I have an appointment for a new customer who just moved back from out of the country.  They'd like to stay off the grid so to speak.   They'll have internet, they're buying all new equipment.  TV, home theater, etc.  

My immediate thought was Google TV coupled with all of the other services out there.  ESPN 360, Hulu, Netflix, etc.  and an OTA antenna for local digital (they're well within range of the stations).

Have any of you worked on a project like this?  Doesn't sound like budget is the issue, just seems like they're so used to watching things from America online, they've decided to stick with it.

My only concern is sports, but the wife says that they use ESPN 360 and the husband is fine with that.  (He might say otherwise)...I know it would drive me crazy.  

I'm looking forward to the install though, at least its something really out of the ordinary. (for us anyway).  

Let me know what you think.

 

ESPN is the only reason I havent cut the cord yet. Check out the different streamer boxes to see which might work for you.

Popcorn Hour
AppleTV
Boxee Box
Dune
Western Digital
LG Smart TV updater

what else?

I love my Popcorn Hour btw.

Heck, and I thought your title "going of the grid" was like "wearing of the green," you know, some kind of reference to wearing tartans (grid patterns).

They'll be able to stay off the grid just fine. All they have to do is not plug anything in. You'll note that plugging things in literally puts you on the grid!


OTA and a TV will keep them off the grid.


I'm gagging. I still use AOL just because I've got so damn many emails on it. AOL says they want to be a content company, but the worst thing they do is content. Example from last week: a headline says three republicans criticize some plan of Obama's but the actual article only mentions John McCain. And that's just leaving out facts, and they get things wrong all the time.


Off the grid? What?


What do you usually do? It's been a while since people have asked for antenna, but otherwise this sounds like it might be a pretty up-to-date install, unless the client wants to stay off the grid.


Hmmmmmmmmmmm.

I always thought "Off the grid" meant you were trying to hide from someone or some agency and you paid cash for everything and did not have a bank account, a credit card, a driver's license, a physical address, an email account, you used disposable mobile phones only if needed, no travel via airlines, buses, etc...etc...and what have you. ;P

I think "cutting the cord" is the term mostly used for people who do not want to pay cable or a satellite TV provider for television programming. I like the idea. But it is almost now to the point that you are going to end up paying one way or the other. Once you add up fees for Netflix, Hulu+, Redbox, iTunes, Tivo, etc....and whatever other services you choose, you might be in the same ballpark as cable or dish/dtv. Of course you get the benefit of all your programming being 100% on demand. Watch what you want, when you want. You will still have some limitations on what you can watch though.

I currently have a TivoHD (lifetime service) connected to OTA. We use Netflix for streaming (I think we will ditch the DVD service now that they want to charge more for it). I am going to look into Hulu+ to see if it is worth the $$ for what we might watch on it. I am saving money compared to what I was paying for cable....for now. But if I keep the DVD service on Netflix, and add Hulu+, I am over halfway to what we were paying for cable. Of course, with cable, there was only a handful of channels we really liked that we do not have access to anymore. We do not miss them now that we have lived without them for so long though.

So pick your poison. If your client wants to be "off the grid", or "cut the cord", sell them whatever device(s) they need to get the content they want. Sounds like they are aware of the limitations and the pros/cons of doing it. Give them what they want. :) But for OTA, I still recommend Tivo to people if they want a DVR.

That's right.


Yeah, maybe that's it!

Maybe this is like all the people who have to "start back at square one," as in the beginning of a board game, but end up saying they're at "ground zero," the place just below where the nuclear device detonates and therefore where the most damage is caused. They surely don't mean ground zero!

Reminds me that recently some chat host tried to tell a joke to (and on) the Dalai Lama. The joke is "The Dalai Lama walks into a pizza place and says 'make me one with everything.'"

The Dalai Lama just stared at the guy, uncomprehending, on live TV. If you're gonna joke about pizza orders, you've gotta be sure your target has ordered them before!


I still like "Going of the grid" as a tartan-wearing activity.

That was a long time ago and I'm totally legal now....:-)

Well, you're legal until someone discovers your real name and finds the real birth certificate. By the way, you weren't born in "Hawaii," were you?