New Tool for our AS! Apple TV

[KIMILI]

wow campgrounds out West really are tough on their WiFi!!
Never had an issue here and was never asked/given a username & password!

I read a lot of "strong opinions" here on a new product nobody has used. Criticism is good but lets not be definitive. Try it first then decide. I like to keep an open mind.

The first apple TV was too much for us but this one is way smaller and has the extra streaming. Sure you could use your Netflix...but have you looked at the movies available on instant watch? My teenage siblings burnt through them in a week!

I like the idea of Apple getting more shows/movies available by contracting directly with the broadcasting companies (Netflix is doing the same with movie studios). Soon there will be plenty more available.

Even though I personally rarely watch TV, I like the idea that a small tiny little cute box (has to be cute to enter our AS) holds all that potential to keep the younger ones at bay... for a while

[newroswell]

Yes, if you have a truly open access point that you can just pick from a list of available networks without a password you're in good shape. If at check-in you're give a password to go with the access point name (SSID), you can configure that through the Apple TV menus and life is good.

If you are give a username & password that requires a browser to authenticate then you'll have a hard time doing that without a browser on the Apple TV. Unfortunately, the last few years I have traveled with an Apple TV in CA/AZ, a lot of campgrounds require the browser authentication.

I'll probably be moving my current Apple TV (with hard drive) to full time camping duty since it can be preloaded with things to watch, no internet needed. I'll be purchasing the new model for its additional streaming abilities for our living room with full-time internet.

[Gene]

Having travelled all over the US (except the northeast) in the past few years, it seems like a lot of CG's have passwords and you have to do it through a browser. I never noticed whether it was more common in the west because it was just another minor pain. Seems like about half are open networks, and closed ones are more common in urban areas to keep non-campers off the network.

Meanwhile, I am getting more and more irrelevant. I don't have an ipod, ipad, satellite radio, Apple TV, smart phone, dumb phone (I am allowed to use my wife's dumb phone though it's hard to figure out). I do have a computer, obviously, HDTV, and old fashioned land line phone. I also don't like the music teenagers like. Bring back Led Zeppelin!

Gene

[Dave Park]

Another option is to reconfigure the AppleTV or your laptop to change its MAC address to match so you can use the web browser to authenticate that device/MAC address and then revert back when you're done.

For those not in the know, every device that uses the net (PC, Mac or Other) has a "MAC address" of the format AB:CD:EF:12:34:56 that uniquely identifies the device to surrounding devices. This is distinct from an IP address. It's the same in IPv6 except the numbers are larger...

[KIMILI]

...seems the problem ain't really in the device but more in the lack of free easy to use WiFi in the rest of the country.

The Virgin Mobile Novatel MiFi ($150) gets its Internet signal from a 3G cellphone network (Sprint's 3G) and converts it into a Wi-Fi signal that up to five people can share.

No contracts no gimmicks. You can subscribe and unsubscribe as much and as often as you want. For just a few days of use pay as little as $10 total! Or pay monthly for a cheap $40! These prices are sure to entice someone.

Read more about it here: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/02/te...ref=technology

As long as your travels are covered by Sprint's 3G network you'll have internet.

[2airishuman]

pogue usually gets the info in this column right...

unfortunately THIS TIME someone missed the mark...

1. he suggests "unlimited broadband plans" are drying up...

the simple fact is NONE of the past plans have been unlimited.

the fine print in older plans ALL references a 5 gb ceiling at which point the account was closed.

2. last year this wording began changing such that AFTER 5 gb...

their would be a added charge for data blocks over 5 gb.

this was the first step in LOOSENING these plans.

3. sprint now (for months) has advertised a truly "unlimited" plan...

but it's only on the 4g side (very limited urban zones of 4g) while the 3g side (most of the network) is still 5 gb.

4. so the point is FIND AND READ the actual wording for virgin's new offering (it's not on their website yet)

5. the 5 gb ceiling will eventually be LIFTED or prices lowered just as phone minutes have been less expensive.

the point being whoever wrote pogues column has got this stuff backwards,

the TREND is toward unlimited plans not away from them.
__________

the previous generation of mifi devices were nice BUT had issues...

for example a 2 hour battery life and NO availability while REcharging the battery...

see this thread of an example of a prematurely exuberant customer who changed gear quickly...

