Windows Media Center

One Dell 15" laptop
One Angel USB TV Tuner
One set of Dell 2.1 speakers
+ Windows Media Center
Fuzzy TV with a 10 second delay

There are rumors that a person can get a full TV experience with Hulu, broadcast network sites, and other sites. Add to that the illegal ways of downloading, storing, and praying that you don't get a virus.

These rumors are false. Online TV is not equivalent to on-air television.

I'm very passive and so is TV and radio. If you can't push ONE button to get all your entertainment then what's the point. Searching, downloading, converting, watching then deleting all for a show you may not like, no thanks.

Here I go watching overpriced Coin Collectors on HSN while listening to Loveline Livestream and blogging & screen capturing.

So while not completely sans TV I have to adjust my habits, for now.

CBS or CSB

It's that time year right before my semester starts again and I need to finalize my shopping. Last break I bought my laptop and new TiVo through CheapStingyBargains. As I wrote in January I saved $380 on the laptop and got the TiVo for cheaper then my first TiVo.

Now I want some laptop accessories including a Linksys Router draft-N, a graphic tablet, a graphing calculator, and a laptop-backpack. CheapStingyBargains has all the deals for me save big bucks. The problem they also have great television deals. The fall season is staring in about a month and a half and I still don't have HDTV.

Lets make two lists.

Computer stuff...

1. Would make college/work easier.
2. Would blog faster.
3. Could finally watch TV on the laptop(although I don't prefer it).

Television...

1. Can finally see 40 free HD channels I pay for.
2. Won't get laughed at by people who see my small TV.
3. Really love TV, imagine Jericho in HD.
   

I prefer to call them Cheapstingybastards there original name for that reason, they show me so many great deals. I've used them plenty of times and referred them to many friends for that reason. It is a simple site for finding the best deals on the internet. All those free TV Guides and other magazines I posted about were from this website.

I have the money to spend but not for long.
What do I do?
.

New Devices Means More TV

TiVo
I got my new TiVo it is an 80-hour dual-tuner TiVo. It cost $90.00 give or take a few bucks in shipping. I had some issues setting it up but now it is working great.

It records channels 2-22 on basic cable and records all the other channels through the box. I have to be careful because the basic cable channels are fuzzy and are not good for archiving.

TiVo Flame Replacement Remote
Because I ordered the TiVo through a recommendation I got 5,000 rewards points and then ordered a flame colored remote.

It turns out it is just a regular remote with a flame sticker you place over the buttons.
Yeah cheap! I should of got the TiVo slippers. Now I have 3 TiVo remotes and cold feet.



Dell E1505 Laptop/Notebook
I needed a computer for college so after much research I got a desktop replacement with as much as I could afford to cram in.

It has Windows Media Center, a TV tuner, an extra mouse and a remote.
I already hooked up an antenna and the cable to it and it records nicely but the channel changing is a problem.

I did get $380 off of the final price using online coupons from Cheap Stingy Bargains.
the final price was over $1,000 but I need to run the real MS Office 2003, Open Office, AutoCAD, and a few other engineering programs.

Two weeks until the semester starts and I have to fix all these things to record my shows and run my software all while trying to get an early start on the tougher classes. Last semester I had to drop a class and I'll be damned if I have to do it again.

What's New

My head is about to break with all this useless engineering formulas. Trust me when building a bridge no one wants the work submitted in by hand. In real life you use computers and modern measuring equipment.

As for TV...

• Jericho is the best thing on now.
• The Cheerleader should die.
• Don't get arrested around J.J. Abrams.
• 4 of the 20 shows I watched had Halloween episodes.
• My cable box has the hiccups and keeps changing to channel 1 on it's own.
• I understand why Doogie spent more time with his "best" friend then Wanda.

Shop, Buy Remote

Had this service for over a week.

HSN itv is a service provided from HSN to shop over your cable box apparently you need to be an account member to buy this crap.
First find the select icon floating on screen...

then hit select on your remote...

A menu of todays craptacular buys are displayed...

Then select payment option...

Select uneeded warranty plan...

Select amounts...

Enter your info and bam you got crap...Thanks for shopping.



Here is a video of the easy to shop way, I took this it on my camera so quality is less then great since TiVo and my PC are not being nice to each other.

There is a slight delay on this channel plus it locks out most of you remote controls other functions to escape you must hit the channel up/down key.

If they make this possible for food and on commercials I'll never leave my home again. Let's pray.

A Celebration Of Aussies

Happy Birthday Luisa!

I just noticed I know little about Australia, I don't who's your leader, what your political system or what you did to to the natives of your land.

But why learn all that I do know of certain actors born in Australia and working in American TV. Yes there are plenty of big screen actors but I'm focusing on the small screen. All the actor of Australian birth currently on television.

Rachel Griffiths, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, of Six Feet Under fame has a new show on ABC this fall called Brothers & Sisters co-starring fellow Aussie Jonathan LaPaglia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, and John Pyper-Ferguson, Mordiallic, Australia. The series is an hour long drama. The show is also rumored to star Sally Field.

Then we have Emilie de Ravin, Mount Eliza, Victoria, Australia, of Lost and Roswell fame. One of the hottest Aussies in this hemisphere.

Claudia Black, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, formerly of Farscape and now on Stargate: SG 1.


Jacqueline McKenzie, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia of The 4400 and Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King (episode: "Umney's Last Case").

Anthony LaPaglia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia along with Without A Trace co-star Poppy Montgomery, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Quickly you notice two things. First most of the actors are women and hot women at that. Second most of these shows are science fiction. I think it is because it is cheaper to film sci-fi in Australia.

I'm sure I missed a few so let me know of any US-TV famous Australian actors I forgot.

Supernatural

The best of the WB's new show Supernatural is already out online. Here's a link..
http://tv.yahoo.com/feature/supernatural.html

I won't watch it online because the quality is not great and the connection freezes. I'll wait for the TV version good attempt though.