len_mullen

You look great! Thanks for the pic.

I think we are going to need to see a picture of you in that work-appropriate dress.

Spring is a great time to cut the cord. Great weather to work on the roof, nothing on TV anyway, and the worst reception you will have all year as leaves fill with water, get coated with spring showers, and blow in the breeze. If you can make things work in May, you will not have problems in October. When my family fired Comcast, I did not think we needed a DVR. We had a DVR with Comcast, but the only recordings on the box were unwatched episodes of Who Wants to be a Millionaire and the Bonnie Hunt Show. We soon found out that a DVR is much more than a digital video recorder. Right away we discovered we had no idea what was on TV. It turns out an Electronic Program Guide (EPG) is a very good thing. Then the phone rang. A lot of people pause television for phone calls, meals, and potty runs. People ‘rewind’ television too — to see what was missed while the eyes were resting, to watch again an unexpected wardrobe malfunction, or settle for good whether or not it was a catch. Fortunately, cord cutters have a lot of DVR options. In fact, most digital-to-analog converters can be used as a DVR by simply plugging in a USB storage device. For less than thirty bucks, you can add an EPG and a DVR to just about any television. While these inexpensive devices are very limited, they are a great way to add functionality to a rarely used television. DVRs take two forms — set top and whole house. Set top DVRs sit on top of the television set. They have an antenna input and some kind of television output. Sometimes you attach a storage device. They can have one or many tuners. Whole house DVRs connect to an antenna and your network and stream programming to some other device. Sometimes you attach a storage device. They can have one or many tuners. Set top boxes tend to perform better — faster channel changes and no buffering. Whole house DVRs are great if you do not have coax close to your television set or have a lot of televisions you use from time to time. TiVo is the premium set top DVR. It’s been around for twenty years and is the only DVR that might be the only box you need. It’s also the most expensive set top DVR. For cord cutters, TiVo offers a $399 Roamio/OTA which includes Lifetime Service (no monthly fees). The 1080p Roamio has four tuners so you can record four shows simultaneously, watch one and record three, or even share tuners with televisions in other rooms (to a $179.99 TiVo Mini). It streams Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Vudu, HBO Go, and apps like Plex. TiVo also offers a 4K HDR Bolt that can use either (but not both) broadcast or cable as a source. Broadcast television is limited to 1080p, but, for those who stream, HDR might be appealing and having both cable and antenna options mean you can cut the cord at will and change your mind back again. With a $14.99 monthly fee, the Bolt costs $199.99 with 500GB (75 hours) of storage, $299.99 with 1TB (150 hours), or $499.99 with 3TB (450 hours). You can purchase ‘All In’ Lifetime Service for $549.99 or pay $149.99 annually for service. The TiVo Mini allows use of a TiVo tuner on a second television in your home. There are no fees and no moving parts. The experience is virtually the same as watching a TiVo. What I like about TiVo.. Tivo is the only box you need. It streams all the important services. It doesn’t stream the cable alternatives like Vue, DirecTV Now, or Sling TV, but, if you have an antenna, you do not need those. One remote is all you need. The TiVo remote controls volume and power. Its inactivity timer turns off signal to the television, so the television shuts off when I fall asleep. Low total cost of ownership. This is a recent development and may not last long, but the last two years, TiVo has routinely made the Roamio/OTA available for $199.99 and $299.99 with LifetimeService. Right now, with a bigger disk, it is $399.99. That is about half what TiVo has been historically, and less that the cost of setting up most alternatives. The Mini does not feel like a remote client. Except that it does not shut down the attached television after inactivity, it works just like its big brother. Tablo TV is a ‘whole house’ DVR. It is a box containing TV tuners, attached to a disk and the internet, which uses a service to present programming information (guide). Tablo TVs have two to four tuners. A two tuner Tablo TV costs $139.99 and requires an external USB drive to record/pause/rewind. A two tuner Tablo TV with 64GB of memory costs $179.99. A four tuner Tablo TV costs $239.21 and requires an external USB drive. While the 64GB model is a neat little package, you can get a 1TG USB disk for $50 these days, so the less expensive dual tuner DVR is a better value. For most people, $239.21 for the four tuner model plus $50 for a USB disk will represent the best value. You do not need the service to use a Tablo, but, for $4.99/mo, $49.99/yr, or $149.99 for Lifetime, you get an extended guide, the ability to record series, and out of home viewing. You will need a streaming device to view the Tablo TV output… A Smart TV powered by: Roku, or Android TV, or most LG WebOS 2.0 and 3.0 operating systems; OR A Set-Top-Box/Streaming Media Device: Roku, or Amazon Fire TV, or AppleTV, or Nvidia SHIELD, or Xiaomi MiBox; OR A Streaming Stick: Roku Stick, or Amazon Fire TV Stick, or a Chromecast dongle (casting from an Android device or Chrome browser); OR A Gaming System: Nvidia SHIELD, or XBox One; OR An HDMI-enabled computer: Tablo web app in Chrome/Safari What I like about the Tablo TV DVR… It’s on a lot of devices. It allows for wireless clients. Lifetime Service is for YOU not the BOX. I like the Live TV Grid Guide. One device I have never warmed up to is the HDHomeRun. I have a HDHR3-US and a pair of HDHomeRun EXTENDs. They work fine, but without an annual subscription, you get a very limited guide and no DVR functionality. You also have to run a PC or a NAS 7×24. Too much work for me. (Same reason my Plex server gets so little love.) I happen to have purchased a couple TCL Roku TVs. This television integrates streaming and broadcast television very nicely at really attractive prices. If you plug a USB drive into the set, you can pause and rewind within a 90 minute buffer. It’s not really an OTA DVR, but trick play and an Electronic Program Guide warrant an honorable mention.

