Other top Hallowe'en movies

The other day, I offered my suggestion for a movie to watch for Hallowe'en. I stand by my suggestion of Nosferatu. I included both a link to buy or rent the film, plus I embedded a YouTube video of it so you could watch as much as you wanted, or all of it, and decide if you wanted to get your own copy. And while I still suggest it as a movie to add to your collection, it may not be for everybody.

There are plenty of other movies that others suggest. So, with today being actually Hallowe'en, I'm going to list a few, based on several different lists of top Hallowe'en movies. These are ones that are common to all the lists, or at least ones that I agree with.

Note that I may not agree with them all. You got my suggestion the other day. I'm not saying I disagree with these, just that these are the ones that others suggest. All of these movies listed come from lists others have done. Some are in all the lists, some are only in one. But, they are all movies that someone recommends.

• Halloween (1978)
• The Exorcist (1973)
• Scream (1996)
• Frankenstein (1931)
• Poltergeist (1982)
• Night of the Living Dead (1968)
• A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
• Dracula (1931)
• Psycho (1960)
• It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)

I've seen them all, and I agree that they are worthy of a list of movies to watch for Hallowe'en. They cover a wide variety, from kids movies to classic horror, to out and out scary.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but if you haven't seen them, give them a shot. As I said, I have seen them all. In face, I own them all. And I think they are all worthy of including as part of your Streaming Life.

Finding replacement Linux utilities

Having used Windows and macOS computers for the last 30 years or so, I got used to using certain applications and utilities.

In 2007, when I moved from Windows to macOS (called OS X at the time) I had to replace some utilities, but not all. For example, there were Mac versions of Microsoft Office, and it was easy enough to use that. There were some differences between the Mac version and the Windows version -- I continued to use Microsoft Windows at work -- but overall, they were very close.

Of course, using Web browsers was not much of a big deal, as the browsers I used were on both operating systems. That was easy.

Audio and video utilities were actually fairly easy, though not entirely smooth. I used the same utilities for the respective operating systems. Some differences, but not a lot.

Some everyday utilities were different, though. For writing Web pages and such, there were different utilities I used. Sure, there were some that were available in both Windows and Mac, but the ones I had been using weren't.

This was true for different applications and utilities that I used for different tasks. There were some that were available in both Windows and Mac, and some that weren't. For those that were not on both operating systems, I would either find a Mac alternative, or I would switch to a utility that was supported on both. Price and ease of use, or the learning curve, drove that decision.

Not, I'm going through much of the same thing again. I have moved to Linux as my primary operating system. And, I'm running into a lot of the same issues I had when I first left Windows for Mac.

This is a little more difficult, however. There are not as many applications that run on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Don't get me wrong, many that I'm using do run on all three, but certain ones don't. The main one is iTunes. You see, when I purchase movies or TV shows, I use iTunes for that. I've been using Mac and Windows utilities to convert the videos to MP4 and remove DRM. I don't share them with others, but use them on my own personal video library running under Plex.

The problem is that I've not found a free open source utility that runs under Linux and can convert the movies and remove DRM. Heck, I can't find a Linux utility that allows me to download iTunes movies.

DVDs isn't so much of a problem, but these digital videos are the problem. I still have to use Windows or Mac to accomplish this task. I want to be able to do it all in Linux.

I'm continuing to look for Linux utilities that will do what I want, and do it well. And I prefer free open source software (FOSS). But, that has proven to be a challenge. I've not given up, but I am having a hard time with it.

Watching college football games this weekend: Week 9

College football season has reached Week Nine, and for the first time in a few weeks, there are no games between unbeaten teams.

There are three games featuring matchups of ranked teams, all games between conference opponents. The Big 12, the SEC, and the Big Ten all have a conference game between two ranked teams.

If you want to watch all of the games this season, you need access to most of the networks, which can get expensive. Of course, you might not want to be able to watch all the games.

This weekend, only one game will not be on these networks. Here are the networks carrying games:

• ABC
• ACC Network
• Big 12
• Big Ten
• CBS
• CBS Sports Network
• ESPN
• ESPN 2
• ESPN 3
• ESPN U
• SEC Network
• ESPN+
• Fox
• Fox Sports 1
• Longhorn Network (No games this week)
• NBC
• NFL Network
• Pac 12 Network
• Peacock (No games this week)
• Stadium

Here is how to watch these networks listed:

ABC

• Antenna, over the air, free.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

ACC Network

• Sling Orange, with Sports Extra, $46/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, with Sports Extra, $65/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Choice, $90/month.

Big Ten Network

• Sling Blue, with Sports Extra, $46/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, with Sports Extra, $65/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Choice, $90/month.

CBS

• Antenna, over the air, free.
• Paramount+ Premium, $10/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

CBS Sports Network

• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Ultimate, $105/month.

ESPN

• Sling Orange, $35/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, $50/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

ESPN2

• Sling Orange, $35/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, $50/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

ESPN U

• Sling Orange, $35/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, $50/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.
• Fubo TV Elite, $80/month.

ESPN3

ESPN3 is usually included with a service that carries standard ESPN/ESPN2.

• Sling Orange, $35/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, $50/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

ESPN+

ESPN+ is a standalone sports programming service. It is not the same thing as regular ESPN that you get with cable or one of the live streaming services. Some content from ESPN, ESPN2, or other ESPN networks may be available on ESPN+, but often, it's content that is only available on ESPN+.

• ESPN+, $7/month.
• Disney Bundle, $14/month.

Fox

• Antenna, over the air, free.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

Fox Sports 1

• Sling Blue, with Sports Extra, $46/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, with Sports Extra, $65/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

Longhorn Network

• Sling Blue, with Sports Extra, $46/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, with Sports Extra, $65/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.

NBC

• Antenna, over the air, free.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

NFL Network

• Sling Blue, with Sports Extra, $46/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, with Sports Extra, $65/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.

Pac 12 Network

• Sling Blue, $35/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, $50/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• Fubo TV Pro, with Fubo Extra, $78/month.
• Fubo TV Elite, $80/month.

Peacock TV

Peacock is a standalone streaming service that carries NBCUniversal programming, including much sports from NBC as well as exclusive sports programming. Peacock Premium is $5/month, but is included with Xfinity Internet plans.

SEC Network

• Sling Orange, $35/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, $50/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Choice, $90/month.
• Fubo TV Ultimate, $100/month.