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f451...ter-64512.html

perhaps the new version doesn't have this issue.

one can either find and READ the small print or BUY AND TRY this stuff.

a typical new movie is gonna be 5 gb + of data IF it's full hd and full audio tracks ...

so are you gonna be able to stream 10 movies a week or 50 gb or 200 gb a month?

something tells me that's not likely...

extremely HIGH data transmission (above the average for users in your group)

is often considered to be someone allowing TORRENT use of their puter...

this is specifically forbidden in most plans as is other 'distribution' (not personal use)

and so on...

lastly LOOK closely at sprints 3g coverage especially in rural america or near state/federal lands...

in other words where we WANNA BE in a stream.

they've got pretty good coverage ALONG THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS in most of the u.s. WEST of the river...

but 50-75 miles OFF the interstate the coverage dies or switches to 'shared' cellular towers...

which is often NOT 3g but the older slower transmission rates.

please spend yer money and report back.

cheers
2air'

[sempi2]

OMG, we (rustyrivet and I) are really out of it. I do love the forum and have an addiction to it. However when we travel, the last thing we really care about is TV (remember the big stock crash, 500-700 or a million points down - we were hooked up to cg tv- ugly, plus it was our 35th wedding anniversary trip and that doesn't do too much for the evening entertainment.) Computer access would be nice, but not necessary to enjoy our outings. I do have some cd's and dvd's onboard, but in our expansive (2 years in the A/S, lol) we have yet to watch a movie. Do play cd's on a primative cd player, mostly to add a little "mood" to dinner. So I guess you would say we are dinosaurs, but we are comfortable with that. Susan

[KIMILI]

Originally Posted by 2airishuman

pogue usually gets the info in this column right...

unfortunately THIS TIME someone missed the mark...

the simple fact is NONE of the past plans have been unlimited.

the fine print in older plans ALL references a 5 gb ceiling at which point the account was closed.

2. last year this wording began changing such that AFTER 5 gb...

their would be a added charge for data blocks over 5 gb.

this was the first step in LOOSENING these plans.

3. sprint now (for months) has advertised a truly "unlimited" plan...

but it's only on the 4g side (very limited urban zones of 4g) while the 3g side (most of the network) is still 5 gb.

4. so the point is FIND AND READ the actual wording for virgin's new offering (it's not on their website yet)

5. the 5 gb ceiling will eventually be LIFTED or prices lowered just as phone minutes have been less expensive.

the point being whoever wrote pogues column has got this stuff backwards,

the TREND is toward unlimited plans not away from them.
__________

the previous generation of mifi devices were nice BUT had issues...

for example a 2 hour battery life and NO availability while REcharging the battery...

see this thread of an example of a prematurely exuberant customer who changed gear quickly...

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f451...ter-64512.html

perhaps the new version doesn't have this issue.

one can either find and READ the small print or BUY AND TRY this stuff.

a typical new movie is gonna be 5 gb + of data IF it's full hd and full audio tracks ...

so are you gonna be able to stream 10 movies a week or 50 gb or 200 gb a month?

something tells me that's not likely...

extremely HIGH data transmission (above the average for users in your group)

is often considered to be someone allowing TORRENT use of their puter...

this is specifically forbidden in most plans as is other 'distribution' (not personal use)

and so on...

lastly LOOK closely at sprints 3g coverage especially in rural america or near state/federal lands...

in other words where we WANNA BE in a stream.

they've got pretty good coverage ALONG THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS in most of the u.s. WEST of the river...

but 50-75 miles OFF the interstate the coverage dies or switches to 'shared' cellular towers...

which is often NOT 3g but the older slower transmission rates.

please spend yer money and report back.

cheers
2air'

Are you sure you READ the article (Pogue's) and the Virgin product and plan description? Broadband2Go | Virgin Mobile USA

anyway it seems to me this is going beyond 'sharing' information...so back to where I started:

Just wanted to share with my fellow Airstreamers a new product (it's new features) I believe will come in handy on our silver trips.
Have fun!

[worksology]

2air',

I think the "trend" Pogue references is AT&T's recent move to revoke their Unlimited plan in favor of a cheaper, limited plan. I'm actually grandfathered into the Unlimited plan, have used over 5GB in a handful of months, and have never been charged overages. New subscribers cannot get on these unlimited plans, and I'd actually SAVE $5/mo to drop down to the limited plan (2GB/mo, I think), which may be the wise thing to do, but I figure I'd wait and see what our usage is once we're on the road full-time.

I'm with you on Sprint's coverage — where you wanna be in the 'stream, it's not well-covered, but I think that's largely true for EVERY carrier. Look at each carrier's coverage map and there's always a Wyoming-shaped hole missing. I may actually prefer to spend $150 on the MiFi, plus $40/mo, than add $20/mo to my AT&T bill for tethering (meanwhile LOSE my unlimited data). One thing's for sure: there's no elegant (or cheap) way to consistently get a bunch of devices on the 'net when you're out & about.