I guess I will be the first to post in May. Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit!

I hung out my first load of laundry last weekend. That, to me, smells like spring!

Walking through Sears this weekend and saw Outdoor Life shirts marked down to $3 and $4. Tough finding someone to check me out. Can't imagine Sears lasting until next BF. Pretty sad. http://c.shld.net/rpx/i/s/i/spin/0/prod_17700233612

A Kansas City Royals fan since birth who missed Lonestar because of a a grease run...if Mr. Frampton follows this thread, I have a feeling he will drop by to have a chocolate shake with you real soon. Keep the faith. LOL @ 'Even the bad years!'

Happy Easter. Hope you and a very spiritual and chocolaty Sunday. With the snow melting and trees budding, I only have one thing on my mind -- snow blowers. I have a 220' single car width driveway which runs up a 20 degree incline in southern New Hampshire. For nearly two decades, I have been abusing a Craftsman 9hp 29" 536.887990. The motor is 19.34 in3 or 317cc or 11cc/inch. It has served me well, but really needs a lot of work and I think it's time to move on. It's pretty dark on my street, so I would like a snow blower with a useful headlamp. The top of my driveway is big enough for four F150s. I'd like a blower that can throw the snow off that area. Right now, I have to move heavy snow twice. I'm not mechanical, so I am looking for something that just runs. While I have never had problems with the carburetor on this blower, I am interested in the EFI models. I don't really have a budget, but I do not want to spend more than I have to. My window for the purchase is from now until next winter and have just begun gathering data. I have reviewed Consumer Reports article on snow blowers and been reading a lot of reviews and watching a lot of videos. I registered here so I could see images and files like the snow blower spreadsheet. The welcome email suggested I post an introduction. Hello! I'm collecting information and welcome any input. Should I shop end of year sales or wait for preseason sales?Is there anything coming in the new models that I ought to wait for?Is there anything being improved or corrected in this year's models I should wait for?Is a model going away that I really ought to get?Is EFI a significant improvement over carbureted models?Is EFI too new to consider?Is three stage a gimmick?In the 11cc/inch class, are there any models to avoid?Any sure things?Any strong feelings on these...Cub Cadet 3X 26 in. 357cc 3-Stage Electric Start Gas-Powered Snow Blower (13.7cc/in) @ $1299.99 (https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pr...e-snow-thrower)Cub Cadet 3X 28 in. 357cc 3-Stage Electric Start Gas-Powered Snow Blower (12.75cc/in) @ $1299.99 (https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pr...d-snow-thrower)Troy-Bilt Vortex 2890 31AH7DQ8711 3-Stage Snow Blower (12.75cc/in) @ $1599.99 (https://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...7533_200657533)Craftsmen 88874 (12.75cc/in) @ $1299.99 (Sears.com)Ariens Ariens AX 306cc (10.2cc/in) @ $1399.00 (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ariens-D...1047/207118324)Ariens Deluxe 30 EFI 30 in. 2-Stage Electric Start Gas Snow Blower (10.2cc/in) @ $1699.00 (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ariens-D...1049/207125779)Troy-Bilt Storm 3090XP 31AH55Q (11.9cc/in) @ $1249.00 (https://www.lowes.com/pd/Troy-Bilt-X...pelled/3798213)Troy-Bilt Storm 2840 31AH64Q (11.9cc/in) @ $1219.99 (Sears.com)Craftsman 88396 30" 357cc Dual-Stage Snowblower (11.9cc/in) @ $1199.99 (Sears.com)Finally, to bring this thing back on topic, when is the best time to shop for a snow blower? Given the snowfall this winter, there are few on store floors by now. Are there good preseason sales? I don't recall any Black Friday deals, but I have not been looking.