Stadium

• Stadium app, free.
• Plex, free.
• Roku Channel, free.
• Sling Free, free.
• STIRR, free.
• Tubi, free.
• Xumo, free.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.

This list of networks covers all the games airing today. It also covers games next week through Friday, as the early games next week are all on one of these networks.

NOTE: Longhorn Network, Big 12 Network, and Peacock are not needed this weekend.

NOTE: Conference-USA has one game (Wyoming vs Hawaii) that is not carried on any of these national networks nor any streaming service.

To watch all the games, having an antenna won't really matter, as in order to get all the networks carrying games, the services also carry the OTA stations. So, how much to watch them all?

The services necessary will cost $85. That's $78 for Fubo TV Pro +Fubo Extra, along with $7 for ESPN+.

If you want college football in your Streaming Life, you have options, though it can get expensive depending just how many games you want to watch.

Another home for Doctor Who

Quick! Tell me where you can watch Doctor Who.

Okay, that's unfair. Mostly because there are so many different places where you can watch the iconic British TV show.

Of course, part of the answer depends on which incarnation of the show you are talking about. The classic shows air on different networks, but the revival series (sometimes called NuWho) has aired live on BBC America for some time, while the rest of the NuWho episodes are on HBO Max.

Starting in November 2023, Disney Plus is the new home of new episodes of Doctor Who.

Ncuti Gatwa, who will star as the 15th Doctor following Tennant's second run, announced that the beloved sci-fi series would be moving to Disney+ during an appearance this morning on Live with Kelly and Ryan. Russell T Davies, who acted as showrunner for the series from 2005 to 2009, will return along with Tennant.

"I love this show, and this is the best of both worlds—with the vision and joy of the BBC and Disney+ together we can launch the TARDIS all around the planet, reaching a new generation of fans while keeping our traditional home firmly on the BBC in the UK," Davies said.

New episodes of Doctor Who will be streaming on Disney+ starting in late November 2023, while BBC will continue to host the series in the UK and Ireland.

I've seen some in the UK upset about this, but it doesn't really impact them. They may not realize that. A lot of people will react without getting all of the facts. People are awful, amiright?

Anyway, it's not known of the previous seasons of NuWho will follow to Disney Plus, if they'll remain on HBO Max, or if another service will become home to the shows.

And classic Doctor Who will remain on BritBox for the time being, as well as part of linear streaming channels on Pluto TV, Xumo, Plex, and other services. It's pretty easy to have classic Doctor Who as a part of your Streaming Life, but NuWho will be a little more complicated in a little over a year.

Watching the World Series

The World Series starts tomorrow. Of course, with the expanded playoffs in Major League Baseball, only three games of what is called the October Classic will actually take place in October. The World Series will end in November.

I won't spend a lot of time complaining about that, but I will spend a little. While I like the fact that more fans now have the opportunity to win a championship -- 12 of 30 teams were in the playoffs between the two leagues -- I do not like the World Series dragging on into November. I'm of the mindset that the World Series should be played in October. The entire World Series, not just some of the games.

With that out of the way, streamers can watch the October/November Classic starting tomorrow. All four, five, six, or seven games will be carried on Fox.

Fox

• Antenna, over the air, free.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

That's pretty simple and straightforward. And I like it that way. It's pretty easy to have the World Series as part of your Streaming Life.

My suggested Hallowe'en movie

Many times you'll find movie lists of the "best [insert holiday here] movies of all time." Usually, these are yearly lists and vary from year to year.

This year, for some reason, I haven't seen many of these lists. Heck, I haven't seen any at all for Hallowe'en. (Yes, I use the traditional spelling for Hallowe'en.)

I finally did a search for such a list, and the IMDB Top 100 Halloween Movies of All Time showed up. And I was disappointed with the results.

Some of what was on the list made me go "seriously?" Some of what was not on the list made me go "Seriously??!!??"

You see, I consider Nosferatu a great movie for Hallowe'en, or for any time you want to watch a well done creepy movie. That's not bad for a movie that's 100 years old.

The film was released in its native Germany in March of 1922, so it's actually now closer to its 101st anniversary than its 100th. But this is the centennial of the film, and I think it's a great time to watch it.

Link: YouTube

Link: Amazon Prime

It's a great film. Yes, it's old. Yes, it's a silent film. But oh my goodness, some of the scenes are visuals are fantastic.

 

 

 

 

Great visuals. Great film. And quite creepy. To me, it's a great Hallowe'en film, and I enjoy having it as part of my Streaming Life.

More price increases: Apple TV+

More price increases make the news. This time, it's Apple's service, Apple TV+, which is going up.

While it's not a large amount that it's going up, it is a large percentage that it is going up.

Previously, Apple TV+ was $5/month. It's now $7/month. You might think that a $2/month increase isn't that much, and it's not. $2/month is not really all that much. But, considering the total monthly cost was only $5, that makes it a 40% increase! That's quite the price hike, when you look at it like that.

And, for Apple subscribers, it's more than Apple TV+ that's going up. Nearly all major subscriptions are increasing, according to 9to5 Mac:

This translates to increases of $1 to $2 per service, with Apple One tiers going up about $3 at the same time. Here’s the full pricing breakdown for the United States:

Apple Music

• Individual: $10.99 per month (from $9.99)
• Family: $16.99 per month (from $14.99)
• Individual Annual: $109 per year (from $99)

Apple TV+

• Monthly: $6.99 per month (from $4.99)
• Annual: $69 per year (from $49.99)

Apple One

• Individual: $16.95 per month (from $14.95)
• Family: $22.95 per month (from $19.95)
• Premier: $32.95 per month (from $29.95)

If you are in an International market, you should also expect to see proportionally similar price increases go into effect beginning today. Current subscribers will receive notifications of the planned price increases 30 days prior to the service renewing at the higher price.

What will be the next price increase to impact your Streaming Life? I'm worried it won't be all that long before we find out.

Dish raising prices

With the focus here on streaming, it may seem out of place that I'm commenting on an increase in prices for a satellite service.

No, I'm not going to turn that news into another reason to go with streaming rather than satellite or cable. I think there are plenty of reasons to stream over usage of those older, traditional services.

And, yes, those older pay TV services do go up in price from time to time, but so do streaming services. So, a price increase in a satellite service isn't exactly a new reason to switch.

