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Make your own smart tv – Part 2

Jordan Kerr — Sat, 06 Aug 2022 15:01:54 +0000

First things first… So you’ve decided to cut the cord. Let’s get you started off on the right foot. The first post of this series states that “countless devices” are available to boost your current TV’s IQ. That statement is true. However, none of these devices are perfect. Every single one needs a little help to meet your expectations. To avoid repetition, I will cover these details once. Without further ado, let’s introduce the players.

Flirc: The familiarity of a remote control is a game changer. Using a remote control allows even the most basic users to easily navigate interfaces without a keyboard or mouse. This USB dongle allows you to do just that by transforming any IR code into a keyboard stroke. Flirc makes it possible to use any of your existing IR remotes to control any device that supports a USB keyboard.

Kodi: It isn’t very often that an open-source software product rules the roost. Kodi (formerly XBMC or Xbox Media Center) has deep set roots in helping users take control of their own media. These roots first found purchase during the original Xbox “mod” rage. Users created Xbox “mods” to function as an Atari or Nintendo emulator, content pirating machine, or media center. Kodi left the Xbox branding behind as it has branched out to almost every platform. This powerful and stable center is used by most cord-cutting devices to organize or stream media. Almost every review in this series will include the functionality and performance of Kodi.

Input Devices: Even if you have a Flirc, keep a keyboard and mouse handy. Initial configuration and testing will require some typing. Most devices do provide an on-screen keyboard. If you liked the 2003 style of texting (multiple button pushes per letter) skip the keyboard. Just prepare yourself for a maddening configuration.

Cables, Cables, Cables: Most of the devices are going to come with an HDMI cable. Not one of the devices has arrived with an HDMI cable that supports CEC. A $10 cable may bring your TV’s native CEC control to life. I will also discuss the following cables: USB extension, Optical / Coaxial audio, and micro-usb hub / OTG devices.

Router: When streaming media, your router can make all the difference. Every review will compare the connectivity between a two year-old N router and a high-end AC model. If your router doesn’t support at least N, plan on using wired connections only.

Now the introductions are made and the stage is set – all we have to do is review each device and its optimal configuration. Do you have a device that FactoryTwoFour should review? If so, please contact me here.

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Cut The Cord: No Smart-TV Required

Jordan Kerr — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 18:41:22 +0000

The centerpiece of my front room is my Zenith 12-S-370 radio from 1939. It’s the radio my Great-Grandfather purchased to enjoy the “wireless”. Similar vacuum-tube filled cabinets once dictated most of America’s schedule. Time blocks set aside for programs like “Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One” and “The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” were not to be interfered with. If you missed the broadcast that week, you would never get another chance to hear it. This method helped ABC, CBS, and NBC keep audiences engaged and advertising dollars flowing in. This same formula easily transferred to television and kept audiences tethered for several decades. Innovations like VHS and TiVo made it possible for you to watch TV on your schedule – loosening the tether more than a few notches at a time.

TV manufacturers have recently seen this growing change in behavior and started adding access to Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and other non-broadcast companies apps to your television. The birth of the Smart-TV was a great start, but nowhere near the finish line. Slow app interfaces, no addition of new providers, and lack of updates soon turn most Smart-TVs buyers back to cable and satellite. This requires posing the question – Do you need a Smart-TV to “Cut The Cord”? Sorry to spoil the surprise ending, but the answer is “no.”

There are countless devices available to boost your current TVs IQ. These new innovations and content providers allow you to cut that cord all together. In the coming weeks I’m going to review a few of these devices. My reviews will cover the best possible “cut the cord” configuration for each device. Finding the right combination and device will allow you to watch media on your terms.

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Put Your Phone Away Dickhead

Adam Kaslikowski — Tue, 03 May 2022 17:22:17 +0000

I assume I can just skip over the introductory sentences where I rehash how cool and world-changing smartphones have been, and get right to the crux of the matter: Your cellphone is making you act like an ass. Put your phone away.

It’s not like you’re unaware of the problem. You see the same people we all do – couples ignoring each other, friends staring at their phones instead of talking, people walking into lampposts as they browse /shitredditsays. You see these same people, then you pick up your phone to Instagram them to the world while bitching about how they won’t put their phones down. Stop being one of them.

You know it’s rude. Make the conscious decision to keep it inside your pocket more than out. It will take practice, and time, and patience, but every second will help. Every second will help you make or improve a social connection, or notice something about the world, or invent a solution to some problem that is vexing you. It is worth putting away to get to know yourself again.

Your phone is designed to take advantage of you. Your lizard brain responds to the beeps and buzzes by sending pleasure signals out every time you have a new notification. Thats how gambling works. Your brain is releasing endorphins everytime you get a message to reward your nervous system for the action. That’s why you are physically addicted to checking your phone.

Now we no longer live in a world where you can go cold turkey phone-sober forever, but you are strong enough to fight the urge several times a day. Leave your device in your pocket at the grocery line. Don’t text and walk at the same time. Tell your friends or date that you have an important message coming and you need to keep your phone face up on the table. Realize that everyone is messaging you about their life, and you’re reading it instead of living yours.

Live your life outside your phone and realize that being bored is good for you. You solve problems. You chat with strangers and make new connections. You actually have a short term memory.

You see the head-down-phone-up addiction just as much as the rest of us. Be the person in your social circle to elevate above it. Engage with your friends, don’t ignore them and ask them not to ignore you. Just put your damn mobile device away.

So help you god if you are reading this on your phone right now…

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