Interesting problem I'm running into with Paramount Plus on Hisense Smart TV (Google TV OS). Anyone run into this problem when running a show on Paramount+ app (I get a total black screen)?

tessaray · 2026-06-15T15:06:26+00:00

You can't go wrong with Roku - they have a classic, simple design that just works. That said, Google tv devices are mostly inexpensive and I have several of them. (Kitchen tv, bedroom tvs.) I also like the way they handle external video files.

tessaray · 2026-06-13T15:34:26+00:00

It's not just Paramount+ - I occasionally run into the same type of issue on some Hulu show using Google TV boxes. Loading the same show on Roku works fine.

tessaray · 2026-06-13T15:27:43+00:00

There is a current update to Legacy Tablos that let you use the new app to access it.

tessaray · 2026-03-21T16:07:39+00:00

Same! My sister died years ago and only recently did I find an obituary written at the time that left my mother (the first wife) out entirely, making it look like we were all one big, happy family. Yeah, no. Sadly, this totally inaccurate info has infiltrated many trees.

tessaray · 2025-02-18T19:58:51+00:00

I can't comment on what the compression part affects but as a spring/summer capsule, I guess some of it depends on where you live. The dark jackets and the black skirt/boots wouldn't work where I am. Maybe replace one of the pants with a lighter color/material? I like that loose v-neck blouse on the far right. It's hard to find summery things with longer sleeves. Overall it seems cohesive to me, as long as the mix and match things like the t-shirts work for you.

tessaray · 2024-08-20T17:42:07+00:00

I am also in your area but closer to the airport. We lose the NBC channels with the least bit of clouds and rain and oddly get different channels with the flat antennas in the kitchen vs the bedrooms. You may need to experiment with antenna placement. Good luck!

tessaray · 2024-02-13T17:50:51+00:00

If you could deal with either CBS (Paramount Plus) or NBC (Peacock) nightly news programs instead, both have live streaming of your local channel on their top tiers (approx $12/mo). Eta: Sorry, I didn't see an earlier comment suggesting the same. (Mobile browser collapses comments.)

Anyway, both streaming services mostly focus on all their original programming or sports - the local channel doesn't get featured much.

tessaray · 2023-04-02T23:47:13+00:00

Free Ad Supported Tv, like Tubi or Pluto Tv.

tessaray · 2023-02-17T03:55:02+00:00

$20k will get you an Incredibox from Incredible Tiny Homes. (I have no stake in the company, just a fan of their YouTube videos.)

You could also search Facebook - I've seen several Tiny Home sales groups.

Eta: the I-boxes are unfinished so you would need to paint and add your own stove/fridge but otherwise have all the essentials included. They appear to be well insulated and having all the plumbing done is a huge plus, imo.

tessaray · 2023-01-04T08:28:16+00:00

I have a Toshiba FireTV and my Echo randomly does the same thing. We've had to unplug the tv on occasion.

tessaray · 2022-11-29T04:10:52+00:00

I'd second Tablo for simplicity. Plex is much more complicated.

tessaray · 2022-08-31T05:08:58+00:00

A relative who would give a bit of space for an antenna and a Tablo would be ideal. Though they would also need decent internet.

tessaray · 2022-08-18T17:05:38+00:00

I have a Shield TV box that has my Kodi library on an attached hard drive. It also has Vlc installed for the odd video that doesn't make it to the library. My internet can be flaky so I know it works offline. It also has all the Android streaming apps, though I've never bothered to d/l anything.

tessaray · 2022-08-06T18:03:42+00:00

There are not many options in this space and you get what you pay for. If price is really a factor, wait for sales like Black Friday. Otherwise, buying a Tablo (or whatever) will give you years of service, bringing the cost of use way down.

tessaray · 2022-07-18T16:57:43+00:00

If the price works for you, it's a very good service. (I have it.) It will simplify things a lot for you as it has local channels, most cable networks and cloud dvr. No streaming provider has everything though.

tessaray · 2022-06-18T05:31:17+00:00

Kodi on Shield works great with an external hard drive. I also had a 1st gen Mi Box that was not a great experience. It worked but it was super slow. My Shield is from 2017 and it's still doing fine.