Rather, I think it's a sign of things to come with streaming. The reason is that this price increase that was announced last week is for Dish Network. And that impacts streaming because Dish owns Sling TV.

You may already know that Dish owns Sling, but not everyone knows that. Yes, traditional pay TV services are in the streaming business as well. Comcast, one of the largest cable TV services, owns Peacock TV, the streaming service. And of course satellite TV service DirecTV owns DirecTV Stream.

But back to Dish. The company announced last week that prices will be going up in November:

At DISH, we continue to invest in your service and technology to make improvements and provide you with the best TV viewing experience at the best value. However, the price that we pay for programming continues to rise. In fact, the fastest growing cost we and all other TV providers have is driven by the cost we pay the programmers. We will continue to work hard for fair deals with these programmers to keep channel costs and the price you pay as low as possible. Unfortunately, you may have observed some channel interruptions because of this.

Due to these rising costs, we will be increasing the cost of our package offerings beginning 11/17/22.

This is bad news for streamers. That bit about "channel interruptions?" One of those happened recently, and impacted Dish ... and Sling TV.

So, with Dish raising its prices, I'm expecting Dish to do the same, as the settling of that outage led to the price increase for the satellite TV service, and the same company owns Sling, who was impacted as well.

Could Sling go without a price increase? Sure. But I expect Sling TV will up prices soon. And people will get mad at Sling TV, when they should get mad at Disney instead. After all, if there is a price hike in your Streaming Life soon, House of Mouse would be to blame.

Privacy phone, part 8: Testing impacted

A while back, I decided to test three different privacy phone setups. I later added a fourth to the mix, but have ruled that fourth one out. I left it out initially for a reason, then rethought things. After a bit, I came to realize that I was right to omit to initially.

So, I'm down to three, right?

No, I ruled out the first one I tried pretty quickly. The Pine 64 phone running Linux is a no-go. It's just not user friendly. Whether or not it's the hardware or the software, the net result is an experience similar to that of the BlackBerry 10. If you don't remember that, you are a fortunate soul indeed. It was awful. And the Linux phone experience has been awful. So this one is a no-go.

I tried a Teracube 2e running /e/OS. I liked it.

I tried a Google Pixel 4a running Lineage OS. I liked it.

In fact, I've been using the Google Pixel running Lineage as my primary phone for a while. So much so that if I stopped carrying it, I'd feel wrong. Which means I've not had the opportunity to go back to the Teracube 2e.

If I could simply pop out the SIM card from the Pixel phone and put it in the Teracube, I would. But there are issues with the Teracube running that SIM. Not sure if it's the carrier (I think it might be) or the phone (I also think it might be).

The net result is that the Teracube isn't getting any use right now. I'd really like to use it. The interface is good, I like the phone, but I don't like the issues with using certain carriers. The Google Pixel has no carrier issues. So, Pixel will probably win.

The only reason I'm not declaring Pixel running Lineage OS as the winner is because I really want to use the Teracube /e/OS device some more. And I'll get around to that. Some time.

For now, I think my phone going forward will be the Pixel running Lineage OS. I'm almost certain of it.

Watching college football games this weekend: Week 8

College football season continues, with this week featuring a single game between ranked unbeaten teams. The ACC has the lone battle of the unbeatens this week.

There are five games featuring matchups of ranked teams, all games between conference opponents. The Big 12 has two such matchups, while the ACC (the unbeatens), SEC, and Pac 12 each have conference games between two ranked teams.

If you want to watch all of the games this season, you need access to most of the networks, which can get expensive. Of course, you might not want to be able to watch all the games.

This weekend, only one game will not be on these networks. Here are the networks carrying games:

• ABC
• ACC Network
• Big Ten
• Big 12 Network (No games this week)
• CBS
• CBS Sports Network
• ESPN
• ESPN 2
• ESPN 3
• ESPN U
• SEC Network
• ESPN+
• Fox
• Fox Sports 1
• Longhorn Network (No games this week)
• NBC
• NFL Network
• Pac 12 Network
• Peacock

Here is how to watch these networks:

ABC

• Antenna, over the air, free.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

ACC Network

• Sling Orange, with Sports Extra, $46/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, with Sports Extra, $65/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Choice, $90/month.

Big Ten Network

• Sling Blue, with Sports Extra, $46/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, with Sports Extra, $65/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Choice, $90/month.

Big 12 Network

Big 12 Network games are available through ESPN+.

CBS

• Antenna, over the air, free.
• Paramount+ Premium, $10/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

CBS Sports Network

• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Ultimate, $105/month.

ESPN

• Sling Orange, $35/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, $50/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

ESPN2

• Sling Orange, $35/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, $50/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

ESPN U

• Sling Orange, $35/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, $50/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.
• Fubo TV Elite, $80/month.

ESPN3

ESPN3 is usually included with a service that carries standard ESPN/ESPN2.

• Sling Orange, $35/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, $50/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

ESPN+

ESPN+ is a standalone sports programming service. It is not the same thing as regular ESPN that you get with cable or one of the live streaming services. Some content from ESPN, ESPN2, or other ESPN networks may be available on ESPN+, but often, it's content that is only available on ESPN+.

• ESPN+, $7/month.
• Disney Bundle, $14/month.

Fox

• Antenna, over the air, free.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

Fox Sports 1

• Sling Blue, with Sports Extra, $46/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, with Sports Extra, $65/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

Longhorn Network

• Sling Blue, with Sports Extra, $46/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, with Sports Extra, $65/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.

NBC

• Antenna, over the air, free.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

NFL Network

• Sling Blue, with Sports Extra, $46/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, with Sports Extra, $65/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.

Pac 12 Network

• Sling Blue, $35/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, $50/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• Fubo TV Pro, with Fubo Extra, $78/month.
• Fubo TV Elite, $80/month.

Peacock TV

Peacock is a standalone streaming service that carries NBCUniversal programming, including much sports from NBC as well as exclusive sports programming. Peacock Premium is $5/month, but is included with Xfinity Internet plans.

SEC Network

• Sling Orange, $35/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, $50/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Choice, $90/month.
• Fubo TV Ultimate, $100/month.

This list of networks covers all the games airing today. It also covers games next week through Friday, as the early games next week are all on one of these networks.

NOTE: Longhorn Network and Big 12 Network are not needed this weekend.

