It’s really* easy to replace your TV with your computer!
As high quality, reliable video becomes more ubiquitous on the Internet due to faster broadband, more sophisticated web development, and better cooperation from content providers, ditching the cable subscription has become a more attractive option to folks. It was shortly after I signed up for Netflix DVD rentals, video content became available on the iTunes Store, and I discovered the joys of bit torrent files that I decided that my laptop could satisfy all my television needs. Comcast was another motivating factor because they started raising my bill for no apparent reason and I probably only watched 2% of all the content I was paying a lot of money for anyway. The rise of streaming video services like Hulu, Netflix Watch Instantly, and Amazon Video On Demand has further cemented myself into a life of picking and choosing what I watch and when I watch it.
This kind of life is not for everyone…yet.
- All of the ways to get video from your computer listed above require the user to learn how to find and use them. The learning curves for these vary, and I discuss this below.