Privacy is important, and sometimes fleeting

Naomi Brockwell has a recent video about privacy, which you may know is a favorite topic of mine.

[YouTube]

My Streaming Life is for fun, but privacy should not be overlooked, ever.

Watching the NFL Playoffs: Wild Card Round

The NFL playoffs begin today. It's called the Wild Card Round, even though six division champions are playing this weekend.

AFC North champion Baltimore Ravens and NFC West champion San Francisco 49ers are top seeds in their respective conferences and get a first round bye. The other three division champs in each conference are hosting wild card teams, hence the "Wild Card Round" name.

The Games

Today, there are two games scheduled, three tomorrow, and one Monday.

Saturday

• Cleveland (5th seed, wild card) at Houston (4th seed, AFC South champions), NBC
• Miami (6th seed, wild card) at Kansas City (3rd seed, AFC West champions), Peacock

Sunday

• Pittsburgh (7th seed, wild card) at Buffalo (2nd seed, AFC East champions), CBS
• Green Bay (7th seed, wild card) at Dallas (2nd seed, NFC East champions), Fox
• Los Angeles (6th seed, wild card) at Detroit (3rd seed, NFC North champions), NBC

Monday

• Philadelphia (5th seed, wild card) at Tampa Bay (4th seed, NFC South champions), ABC, ESPN, ESPN+

How to watch

The various networks carrying the games are available to streamers in several different ways.

ABC

• Antenna (free)
• Sling TV (8 markets only) ($45/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($77/month)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($85/month)

CBS

• Antenna (free)
• Paramount Plus (Premium) $12/month
• Hulu+Live TV ($77/month)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($85/month)

ESPN

• Sling TV (Orange) ($40/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($77/month)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($85/month)

ESPN+

• ESPN+ (standalone) ($10/month)
• Disney Bundle ($15/month)

Fox

• Antenna (free)
• Sling TV (18 markets only) ($45/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($77/month)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($85/month)

NBC

• Antenna (free)
• Peacock (Plus) ($12/month)
• Sling TV (11 markets only) ($45/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($77/month)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($85/month)

Peacock

• Peacock is its own service, and can be used to watch NBC live programming with the $12/month plan.

My Streaming Life does not often involve professional football, particularly NFL games. But, there is no denying the popularity of the NFL. If you want to watch the games and are a streamer, or if you're thinking about becoming a streamer, maybe this will let you know just what you would need to do to watch the games.

Xumo Stream Box - for beginners only

Xfinity (Comcast) recently launched its Xumo Stream Box. It replaces the older Flex device that the company nearly three years ago. That was a good box for beginners; people that were just starting out streaming and were used to Xfinity cable.

So, with this new device, the Xumo Stream Box, how is it different?

First, the interface is improved, so that's good.

Setup was actually easy. Well, it was extremely difficult, but that's unrelated to the Xumo Stream Box. Xfinity made an account error, confusing my account with my sister's, in a behind the scenes screw up. That's unrelated to the Xumo Stream Box, and was a totally different Comcast/Xfinity issue. Once that unrelated issue was fixed, setup went smoothly. Assuming Comcast/Xfinity doesn't have an account screw-up already in place, you should have no trouble with setting it up. As I said, once they fixed their screw-up, the setup went really easy.

And so ends the good news. Switching now to the bad news.

Xfinity has apps preinstalled on the device. They pick the apps. You can't remove them, you can't hide them, you can't add new ones, you can't make any customization such as what you can do on the true streaming platforms: Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android/Google TV, WebOS (LG), Tizen OS (Samsung), etc.

I will admit that most of the apps are good apps, and apps that most people would find interesting. However, I don't want apps that I don't use there. Ever. If I don't use Netflix, I don't want to see Netflix. If I don't use Discovery+, I don't want to see Discovery+. And so on.

I wrote Comcast/Xfinity about it. They actually wrote back. They were all nice and polite and everything, but at the end of it, the system works as it works, and they hope I stay with them.

What all this means is that this is a platform for beginners. This is not a platform that people who are experienced with streaming will enjoy. They hold your hand and give you a slate of apps, and that's what you get. It's arrogant, because anyone with any programming ability would be able to toggle an Advance User mode. They have that programming ability, they just choose to not use it.

Now, is that the only thing I don't like about it? No. The device isn't as responsive as Roku, Fire TV (well, recent Fire TV devices), Chromecast, or even the cheap Walmart Onn Streaming Stick. It's an inferior device.

Is it that bad? No, not really. If this was your first streaming device, you wouldn't know how sluggish it is, because it's only sluggish compared to other devices. With nothing to compare it to, it's probably just fine. But that's my whole point. It's a device for beginners.

What if you're a beginner? Actually, since it's included with Xfinity Internet service (one is), and they will waive the setup fee if you ask nicely, it's a good way to start streaming. I do like it better than the older Flex box that I returned, but it is the least of the streaming devices I use. Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast, NVIDIA Shield, Onn Streaming Box/Stick, all are superior devices. But for a beginner, it's a good starting streaming device and platform.

My Streaming Life has been going on since I cut cable in 2011, and even existed for a few years before that. I'm not a novice. I'm no beginner. That's why the new Xumo Stream Box is not for me. But if you or someone you know is wanting to start streaming, and they have Xfinity Internet, this could be a good start.

How to Improve Your Video Streaming In Just One Step

TV Answer Man Philip Swann had an article published recently entitled "How to Improve Your Video Streaming In Just One Step." My first thought was to connect without WiFi, and use a direct Ethernet connection. But here was his suggestion:  connect without WiFi, and use a direct Ethernet connection.