To watch all the games, having an antenna won't really matter, as in order to get all the networks carrying games, the services also carry the OTA stations. So, how much to watch them all?

The services necessary will cost $85. That's $78 for Fubo TV Pro +Fubo Extra, along with $7 for ESPN+.

If you want college football in your Streaming Life, you have options, though it can get expensive depending just how many games you want to watch.

For MST3K/RiffTrax fans only

If, like me, you're a fan of Mystery Science Theater 3000, you're probably also a fan of RiffTrax. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, well, MSTies such as me just shake our heads at how unfortunate you are to have missed out on this.

If you're not familiar, there was a TV show back in the 1990s called Mystery Science Theater 3000. The premise is that mad scientists sent a janitor into space to watch bad movies in a scheme to take over the world. He built two robots as companions, and they watched the moves together, humorously commenting throughout the film. The whole thing was simply a reason to show bad movies and poke fun at them.

And, MST3K did exactly that for ten full seasons on three different networks. Later, it was brought back by Netflix for two more seasons. And, currently, it's in its 13th season, with this one financed by a Kickstarter campaign. Yes, I contributed.

After MST3K was canceled, the three main cast members that made fun of the movies -- which by then were Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy, and Bill Corbett -- got back into riffing on movies with The Film Crew (for four movies) and finally RiffTrax (which continues today).

And with that background -- more than you wanted to know, to be sure -- here is the main thing: RiffTrax has an app! Yes, there is an app for Roku and Fire TV platforms. You can watch some RiffTrax content, in addition to content you purchased. And, if you have a subscription, you can watch it all.

Yes, I'm trying it out. It's $6/month, and I'll do that for a while. Maybe I'll watch everything they have. Maybe not. I've enjoyed everything they've done, but that's not really a surprise. I loved MST3K and love RiffTrax.

If you're a MSTie, or think you might want to become one, then the RiffTrax app is something you should consider adding to your Streaming Life.

Streaming the NBA

The NBA season is underway. The first games were actually Tuesday night, with more games on tap last night. If you're an NBA fan, perhaps you got to see some games in which you were interested. But if you're a streamer, what did you do? Well, you could have watched some of the games as well.

All games, except those affected by regional blackouts or games on national broadcasts, are available through NBA League Pass, which can be used on the major streaming devices.

Other games will be available on networks that are part of streaming packages.

• ABC
• ESPN
• TNT
  
• NBA TV

So, how can you watch those channels?

ABC

• Antenna, over the air, free.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

ESPN

• Sling Orange, $35/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, $50/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

TNT

• Sling Orange, $35/month.
• Sling Blue, $35/month.
  
• Sling Orange+Blue, $50/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

NBA TV

• Sling Orange, with Sports Extra, $46/month.
• Sling Blue, with Sports Extra, $46/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, with Sports Extra, $65/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

If the NBA is something you want in your Streaming Life, you have plenty of options this season. Blackouts may be a problem, but that's how many sports are currently. Perhaps one day, you'll get the ability to watch your favorite team and not worry about blackouts.

New Apple TV lineup

It's been expected for some time, but Apple also did the unexpected, as they'll sometimes do. And the unexpected is very welcome.

Apple introduced a new Apple TV lineup yesterday. All Apple TV devices are now 4K devices. That means the Apple TV device that has been around for a few years is no longer available. Or will be no longer available when they sell out the current stock. Heck, you can't even buy the 1080 version of it online anymore.

All Apple TV devices are 64 GB or higher now. Gone are the 32 GB devices. Gone are the HD devices.

The new lineup featured two versions of Apple TV:

The new Apple TV 4K is available in two configurations: Apple TV 4K (Wi-Fi), which offers 64GB of storage; and Apple TV 4K (Wi-Fi + Ethernet), which offers support for Gigabit Ethernet for fast networking and streaming, Thread mesh networking protocol to connect even more smart home accessories, and twice the storage for apps and games (128GB). Customers can order the new Apple TV 4K with Siri Remote today at a new starting price of $129, with availability beginning Friday, November 4.

Both feature the A15 chip, which is a little bit of a bump up. Oh, and talk about burying the lead: if it looks like they are cheaper than they used to be, it's because they are. The $129 and $149 prices are lower than the previous pricing, making them in line with the Amazon Fire TV Cube and only a little more than the Roku Ultra, as well as cheaper than the Nvidia Shield.

If you already have an Apple TV 4K device, there's really no reason to rush out and get one. If your Apple TV is the HD device, then maybe, if your TV is UHD/4K, might it be worth it. But otherwise, no reason to replace a working device.

If you are thinking about adding an Apple TV device to your lineup, don't buy one of the current ones if you find one in a store somewhere. Wait for the new ones that arrive November 4, then enjoy the new Apple TV device as part of your Streaming Life.

Netflix with ads for $7/month

The launch is two weeks away -- actually just over at 16 days away -- but we have a launch date and a price for the new lower priced Netflix ad-supported tier.

Starting November 3, 2022, you'll be able to subscribe to Netflix for as low as $7/month. The current tier of ad-free plans remains. The current $10/month plan gets a slight boost in that the resolution will increase from 480 to 720, which is actually a good bump. It should be noticeable.

There will be no changes to the $16/month or $20/month plans. Just the resolution increase for the $10/month plan, plus the newer $7/month plan.

So, what do you get for $7/month? Well, it's essentially the $10/month plan (including the higher resolution), but with ads.

Basic with Ads offers all the features people expect from Netflix’s Basic plan, with a few differences:

• What stays the same: A wide variety of great TV shows and movies; personalized viewing experience; available on a wide range of TV and mobile devices; change or cancel your plan at any time.
• What’s different: Video quality up to 720p/HD (now for both our Basic with Ads and Basic plans); average of 4 to 5 minutes of ads per hour; a limited number of movies and TV shows won't be available due to licensing restrictions, which we’re working on; no ability to download titles.

It's not a bad deal, or so it seems. The number of commercials is not great, and in line with what Hulu offers for the same $7/month price.

If you're considering Netflix as part of your Streaming Life, or if you have it, but wish it cost less, you'll have this option starting November 3. If you like it, great! You'll have saved some money. If you don't, you can easily upgrade to one of the existing tiers and have the experience to which you've become accustomed.

Just givin' some love to Pub-D-Hub

I've talked about the streaming app Pub-D-Hub a time or two before. I don't bring it up a lot. Not many people do. But it is one of the apps I've used nearly as long as any other, except Hulu.

