Computer newbies forum: What can the Internet do for me?

the internet can be used for TV phone and is great for getting shows that are not released here in the USA as long as it show has no distributor in the US it totally legal under fan sub Until the time it released in the USA which is primarily used for anamie but applies to all other media as well for example dr who is shown in england before it show here so during that time it fan subbing and after it released here it considered piracy
as far as it replacing the TV unless you can feed it to the TV by hard wire I would pass as wireless can be glitchy and for a phone things Like magic jack are wonderful as long as your computer is on but like many I turn mine off at night so untill magic jack has a unit that can work with just the intent conection will not work for me

I really think the answer depends on the response to the following questions.
How much to you want to spend
* how many PC's do you have
* what is the capability of your current TV
* do you live in a rental or owner occupied

There are some complex things the net can do that can be simplified by spending a lot of money, about $5000 (Aussie) not including your computers and TV. If your skills are low tech, then the best is to get a managed system and let them look after and solve the problems.

I will run through what I have in my home and let you pick what you want to do. There will be services that are available to you at much more affordable costs than here in Australia.
I have every room in my house wired with Ethernet cat6 and in some rooms as many as 4 wall plates. My router is connected to a 24 port hub and a very secure wireless network for the families 3 laptops. I have 3 PC's and about 20 TBs on Hard Disk on the main server. All the computers except one runs Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit and it runs XP for compatibility for one application Palm desk top as it refuses to run on W7. We don't get the Palm Pre+ in Australia as this country doesn't exist.

My Yamaha surround sound amp is connected to the net and this allows me to use Net Radio and a lot of multimedia on the PC hard-drives. My PVR is also connected to the network and uses a paid for electronic program guide that is available anywhere in the world on the net that allows me to change what I record from free to air. Those TV programs are transferred to the server hard drive and are available to other TVs and PC's in the house as all TV's and PC's are on the home network. The Yamaha amp allows me to have 3 different areas in the house to have 3 different music programs running. But i am not limited to the Yamaha amp as any PC or laptop can also access music or video too.

I can access via the PC and the net numerous TV channels in the world except the USA, probably because they don't realize there are other people in the world. In most cases it is not a problem as there are better quality programs available in other parts of the world than the USA!

My lighting systems; internal and external are controllable on the net anywhere in the world that has Internet access. Same with my cooling systems and security systems. With my security systems i have the ability to answer the gate and see who is there and either give them access or refuse, no matter where I am in the world. This is made available through my web cameras that are connected to my home network and therefore available to me via either my cell phone or laptop if I have Internet access. I can see all 5 internal web cameras and all 3 external web cameras on the net and record about 20 hours of video.

My garden watering system is also controlled by my home network and it too is available via the Internet.

All my cell phones automatically update my appointment calendar that is held at my office, my home and in my pocket. All documents are accessed via the Internet and all my photos are uploaded off-site (Google Pics via Picasa) and available at any time.
All my phones both cell and normal use VOIP but I sometimes still need the copper wire connection.

The Internet allows me to have 3 copies (I restricted it to that many) of all my documents in different locations, and they are all synced so any travel details or expenses are done on the fly through the Internet.

And this is only a small portion of what i do on the internet. Oh, i am NOT on Facebook or Twitter for security reasons.

Can you adopt me?

Thanks for sharing!

I am really interested in the web sites you use (other than US) for TV access. I travel/work in South Korea so english speaking TV programs are limited. It would be great if i can get "world" access on my PC.
Thanks for any help you can provide in terms of actual URL's.
Keith

WOW sumguy "Mate" do you have some issues !!!! I would worry about seeing a Doctor rather than pandrew3`s setup ..
Good luck on your visit "Mate"

It's very instructive, even for my site in Europe. Thanks and regards - Vaclav

I hate to put all my eggs in one basket! Pandrew3 better hope he doesn't lose the internet for what-ever reason.....