Why is that the answer. He explains it well:

Improving Your Streaming Picture With One Step

Connect your Smart TV (or device such as a Roku or Fire TV) directly to the modem with an Ethernet cable. That will bypass the WiFi network entirely and deliver a stronger signal to your set. The WiFi network itself, while convenient because it allows anyone in the household to connect, can slow down your speed. So if you don’t need to worry about others connecting, give the direct connection a try. Then test it on Fast.com to see if the speed increased. If it did, you should see a better picture going forward.

He absolutely correct. Many people do not realize how much WiFi can have problems, while your Internet connection is just fine.

Of course, many people don't realize that WiFi and Internet are two different things. They are. Internet connection is exactly that: your Internet connection. WiFi is simply a way to use it. A WiFi connection can exist without Internet, and Internet exists without WiFi.

Think about like this. If there is a cable running from outside to your house that carries Internet, and if you cut that cable, and you lose Internet. Internet access is delivered by way of that cable. It goes to a modem and (likely) a router (could be both), and you connect to that. You can use a cable, or you can use a wireless connection. That wireless connection is WiFi. That's all WiFi is. It is NOT Internet.

The driveway to from your house to the highway is not the Interstate. It's a way to get to the Interstate. WiFi is a way to get to the Internet. If you have multiple driveways, or just drive across the yard, you can get to the highway more than one way. WiFi is simply one way to get to the Internet; it is not the Internet itself.

Anyway, WiFi can have problems, while your Internet connection is just fine. And that's what Mr. Swann is talking about. Using an Ethernet cable to make the connection can be a better way to connect your streaming devices to the Internet.

My Streaming Life involves connecting via Ethernet cable if I can. I only use WiFi if I have to. And I rarely have streaming issues. There's something to what Mr. Swann said.

Watching Tablo

I'm a fan of Tablo. Well, mostly. There's one thing I don't like, but a lot that I do. If you are thinking about adding Tablo to your setup, you'll want to make sure you are able to use it. You see, not every platform supports Tablo.

First, a little about what Tablo is. It is my favorite DVR for recording over-the-air antenna programming. I've used TiVo, Fire TV Recast, Air TV, and Tablo. There are more, and from what I understand, some good ones. But these are the ones I've used. And I mean I purchased the devices and used them. I put money into them. And, of those, Tablo is my favorite.

Not every platfrom supports Tablo, however. Or maybe it's Tablo doesn't support every platform. Either way, it may be that your setup won't let you use Tablo on your streaming television.

If you have Roku, Fire TV, or Android/Google TV, then you're good. However, if you have Apple TV, Tizen OS (Samsung), WebOS (LG), or SmartCast (Vizio) then you can't currently use Tablo. And, if you have something else, not only can you not use Tablo, there are no plans by Tablo to develop other apps. The Tablo Support Website says apps for Apple TV (iOS and iPad are already supported), Tizen OS (Samsung TVs), WebOS (LG TVs), and SmartCast (Vizio) are "coming soon." They've been "coming soon" for a while now.

Until it launches, it doesn't exist. So, unless you have Roku, Fire TV, or Android/Google TV, you can't use Tablo. If you do, you could use Tablo on your system.

My Streaming Life has involved Tablo for a few years now. I like it. I don't use it every day, but that's not Tablo's fault; it's the fault of the people who make content not making something I want to watch. When there is something available via over-the-air antenna, Tablo is the way to go for me.

Cable subscribers drop to 1980s levels

A recent report says that the number of cable TV subscribers in the USA has dropped to levels not seen since the 1980s.

Last week, Luke Bouma of Cord Cutters News posted that the most recent data shows that only 34 million people subscribe to cable TV in the USA.

According to the study, only 34 million Americans subscribe to cable TV in the third quarter of 2023. That number has not been that low since 1984.

It is a dramatic fall from the peak subscriber numbers of 67 million in 2002 before satellite, TelCos, and streaming started to chip away at the cable TV subscriber base.

Cable TV is not alone in this drop in subscribers. Satellite services, like DIRECTV and DISH, have seen subscriber numbers drop from a peak of 24 million in 2014 to 15 million at the end of the third quarter 2023.

Cable TV has lost 33 million subscribers since its peak. Satellite TV companies have lost 9 million American subscribers. Since the peak of both services, they have lost a combined 42 million subscribers.

That is a huge drop. I'm included, of course, but my dropping of cable was in 2011. More and more have dropped cable in the years since, and cable is now back to levels not seen in nearly 40 years.

If you still subscribe to cable, it may be time to ask yourself why. I've know people that became streamers but would not drop cable. Perhaps the familiarity was a security blanket. I don't really know, but that seem to be the case for those streamers I knew that kept cable.

There's not a lot you can watch on cable that you can't watch by other means. For me, there is nothing that I can't get some other way. I don't need cable TV. I haven't for years.

My Streaming Life has been cable free for 13 years. I dropped cable on January 11, 2011. It's now January 2024. I don't miss it, not one bit.

Watching College Football in the 2023 Season: National Championship Game

Bowl Season of college football for 2023 ends tonight with the national championship game. There is national championship game tonight, featuring two undefeated teams. Also, not featuing an SEC team for the first time since the 2014 season, and the second time since the 2005 season.

ESPN

The game features top ranked Michigan and second ranked Washington.

Here's how to get the game streaming:

ESPN

• Sling TV (Orange) ($40/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($77/month)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($85/month)

This year's Division 1-A/FBS college football is done after tonight. My Streaming Life focuses on college football during this time of year. I'm missing it already.