Friday, June 13, 2014
Local Option Tax: What's Your Opinion?
Lately there's been some discussion about using a Local Options Tax as a way to fund local economic development.
See http://www.state.vt.us/tax/businesslocaloption.shtml
What's your opinion?
Dave Brown
Woodstock
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Cutting The Cord - Part 12
All the signs point to television program delivery via the Internet. Before that can happen, we need to reach a tipping point.
Author Malcolm Gladwell describes the Tipping Point as "that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.” The good news is that the idea for Internet distribution of television is well established. If the number of cities and towns who are developing municipal fiber optic networks is any indicator, the trend is definitely toward Internet-based TV.
Just look around to see social behavior shifting away from traditional delivery mechanisms. Broadcast television virtually disappeared several years ago when the FCC re-allocated TV frequencies. Copper-based networks are hitting their physical limits at the same time "Internet everywhere" systems are demanding more and more bandwidth. DSL is now generally thought to be obsolete technology. Every new television set you can buy today is "Internet-ready."
In this series, we've discovered many independent, small- and mid-market providers who already have tipped. We've experimented with the hardware necessary to make it happen. It's just a matter of time.
Don't expect incumbent telephone and cable network providers to pass quietly into the night. They will defend their infrastructure investments mightily over the next few years -- to do otherwise would be a disservice to their shareholders. Nevertheless, I believe the most firmly established cable TV providers can easily be unseated by a new breed of fleet-afoot, cash-rich technology companies like Apple and Google.
Hang on to your cable TV and DSL service for a while longer. Watch for the tipping point when I expect municipal broadband networks to spread like wildfire, as Gladwell puts it. When a gigabit fiber optic pipe reaches your home, television on demand will rule the day.
David Brown, Woodstock VT
Read the entire text of this series at:
http://www.aroundwoodstockvermont.blogspot.com/
Read Malcolm Gladwell's Tipping Point at: http://www.fspcol.com/ARTICULOS/Educativos/The%20Tipping%20Point%20How%20Little%20Things%20Can%20Make%20a%20Big%20Difference.pdf
Author Malcolm Gladwell describes the Tipping Point as "that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.” The good news is that the idea for Internet distribution of television is well established. If the number of cities and towns who are developing municipal fiber optic networks is any indicator, the trend is definitely toward Internet-based TV.
Just look around to see social behavior shifting away from traditional delivery mechanisms. Broadcast television virtually disappeared several years ago when the FCC re-allocated TV frequencies. Copper-based networks are hitting their physical limits at the same time "Internet everywhere" systems are demanding more and more bandwidth. DSL is now generally thought to be obsolete technology. Every new television set you can buy today is "Internet-ready."
In this series, we've discovered many independent, small- and mid-market providers who already have tipped. We've experimented with the hardware necessary to make it happen. It's just a matter of time.
Hang on to your cable TV and DSL service for a while longer. Watch for the tipping point when I expect municipal broadband networks to spread like wildfire, as Gladwell puts it. When a gigabit fiber optic pipe reaches your home, television on demand will rule the day.
David Brown, Woodstock VT
Read the entire text of this series at:
http://www.aroundwoodstockvermont.blogspot.com/
Read Malcolm Gladwell's Tipping Point at: http://www.fspcol.com/ARTICULOS/Educativos/The%20Tipping%20Point%20How%20Little%20Things%20Can%20Make%20a%20Big%20Difference.pdf
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Cutting The Cord - Part 11
From the outside, the QPlay appears to be similar to the AppleTV and Roku and Chromecast in that the output of the QPlay device (a box about the size of a deck of playing cards) plugs into one of your TV's spare HDMI ports (in my case, the last of my 4 HDMI ports). Power comes from a conventional plug-in power cube, just like Roku and Chromecast.
What aroused my curiosity was that the QPlay was developed by the two guys who invented TiVo, the first and arguably best digital video recorder (DVR). It was the TiVo that changed my viewing experience by introducing me to TV on Demand -- watching programs when I wanted to watch them instead of when they were on.
The catch with the QPlay is that you must use it with an Apple iPad. It has no remote of its own. The "magic" of what QPlay does is done online. You use the the QPlay app for iPad to create what QPlay calls "Qs" -- queues of programs you want to watch when you're ready to watch them. The technical term for this is "content aggregation."
If you already own an iPad, the idea of "building" an evening's (or weekend's) lineup of shows you've been waiting to watch sounds appealing. The only problem, right now, is that the list of available sources is quite limited -- mostly programs you can already watch on AppleTV and Roku without having to borrow or buy an iPad.
What prevents me from boxing up my QPlay and sending it back is the knowledge that Michael Ramsay and Jim Barton, co-founders of TiVo, have proven themselves to be real visionaries and -- get this-- they expect content aggregation (a-la QPlay) to include the MAJOR NETWORKS before long.
