The good:

For most of our entertainment we watch older series on Netflix.  I was able to watch all of Lost without any interruptions unless I wanted them. I really enjoy watching shows this way. I even save them up so I can watch a whole season at once.  I like the ability to hit next on a cliffhanger and keep going. This does lead to me staying up rather late some nights, but it is great entertainment.

A lot of the shows we like to watch are available with minimal delay from broadcast. Once you get on that schedule it doesn’t matter when the original air date is, just how long the episode will be available for. I really like how Hulu subscriptions work, and I get emails when a show I have subscribed to has a new episode available. This is even better than the DVR model because I don’t have to think about checking to see if there were any shows recorded.

Hulu also has some good exclusive content, and I have really enjoyed the political mockumentary style of Battleground. I hope to see more of this kind of thing and will try and support it.

I have made more time to read actual paper books. (gasp!) I forgot how much I enjoy reading a book, and have started to read Lord of the Rings again. eBooks are all well and good, but there is something about being able to read and not worry about charging a battery or worry that some publisher can delete the book you are reading from your device.

I have also found that renting movies from Amazon works really well and the selection is quite good. I don’t mind paying the $3 just like back in the old days of renting tapes or dvd’s for a movie if I can’t get it on something like Netflix.

The bad:

After burning through a few shows, I am worried that in the the long term pickings will become rather slim. I have already burned through Lost, Battlestar Galactica, Start Trek TNG, and several other great shows that are no longer running. I see a long term trend for good drama programming like this becoming rare. Game of Thrones is a great exception, but that brings up a whole new topic of premium content, but thats another post.

I sort of miss the channel surfing some times. Not very often, but occasionally i want to just watch tv instead of hunt through content to watch. Perhaps I need to get better at finding ways to have it presented to me automatically, but for now I have to work at finding stuff I want to watch.

Plex does a good job of helping me out with this. There are video channels for quite a few of the major basic cable networks such as History and Food Network. This has let me ‘surf’ around on what shows and episodes they have available on their sites right now all in one easy to navigate place.

All in all I have been really happy without any cable provider. Especially the absence of a $100 monthly bill. I am hopeful that the entertainment industry will come around and built better ways to enjoy entertainment like this. I really love being able to choose what to watch, when I want it.

Tavisto

Newegg Wishlist

• GIGABYTE GA-H61N-USB3 LGA 1155 Intel H61 HDMI Mini ITX Intel Motherboard
• Intel Core i3-2125 Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz 65W w/ Intel HD Graphics 3000
• CORSAIR XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600)
• OCZ Vertex Plus OCZSSD2-1VTXPL60G 2.5″ 60GB SATA II MLC SSD
• LG Black SATA Internal  Blu-ray Disc Rewriter WH12LS38- OEM
• IN WIN BP-Series BP671.200BL Black Steel Mini-ITX Tower 200W Power Supply

It was a tight fit attempting to squeeze everything in the case, but once I got the cables routed out of the way of the fans, it wasn’t too bad. I did realize that I couldn’t use the 1TB 3.5″ drive because the motherboard only had two SATA ports. Not a big deal, that is why I built a storage server.

Once everything was in place I fired it up and it ran well right away. I hooked it right up to my TV over HDMI and was ready to install an OS.

I decided to go with OS X; compatibility was a major factor in what hardware I chose. The intel HD 3000 graphics worked great right out of the box and enabled this machine to run without a separate video card. I still have a PCIe x16 slot, though, if I ever change my mind or want to put in a tuner card or something. There is also widespread support for things like Netflix, Hulu, and any major network owned website to play content from. I chose OS X to play content from these websites because  Flash or Silverlight are required, which can be hard to get working on a Linux machine, a Boxee Box or a Roku.

I loaded up the machine with OS X Lion and was off watching Netflix and Hulu in no time. I mounted my storage server and set up Plex. I think this will do really nicely as a replacement for my PS3 as a media center. With just a web browser and one app I already have more support for media than my PS3 ever did.

The only hurdle I have yet to figure out is how to play Blue Ray movies on this thing. The drive works great, and will even burn Blue Ray disks, however movie playback is a no go. I found that the new version of VLC has Blue Ray playback, but I have been unable to sort through the quagmire that is AACS content encryption. This essentially means that I can’t access any of the legitimate content I have on this new machine.  I will keep searching for a player that will work, but as of right now I can’t find anything on OS X, paid or open source, that does the job. I am not worried about it though, I have my trusty old PS3 if I need to fall back on it for Blue Ray disks.

The only missing piece right now is a remote. I have a wired keyboard and a RF mouse hooked up that work ok, but are quite clunky to keep on the coffee table all the time. I am going to experiment with hooking up my PS3 remote since it’s bluetooth. However I will have to wait until I get a bluetooth adapter, which I should have soon.

After using this setup I can’t believe I haven’t done this sooner. It’s really quite nice to be able to watch any content you want, as well as browse the web all from the comfort of the couch. I think this will replace my Dish Network nicely.