Fixed that for you. I know it's spring because we got four inches of snow Thursday morning and when I finally went outside, the driveway was bare. Love this time of year when Life comes out from hiding and the world Springs to life. Our geese are back -- driving the dog nuts (it's a tradition) -- and the lilac branches sticking out of the snow are starting to bud.

Your April post should be an explanation of your amazing 60 day plan!

I would have had a daughter is I knew her plan to lose 15# would result in me losing 15#. You are a genius!

We're happy about that in New Hampshire as well!

Happy March everyone. Hope your winter is going well. The days are getting longer and spring is right around the corner. Time to talk about Home Automation again. You may recall that I got a little bit excited about the Amazon Echo platform. My mother loves her Show. I got one for a sister who is her primary care provider. This has really worked out for us as we can call or drop in very frequently to see how things are going and she can check on her home when visiting others. My mother uses Alexa the way most of us use the world wide web -- asking questions, listening to news stories, and just wasting time. Her embrace of this tech has been unexpectedly enthusiastic. In her 80 years, she has been dismissive of computers of all sizes and shapes. My sister has a house full of teenagers. When Alexa beckons, they rally around the Show to join in the conversation. When we have a call, it's more like a visit than a call. We 'connect' two rooms and people join and leave the conversation at will. There is a lot more to Alexa that communication. I own five shows, two dots, and an Echo. The Shows are permanently installed, and the Echo has found a home, but the Dots are pretty portable. I took one to work for a while. If I'm working in a room, I plug a Dot in and listen to the 'radio' or my Amazon music library. I did not expect to buy another Dot or Echo, but, as I roll out smart lights and plugs, I find myself wanting a mic in most rooms. For my March post, I'd like to talk about the smart stuff I am controlling with Alexa. This is my second shot at the Smart Home. In the 90s, a bunch of us got excited about X10. It was a lot like this... ...except nothing worked as well and we did not turn on public access. But, it was inexpensive and easy to set up. One remote controlled television and lights. The Big Problem solved was bed lamps -- you turn them on with a switch at the door, turn them off with a switch on the lamp, then find the lamp in the dark the next night. X10 let us put cooperative switches everywhere. We also used X10 to automate 'pass thru' lighting. So people going through the basement would trigger a single light in the stairway, motion near the freezer would trigger a second light, and everything would turn off after a couple minutes. I don't think I ever recouped my investment in X10 via energy savings, but it was fun...at least until you were working on something delicate in the basement for too long and the lights turned off...which got worse when the batteries on the motion detectors wore down and you had to flap your arms to turn the lights back on. Still, we were automated and it was fun. Flash forward 25 years and we are at it all over again...using cell phones instead of remotes. One of the Show 'deals' I got over the holidays included a free smart plug. Plugged it into the Christmas tree -- "Alexa, turn on the Christmas Tree." That deal also included a gift card which I used to buy another smart plug. "Alexa, Christmas on!" All the Christmas decorations at the command of my voice. I could also monitor and change on/off state from afar using my phone. Needed more. 3PCS Geekbes YM-WS-1 for $28. Now, "Alexa, desk on," "Alexa, Bed on." Still felt like X10 -- much to remember, imperfect voice recognition, and more devices than ideas. The last plugs I bought were Gosund plugs which support timers and report power consumption. I started to feel a need to get some smart lights. This would be a big step since I would be committing to a hub. I got a SmartThings Hub, two lights, and a motion sensor for $99. Then eight more @$8. Finally, I bought a pair of thermostats on ebay for $39 each (I needed the CT101 model because I only have two wires to the boiler). Every single one of the plus I bought work great. The lights and hub are terrific. I have not used the thermostats and sensor yet. Now, I see x10 has released a wifi hub... https://www.x10.com/ No Alexa skill yet per Amazon listing, but we can hope. http://www.qvc.com/Digital-Gadgets-Mini-Smart-Plug-WiFi-Enabled-Works-w-Alexa.product.E230560.html https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076VMNNRZ https://shop.smartthings.com/products/smartthings-lighting-kit https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078HHWQWG https://www.ebay.com/itm/Radio-Thermostat-Z-Wave-Touch-Screen-CT101-Works-with-most-hubs-OPEN-BOX/132081977249 Anyone else dabbling in home automation?