I'm not holding my breath, waiting for QPlay to embrace NBC, CBS, PBS, ABC, CNN and others. But if it does, I'll be ready to cut the cord to my DirecTV satellite service and you might be tempted to toss your Comcast cable box. Except for one thing...
(To be continued...)
What aroused my curiosity was that the QPlay was developed by the two guys who invented TiVo, the first and arguably best digital video recorder (DVR). It was the TiVo that changed my viewing experience by introducing me to TV on Demand -- watching programs when I wanted to watch them instead of when they were on.
The catch with the QPlay is that you must use it with an Apple iPad. It has no remote of its own. The "magic" of what QPlay does is done online. You use the the QPlay app for iPad to create what QPlay calls "Qs" -- queues of programs you want to watch when you're ready to watch them. The technical term for this is "content aggregation."
If you already own an iPad, the idea of "building" an evening's (or weekend's) lineup of shows you've been waiting to watch sounds appealing. The only problem, right now, is that the list of available sources is quite limited -- mostly programs you can already watch on AppleTV and Roku without having to borrow or buy an iPad.
What prevents me from boxing up my QPlay and sending it back is the knowledge that Michael Ramsay and Jim Barton, co-founders of TiVo, have proven themselves to be real visionaries and -- get this-- they expect content aggregation (a-la QPlay) to include the MAJOR NETWORKS before long.
I'm not holding my breath, waiting for QPlay to embrace NBC, CBS, PBS, ABC, CNN and others. But if it does, I'll be ready to cut the cord to my DirecTV satellite service and you might be tempted to toss your Comcast cable box. Except for one thing...
(To be continued...)
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Cutting The Cord - Part 10
I was just about to write to you about a new Internet TV device I just received when one of my sources called to fill me in on a couple of late-breaking developments related to the Roku devices we've been discussing in recent posts. Here's the scoop:
Word has it that HBO (a stalwart of cable TV offerings) has just signed a deal with Roku to make "older" HBO special programming available for free on Roku devices. When I asked what "older" meant, the answer was "greater than 3 years." So if you can remember some HBO special that you missed seeing (or would have seen if you had shelled out the $100/month to get cable TV back then) here's your chance to catch up. Why would HBO just give away this content? Apparently they figure that if you get accustomed to watching their "high-quality, commercial-free" programming, you're more likely to sign up with your cable TV provider to get current HBO programming.
Unless I'm missing something, there doesn't seem to be much downside for HBO to dust off its old specials and offer then up as cable TV "subscription bait." I'm not convinced that Roku watchers are going to flock in numbers to the legacy cable TV model, but time will tell. Worth a look-see anyway.
Another interesting development is the availability of YouTube on all Roku devices (it been available on Roku 3 for a while, but it's now enabled for Roku 1 and 2 too). YouTube is perhaps a greatly under-appreciated resource that I'm suggesting readers of this blog explore more deeply. If you don't have an AppleTV, or Roku, or a Chromecast yet you can check it out on your PC or Mac computer by going to www.youtube.com. YouTube is now the second most active web search engine (behind Google, of course). Let me illustrate:
Suppose you attended a recent Pentangle event featuring the Carolina Chocolate Drops (fantastic, wasn't it?) and you were blown away by an opening act you've never heard of before, Birds of Chicago. All you have to do is type "birds of chicago" in the YouTube search field and -- Presto! -- this is what you get. Short cut: click here. In a few moments you've got a front-row seat at a private Birds concert! Carolina Chocolate Drops? Yeah, they're on YouTube too! Short cut: click here.
Now imagine that you've never changed the oil in your car and you want someone to show you how. Just fire up your Roku, select the YouTube channel, and type "how to change the oil in your car" in the search field. Short cut: click here.
I know you weren't thinking about cutting the cable TV cord so you could get all kinds of alternative entertainment and instructional programming essentially for free, but I think it's a compelling reason to ask Santa for a Roku (or just order one on Amazon or pick up one locally at Best Buy in West Lebanon). Get one even if you ultimately decide to keep your cable TV service.
Now, where was I? Oh, about the QPlay device I just bought.
(To be continued...)
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Cutting The Cord - Part 9
I was just getting comfortable with my Roku, watching TV on Hulu+ and an occasional movie on Amazon Prime, when I saw an advertisement for a new device called Chromecast. Its maker Google calls it "the easiest way to enjoy video and music on your TV." At $35 with free shipping, I decided to give it a try.
Chromecast is different from AppleTV or Roku in a number of ways. First, it's a small plug-in device about the size of my thumb. To install the Chromcast, you plug it into one of the spare HDMI ports on your television. Power comes from a nearly USB port (e.g. computer or cell phone charger) or from the included power cube that plugs into the wall outlet.