Someday we'll wised up and pry some spectrum from dying TV (what's TV anyway? Something you watch on the Internet, right?) and put the internet on it and just saturate all the TV areas with broadband access as a public utility. Was kind of excited about that possibility a few years ago with the first auctions of the 700MHz spectrum (what's now becoming Verizon's & AT&T's 4G network) but would be nice if it wasn't all locked up in over-priced commercial offerings. Someday.

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by KIMILI

Are you sure you READ the article (Pogue's) and the Virgin product and plan description?...

yes.

and i made ONE error in the comparison to their mifi vs other FULL ON broadband plans or verizon mifi ...

the virgin/mobile uses ONLY the dedicated 3g sprint stuff, so again LOOK at the coverage map.

lots of wide open space, where a connection won't exist.

they make a big deal about "covering 90% of the us population"...

but that's a red herring, since the goal with an rv is NOT to be where the population density is high.
________

now on the data comsumption side, i've often got 3 gadgets connected to a server...

and broadcast a mobile hot spot that others can use IF they ask for the password...

since i do NOT carry a phone, ALL communication... everything is via broadband and keyboard.

in nearly 4 years, i've yet to use 4 gb of data in any one month...

btw another ERROR in the article relates to how broadband users can "know" usage,

as they are approaching the limits of a plan ...

well THAT is very easy and clear with the verizon vzw interface, as simple as checking a bank account balance.

sharing is good, sharing new products NO ONE has tried is fun...

and sharing what really works is useful too.
__________

works'

being a tech guy, it's not likely help is needed...

perhaps u've scanned the evdo site?

What is EVDO / Mobile Broadband? : EVDOinfo.com

they DO have pretty elegant bits of gear to get or stay connected and the prices keep falling...

and their customer/product support top notch.
________

while i might turn on the att/pad account occasionally and just for grins...

a verizion bb'card plugged INTO a wireless 3/4 g router and 12v adapter...

supplies awesome coverage and month to month (without contract).

the card can also be used IN any of the laptops...

in fact with the router/card IN the truck or stream and parked nearby,

one can go INTO businesses and still connect to SECURE/encrypted private wifi...

add a wilson antenna and 3 watt signal amp, like many folks here have done...

this combo has given me coverage on 99% of the days or nights streamin'...

including HOLES seen in the mapped coverage

or where others are drawing blanks in the next campsite...

IF really fixed on the mifi notion

there is even a battery powered router about the same size that uses the bbcard...

cradlepoint has some creative router solutions for us (mbr 1000? is especially nice)...

http://www.cradlepoint.com/products/...i-hotspot-3g4g
__________

feeding/streaming MOVIES this way or full length tv shows isn't ideal

but neither is the trend of paying to rent PER show via itunes, imo.

if TELE is really important (sports/movies/series) a DISH is still the best option for rv'ers...

and there are some very creative dish options now, even for boondockin' or 12v only power ...

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f451...ion-33976.html

it's all good folks...

cheers
2air'

[2airishuman]

Originally Posted by worksology

... Was kind of excited about that possibility a few years ago with the first auctions of the 700MHz spectrum (what's now becoming Verizon's & AT&T's 4G network)...

only a tangent, but this reminds me of another issue with connecting...

especially INSIDE a stream.

the verizon stuff is at ~850 mhz? while the att/sprint and tmobile is 18-1900 mhz?

does that read correctly?

anyway the LOWER wavelength does a better job of PENETRATING walls...isn't that correct?

and this is pretty easy to test in the stream.

cheers
2air'

[JFScheck]

I'm kinda against wires dangling around - otherwise I would just fish an HDMI cable - $99.00 is a lot easier and cheaper than a 30 foot HDMI cable for the bedroom for example....

[thecatsandi]

Originally Posted by JFScheck

I'm kinda against wires dangling around - otherwise I would just fish an HDMI cable - $99.00 is a lot easier and cheaper than a 30 foot HDMI cable for the bedroom for example....

Well almost.
HDMI Cable from Blue Jeans Cable
$85 for a 30ft Cable. See bottom of the page.

[worksology]

2air' —*thanks for the peek into your setup... that sounds pretty similar to what I have been planning. Haven't pulled the trigger on any of our networking stuff, but I did pre-order the AppleTV after Steve's keynote. In a lot of ways, I think the older AppleTV woulda worked better, having the internal storage and all, but with an iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch in our family (and probably a second iPad when the second gen is unveiled next Spring), the way I'm looking at it is that the internal storage has just moved from the AppleTV to these wireless peripherals.

With the iMac consuming anywhere from 5 to 8 times the amount of electricity (200-360W) as our new LED TV (40W), it'd be great if there was a way to watch content w/o having BOTH on, and this sounds like a perfect fit (AppleTV = 4W). We don't watch a LOT of TV, but I'm just trying to design something flexible.