No such thing as an antenna for HDTV either. The rabbit ears you remember would work just fine today. The 'ears' are vhf antennas and the loop is for uhf. https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_n_1?fst=as%3Aoff&rh=n%3A172665%2Ck%3Arabbit+ears&keywords=rabbit+ears&ie=UTF8&qid=1517876083&rnid=2941120011

Food Network was our background noise when we left Comcast. Initially, we used PlayOn to stream episodes, but it wasn't long before we were watching Create instead. Our 'kitchen dvr' is stuffed with recordings of Rachael Ray, The Chew, and other imitators. I did a trial of DirecTV Now over the winter and did not recognize TFN.

November will mark the tenth anniversary of my Ooma purchase. January will be the tenth anniversary of my DB8 purchase. Next May (15 months from now) I will be celebrating the tenth anniversary of my last payment to Comcast. What kind of antenna do you use? For the record, there is no such thing as a digital antenna -- they are all analog. No such concept as HD in antennas either. Antennas collect RF (radio frequency) energy. Antennas are optimized for frequency -- nothing else. Antennas have three meaningful characteristics: frequency, beam width, and range. Television is transmitted on three ranges or bands of frequencies -- VHF-Low, VHF-High, and UHF. VHF-Low (2-6) is 55-88, VHF-High (7-13) is 174-216, and UHF is 470-692 14-50 except 37). The entire FM spectrum exists between VHF-Low and VHF-High. So, antennas optimized for each 'band' are very different. VHF-Low antennas are very large. UHF are relatively small. It's important to match an antenna's size and shape to the frequencies one wants to collect. Beam width is a general description of how well a signal not directly in line with an antenna will be collected. An Azimuth Chart provides a clearer picture... http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/DB8az.gif This azimuth chart for the DB8 shows that the antenna has a relatively narrow beam width -- signal in front of the antenna is collected much better than signal in the back or to either side. The DB8 is said to have a 100 degree beam width. Zenith's Silver Sensor has a beam width of about 180 degrees... http://www.hdtvprimer.com/ANTENNAS/silverel.gif Range tends to be inversely proportional to beam width. So, if you are close to broadcasters, you may have good luck with an omnidirectional antenna whereas someone like me in the sticks needs more range and has to settle for less beam.

Maybe in March we can look at the various streaming services. I have used all but Sling, but we can compare content, concurrent connections, features, and price.