While it's been free since it launched -- I'm not sure when it launched, but I've watched it for nearly 10 years -- I've been a paid subscriber for many years.

The free service has enough to enjoy, so it's not necessary to subscribe, but there is additional content available to subscribers. Additionally, even if there was no additionally content, I appreciate the content that is offered, and don't mind showing some support. After all, it's less than $5/year to upgrade to a paid account. And yes, that's $5/year, not a month.

In recent years, they increased their traditional lineup of on-demand public domain movies and TV shows, as well as commercials and short films, with live streaming channels.

The selection isn't quite that of Pluto TV, Xumo, Tubi, Roku Channel, or others, but it's still a good selection of live streaming channels, 352 in all.

If you've not checked out Pub-D-Hub, give it a look. It's free. And, if you are already using the free service, consider upgrading for $5/year. It's definitely worth it. It's something I've had in my Streaming Life for years, and expect to have it for years to come.

VPN, but not as most use one

Last month, I mentioned that I was satisfied with the job my Pi Hole installation was doing. And, a month later, I'm still quite satisfied. Even more so, since I added a VPN to the setup.

Many people will use a VPN, either a free ad-supported one, or a paid one, to try to get around geolocation restrictions for streaming content. I use a VPN for other reasons.

I'm using Open VPN to power everything, and am running the VPN on a Raspberry Pi (of course). In fact, it's the same Raspberry Pi I use to run Pi Hole. I can use it to connect devices to my home network.

I'm not connecting to a service in another location. I'm connecting to my home network when I'm not at home. So why would I do that?

Well, most of the time, I'm having my mobile device connected to my network via VPN in order to take advantage of my Pi Hole setup. That way, I can have tracker blocking anywhere. And, if I need to get to something on my network, I can. Now, admittedly, this rarely happens. Very rarely. But using Pi Hole when I'm away from home my home network is great.

I found out how much I liked it yesterday, in fact. A friend was having trouble with her cell phone. She was unable to log in to a particular Website. Now, to be sure, there were several things she could have done, but the way she like to do it involved launching her default browser and logging in to the Website of a particular store. And that's a perfectly legitimate way to do it. It should work.

Well, it wasn't working. She uses ad and tracking blocking on her mobile browser, as well as popup blocking. And recently, this particular store's Website was not longer accessible for logging in. It kept giving her a message about turning off ad and popup blocking.

She didn't need to actually turn everything off, but all of them together were stopping her from logging in. Whether that was because of an update to the browser, or (more likely, in my mind) an update to the login process of the store, I can't say with certainty. But by experimenting, I found that using it all stopped her from logging in. If she turned off, say, popup blocking, but left the ad blocking in place, things worked. So, she had to turn off popup blocking, then log in, and when she was done, turn it back on.

By the way, if she turned it back on in the middle of her session, it logged her off. So, she had to turn off and leave off popup blocking.

I, on the other hand, am able to access the Website with no issues via my VPN. Pi Hole tracker blocking works different from the ad blocking on cell phones. And so it can't tell I'm using it. Remember it's the combination of all that which causes the problem. So, I don't have an ad or tracker blocker on my browser. It's on my home network, and I'm using a VPN to connect. Meaning the superior blocking of Pi Hole is coming into play. I get the benefit, and not the issues she has.

That was something I had considered, but now I'm aware of it, I'm even happier with my VPN setup. While this isn't directly affecting my Streaming Life, it does make my mobile connected life much easier.

Watching college football games this weekend: Week 7

College football season continues, with this week again featuring three battles between ranked unbeaten teams. All three are conference matchups: one each in SEC, Big XII, and Big Ten.

If you want to watch all of the games this season, you need access to most of the networks, which can get expensive. Of course, you might not want to be able to watch all the games.

This weekend, only one game will not be on these networks. Here are the networks carrying games:

• ABC
• ACC Network
• Big Ten
• Big 12 Network (No games this week)
• CBS
• CBS Sports Network
• ESPN
• ESPN 2
• ESPN 3
• ESPN U
• SEC Network
• ESPN+
• Fox
• Fox Sports 1
• Longhorn Network (No games this week)
• NBC
• NFL Network
• Pac 12 Network
• Peacock

Here is how to watch these networks:

ABC

• Antenna, over the air, free.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

ACC Network

• Sling Orange, with Sports Extra, $46/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, with Sports Extra, $65/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Choice, $90/month.

Big Ten Network

• Sling Blue, with Sports Extra, $46/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, with Sports Extra, $65/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Choice, $90/month.

Big 12 Network

Big 12 Network games are available through ESPN+.

CBS

• Antenna, over the air, free.
• Paramount+ Premium, $10/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

CBS Sports Network

• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Ultimate, $105/month.

ESPN

• Sling Orange, $35/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, $50/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

ESPN2

• Sling Orange, $35/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, $50/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

ESPN U

• Sling Orange, $35/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, $50/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.
• Fubo TV Elite, $80/month.

ESPN3

ESPN3 is usually included with a service that carries standard ESPN/ESPN2.

• Sling Orange, $35/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, $50/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

ESPN+

ESPN+ is a standalone sports programming service. It is not the same thing as regular ESPN that you get with cable or one of the live streaming services. Some content from ESPN, ESPN2, or other ESPN networks may be available on ESPN+, but often, it's content that is only available on ESPN+.

• ESPN+, $7/month.
• Disney Bundle, $14/month.

Fox

• Antenna, over the air, free.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

Fox Sports 1

• Sling Blue, with Sports Extra, $46/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, with Sports Extra, $65/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

Longhorn Network

• Sling Blue, with Sports Extra, $46/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, with Sports Extra, $65/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.

NBC

• Antenna, over the air, free.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

NFL Network

• Sling Blue, with Sports Extra, $46/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, with Sports Extra, $65/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.

Pac 12 Network

• Sling Blue, $35/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, $50/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• Fubo TV Pro, with Fubo Extra, $78/month.
• Fubo TV Elite, $80/month.

Peacock TV

Peacock is a standalone streaming service that carries NBCUniversal programming, including much sports from NBC as well as exclusive sports programming. Peacock Premium is $5/month, but is included with Xfinity Internet plans.

SEC Network

• Sling Orange, $35/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, $50/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Choice, $90/month.
• Fubo TV Ultimate, $100/month.

