You could use Boxee which is about $200. The Wii is the same price but only plays 480p. Or just hook up a computer to the TV though HDMI or DVI with audio.

Yup, the Roku does it for under $100. Or just find an old PC and use that. We use a PC (with S-Video out; my TV is an old CRT) for Hulu and Netflix, and haven't paid a cable or satellite bill in 6 months.

I use XBMC on my main PC out through HDMI to the tv in a different room. Add a USB remote/receiver and an extension and it was wife friendly enough to keep her happy. For live TV I built a small antenna and receive digital HD over the air signals. If I remember correctly I get CBC, Global, CTV, Omni, KVOS, and a couple of other shopping channels in HD. A channel and Chek should be going to digital in the next few months and that will cover 99% of what you get on basic cable anyways. With a bit of work I may get PBS. IT's free and legal and the picture is better then cable so it's not like the old snowy tv days.

I bought 3 Netgear Roku boxes and the family loves the tv and movie selection so far. We usually pick a TV series and watch all the episodes like the Stargate series. Daughter has watched the Hanna Montana series etc. For $11 a month it has been great. We also get a dvd for the movies that are not streaming yet.

I subscribed to Netflix to try out their "1 month free" package. Just in time too because I just got my cable/wifi bill in the mail and it was $117 this month :eek:

I should also mention that after 2 years of CFLs, I relapsed back to incandescent and halogen light bulbs throughout the house this month. I got annoyed with the 'institution' feel of the place and the light quality is *much* better. We'll just have to see how it impacts my electric bill.

Attachment 1462
CLFs left, halogen & incandescent right

Oh, no! A relapse!

After the sun goes down, a single 13W CFL per room is all I need. However, I'm trying, with mixed results, to get CFLs to work for my mother. So, what is it you don't like about the lighting of an institution?

Do you have the same amount of luminosity (total Lumens) in each photo? Perhaps the kitchen was too bright or too dark.

Is it the color temperature you object to? I never could empathize with this point, as it seems so arbitrary. My mother grew up with Tungsten-colored light behind yellowed lampshades. Now she runs low color temperature CFLs. She derides the light in my house as blue, but how is that different from selecting slightly less orange furniture and wall paint?

Speaking of lamp shades, CFLs and LEDs are a better approximation of a point source of light. The result is crisp shadows, and the solution is a diffuser.

If there is any perceptible flicker or hum, then you have some of those cheap CFLs that give fluorescence a bad name.

Lastly, photographing light sources is always difficult. What technique did you use? Was the sun up?

I found the CFLs to be very glaring in comparison. They weren't too bad in fixtures with frosted coverings, yet there was still a difference. I had a 9w CFL inside a recessed shower light and it made me squint compared to a standard warm glow of a 40w incandescent.

In the first photo, the lumens were much higher. The CFL lighting casts a bright general white light on the ceiling and the cabinetry comes across as greenish-yellow. The 2nd photo has a darker ceiling with more dramatic shadows and a truer appearance. The photographs are very accurate representations of how the room looks like.

Those 3 kitchen track lights were a total of 31w with CFL. Now they're 150w with halogen.

Time for a household defragmentation
 

April's housing costs:

Natural Gas - $42.20
Electricity - $37.92
Water - $86.55

Other expenses:

Netflix - $0.00
Cable/WiFi - $117.60
Telephone - $41.88
Insurance - $14.00
Condo Fees - $150.00
Property Tax - $109.26
Mortgage P+I - 673.51

Total April '11 Housing Costs: $1,272.92

Rent collection from housemates: $1,738.10

Monthly Surplus: $465.18
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Spring is finally here in Western Canada. It's now the middle of May and the trees are *finally* starting to bud leaves. Utility costs went down (the water bill was read later in the month, so that's why it's higher than usual) and my insurance was re-worked to exclude sewer backup now that we have a back-flow preventer installed.

We're now connected with Netflix - free first month trial. The cable/wifi skyrocketed as our 8 month promotion expired (we should get a credit this month because it's billed in advance). We downgraded to basic 28 channels and 1.5Mbps internet speed.

you insurance is $14 per month? my house is close to $100/month. About $110 if I remember correctly and they're talking about increasing that for our area...

It may not go over well with your roommates but I cancelled cable and 2 months later got a year of HD basic plus an HD PVR for free on promo plus they cranked my internet speed and gave me unlimited long distance for $2. I actually saved money getting all this vs the previous internet and phone I had with them. I'll cancel again before the promo is up.

I hear that cable companies offer huge discounts if a customer tries to cancel entirely. Unfortunately they're never permanent - a promotional offer always expires and bills skyrocket.

As the for the insurance: That's one of the huge rewards of living in a condo! The $150/month maintenance fees already cover building insurance :) I just need additional insurance to cover my own personal belongings, interior betterments and improvements, and liability coverage for each of the 3 housemates.