Arizona Ed

Thanks for the information, but I, um, well, you know, have to appear to be doing the "right thing". This is very difficult as defining what is correct is open to interpretation and in most cases it is the other party that sets that definition. I do understand that there are laws, sponsorship, advertising and other issues that set out what can be seen in another country. But with the global access today and I purchase items from USA and other countries maybe they need to rethink their distribution policy.

In the US there is talk (I think Califronia has already done this) of banning incandescent light bulbs. The compact florescent bulbs are not compatible with the X10 system I have installed to operate my lights remotely. Is this an issue there, how are you doing it?

http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-20021118-266.html?tag=TOCmoreStories.0

Geo

Currently, I use the computer to watch television as the shows commonly come online 1 to 3 hours after they are played on television (e.g., HBO's True Blood). However, the best part is that the commercials are removed and I can watch it at my own speed. I use www.ovguide.com and http://watch-series.com/ to scan for television shows that interest me. For movies, I use http://www.free-tv-video-online.info/ and http://www.letswatchsomething.com/. For sports, it is http://www.channelsurfing.net/, http://www.justin.tv/home, http://www.atdhe.net/index.html, or http://espn.go.com/espn3/index. I have not found a very good live television site or link site, so I am interested to here what other use.

Hi Ruth,

Before you can decide what you can and cannot do with the web, you need to know the speed of your connection. For instance, if you want to watch an HD movie or program, most sites suggest a connection of 5.0 Mb/sec, though I have very few "jerks" at 2.6--the fastest DSL available where I live. (As a rule, cable internet access is faster than DSL.)To check you speed, you can visit one of several sites. I use speedtest: http://www.speedtest.net/

The second item to consider is your internet reliability. If you do put all of your eggs in the internet basket, and it goes down, you've lost your phone and entertainment. As such, it is a good idea to maintain your basic phone--about $10 a month--for a cellular phone for emergency calls. (Like to the DSL repair center.) If your internet is reliable, than you can do all of those things you wanted to know about.

First the phone. A lot of people have gotten into the internet phone business. Since you use Skype, you're used to a headset. Google now offers a free internet phone service. The best thing about Google is the voice-mail translated into text emails. It can also forward the call to multiple other phones.

If you want your phone to act like a real phone, Vonage will cost you under $30, including tax. This really pays for itself if you make a lot of out-of-country calls. (I have relatives in Canada and Germany.) You can add a second line for around $10, or have a remote line for $5. (A remote line is a line in another area code so people calling you are making a local call.)

The downside of Vonage is it can be a little technically challenging if you have a router. With older routers, you go from the modem, through the Vonage modem, then to the router. If you have a failure there's a lot of wire switching to access the Vonage modem and router. The good news is Vonage tech support is excellent--if you have a phone to call them.

Before going further, you need to understand bandwidth. Basically speaking, there is just so much water you can pump through a hose. If you have four sprinklers attached, each sprinkler gets one quarter of the flow. The same is true of the web. If you are surfing on one computer, while watching a movie on another--then answer the phone? Depending on the demand, something has to give. Vonage allows you to decrease quality to minimize band usage, but surfing and watching TV doesn't have that option. This is why the higher the speed you got from the speed test, the more flexibility you will have for multitasking.

If you have a reasonably modern TV, you've got computer connections. Basically, you need a video input to your TV and an audio input. If you have an older TV, you can solve the problem with an RF converter box.) If your TV has an HDMI or S-Video input, you can buy a video card for your computer that has those outputs. It's reasonably easy to set up. I personally use my laptop for the TV as I only use it when traveling--and if I'm traveling, and if I'm away from home, I don't need my laptop for the TV.)

Once your computer and TV are married, you have a lot of options. You will still need an antenna for your local TV, but there are many websites allowing you to watch TV programs and movies. Some, like Hutu, are free. Others come with an inexpensive subscription--like Netflix. You may not get Showtime or FX, but many of those networks--all of the major ones--offer full episodes online. (You may have to wait a few days after it was first aired.) There are also many sites offering access to European channels. The big difference is you spend a little more time to gain access than just changing the TV channel.

