While I’ve found that I’ve enjoyed taking charge of my television from the big Canadian telecoms, it hasn’t been without it’s set backs. It seems that in Canada if you want the ability to watch what you want, when you want you have to give up something. That something is live television. At least that is for the moment.
Cutting your cable services, means that the trade off is live television such as sporting events and news casts aren’t easily available at your fingertips. And I emphasize easily in that last sentence. As I’ve said before about my Android Box, it opens up your options a lot if you mess around with it. It can even give you live television if you know what you’re doing. Like this guy:
While that is helpful its a lot more complicated than what I would like to see. I’ll be honest I’m a big fan of plug and play. Simplicity is my mantra. Which is why I’m really, really, really curious to see what Apple does with it’s current generation of Apple TV’s. They are opening up their app development for the unit to outside companies. Much like you can purchase useful and not-so-useful apps on their app store, you’ll be able to do so for the Apple TV. And the good news is that this is already starting a race for dominance in the industry for the latest app. In my opinion, this can only mean good things for consumers in the long run.
Joel MacLeod.ca 
Saw this and thought of you: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/android-box-streaming-1.3455524
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Thanks! I saw that article too!
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I’ve been talking to one of my customers who just decided to quit his cable tv. He tried something (that didn’t work) and now he has an android box. His concern now seems to be about how to watch the Blue Jays. I’m sure he can subscribe to mlbtv and get that, but it was too busy to talk about that the last time he was in.
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Tell him to check out the video that I posted. Its a good way to program his Android Box to get Canadian television. The problem with MLB, is that they block out local markets to protect contracts that franchises have made with local television markets. And in Canada, the MLB has determined that the market for the Blue Jays is the entire country. It’s a bit of a mess at the moment.
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I will give him the information 🙂 One team in the country…I guess it makes sense that the local market would be the whole thing? I’d probably keep the cable if I couldn’t get Jays games.
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Also, the cost to subscribe to MLB is really really high, like in the hundreds of dollars last time I checked.
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$35 a month. That is pricey, though if you’re a baseball fan rather than just a Blue Jays fan it might be worth it.
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True, but practically speaking how often are you going to sit down to watch all those games?
What would make better sense would be to have a choice of options. Like you can select one, two or three teams for different prices, or buy the super duper all season all market package for the die-hard baseball fan.
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I know some people that would sit down and watch all of those games. I think it would be fun to be able to randomly pick a team to watch, especially some of the teams from the National League West (for example) who we’d otherwise never get to see.
But, what you suggest would certainly be better for the vast majority of people. It would also be great for baseball fans who have to travel for their jobs.
I think the mlb subscription would be fantastic at playoff time. I know they offer a special deal at that time.
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