For those looking to cut costs, just get a vhf/uhf antenna for ten bucks and digital converter (if your tv is old). If you’re near an urban area, you’ll get 12 to 100 channels for free.
Just wanted to give a heads up since I recently did this. I canceled TV two years ago and didn’t miss it at all, but I couldn’t find mlb playoffs anywhere online, so I decided to try antenna. Sure enough I got Fox and could watch the game. Since I wouldn’t get Pac-12 network even with cable, going to an antenna hasn’t effected me in any way. Fewer channels means less time getting sucked in by brain-dead television, fewer horrible ads that make me wanna smash the set, heavier wallet, more time outdoors, etc.
I’m sure many of you guys stream content online, but this is an alternative if you want to sit on the couch and watch the old fashion way. Consider this a public service announcement, and you can go off topic all you want.
I’ve cancelled cable also. Pretty much everything you want is available for free in one way or another online or over the air. If your laptop/desktop doesnt have an HDMI output, invest $40 in your machine so you can stream to your flatscreen tv and continue watching from your couch. Get a wireless keyboard and let that be your remote control. The dropoff in quality isnt too bad, unless you really really want that crystal clear 1080i resolution. The only thing I miss is the DVR, and I have yet to find any free quality sofware to do that. (any suggestions?)
Regarding decline of college football: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1814887-where-did-all-the-college-football-fans-go?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=cnn-sports-bin&hpt=hp_bn15
Bad economy, poorer Americans, overpriced tickets (relative to HDTV, which is awesome to watch), and lack of interest. I am tell you, ratings are way down despite the propaganda saying otherwise.
Being able to DVR games is absolutely huge for me. If I wasn’t such a fan of all-weekend tailgating then I probably wouldn’t attend half as many games as I do. The ability to rewind plays on demand and skip commercials/halftime is priceless.
On weekends that I’m not going to a game (like this weekend) I usually dvr Gameday, the Beavs game, and maybe one other game, then I watch them as fast as I can so I don’t waste an entire day on the couch like I used to 5 years ago.
Jason, how was the Palouse?
Outstanding! We polished off the last of your Two Towns cider by mixing it with a shot of Fireball. Thank you for your donation! The rookie Cougs next door were wimps and basically, well… couged-it, giving up early Friday night because they couldn’t handle their (our) alcohol.
Fans were very welcoming and the weather was excellent, especially towing up and down the Gorge, no wind!
I would definitely go back to Pullman for a game if the traveling weather was good enough; 6 hours driving in an ice or snow storm doesn’t sound like fun.
Agreed on the DVR, especially during basketball games. Without it, I’d be spending more time in front of the T.V. watching fewer games.
Football in 60 on the PAC12 networks has made a difference in me watching other teams games. I record the show and then fast forward through the commercials. Can watch the whole game in about 40 min. No commercials or endless babble by the commentators.
I totally agree, Pac12 in 60 is a great way to watch games.
I really like this breakdown of what our offense does so well:
http://www.californiagoldenblogs.com/2013/10/16/4843830/scouting-oregon-state-beavers-2013-pac-12-breakdown-cal-football-berkeley
I wish there was an OSU blog that did analysis that thorough.
I wish the OSU D coaching staff did this….
Like the humor in there too, like the joke about setting up a homestead.
I think this guy has done this for some UO plays too. It really is an effective communication method.
impressive. that blogger has a lot of free time.
It’s Tedford LOL.
If Tedford did that level of analysis, we wouldn’t have stomped him every year :d
The looping gifs are nice. It would take me a week full time to produce a write-up like that, and half of it would show the cheerleaders dancing in my looping gifs.
Get on it!
haha. real talk
Major props to that blogger. I’d love reading more of that type of analysis for any PAC-12 team.
OT… this is unreal… and simply awesome.
http://www.kgw.com/lifestyle/health/OSU-scientists-find-new-way-to-fight-ovarian-cancer-228213071.html
Beavs go out and literally kill cancer. The ducks wear shiny pink helmets
I know! Right?
That is absolutely awesome.
We’re talking Nobel prize winning research here. The similar OSU announcements back in 2008 were all good. But they were hedged with a lot of hope. This more recent announcement was cool.
http://www.sci-news.com/medicine/science-method-cancer-cells-01244.html
But when you jump from a 30% to 95% kill rate, that’s just amazing stuff.
Obviously, early detection is the most important aspect for fighting cancer. I thought as many as seven years ago that the whole “breast cancer awareness” month was overblown. And the money grab that goes with it and the Susan B Komen scandal don’t help. I don’t mean to belittle breast cancer and its victims. But there are other cancers out there which are more deadly due to ignorance… and location.
G?
More Linus Pauling-worthy research.
Although, in those blurbs they show during football games – one for each school in the game – the OSU video usually shows someone in a wheat field or that silly thing with the drawings and students in orange t-shirts. The OSU alum magazine recently featured a young couple who are now making it in the, I can’t even imagine, New York world of marketing and design, albeit getting their start in PDX with Nike. There is no shortage of dynamite ways to use that couple of minutes -more people will see Beaver athletics than just about anything else to do with OSU.
On topic, I’m waiting for the day networks go a la carte. It’s already happening with smart TV and set top gaming consoles. XBox One comes out in a month, and it should provide yet another step toward this reality. The 360 already gets me to a lot of places I want to go with wireless access. And Netflix and YouTube are beginning to produce quality online entertainment at a more than normal rate.
I just have to wait for the inevitable drop in tech prices and the eventual move to those formats… and save up some money in preparation.
Jack, don’t hold your breath on a la carte. Understand the political and mind control/ dumbing down of America that would be lost if the people could get what they want, while not paying for what they don’t need.
It will happen, and stupid networks will survive even in that format. Just look at how many idiots pay for recruiting sites so they can have a 30 second advantage on the world (maybe… probably not) in terms of recruiting.
Never underestimate stupid.
Ronnie Lott having trouble with a story on Mannion. “He is so hot…”
http://pac-12.com/article/2013/10/16/video-sean-mannion-too-hot-ronnie-lott
Ronnie was in San Francisco too long.
http://www.buildingthedam.com/2013/10/17/4849460/oregon-st-lands-a-rb-reconsideration
Oregon State is definitely the better team and should win at Cal, but if the Bears start out quick and play to the ESPN2 primetime opportunity then the Beavers could be in for more of a contest than they anticipate. Main thing is play smart but aggressive and let our leaders shine and the support players doing their part to sustain scoring drives. Stay productive in the red zone and Goff should have pressure to try to keep up that the OSU secondary can take advantage of.
Oregon State 41, Cal 27
Oregon State-Cal Q&A w/ Golden Bear Lair:
http://beaverbyte.com
Lots of seats available for this cal game. Tickets on stub hub starting at 85 cents.