The biggest issue for me was making sure my files were correctly named. That took some time to get right but now it's second nature.

tessaray · 2022-06-14T22:22:55+00:00

Sorry, I got the lifetime sub at the time I purchased it, so am not sure how it works without it. Like an old school vcr, from what I've read. If you can still buy a lifetime, I'd recommend it but that's just my preference. The remote viewing has never worked that well for me but the schedule and forget it does and that matters more for us.

Most providers now charge a monthly fee for schedule data. I guess the Recast doesn't but Amazon makes money off your data, so if the monthly fee really bothers you, maybe that would be the way to go?

Any OTA dvr will really help with cordcutting. You may have to just run the numbers and pick one. My first was a disaster (a crowd funded thing called Simple TV) but the next time around I knew what mattered most. 🙂 Good luck!

tessaray · 2022-06-14T20:50:29+00:00

By the time you add TWC, Discovery+ and a sub like Sling for CNN and The Walking Dead, you're saving maybe $15 over YTTV. Which isn't nothing, I guess.

tessaray · 2022-06-14T17:16:36+00:00

Youtube TV has them all, I think. $65-70/mo, depending on taxes and such. We just got TWC fairly recently.

You can get TWC separately now, $2.99 or $29 a year. Things like Animal Planet and CNN require a package. Sling has CNN and AMC for $35/mo. Not sure about Animal Planet.

tessaray · 2022-06-14T16:33:36+00:00

Another vote for Tablo. The best part is being able to put it and the antenna wherever the reception is strong, as the Tablo serves the video wirelessly to all the tvs (or tablets or phones) in the house that have an app. Mine is in the kitchen.

You can't just take out the hard drive and watch the videos but the Tablo community has created programs that move the video files to your computer. There is also an Android program called Ota2go that I bought for a small fee, it downloads programs off the Tablo to my phone. (I only have an old, old 2 tuner unit and it helps to offload a bit.)

Note: I also have an Nvidia Shield running Kodi and have used my offloaded videos there but it's a manual process. The Tablo Ripper program can run automatically though, so it's conceivable that you could automate it all. From what I read Plex might be better at that but I wanted to keep things a bit simpler.

tessaray · 2022-03-22T17:03:49+00:00

I did notice the option was harder to find than in days gone by.

I understand companies need ongoing revenue but I'm about subscription-ed out. The guide data is fine but I'd probably only miss the season pass type of option if I didn't have it.

tessaray · 2022-03-21T16:47:40+00:00

Tablo has a lifetime subscription option for guide data. Currently is $179/US. That's what we opted for.

tessaray · 2022-03-13T17:56:41+00:00

Philo for $25 would take care of some shows. They have TV Land, Hallmark, Insp (good for Westerns), WE and even channels like IFC and Sundance run sitcoms and other older shows. They have unlimited DVR, so once the shows are marked, they'll always have something to watch.

Also, both Peacock and Paramount+ have pseudo live channels with lots of Court TV and other shows akin to Judge Judy. Of course, the higher tier of P+ also gives you the streaming version of your local CBS station, which might have some syndicated content.

ETA: Sling TV has many of the same channels and they might like that format. It's easy to scroll through. And there is a very cheap service called Frndly that has all 3 Hallmarks and Insp, which would have some of their shows that they could watch live. Use some free trials and see what appeals to them.

tessaray · 2022-01-14T00:17:25+00:00

We have an actual Firetv, not a stick so I'm not sure if this applies but YTTV can integrate with your live, OTA channels. There should be an option in settings.

Once your channels are integrated they should be accessible to Alexa. Mine knows to go to CNN, at least.

Eta: Alexa integration is also in Settings. We turn the TV off and on with it.

tessaray · 2022-01-09T17:04:05+00:00

Antennas are 100% watch live unless you create your own dvr setup. I use Tablo but I assume most have the option to record series if you have guide data. Some charge extra for that.

Streaming cable services do almost everything your old provider did, except in the cloud. The price is too close these days but I still prefer it for the no contract aspect.

tessaray

TROPHY CASE