This list of networks covers all the games airing today. It also covers games next week through Friday, as the early games next week are all on one of these networks.

NOTE: Longhorn Network and Big 12 Network are not needed this weekend.

To watch all the games, having an antenna won't really matter, as in order to get all the networks carrying games, the services also carry the OTA stations. So, how much to watch them all?

The services necessary will cost $85. That's $78 for Fubo TV Pro +Fubo Extra, along with $7 for ESPN+.

If you want college football in your Streaming Life, you have options, though it can get expensive depending just how many games you want to watch.

Paramount+ and Fire TV Stick offer

It's only going on for a short period of time, but for the next couple of days, Paramount+ is offering a deal on either plan that includes an Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite.

Here are the details:

If you visit the offer page, you have the option to get the Essentials plan (with ads, and no local CBS) or the Premium plan (no ads, with local CBS) for 1/2 price. Plus, you get an Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite.

That means a year of Essentials for $25, or a year of Premium for $50. And a Fire TV Stick Lite. That's a pretty good deal.

Now, I'm one that only subscribes to services on occasion. I don't normally do a year service. But this is a pretty darn good deal. During the year, I would subscribe to Paramount+ a couple of time, costing $20-$30 during the year, since I would choose the Premium plan (local CBS).

That's close enough to think about it. I don't know if I will take the deal, as I don't watch it year round, but if you are someone that would subscribe five months within a year, it is certainly a great deal.

As for the Fire TV Stick Lite, I'm not a fan of that device. It's under-powered and I would just be frustrated with it. But I'm used to much more powerful devices. If I was just beginning to stream, this is a great way to start.

The Fire TV Stick Lite is fine for a beginner who hasn't used a more powerful device. When they upgrade later, they'll be thrilled with the newer device. And, in the meantime, they'll get a year of Paramount+.

This is a great way to start your Streaming Life. And it's a pretty darn good way to continue it.

Roku Smart Home

Roku announced a new lineup of devices called Roku Smart Home yesterday. I like the idea of it, but I don't like the execution. Allow me to explain.

I have a few smart home devices at my home. I use smart switches to control overhead lights in several rooms. I use smart outlets to control other items. I don't have much more than that, but I do find them helpful. I mean, if I forget to turn off a light at night, I don't have to get back out of bed and wander around the house turning off lights I overlooked.

When I got the devices, my focus was on devices that worked with both Google Assistant, Apple Home Kit, and Amazon Alexa. That should cover everything, right? Well, no, but more on that in a minute.

When I got the devices, I wasn't sure which main system I would use: Alexa, Siri, or Google. But, as all the devices I bought worked with them all, I was good.

It's not important which I finally settled on, because recently, I've begin making changes to that. As part of my recent efforts to increase privacy, I've wanted to move away from those smart controllers, and I have done that. I'm moving to Home Assistant, an open source, well, home assistant.

It is a happy accident that all of my devices are also compatible with Home Assistant. When I decided to move away from the Big Tech controller, I thought I may need to replace a few of the devices. I didn't. All of them also supported Home Assistant. It's now a part of my checks when looking at a smart device to see if it supports the four: Google, Apple (Home Kit), Amazon (Alexa), and Home Assistant.

That's where Roku falls short. Well, apparently.

Roku introduced Roku Smart Home, and it sounds good:

Simplicity is a key feature of Roku devices, and it’s at the foundation of Roku Smart Home. Integration with Roku OS allows you to receive real-time alerts and view live streams of your Roku Smart Home camera and video doorbell from your Roku TV or player. Free and automatic software updates ensure your device is always up to speed. Plus, third party voice assistants and Roku Voice enable hands-free commands so you can be more hands-on around the house.

The devil is in the details, of course. It only mentions Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa support. No Home Kit. No Home Assistant. AFTV News says that the items are simply Wyze devices with Roku's name attached:

After leaking a couple of days ago, Roku has now officially announced its new line of smart home lights, plugs, and cameras. Unlike Roku’s home theater products, which I presume the company makes itself to some degree, these smart home devices are “developed in partnership with Wyze,” which appears to just mean that Roku put its name on Wyze’s hardware and, possibly, add it’s own spin through software.

Wyze doesn't support Home Assistant, and apparently neither will Roku Smart Home devices. That's disappointing. Even if I was not moving to Home Assistant, I would be disappointed that Home Kit isn't supported. I want devices that are compatible with more systems, as I don't want to be locked in to any one system. It's not easy to change, of course, but if I find I chose poorly, I want the ability to change to something else. Wyze, and apparently Roku Smart Home, limit me to Google and Amazon, and don't support Apple or Home Assistant. That's a deal breaker in my book.

While I am firmly in the Roku ecosystem when it comes to streaming, I can easily move to something else, as I own Amazon Fire TV devices, Android/Google TV devices, and Apple devices. Oh, and I built my own with a Raspberry Pi (a version of Android TV). I'm always keeping my options open, when it come to smart home devices, and when it comes to my Streaming Life.

Antenna can use cable/satellite wiring

If you have or had cable/satellite wiring, and you want to put up an antenna, you have most of the battle already won. You see, the cable used by satellite or cable systems works just fine with a TV antenna.

All you really have to do is connect the antenna to the existing cable running through your house, and you now have TV antenna available where the cable runs.

There is one potential issue if you had cable TV. I had this issue, but it was easy enough to work around.

If your cable company will still be your Internet Service Provider (ISP) then they will still need part of the cable for their signal, and you can't use that. Well, you can, but it can cause problems. You don't want that.

In my situation, there was cable running to four TV outlets throughout the house. The cable company was the ISP, so they needed cable for their setup. Only one of those was needed for the Internet connection, meaning the other three were available for antenna signal.

The cable guy had left all four connected, meaning their signal was to each of the rooms. So, I had to ensure the other three were not connected via a splitter to the one for cable, and replaced the four-way splitter with a three-way splitter. (I bought a good quality one; don't skimp on this.) Then, I left their cable running to the single outlet, and connected the antenna to the splitter and had TV antenna signal in the other three rooms.

Now, I didn't keep that setup long term. I later bought a Tablo network connected device and used that to put the TV signal on the wireless network, allowing me to pick up the TV signal anywhere in the house.

