Well, I expect it is to many people. I’m one of those people who, so long as the ADSL is running, treats all of the cables, routers and stuff as one would an ancient monument: “Look, don’t touch. It’s very special”
But, I’ve become more concerned recently with the state of digital media that I’d like to actually preserve. Things like pictures of Evan, rather than my attempts at coding.
Then I saw Scott Hanselman’s post on the success he has had with Windows Home Server for handling backup and storage and the like, and of course how it made him a hero.
I was also thinking about my TV viewing habits. I originally signed up for the full Sky+ HD service which is cool, but expensive for the amount of TV I watch. The HD service is really best for those watching a lot of sport, and I don’t other than the odd match (strangely, Sunderland aren’t often the headline act…). I also prefer the LoveFilm service for movies.
So, I downgraded the service (minus Sports and Movies), which pretty much halves the price. But then I started asking myself whether there was any real value in the Sky service.
For instance, there are only a few shows that I watch on Sky One: Lost and Battlestar Galactica (and one or two others) – the usual blockbuster stuff, but they’re not on much (or conversely, they’re on all of the bloody time in perpetual repeat mode). So actually, it’s probably a lot more efficient to buy the DVD boxed set (or rent it via LoveFilm) so long as I can stand the wait (which I typically can). The rest of the offering is usually ‘desperation TV’ that I tune into because there’s nothing else on, though I am loving the repeats of Airwolf. Stringfellow Hawke had a strange name, and certainly a strange wardrobe.
So I thought, why not just swap back to Freeview (or Freesat) and be done with it? If there’s nothing on I can switch off my TV set and go an do something less boring instead?
A two part plan was formed:
So how did I get on? Stay tuned, tech fans.