Cutting the cord

You might be wondering why my television delivery choice is on my remodel blog and I'll tell you. The choices we are making lead to projects and decor decisions. I did purchase all of these devices with my own money and am not being compensated by any of the respective companies.

We had been customers of AT&T Uverse for many years, but we were tired of paying through the nose for TV, internet, and home phone. Our internet speed was only 3.5Mbps and we were paying a ton. The service was fine, but the cost was ridiculous.

I did research on my options and found several blogs and videos with ideas. There are many options out there, but because I live in a large metropolitan area, I get good OTA (over-the-air) reception. My only issue is that most of the stations are in one area, but some are in a different direction.

I went with the NVIDIA Shield Pro running as our Plex media server. We also purchased the HD Homerun Connect Duo. Please note that the Live TV and DVR options on Plex do require a Plex Pass. I did purchase the lifetime subscription after trying the monthly pass for a week. Plex automatically prorates the unused portion of your month pass and applies it to the lifetime subscription too!

Most of our television watching is on network television with the major exception of our local NHL team. My plan is to subscribe to Sling TV to get our regional sports network (RSN) during hockey season. It would be awesome if it was not blacked out in our area if we purchase the NHL.tv package...oh well.

I am going to go over each of the pieces and my decision process as there are multiple options for each piece.

NVIDIA Shield Pro

I purchased the NVIDIA Shield Pro for a few reasons:

1. There are many reviews about the NVIDIA Shield (of both sizes) being the best streaming box out there.
2. I use Android phones and like Google products.
3. The NVIDIA Shield can be a standalone Plex server.
4. The Shield also has both Netflix and Amazon Prime video.
5. The Shield is capable of being a DVR for live TV with or without Plex or other paid services.
6. We play video games.
7. The 500 GB hard drive seems worth it compared to the 16 GB.

I really enjoy watching TV with the Shield because it is pretty seamless to switch between Plex, Netflix, YouTube, and other streaming services. My husband, who hates change, is resistant but he is figuring it out.

HD Homerun Connect Duo

I chose this as our TV tuner because:

1. The tuner can be placed wherever it is convenient to Ethernet and an antenna feed.
2. The channels are viewable on our local network on many devices with the app.

There is something pretty awesome about watching TV in the backyard on my tablet or on the computer monitor, in addition to the TV in the living room.

Plex Pass

I did not subscribe to the HD Homerun DVR and guide information because I chose the Plex versions of these services. I like the Plex interface for the most part, but mostly I like that Plex has the option for a lifetime subscription, which is cheaper in the long run. I did not try out the HD Homerun DVR, but I did try the Live Channels app, which is free on the Shield. I prefer Plex DVR for three reasons: (1) I can watch the recordings on any device in our network (and if I can figure it out, away from home too), (2) the subscription includes the TV guide data for about 2 weeks, and (3) the pause, fast forward, and rewind functions are more intuitive and easier to use.

The Live Channels app only has about 1 days worth of programming data available. In addition, the recordings are only available on the device they were recorded on.

What's next

This change has gone well. The next steps include wiring the house for ethernet. We currently have a cable running down the hallway from the the router in the office to the Shield in the living room. In addition, we have purchased vinyl flooring that looks like wood for the whole house. We also need to re-do both bathrooms, the kitchen, and the backyard.

Beginings

We currently live in a ranch style home that was built in 1969. We have great plans to modernize the home with ethernet wiring, replace the flooring, and remodel both bathrooms and the kitchen. We still have the original cabinets in the kitchen ... and they are not functional at all.

In the backyard, we are going to replace the AstroTurf (yes, you read that correctly) with some sort of pavers. We also plan to install some outdoor cabinets and a sink at the deck. We live in an area with great outdoor living for most of the year and we want to take advantage. Our dachshund loves hanging out in our yard, as long as we are out there too!