If using Tablo, Air TV, or some similar setup is possible, I have been really happy with mine, and suggest something like that. But, if you're looking for a cheaper way (Table and Air TV have an initial setup expense) then reusing the cable for your TV antenna signal is a very cost-effective way of adding over the air TV to your Streaming Life.

Streaming the MLB Divisional Series

Baseball playoffs are underway, with the Wild Card round completed, setting the stage for the Divisional Series in each league.

In the National League, the two series are divisional matchups, with the Phillies and Braves facing off, and the Padres and Dodgers battling each other.

On the Junior Circuit, Cleveland and the Yankees play, and the Mariners and Astros do battle.

If you're a streamer, you have options on watching the games. There are three networks carrying the Divisional Series matchups:

Fox

• Antenna, over the air, free.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

Fox Sports 1

• Sling Blue, with Sports Extra, $46/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, with Sports Extra, $65/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

TBS

• Sling Orange, $35/month.
• Sling Blue, $35/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, $50/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

If you have an antenna, then Sling Blue at $35/month is the cheapest way to watch the series. If you don't have an antenna, the most cost-effective way is with YouTube TV at $65/month.

If you want baseball playoffs in your Streaming Life, there are plenty of options to view the Divisional Series.

Goodbye EPIX, Hello MGM+

I don't currently subscribe to EPIX. I have, but I don't subscribe to pay streaming services for very long, usually just for a month, long enough to catch up on stuff, then cancel until some time later.

Having said that, EPIX is a pretty good streaming service. It's not one I normally think about, and based on the subscriber base for the top ten pay streaming services, a lot of others are that way as well. And that's really not a good indication of the programming available.

For EPIX, you can add that as part of a cable or satellite service. But there is a standalone service, EPIX NOW, that give you the same thing without cable/satellite. It's what streamers would use, so that means us.

EPIX NOW is $6/month and one of the more reasonably priced services. It's less than 1/3 of the cost of the top tier Netflix service, and less than half the cost of the mid-tier Netflix. It's even less than the lowest Netflix tier. It's less than half the cost of HBO Max. Okay, I won't go on, but you get the idea. It's cheaper than most.

Of course, it doesn't have all the recent blockbusters of the other services, either. But it does have a decent catalog of content, and if you want a cheaper service with good content, it is a viable alternative.

So what's all this about "Goodbye EPIX?" Well, the EPIX service will no longer exist as of January 15, 2023. It's not shutting down. It's rebranding. EPIX will become MGM+ on that day.

The newly unveiled brand will debut on January 15, 2023, in conjunction with the Season Three premiere of the acclaimed series Godfather of Harlem. The show's second season was EPIX's best performing season of all time, breaking records for single-title streams in a single day across EPIX's digital channels. The Season Two finale was EPIX's best performing finale episode to date.

"MGM is one of the most iconic and beloved brands from the golden age of entertainment," said Michael Wright, head of MGM+. "This rebrand is a promise to existing and new viewers that MGM+ is the place to find television that reflects and celebrates the legacy of the iconic MGM brand -- cinematic programming with sophisticated storytelling that entertains, delights, surprises, and transports. MGM is television for movie lovers."

Essentially, it's just a name change. Everything else remains the same. Even the EPIX app will magically become the MGM+ app on that day.

Should you wait until January to try MGM+? Well, no, not really. Since EPIX will simply be rebranded in January, you can get the same thing today with EPIX. Try it for a month. It's $6, and if you don't find it worth it, don't resubscribe. Cancel and finish out the subscription.

I'll try out EPIX/MGM+ again soon. It's been a while since I've done that. I may find that it get added to my regular rotation of services that I used to enhance my Streaming Life. You may find the same.

Goodbye macOS

In 2007, when I replaced a computer that really needed to be replaced, the new laptop came with Windows Vista. I was not a happy camper. I put up with it for a while, and was tempted to "downgrade" to Windows XP, which I liked. I hated Vista. And so did many others.

Let me take some time to tell you why I think Vista was so bad. Before Windows XP was released, Microsoft begin working on an OS code named "Longhorn." Note that all versions of Windows had code names prior to release, with Windows XP being "Whistler." Well, Longhorn was being developed before XP was ever officially released. The plan was a stop-gap OS release between Whistler (what became Windows XP) and Blackcomb (the planned next major release).

As development progressed, many features intended for Blackcomb were incorporated into Longhorn. However, as Longhorn was not originally intended to have those features, this "scope creep" began to overwhelm the project. Blackcomb was eventually canceled, as many of its features were incorporated into Longhorn.

Longhorn was finally locked down and released as Windows Vista. It acted like an unfinished operating system. And, it really was, as so many Blackcomb features were kludged in, without the full vision of Blackcomb being realized.

Internally, Vista was Windows 6. And it was a flop. Many hated the experience, including me, and many paid to "downgrade" to Windows XP. I chose to not do that, but to simply change to a different operating system. I chose Mac OS, known as OS X at the time.

In the summer of 2007, I bought my first MacBook, and I liked it. I liked it a lot. And I've used Macs since then.

Fast forward to summer 2022, when Apple announced the latest version of macOS. The announcement included a list of devices that were supported. My MacBook was not on the list. That means that my perfectly good MacBook will not receive the new operating system update that is being released this month. No macOS 13 Ventura for me.

That is disappointing. I get that they need to draw the line on support somewhere. However, I don't want to shell out $1500 for a comparable new MacBook. That's a lot of money, because Macs cost a lot of money. And, one of the reasons they cost so much is they are very well built machines. That's why my 7 year old MacBook runs as well today as the day I bought it.

I've mentioned before that I bought a new SSD for my MacBook and replaced the one in the MacBook, and installed GNU/Linux on it. That has gone very well, and I am very used to the Linux experience. And I have decided that I will not buy a new MacBook, and will continue using my current device running Linux.

No, it's not the same as running macOS. It's not the same as running Windows. But, it's a good experience, and I'm quite happy to keep using Linux as my everyday OS on my laptop. I need to do more with my Linux desktop, because I use the device for different stuff. I use that for video editing. I need to do that with Linux, rather than the Windows desktop that is my current video editing machine.

When that's done, I'll probably shut down the Windows device, as it will at that point be taking up space.

It's been a weird route that has taken me to this point. It started with a side project in my Streaming Life, and that led to something which led to something which led to something. Now, I'm giving up macOS officially. I would never have seen this coming a year ago.