The cable and satellite companies make a big deal about music channels. That is a real plus of using the web for TV entertainment. There are a myriad of free programs for streaming music, all with many more options than offered by the cable or satellite providers. Just boot them and listen to the music over your TV. (My TV is hooked to a home entertainment system amplifier to take full advantage of this.)

Another use for this setup is home movies and pictures. Rather than cramming everyone around a computer to view pictures sent by email, or stored on the web at Picasa or other photo sharing sites, you can sit around your TV and look at them.

Bottom line: Since phone companies started offering bareback DSL--DSL without phone service--many have opted to replace their phone with VOIP, voice over internet protocol. This is easily done with a reasonably fast, reliable ISP connection. I do recommend maintaining a basic phone for emergencies and service calls. (This is also useful with VOIP carriers who will forward calls to another number if they detect your internet is down.)You can, of course, substitute a cellular phone if that's more convenient.

As to setting up your TV, you will most likely need a router because you will use more than one computer. If you want internet access to more than one TV, you will need a computer per TV. (I personally watch TV on my monitor in my office.) That can get moderately expensive. The good news is you won't have people fighting over the TV remote. The bad news is they'll be fighting for the keyboard and mouse.

I will assume you have cable access to internet--I can only vouch for that.

I was very skeptical when I first tried this---now over two years ago--Majicjack.

Cost for 1/2 pack of cigarette size dongle--a one time charge (about 19.00 bucks)---if it does not work properly send it back for an exchange or a refund.It plugs into a USB port on your computer and your normal phones wiring plugs into that.

Cost of ALL calls to continental US and Canada 19.00/year---yes--per year. Dongle and included software provides 911 service, answering machine, caller ID, phone book, call record, etc etc.

You can dump your landline---and save $400.00 and up per year on your phone service.

Dave

As far as television goes, this may depend on your preferred television programs. Not all shows are available for public consumption even after they air. The Mentalist is one that springs to mind that wasn't available even on the network's website until this season I think. A great number of shows are available though. Just check Hulu.com or the network's website to see if replays are available.

Some shows are available the day after air while others aren't available until a week later. Keep this in mind and check what's available before committing to a decision and also bear in mind that their availability might change from season to season as well.

Besides access to the videos, you'll need a cable that can run from your graphics card to your TV and it must have the proper output/input plugs to accommodate both. You also need the sound part of the cable (or a separate sound cable.) Check http://www.cablestogo.com/categories.asp?cat_id=3600 and http://www.cablestogo.com/categories.asp?cat_id=3300 for some ideas on what you'll need. I use a 50 foot S-video (like the cable company uses) with a stereo audio jack to composite output (the 3 yellow, red, white plugs often seen on VCRs) for my purposes. These can get pricey though! I think I found mine on ebay for $25 which was a steal.

As another option, wireless video streaming might not be as finicky as some suggest. There are $100 to $300 boxes like Roku (http://www.pcworld.com/article/206045/rokus_new_internet_tv_boxes_are_ready_to_take_on_apple_tv.html) and AppleTV and now a Comcast TV box (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/26/AR2010102600079.html) that delivers some popular content in a friendly-to-use interface and some of these boxes use WiFi. http://www.dailywireless.org/2010/10/07/internet-tv-boxes-compared-2/ gives a bit of a comparison.

With the video cable option you are using the TV as a second monitor and need a way to interact with the whatever application you are using to play the videos. I use a wireless mouse which by some miracle is able to work through one wall and to my computer which is about 40 feet away and the Boxee program which makes it 300% more user-friendly.

In short, if you want to go dirt-cheap then check your options for using a cable directly to the TV. For a more user-friendly setup and experience, try a Roku TV box and possibly trying it with WiFi.

The internet is a great resource and can do a great deal for you.

Some of the things you've brought up are possible now, others however are slightly restricted due to pain in the backside regional rights.

