion in iTunes.

dobrojim · Post #206 » by **dobrojim** » Wed Sep 23, 2015 1:57 pm

We have a birthday boy today in our midst. Not sure if I should say who it is but
I'm FB friends with him. If he'd rather not have it announced in this forum, he should
PM me. Or FB message me.

dobrojim · Post #207 » by **dobrojim** » Wed Sep 23, 2015 2:30 pm

Well I guess it finally is over (it ain't over 'til it's over). Yogi dies at 90. RIP.

The papers are saying GoaT catcher but I'm not sure I'd go quite that far. He is in the
conversation though. Bench, Campanella, Piazza, Dicky...

some great quotes here

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/y/yogi_berra.html as I said, RIP.

Higga · Post #208 » by **Higga** » Wed Sep 23, 2015 5:08 pm

Yogi's quotes are/were legendary. RIP to a legend.

Beautiful day today. A shame the sun is starting to set so early again. At least should be able to get 90 minutes or so of soccer in today after work.

Severn Hoos · Post #209 » by **Severn Hoos** » Wed Sep 23, 2015 6:37 pm

dobrojim wrote:We have a birthday boy today in our midst. Not sure if I should say who it is but
I'm FB friends with him. If he'd rather not have it announced in this forum, he should
PM me. Or FB message me.

Yes we do, and he is the heart and soul of this board.

To him, I say: Happy Birthday, my friend!

AFM · Post #210 » by **AFM** » Thu Sep 24, 2015 12:32 am

That's right, happy birthday hands!

Higga · Post #211 » by **Higga** » Thu Sep 24, 2015 4:21 pm

This just cracks me up everytime

http://www.nbadraft.net/players/deshawn-stevenson

Post #212 » by **Ruzious** » Thu Sep 24, 2015 4:49 pm

Higga wrote:This just cracks me up everytime

http://www.nbadraft.net/players/deshawn-stevenson

Hehe, gotta give them credit for not editing that out.

Post #213 » by **pineappleheadindc** » Sat Sep 26, 2015 2:57 pm

.

WOO!

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ[/youtube]

Post #214 » by **pineappleheadindc** » Sat Sep 26, 2015 2:58 pm

dobrojim wrote:We have a birthday boy today in our midst. Not sure if I should say who it is but
I'm FB friends with him. If he'd rather not have it announced in this forum, he should
PM me. Or FB message me.

Woulda been okay. As you saw on FB, I was in (beautiful) West Virginia and not too active online.

Post #215 » by **pineappleheadindc** » Sat Sep 26, 2015 2:59 pm

^

And I think when I was out, we missed the birthday of one very esteemed Severn Hoos!

Happy belated birthday, dude.

dobrojim · Post #216 » by **dobrojim** » Sat Sep 26, 2015 9:32 pm

In the famous words of someone (Johnny Carson?) I did not know that.

Best belated wishes to Sev.

bsilver · Post #217 » by **bsilver** » Sun Sep 27, 2015 11:13 pm

What's with Papelbon? I bet Rizzo is regretting bringing him here. Would be surprised if he's here next year.

Post #218 » by **bondom34** » Mon Sep 28, 2015 4:50 am

Papelbon is the only ex-Phillie I will never cheer for. Dude's a jerk.

Higga · Post #219 » by **Higga** » Mon Sep 28, 2015 3:11 pm

Paps should never play another game with the Nats. I would have cut his ass on the spot yesterday.

Post #220 » by **Ruzious** » Mon Sep 28, 2015 5:01 pm

Higga wrote:Paps should never play another game with the Nats. I would have cut his ass on the spot yesterday.

Instead, the manager somehow decided it made sense to keep him in and play him. The good thing is - it gave the Nats crowd the opportunity to give him a standing BOOvation as he left the game - after he earned the loss.

If I run the team, forget about suspending him - just cut him now and eat the 11 mil he's owed for next season. You can't have a guy physically cheap shot your best player - especially when he's arguably the most marketable player in the sport.

I don't know what Williams' problem is. This whole problem likely wouldn't have happened if he hadn't tacitly approved of the Manny Machado head-hunting fiasco just 2 weeks earlier. That was beyond pathetic, and he actually defended Pap. That didn't just show Pap's true colors; it showed Williams true colors. And to leave Pap in after the Harper incident, that's another example of tacit approval by Williams. As Yogi might say, he's put the epic and the fail in epic fail.