I first started my journey with an ATI All in Wonder somewhere around 1997. I thought, wow this is cool. I can plug my computer into a TV!
From that point on I was determined to build the perfect media center as technology improved and allowed it. But there was always a catch.
TV
First of all, cable companies hated those tuners. They always had issues. Then channels started to become “encrypted” and wouldn’t work with the tuner. Then you needed special tuner from the cable company but they would do everything they could to avoid giving you one. Then eventually I gave up on TV.
Digital Video
**** divx enters the chat ****
What a time! Now we’re cooking. My media center can play digital videos! I have a collection and XBMC is awesome! I even have a remote! Life is great! Netflix is awesome and they keep sending me DVDs and I keep ripping em.
Streaming Video
Netflix is now streaming! And look, there’s a plugin for it. It works… kinda … sometimes? Let the battle begin between XBMC plugins and streaming providers.
Spoiler Alert
Streaming services won.
Move from XBMC to kodi to Plex
I was one of the first early adopters of Plex. Lifetime pass member going on 13 years now.
I eventually picked up a HDHomerun device and added OTA TV to my media center.
Family
I had a decent workflow and ways to get everything working from my media center. Streaming services work arounds plugins. Loved it. But it wasn’t exactly family / wife friendly. Well it was until it wasn’t. Somewhere around 2013 I cut my loses and threw in an Apple TV and loaded it with Plex. Now I had the best of both words. Streaming services just work ( at the proper quality I was paying for ) and my life long collection of video was accessible with a single click.
That’s where I am now. Except I’m rocking Jellyfin. Streaming services are hard requirement in this house and this is where I settled. I’m very happy with the AppleTVs and my setup. It’s has “just worked”, every time, for everyone in the family, for well over a decade.
I first started my journey with an ATI All in Wonder somewhere around 1997. I thought, wow this is cool. I can plug my computer into a TV!
From that point on I was determined to build the perfect media center as technology improved and allowed it. But there was always a catch.
TV
First of all, cable companies hated those tuners. They always had issues. Then channels started to become “encrypted” and wouldn’t work with the tuner. Then you needed special tuner from the cable company but they would do everything they could to avoid giving you one. Then eventually I gave up on TV.
Digital Video
**** divx enters the chat **** What a time! Now we’re cooking. My media center can play digital videos! I have a collection and XBMC is awesome! I even have a remote! Life is great! Netflix is awesome and they keep sending me DVDs and I keep ripping em.
Streaming Video
Netflix is now streaming! And look, there’s a plugin for it. It works… kinda … sometimes? Let the battle begin between XBMC plugins and streaming providers.
Spoiler Alert
Streaming services won.
Move from XBMC to kodi to Plex I was one of the first early adopters of Plex. Lifetime pass member going on 13 years now. I eventually picked up a HDHomerun device and added OTA TV to my media center.
Family
I had a decent workflow and ways to get everything working from my media center. Streaming services work arounds plugins. Loved it. But it wasn’t exactly family / wife friendly. Well it was until it wasn’t. Somewhere around 2013 I cut my loses and threw in an Apple TV and loaded it with Plex. Now I had the best of both words. Streaming services just work ( at the proper quality I was paying for ) and my life long collection of video was accessible with a single click.
That’s where I am now. Except I’m rocking Jellyfin. Streaming services are hard requirement in this house and this is where I settled. I’m very happy with the AppleTVs and my setup. It’s has “just worked”, every time, for everyone in the family, for well over a decade.