Watching college football games this weekend: Week 6

College football season continues, this week feature three battles between ranked unbeaten teams. All three are conference matchups: one each in SEC, Big XII, and Pac 12.

If you want to watch all of the games this season, you need access to most of the networks, which can get expensive. Of course, you might not want to be able to watch all the games.

This weekend, only one game will not be on these networks. Here are the networks carrying games:

• ABC
• ACC Network
• Big Ten
• Big 12 Network
• CBS
• CBS Sports Network
• ESPN
• ESPN 2
• ESPN 3
• ESPN U
• SEC Network
• ESPN+
• Fox
• Fox Sports 1
• Longhorn Network (No games this week)
• NBC
• NFL Network
• Pac 12 Network
• Peacock

Here is how to watch these networks:

ABC

• Antenna, over the air, free.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

ACC Network

• Sling Orange, with Sports Extra, $46/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, with Sports Extra, $65/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Choice, $90/month.

Big Ten Network

• Sling Blue, with Sports Extra, $46/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, with Sports Extra, $65/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Choice, $90/month.

Big 12 Network

Big 12 Network games are available through ESPN+.

CBS

• Antenna, over the air, free.
• Paramount+ Premium, $10/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

CBS Sports Network

• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Ultimate, $105/month.

ESPN

• Sling Orange, $35/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, $50/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

ESPN2

• Sling Orange, $35/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, $50/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

ESPN U

• Sling Orange, $35/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, $50/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.
• Fubo TV Elite, $80/month.

ESPN3

ESPN3 is usually included with a service that carries standard ESPN/ESPN2.

• Sling Orange, $35/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, $50/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

ESPN+

ESPN+ is a standalone sports programming service. It is not the same thing as regular ESPN that you get with cable or one of the live streaming services. Some content from ESPN, ESPN2, or other ESPN networks may be available on ESPN+, but often, it's content that is only available on ESPN+.

• ESPN+, $7/month.
• Disney Bundle, $14/month.

Fox

• Antenna, over the air, free.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

Fox Sports 1

• Sling Blue, with Sports Extra, $46/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, with Sports Extra, $65/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

Longhorn Network

• Sling Blue, with Sports Extra, $46/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, with Sports Extra, $65/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.

NBC

• Antenna, over the air, free.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Entertainment, $70/month.

NFL Network

• Sling Blue, with Sports Extra, $46/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, with Sports Extra, $65/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Fubo TV, $70/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.

Pac 12 Network

• Sling Blue, $35/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, $50/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• Fubo TV Pro, with Fubo Extra, $78/month.
• Fubo TV Elite, $80/month.

Peacock TV

Peacock is a standalone streaming service that carries NBCUniversal programming, including much sports from NBC as well as exclusive sports programming. Peacock Premium is $5/month, but is included with Xfinity Internet plans.

SEC Network

• Sling Orange, $35/month.
• Sling Orange+Blue, $50/month.
• Vidgo Plus, $60/month.
• YouTube TV, $65/month.
• Hulu+Live TV, $70.
• DirecTV Stream Choice, $90/month.
• Fubo TV Ultimate, $100/month.

This list of networks covers all the games airing today. It also covers games next week through Friday, as the early games next week are all on one of these networks.

NOTE: Longhorn Network is not needed this weekend.

To watch all the games, having an antenna won't really matter, as in order to get all the networks carrying games, the services also carry the OTA stations. So, how much to watch them all?

The services necessary will cost $85. That's $78 for Fubo TV Pro +Fubo Extra, along with $7 for ESPN+.

If you want college football in your Streaming Life, you have options, though it can get expensive depending just how many games you want to watch.

Replacing cable/satellite

If you're looking to cut the cord -- cable or satellite -- and are wondering how you're going to be able to watch all those channels with streaming, there are a bunch of questions you need to ask yourself first. And those questions may change the question you initially had.

You see, as you think it through, you may come to realize a few things about your TV watching habits. Let me offer some examples.

Your initial question may be "How will I ever watch all the channels I have if I drop cable/satellite?" But is that really a valid question? Do you already watch all of the channels you have? You probably don't. You probably have a few channels you like to watch, and the others are channels you either never watch at all, or watch only when you run across something there while channel surfing. You don't really watch all those channels.

So, now the question becomes "How do I watch all the channels I watch today?" And that question may not be valid. It might be, but here's why it may not be. Why is it you watch those channels? And the answer is probably because you like the shows they carry. Or -- and this may actually be better -- you like the type of shows they carry. See the difference? One is a particular show that you watch, while the other is a particular type of show you watch.

Here is an example from my life. This particular example might not apply to you, but do follow what happened, and see if something similar may apply. My mother kept cable for a while after she started streaming. It turned out the reason was she really like Game Show Network. But what about it did she like? Well, she liked when it carried the classic game shows from years past. The current stuff didn't really matter, but the old game shows were favorites of hers.

Once we found out that was the actual reason, we found several free streaming services that carried the same content, and showed her. She would watch that when her classic shows were not on GSN, then discovered for herself that the free streaming channel carried what she wanted to watch. And she finally cut cable, saving a lot of money, and still watching the type of shows she liked.

How important is it to really watch THAT channel? How about a similar channel? Would that be okay? Sometimes (not every time, but sometimes) it is okay. And that's important.

Of course, I've not talked about local channels. With satellite, you may or may not get local channels, but you probably get a feed of the major networks. With cable, you get the local channels. So, how do you replace those?

One way is with an antenna. Don't immediately rule this out. It may be possible to pick up the channels you want with an antenna. If you live close enough, and indoor antenna will do. If not, you may need an outdoor antenna like I require. But an antenna may be something that you can use to pick up local channels.

I live a bit of a distance from the TV towers, but can still pick up 25 channels clearly. There are others that are in and out, but 25 are strong and reliable signals. And that surprised me, mostly because the local cable service didn't carry all of them, so I didn't really know they were there until I put up an antenna.

If you need a particular channel with content that's not available on a FAST (free ad supported television) service, then a subscription live streaming service may get you what you need:

• Frndly TV ($7/month)
  
• Philo ($25/month)
  
• Sling TV ($35/month)
  
• Vidgo ($60/month)
  
• YouTube TV ($65/month)
  
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month)
  
• Fubo TV ($70/month)
• DirecTV Stream ($70/month)

Depending on what you want to watch, one of these may get you what you need, giving you a very satisfying Streaming Life.