- Tavisto

Storage

In order to easily stream media to all my devices I decided I needed a robust storage system. After doing some research and asking some knowledgable people for some recommendations I have decided on a solution.  I have built a NAS (Network Attached Storage) for all my data needs. I was mostly able to use parts I had already, so my cost was quite low. However I did buy a new enclosure for hard drives for expansion possibilites. It’s just a glorified SATA controller, but expands my capacity quite a bit. This is it if anyone is interested, I got a much better deal though.  For starters I installed FreeNAS, a port of FreeBSD that has all the utilities built in for managing any size of storage array. I found this very easy to set up and get working. All I really had to do was install my drives into the machine and install the OS onto a usb thumb drive, to keep the hard drive ports open. A few configuration settings in the web based management interface and “BAM!”, instant storage.  I was able to set up a partition that included my two 1.5T drives in a mirrored configuration using ZFS. What this really means is that if one of my drives fail, everything is still available on the other one. I may want to make a more robust setup in the future, but that will depend on what size and type of drives I get. For the time being 1.5TB of redundant space should be enough to get started.

Getting this to work with my OS X machine was really easy. I simply set up a shared AFP directory on my file server, browsed to it on my OS X machine and was ready to fill it with content.

Content

The first order of business was to organize the collection of media files I have collected over the years into a single location. After that, the question becomes how to access it all. As with a storage solution I asked around to see what other people are using. What I found is a large array of services, tools, and media managers. In order to chose one I had to narrow down my criteria. This is the list I came up with:

• Works with my PS3
• Works with my iPad
• Works with any OS X machine
• Able to stream content from my library
• Able to aggregate content from the rest of the interent
• Netflix
• Hulu

I was able to narrow what I wanted down to two different media servers, Plex and MediaLink. I have been using MediaLink for quite some time now to stream content from my main library to my PS3. It works  pretty good as a simple media server, but does not work with my iPad or is easy to stream on my laptop. In order to do any of that I need to use Plex, it does everything else I want in a media application.  I was able to find many of the shows I thought I would be missing through plugins. For example NCIS is available through CBS’s website and there is a plugin lets me stream that to any of my devices. I have also found a wide array of internet content such as a VIM screencast that I had no idea existed.

I did compare this to things like XBMC and Boxee but there was always some feature or usability thing I didn’t like about either on of those. Plex has a really nice iPad app that not only lets me stream content, but use my iPad as a remote for any other computer streaming content with Plex.  The integration with Hulu and Netflix is quite good, and requires nothing more than your account information for the respective accounts. I do want to note though, that the Netflix interface is still not as nice as any of the official Netflix apps, such as the PS3 or the iPad apps.

I have been trying it out with my old Macbook hooked up to my TV in the bedroom. It does quite well but I think that building a replacement is going to be a future post.

In a more irritating turn of events, my main TV has starting acting up and I will need to get it repaired. Hopefully it is nothing major and just needs a new lamp or some other small thing.

I think the coolest part of this whole adventure is some of the integrations I will be able to do. Controlling my media through my iPad and subscribing to shows I want to watch is exactly what I have been wanting for a long time. DVR and the like have not really helped with this since you have to know quite a bit ahead of time to make it work properly. Searching for a show and being able to watch it is starting to be like the future of TV that has been promised for quite some time now. I say the future is here, and the only way to make it better is for people like me to try things like this and share my experiences.

– Tavisto

• NCIS + NCIS: LA
• Criminal Minds
• House
• Mythbusters
• Deadliest Catch
• Iron Chef America
• Random Food Network Specials
• Game of Thrones
• True Blood
• Dexter

Now, to start I already subscribe to Netflix and have been very pleased with the selection. I have found that the Discovery Networks shows such as Mythbusters and Deadliest Catch are available, however they come out only when the seasons are released on dvd. This is ok, but for a show like Mythbusters, where I have kept up on it and enjoy when a new episode comes out, waiting for the entire next season isn’t very appealing.

When it comes to network programing such as NCIS, CBS is quite stingy with their online offerings. You can find some online episodes, but you better not miss one because older episodes are harder to come by. I have found them on the new Amazon Instant Video service, but for me the price is a bit high. I don’t know if any show is worth $2 per episode or $25-$30 for a season without having something tangible like a dvd or downloadable drm fee media file.

I have been able to find a rather large number of shows on Hulu, however I have a few complaints about the service. I really don’t like the idea that I have to pay in order to get the service on any device other than a computer. I think this is rather ridiculous in the age of multiple  internet connected devices per household. I don’t really mind paying for the service if it offered something above and beyond the free service. The fact that I still have to endure the same commercial repeated over and over again even with a paid subscription makes me rather annoyed. If I have to watch ads, at least let me choose to watch them at the beginning and end of  program instead of interrupting the flow.  I have also been really frustrated with content restrictions on other devices. I pay extra for the privilege, why can I not watch all the same content on all the devices? I do understand this is a licensing issue, but come on guys, figure it out- Netflix has.