Unlike AppleTV or Roku, Chromecast comes without a remote control of any sort. Instead, you control Chromecast (and select the programming you want to watch) using your laptop, tablet, or smart phone. You download the Chromecast app onto the mobile device of choice, and that device becomes your remote control.
Accidentally or intentionally, my Chromecast arrived with a minuscule instruction sheet, so I learned what I know about the device and its associated app by fiddling around. The breakthrough came when it finally occurred to me that Chromecast is basically a way to transmit to your television whatever you're seeing on Google Chrome (the free web browser you can install on your computer). The Chrome web store allows you to select from a dazzling array of free (or trial) apps that get "installed" on your Chromecast and displayed on your TV.
I'm not a gamer and I already own all the programs (apps) I need to run my business and personal life, so Chromecast doesn't get me any closer to cutting the cable or satellite TV cord -- except that I can get the same TV shows from www.hulu.com and www.amazon.com. I can, but then I'd need to fire up my iPhone or iPad every time I wanted to watch television.
I'm leaving my AppleTV, Roku, and Chromecast plugged into their respective ports of my television, just in case I want to switch around. For now, I'm sticking with Roku.
(To be continued...)
Chromecast is different from AppleTV or Roku in a number of ways. First, it's a small plug-in device about the size of my thumb. To install the Chromcast, you plug it into one of the spare HDMI ports on your television. Power comes from a nearly USB port (e.g. computer or cell phone charger) or from the included power cube that plugs into the wall outlet.
Unlike AppleTV or Roku, Chromecast comes without a remote control of any sort. Instead, you control Chromecast (and select the programming you want to watch) using your laptop, tablet, or smart phone. You download the Chromecast app onto the mobile device of choice, and that device becomes your remote control.
Accidentally or intentionally, my Chromecast arrived with a minuscule instruction sheet, so I learned what I know about the device and its associated app by fiddling around. The breakthrough came when it finally occurred to me that Chromecast is basically a way to transmit to your television whatever you're seeing on Google Chrome (the free web browser you can install on your computer). The Chrome web store allows you to select from a dazzling array of free (or trial) apps that get "installed" on your Chromecast and displayed on your TV.
I'm not a gamer and I already own all the programs (apps) I need to run my business and personal life, so Chromecast doesn't get me any closer to cutting the cable or satellite TV cord -- except that I can get the same TV shows from www.hulu.com and www.amazon.com. I can, but then I'd need to fire up my iPhone or iPad every time I wanted to watch television.
I'm leaving my AppleTV, Roku, and Chromecast plugged into their respective ports of my television, just in case I want to switch around. For now, I'm sticking with Roku.
(To be continued...)
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Cutting The Cord - Part 8
From the beginning, my plan was to have my Internet TV set up, separate from my "standard" TV which is connected to a DirecTV satellite receiver and DVR (digital video recorder). Installation of the DVR (a TIVO unit back in the days) changed our family's television watching habits.
Rather than surfing the available channels in search of the program that was showing at the exact time I wanted to watch it, I was finally able to collect and store the shows I wanted to watch at my convenience. Today I rarely watch television shows as they are being broadcast. Either I record them for watching days (sometimes weeks) later, or I record the first 20 minutes or so of an hour-long program I want to watch right away. Using this technique (giving the program a head start) I can fast-forward through the commercials and catch up just as the show is ending.
In retrospect, my DirecTV DVR experience was my first encounter with Television On Demand -- and it has been a game-changer. The question is whether Internet TV can deliver the same satisfying viewing experience.
With sufficient bandwidth (7Mbps), my Roku can deliver a good high-definition picture with minimal pauses and hiccups and jitters. My $8/month Hulu+ subscription provides me access to most every old or recently-aired TV show I care to watch (and some I've never heard of before). Besides free shipping, my annual $99 Amazon Prime membership includes a broad array of second-run full-length movies. When I want to watch a first-run show, paying $5 for 24-hour access to an HD movie is still cheap enough. Then there's all the obscure Roku channels that have tons of programming I don't have time to watch.
So you may ask, "Aren't you ready to cut the cord and send your $100/month DirecTV service packing?" That's a good question.
(To be continued...)
Rather than surfing the available channels in search of the program that was showing at the exact time I wanted to watch it, I was finally able to collect and store the shows I wanted to watch at my convenience. Today I rarely watch television shows as they are being broadcast. Either I record them for watching days (sometimes weeks) later, or I record the first 20 minutes or so of an hour-long program I want to watch right away. Using this technique (giving the program a head start) I can fast-forward through the commercials and catch up just as the show is ending.
