Android boxes - should they stay or should they go?
#1
Android boxes - should they stay or should they go?
There's been quite a bit recently about the legality of selling android boxes. To the point of an injunction having been put in place in Quebec stopping them from being sold.
I have always said that I would be quite happy to pay for a TV license / fees. But the prices set by Bell / Rogers and Shaw are so ridiculous to get anything of quality and I refuse to pay for all the crap that gets funded through my payments.
Why should we have to pay for very substandard content?
'Free TV' Android box dealers lose court appeal to lift sales ban - Business - CBC News
What are your thoughts?
I have always said that I would be quite happy to pay for a TV license / fees. But the prices set by Bell / Rogers and Shaw are so ridiculous to get anything of quality and I refuse to pay for all the crap that gets funded through my payments.
Why should we have to pay for very substandard content?
'Free TV' Android box dealers lose court appeal to lift sales ban - Business - CBC News
What are your thoughts?
#2
Re: Android boxes - should they stay or should they go?
They sound like fully loaded Kodi boxes, and access dodgy streams of movies / tv. Let's be blunt here, it's not legal access to the movies or tv streams, and so from that aspect, yeah, they haven't got a leg to stand on really. The same kind of thing is happening in the UK, be it a Kodi box or fully loaded Fire stick.
I suspect Ontario will be the next to get an injunction.
I do completely agree that the prices that Bell, Rogers, Shaw, and Cogeco set are far far too much, but unless the CRTC decides to get properly involved - the "skinny" package was a small start, they could do much, much more, but they don't, and one does wonder why.
It seems that I have to buy packs / bundles of channels, which seem to include channels I don't want. What needs to happen is to be able to have a proper system where I can pick exactly the channels I want. Now, I do understand that sometimes that isn't down to the cable company, for example, I believe if you want The Disney Channel, you also have to get some other related channels, as Disney won't allow the cable company to just provide the Disney channel.
I'm rather curious to see what Apple is up to, as they seem to be testing the waters with channel type things. Yes, you'd need to be locked into the Apple eco system, however, if Apple can get networks on board and allow the user to pick the networks they want to purchase, at a lower fee that cable would provide, it could shift things and perhaps then things may change.
For the past few years, I've used Netflix, and iTunes for movie purchases, and I've been pretty happy. I do still watch cable when I'm at my girlfriend's place, but that's the only time I do.
I suspect Ontario will be the next to get an injunction.
I do completely agree that the prices that Bell, Rogers, Shaw, and Cogeco set are far far too much, but unless the CRTC decides to get properly involved - the "skinny" package was a small start, they could do much, much more, but they don't, and one does wonder why.
It seems that I have to buy packs / bundles of channels, which seem to include channels I don't want. What needs to happen is to be able to have a proper system where I can pick exactly the channels I want. Now, I do understand that sometimes that isn't down to the cable company, for example, I believe if you want The Disney Channel, you also have to get some other related channels, as Disney won't allow the cable company to just provide the Disney channel.
I'm rather curious to see what Apple is up to, as they seem to be testing the waters with channel type things. Yes, you'd need to be locked into the Apple eco system, however, if Apple can get networks on board and allow the user to pick the networks they want to purchase, at a lower fee that cable would provide, it could shift things and perhaps then things may change.
For the past few years, I've used Netflix, and iTunes for movie purchases, and I've been pretty happy. I do still watch cable when I'm at my girlfriend's place, but that's the only time I do.
Last edited by sharkus; Mar 21st 2017 at 11:32 pm.
#3
Re: Android boxes - should they stay or should they go?
Conversely, if you believe accessing content for free is reasonable, you can hardly complain about the quality of streams/hardware etc etc.
#4
Re: Android boxes - should they stay or should they go?
I don't want to access content for free, I would be more than happy to pay some kind of license to stream, but equally I am fed up with being sc**wed by the big corporations that force you to buy channels that are about as exciting as watching paint dry!!
Tell me, if you are being charged a service by your bank, for example, that you don't use, don't you dispute it with them and ask for it to be removed or you'll go elsewhere? Well Android boxes are the only "elsewhere" available (Yes I know, Apple and Netflix but they have limited content)
#5
Re: Android boxes - should they stay or should they go?
I have one, I love it.
It's not so good for watching the latest movies still in the cinema (due to shitty quality) but for old movies and TV shows it is excellent.
Example, Broadchurch Season 3, episode 4 was aired in the UK at 8pm yesterday (2pm my time) and by the time I came I home from work and had dinner, I was watching it in HD.