The premium network programs from HBO and Showtime are only available as entire seasons when they come out on DVD as far as I can find. HBO does have a streaming app, however you have to be currently signed up with a cable or satellite provider in order to use it. I would happily pay a premium on my Netflix subscription or other service to allow me to continue to use this feature.

In order to enjoy all this internet-enabled entertainment I will need to change how my home theater is set up. Currently I use my PS3 to stream Netflix and stream media files from my main computer. This has worked ok so far, but anything other than that has not worked so well. Hulu has the problems I have outlined above, and the browser on the PS3 is so bad that any other video site is unusable.

What I want to do is to build a new home theater setup that will allow me to watch anything I desire.  Over the next few months I want to document  my quest for media independence.

Stay Tuned

I have found out that Apple has decided to change my workflow of Spaces and Expose to such an extent that I don’t think I would like it anymore. My bigest gripe is that once you go into expose mode with multiple desktops you can no longer drag a window from one desktop to another, or a window from one monitor to another. I think this is a major step backwards in the use of these features. The new way is you have to go to the desktop with the window, pull up the expose and drag it to the one you want. This going back to where a window lives really gets away from the ‘command center’ style of the old way.

After talking with a few other people, the complaints about other significant commands such as ping no longer work as they should. This leads me to believe that OS X is starting to stray farther from it’s BSD roots and go down their own custom road. I am not really surprised  by this, we are talking about Apple after all. It does make tings rather difficult when you know a lot of the underlying UNIX commands and systems and now they are being changed to do their own non standard things.

I have also started to look at alternatives, however Fedora 15 has switched to gnome 3 which has some of the same problems as switching to Lion. They have overhauled the desktop to make it more frustrating to power users in order to try and appeal to the masses.  I know I could swap out the windowing system, but the fact that I have to do such a major change to keep the functionality I already enjoy in Fedora 14 make me rather not want to upgrade. I suppose this is akin to those people who never wanted to upgrade from windows XP to vista or even windows 7.

This all makes sense to me, humans don’t like it when our tools change. A sculptor does not swap out his tools that he is intimately familiar with for any new tool that comes along just because it is new. There must be a good reason for it and and increase in productivity after the new tool is learned. Those of us who use a computer for our daily tasks feel the same. I know exactly how to maximize my experience on the tool i have now, and I want to keep it that way. However I will use any new software or operating system if I feel it will help my daily tasks. If we did not have this ability to adapt new tools humans would still be banging rocks together.

Tavisto

On the other hand, a clean install is always a pain. You have to back up all your data, although Time Machine makes this significantly easier than it ever has before.  Then you have to re-install all your applications, as well as make sure you can track down any licences you have acquired over the years. Then you have have to re-set up all your personal preferences. I have made this part easy on myself for the command line at least by automating and having an external repo for all my ‘.*rc’ type files. The only advantage that this gives is it forces you to explore the new release to see what it does and re-evaluate your workflows to utilize the new features. I find this part to be my favorite part of an upgrade. Seeing what third party tools I no longer need, testing out new ways to think about how I work.

The hardest part of a clean wipe is my tendencies toward digital hoarding. I don’t like deleting data of any kind, especially stuff I have created. I still have images of machines that have been long gone. I have folders that date back to my first Mac on OS 6.  It’s not like it is hard to maintain this habit, storage keeps growing and dwarfing any small files I might want to keep around. I now have more free storage than I know what to do with.

Having said all that I think a clean wipe is what I want to do. There are a lot of things on my laptop that I don’t really need and wouldn’t mind the opportunity to clean it all up and start over. In order to do this I may have to get creative on how I install Lion, but that is also part of the fun.

I will post more as my adventure to do a clean install progresses.

Tavisto

I decided to go with a 512 instance on linode for a year, that way I save 10% and make my entire web hosting bill only $18/ month. That is less than half of the $40/month I was spending to just host wordpress at one host and a server that did nothing but sit there most of the time. This will also give me a place to play with technologies that I think are interesting.

One thing I do need to figure out is a backup strategy. Right now all my stuff is on one vps, and if anything happens to it my entire website goes down.

Linode offers an onside backup solution with four rotating snapshots for $5/month. The information can be found here. If I didn’t want to do that I would have to design some form of backup to sync stuff to my home network and have storage here to deal with it.

Either way all my stuff is now in one place and I can figure out the backups sometime soon. It’s not like any of my blog posts are critical to keep around anyway.

I did set myself up on Tumblr, but I think that will be relegated to silly stuff. I feel that I should have a good web presence that is professional if I am to be credible as a web developer and system admin. I want it to be my personal business card online that I am proud of.

With that in mind I am off to move some web hosting stuff.

Looking around for hosting is tough, all the sites look exactly the same and all feel sleazy to me. The vps hosting sites like Linode and Slicehost look way more appealing to me but I don’t know if I really need that much server power reserved for my tiny little blog and online business card.

I am not sure what I am going to do, but I think for sure I will try and cut down my hosting costs. It’s silly to overpay each month for services I don’t use at all.

Anyway I really think I made the right choice on this one and will update more if I have issues.

Tavisto