In retrospect, my DirecTV DVR experience was my first encounter with Television On Demand -- and it has been a game-changer. The question is whether Internet TV can deliver the same satisfying viewing experience.
With sufficient bandwidth (7Mbps), my Roku can deliver a good high-definition picture with minimal pauses and hiccups and jitters. My $8/month Hulu+ subscription provides me access to most every old or recently-aired TV show I care to watch (and some I've never heard of before). Besides free shipping, my annual $99 Amazon Prime membership includes a broad array of second-run full-length movies. When I want to watch a first-run show, paying $5 for 24-hour access to an HD movie is still cheap enough. Then there's all the obscure Roku channels that have tons of programming I don't have time to watch.
So you may ask, "Aren't you ready to cut the cord and send your $100/month DirecTV service packing?" That's a good question.
(To be continued...)
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Cutting The Cord - Part 7
So far, we've determined that if you currently have Comcast cable TV or FairPoint DSL Internet service at your home or business, there's a good chance you'll be able to use the available bandwidth to watch Apple TV. Whether Apple TV makes for a satisfying viewing experience is another thing. Remember, Apple TV is based on the buy/rent music albums of Apple iTunes. So if you're happy paying a-la-carte for movies and previously shown TV shows, you may be all set.
I'm not, so I purchased another hockey puck-shaped device called a Roku ($89 on sale at Best Buy). Besides its almost identical outside appearance, Roku installs and sets itself up pretty much like an Apple TV. But that's where to similarity ends.
The Roku model is based on "stations" that you can subscribe to for free, or for a modest monthly fee. There are hundreds of stations ranging from big name titles such as HBO and ShowTime to obscure offerings such as the Peru Soccer and Korean Cooking stations. I subscribed to the free Sailing station so I could keep up with match racing in NZ. I also pay $8/month for a subscription to HuluPlus. By my figuring, this is a real bargain. For one monthly fee you get to choose from thousands of movies and TV shows. You'll also find some entertaining HuluPlus exclusive programming that you won't find anywhere else on TV.
As an Amazon shopper, you can pay $79/year to get free shipping on all my purchases. That's going up to $99 this year but it's still a good deal considering what other online shopping sites charge. Another perk, besides free shipping, is free access to movies on the Amazon Prime Roku station. The movies there tend to be quite old, but there are titles you won't find on Hulu.
If there's a recently released movie you want to watch, Roku has a terrific Search function that will show you a list of the stations on which your movie is showing, together with the cost (if any). Sometimes we pay the $5 to watch a movie we missed at Town Hall, rather than waiting for it to work its way down into the free view stations.
Many "prime-time" television shows are available the next day on HuluPlus. Check them out at www.hulu.com/plus.
Recently, some news and sports stations have been added to the Roku line-up, but none of these are comparable to the real time or "breaking news" channels you may be watching on cable, Nevertheless, for less than $100 for the hardware and less than $10 a month for programming, Roku is a compelling option for anyone wishing to say good-bye to cable TV.
You can learn more about Roku at www.roku.com.
I'm not, so I purchased another hockey puck-shaped device called a Roku ($89 on sale at Best Buy). Besides its almost identical outside appearance, Roku installs and sets itself up pretty much like an Apple TV. But that's where to similarity ends.
The Roku model is based on "stations" that you can subscribe to for free, or for a modest monthly fee. There are hundreds of stations ranging from big name titles such as HBO and ShowTime to obscure offerings such as the Peru Soccer and Korean Cooking stations. I subscribed to the free Sailing station so I could keep up with match racing in NZ. I also pay $8/month for a subscription to HuluPlus. By my figuring, this is a real bargain. For one monthly fee you get to choose from thousands of movies and TV shows. You'll also find some entertaining HuluPlus exclusive programming that you won't find anywhere else on TV.
As an Amazon shopper, you can pay $79/year to get free shipping on all my purchases. That's going up to $99 this year but it's still a good deal considering what other online shopping sites charge. Another perk, besides free shipping, is free access to movies on the Amazon Prime Roku station. The movies there tend to be quite old, but there are titles you won't find on Hulu.
If there's a recently released movie you want to watch, Roku has a terrific Search function that will show you a list of the stations on which your movie is showing, together with the cost (if any). Sometimes we pay the $5 to watch a movie we missed at Town Hall, rather than waiting for it to work its way down into the free view stations.
Many "prime-time" television shows are available the next day on HuluPlus. Check them out at www.hulu.com/plus.
Recently, some news and sports stations have been added to the Roku line-up, but none of these are comparable to the real time or "breaking news" channels you may be watching on cable, Nevertheless, for less than $100 for the hardware and less than $10 a month for programming, Roku is a compelling option for anyone wishing to say good-bye to cable TV.
You can learn more about Roku at www.roku.com.
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