[TriLUG] cut the TV cable

[Bill Farrow via TriLUG]

Hey Guys,
I have tried many of the above tech. Here is my feedback:

MythTV - Open Source Software
* Records Over the Air (OTA ) TV using a capture device. Designed for
remote control - no need to use a keyboard. Auto-skips commercial
breaks. Has plugins for video files, music, photos, etc.
* Not exactly trivial to set up.
* Does NOT stream Amazon Prime or Netflix videos (yet).

Kodi (XBMC) - Open Source Software
* Media player for DVDs, Video files, Music, Photos. Has plugins for
various website videos browsing. Designed for remote control
interaction.
* Used to play Amazon Prime and Hulu, but they changed their
encryption scheme and broke.
* Does NOT stream Amazon Prime or Netflix videos

Chromecast  - contains some Open Source Software
* Internet video stream player. Small, low cost, simple.
* Easy way to show friends and family photos, websites, and youtube
videos on your TV.
* Requires a phone, tablet, or computer to control it. Does not have a
remote control.
* Plays Netflix streams.
* Does NOT play Amazon Prime. You can play Amazon Prime movies on a
laptop and "cast" the webpage to the Chromecast, but this is clunky,
overloads your wifi network, and the re-encoded video quality is
pretty poor.

Roku 3  - contains some Open Source Software
* Stand alone media player with bluetooth remote control with headphone jack.
* Designed for playing internet streams
* Plays both Netflix and Amazon Prime
* Very commercial - requires a credit card to setup, wants you to buy
Video on Demand (VOD).

I am currently using MythTV with an HDHomeRun for TV and video files,
and a Roku 3 for Netflix & Amazon Prime.

Bill