Good morning. Hopefully everyone has installed an antenna by now. If you are planning to watch the Superbowl, you will get no better picture than uncompressed broadcast television. Remember, colors count. You are probably going to want to record all those expensive ads and maybe even the football game. Time to consider a DVR. For cord cutters, a DVR restores a lot of the 'cable tv' experience. Most DVRs have some sort of Electronic Program Guide (EPG) and support trick play (rewind, pause, fast forward, etc.). Of course, they record or time-shift television. Cord cutters have a lot of DVR options. Most of the inexpensive digital-to-analog converters have an EPG and can record if you attach a usb disk. Here's one that costs less than $30... https://www.amazon.com/Mediasonic-HOMEWORX-HW130STB-Converter-Recording/dp/B01EW098XS/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1517477897&sr=1-1&keywords=dvr Twenty one bucks for a digital-to-analog converter that includes a video recorder, program guide, and trick play. Amazing! Of course you will need to provide a usb device for storage and the DVR only has one tuner, but the HOMEWORX HW130STB gets the job done on the cheap with no monthly fees. Most people use the word TiVo as a synonym for DVR. TiVo has been around since 1999 and has carved out a sizable niche of dedicated followers. For me, their DVRs have been unattractive because of their monthly fees and very expensive Lifetime subscription cost. In the last couple years, the cost of a Lifetime subscription has tumbled, My family purchased five TiVos. TiVo also offers a subscription free Mini which allows a TiVo to be used from a second room. We have (and love) two Minis. A TiVo Roamio/OTA with Lifetime goes for $400 ($350 for a refurb), but new units sold for $200 on Cyber Monday and $300 off and on over the last two years. The Roamio has four tuners and current models have 1t of storage. TiVo DVRs also include popular streaming apps like Netflix and Amazon Instant Video. More expensive models support voice control and 4k. Get one for the Big Game at Best Buy... https://www.google.com/search?q=tivo+roamio+ota&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS767US767&source=lnms&tbm=shop&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjilIvFv4TZAhWQjVkKHazqCK4Q_AUICigB&biw=1463&bih=839#spd=15471281417116101395 Less expensive alternatives to the TiVo include the $100 Channel Master Stream+ and Sling's $130 AirTV. The Stream+ is only available for pre-order at this time. It integrates OTA (broadcast television) with streaming apps, but lacks the most popular apps. AirTV integrates Sling's streaming service with broadcast television. If you are using Sling TV, this might be a great way to add local channels. https://www.channelmaster.com/Stream_Plus_p/cm-7600.htm https://www.airtv.net/products/airtv_player/ https://www.amazon.com/AirTV-Streaming-Media-Player-Adapter/dp/B0777M7X84/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1517481233&sr=8-2&keywords=sling+airtv If your home is not pre-wired for cable tv or you have a lot of televisions you watch from time to time or all of your televisions are equipped with Rokus or Fire TVs, you may want to consider a whole house DVR. Tablo TV is the winner in this space. With Tablo TV, you attach the DVR to your antenna and network then stream television to a smart TV or streaming device. A two tuner Tablo TV costs $200 and four tuners will set you back $250. You also have to spring for a storage device and pay for their service ($4.99/mo, $49.99/yr, or $149.99/Life). https://www.tablotv.com/store/ Anyone actually cut the cord in 2018?

It was (SystemMax, actually) and eventually sold to the current entrepreneurs. Only the name is being resurrected. RCA, Proscan, and Channel Master are other businesses whose name has been bought by companies trying to leverage some one else's reputation.

Can't wait to see their leaked BF ad!

Mine ships Tuesday. Five easy payments!

You can easily check your posts in your profile. Here are your most recent posts... In Topic: GottaDEAL 2018 Black Friday T-Shirt Club Posting ThreadToday, 2:00 am Okay... so l guess l am losing my mind. l remember posting for Nov. and Dec. but can’t find the posts. l came back to post for January. Is anyone else having problems with posts and messages not showing up?! In Topic: Discuss Black Friday & Win 1 of 5 $100 Gift Cards [Winners Posted]Nov 30, 2017 - 1:02 pm I won last year and never saw the notification until this year unfortunately. First thing ever won and silly me missed out. Don’t be like Beth Congratulations winners!!! In Topic: Secret Santa 2017 Official Discussion ThreadNov 8, 2017 - 1:57 pm I received my Secret Santa!!!Bath and body works divine!!!!! Thank you!!

Good luck with that resolution! and happy New Year!

more information here: https://freetvforme.wordpress.com good luck!

Right now, I think you can buy a new monitor for less than people think their used monitors are worth due to the dramatic fall in prices. https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?sdtid=11105995&SID=87776e68ef2911e7b56f86ac4273965d0INT&AID=10446076&PID=1225267&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-Slickdeals%20LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&Item=0JC-0004-006F4&cm_sp=