First thing you asked about the dumping the landline and replacing it with internet phone - yes that can certainly be done at this present time. I'm in the UK and I've done exactly that, I now only use Vonage for my landline which is an over the internet based landline. I would have gone originally with Skype or VOIPStunt or VOIPBuster, but there was a few things that stood out about Vonage -

1. Very easy set up - they give you a box that plugs into your router and the box sets itself up, and everything, logs you in, etc, none of this messing around with SIP gates or username/passwords etc, however this does work to a bit of a disadvantage as I have to have three boxes for the landline - the cable modem, router and their box where as had they allowed SIP I could just have a SIP enabled router.

2. They allowed me to take my own number with me, this was vital and I don't know of any other VOIP provider that offer this service. I have a very good number which I use for both my business and home use so it was vital I got to keep that number.

3. Emergency calls are still available through Vonage (unless for some reason either the internet is cut or there is a power cut)

Now as for the other question regarding TV - unfortunately don't get your hopes up yet of ever being able to ditch your TV package and watch European shows through the internet.

Due to various licences that different companies hold for different shows in different countries many TV companies have to restrict their content only for the country it was destined for. This is due to various distribution rights which are really hindering the development of online TV. Probably one of the best examples of this is with the BBC, in the UK we all pay TV licence fees to pay for the shows that the BBC produce, therefore the BBC are very restricted on what programs they are allowed to show to the rest of the world, due to other countries not paying a TV licence to watch the shows.

Also some other companies have a contract with another company for the distribution of their shows within different areas e.g. in America Disney distribute Disney films and shows, however in the UK Buena Vista have a contract with Disney to be the sole distributor for Disney shows within the UK, and the contract states that Disney will do everything with in their power to stop people from the UK watching shows that have been "sold" or offered by Disney (this is why DVD's and Blu-Rays are region coded, however it has been found that this type of preventative measure could actually break the human rights act, at present Australia is the only country to have acted on this though).

So the only way to watch European films in America is to either try and find a website that is uploading them illegally and watch them through that (and hope there is no virus or other malware on that site), or you can also use a proxy server. This is quite complicated, but this makes the real server believe you are in a different country to the one you are currently in. I have used this a few times to watch shows from RTE using a tool for Firefox called FoxyProxy, but this is always hit and miss, and sometimes selecting a none working proxy can stop your internet from working all together, until the original proxy settings are restored, or altered to a working proxy.

There are of course some other things you could use the internet for which are really handy, probably the most useful thing on the internet at the moment is called Cloud Computing. Using Cloud computing you can store all your files on the internet on servers like pictures, or films you've created, or diary dates, or e-mails, or contact lists, or anything. You can then go to any computer in the world and access your pictures, films, e-mails, contacts, etc just by logging in.

This has some really good potential - for example you lose your mobile and you had loads of friends contact details, and also pictures you've taken all stored in the phone. Normally you'd be gutted as you might never get all of them back, but with the cloud it's not a problem. You just get a new mobile and log in to your contact list in the cloud and retrieve all your contacts again into your phone, and also do the same with the pictures. Also because most mobiles are on the internet some phones allow you to automatically upload this to the internet as you take the pictures, or note down contacts details.

Another thing is if you had a virus infection and it wiped all the data on your hard drive, again you could lose all your treasured pictures, movies, etc that are stored on the computer, with the cloud this isn't a problem, you just log in to the cloud and retrieve all your information again.

And one other useful bit with the cloud is that if you go somewhere and you realise you've forgotten something like someones phone number that your supposed to be meeting. This isn't a problem you can just nip into a cyber cafe login to the cloud and retrieve the details (or even use your phone to retrieve the details).

Because it is all stored on servers on the internet it is highly unlikely you will ever lose the data (unless of course the company goes bankrupt, but some of these major companies like Microsoft, Google, Flikr, Youtube, Picasa etc it is highly unlikely to happen), unlike storing it on your home computer which could crash or be subject to a virus attack at any time. Cloud computing (or similar variants) is offered by many companies on the internet such as Google, Microsoft, Flikr, YouTube, Picasa, etc.

Hope this helps.