It's not so good for watching the latest movies still in the cinema (due to shitty quality) but for old movies and TV shows it is excellent.
Example, Broadchurch Season 3, episode 4 was aired in the UK at 8pm yesterday (2pm my time) and by the time I came I home from work and had dinner, I was watching it in HD.
#6
Re: Android boxes - should they stay or should they go?
I have one, I love it.
It's not so good for watching the latest movies still in the cinema (due to shitty quality) but for old movies and TV shows it is excellent.
Example, Broadchurch Season 3, episode 4 was aired in the UK at 8pm yesterday (2pm my time) and by the time I came I home from work and had dinner, I was watching it in HD.
It's not so good for watching the latest movies still in the cinema (due to shitty quality) but for old movies and TV shows it is excellent.
Example, Broadchurch Season 3, episode 4 was aired in the UK at 8pm yesterday (2pm my time) and by the time I came I home from work and had dinner, I was watching it in HD.
I watched Broadchurch Mon eve, no issues, great programme
#7
Re: Android boxes - should they stay or should they go?
Watching Broadchurch right now so no spoilers!
#8
BE user by choice
Joined: Oct 2010
Location: A Briton, married to a Canadian, now in Fredericton.
Posts: 4,854
Re: Android boxes - should they stay or should they go?
The Butler Did it!
Actually, I couldn't agree more about the lack of value and choice of the service providers...however, if you have children, a reasonably busy life and a home to take care of, it's just too damned difficult (for me) to be messing around with the alternatives. Personally...ignoring the rest of my family...I wished I could just sometimes move back to the UK, merely for the television I miss the ease of Britain...
Actually, I couldn't agree more about the lack of value and choice of the service providers...however, if you have children, a reasonably busy life and a home to take care of, it's just too damned difficult (for me) to be messing around with the alternatives. Personally...ignoring the rest of my family...I wished I could just sometimes move back to the UK, merely for the television I miss the ease of Britain...
#9
Re: Android boxes - should they stay or should they go?
Well on the android box you can choose by channel. So I often take a peak and the U.K. Channels.
#12
Re: Android boxes - should they stay or should they go?
I love my android box to a degree but I also like having cable. We have just switched to Eastlink who are doing a deal for a year for $140 for phone, fast internet (faster than Bell is the claim but I will wait to see that) and cable. They have an arrangement where you can switch out channels you dont care for for channels you want.
They are installing it at the weekend so we will see if its as good as it claims to be....
They are installing it at the weekend so we will see if its as good as it claims to be....
#13
Re: Android boxes - should they stay or should they go?
I saw an internet speed of 100/10 mentioned but my BellAliant is 100/50 in the 'good' package with a better/best rate that's faster again.
I think the current BellAlaint promo deal is about $110 for three years and $168 at the end of that. Rogers seems $168 for the comparable deal too. Remarkable coincidence.
What does the $140 go to after the year?
#14
Re: Android boxes - should they stay or should they go?
I was just looking at that the other day.
I saw an internet speed of 100/10 mentioned but my BellAliant is 100/50 in the 'good' package with a better/best rate that's faster again.
I think the current BellAlaint promo deal is about $110 for three years and $168 at the end of that. Rogers seems $168 for the comparable deal too. Remarkable coincidence.
What does the $140 go to after the year?
I saw an internet speed of 100/10 mentioned but my BellAliant is 100/50 in the 'good' package with a better/best rate that's faster again.
I think the current BellAlaint promo deal is about $110 for three years and $168 at the end of that. Rogers seems $168 for the comparable deal too. Remarkable coincidence.
What does the $140 go to after the year?
Not sure on Eastlink but I will worry about that then...
#15
Re: Android boxes - should they stay or should they go?
Geo-restrictions on content belong in the 20th Century
I would happily pay a few bucks a month to watch channels that I actually want but aren't available because of where in the world you are
I use my firestick to watch NESN and NBCSN mostly, i tried paying the subscription to NHL gamecentre, but if Premier Sports has the rights to the game here in the UK (which they do for a lot of NHL games, even if they don't show them) then it's blacked out
I would happily pay a few bucks a month to watch channels that I actually want but aren't available because of where in the world you are
I use my firestick to watch NESN and NBCSN mostly, i tried paying the subscription to NHL gamecentre, but if Premier Sports has the rights to the game here in the UK (which they do for a lot of NHL games, even if they don't show them) then it's blacked out