I'd been looking at Cradlepoint routers, and they are indeed pretty slick (elegant). My problem is my existing contract with AT&T, good through next Feb. Hopefully they'll announce a VZN iPhone by next summer, and I can switch back to a single bill (assuming I go with VZN for data/EVDO/MiFi).

I haven't looked into antennas yet, but are they cheap/awkward enough that it'd make sense to buy two, one for each of the trailer and tow vehicle, and just keep them permanently mounted, or are they convenient enough to carry between the two with the router/amplifier? Or do you just keep the whole setup in the trailer, connected to power, while tooling down the road and still get a signal from the tow vehicle?

[worksology]

Originally Posted by JFScheck

I'm kinda against wires dangling around - otherwise I would just fish an HDMI cable - $99.00 is a lot easier and cheaper than a 30 foot HDMI cable for the bedroom for example....

Uhm, no. DON'T BUY EXPENSIVE HDMI cables! Especially if you're just going to run them through a wall.

Monoprice is where it's at:

For only $23.66 each when QTY 50+ purchased - 30FT 22AWG CL2 Standard Speed HDMI Cable - Black | Professional 22AWG HDMI Standard Speed Male to Male Cables

$27 for a 30 footer.

[Dave Park]

As for the MiFi, it can be used when charging. When connected to a USB host, it goes into bridge mode and stops working in WiFi mode, but when charged from a USB charger that is not a host (computer) it stays in WiFi mode and can be used indefinitely.

[2airishuman]

antennas FOR cellular enhancement...

it's pretty easy to mount one of the trucker style on a mast or on TOP of the stream...

(i used a camera tripod for this initially, which could be repositioned as needed)

then run wire into a vent to the signal amplifier, connected to the card.

here are a bunch of user reports on the wilson/bbcard parts by members here...

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f451...ups-30168.html

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f42/...tml#post571249

this is what i did early on, then kept a small magnetic antenna in the truck that would also work with a bbcard.

but adding the cradle point changed all of that for the better.

now, it's rare that i even need to turn on the amplifier, maybe 2 days a month.

the express (or usb) bb card plugged directly into their router just seems to work better at catching a signal.

the mbr 1000? has 3 of it's own WIFI antennas so REsending the wifi signal is very strong.

upto about 1200 feet by line of site, or about 6-12 rvs parked along an access road.

so YES the mobile/private wifi signal is plenty strong...

the signal will EASILY reach the tow vehicle and pad or mbpro without another antenna,

it's a rolling wifi/broadband setup and simply great.
__________

having verizon month2month AND the att (turn on as needed) means 2 options and no contracts.

eventually there will be other micro sim cards for the pad,

in fact a full size sim card can be CUT down to fit now, google the how2s...
_________

the added bonus with the cradle point is it AUTOMATICALLY connects and configures...

this is very convenient since the normal approach is to insert card into puter OPEN the vzw and hit 'connect'...

the wilson amp and external cellular/broadband antenna are useful WHEN needed...

like in valleys or deep in the woods or other fringe/weak signal zones.

((wilson now offers WIRELESS amps, an UPgrade over the previous version most of us have))

it's good to have alternative connectivity if/when it REALLY is needed.

on the tele side, ONE of the nice things about the vuecube is ONE CABLE...

power is supplied THROUGH the coaxial cable to the box, which houses a MINI dish...
_______

another nice aspect of the real EYETV from elgato which supplies a tuner and turns the puter into a full on tele...

when cable or plentiful access is available programs/movies can be downloaded directly onto the hard drive for later viewing...

basically turning any computer into a tivo type device.

apple of course makes some wonderful stuff (primarily the OS) but they still haven't nailed this tv "box" piece ...

given the success of itunes and NOW adding 'social media' features, no doubt they'll get a nice box solution at some point.

the pad really is for CONSUMING media so they will inevitably add/improve the consumption side feeding into it.

gadgets, gotta love gadgets.

cheers
2air'

[worksology]

Yes, I have a bit of a gadget crush, and you're not helping. That eyeTV looks pretty sweet. I don't feel like we'll NEED it, but that's not really the point, is it? If it turns out we really do want to record our shows, or watch them on our iMac instead of the TV, then I'll have to remember it.

To be honest, I've spent the last few months ripping every DVD I could get my hands on, and I'm pushing towards 2 TB of video media (~190 movies, ~ 100 TV episodes). That should last us for perpetuity, but I'm sure we'll, when available, want to sneak some live TV. I may go ahead and run a coax back to the computer just in case.

I'm not very interested in the VuQube I don't think, but that looks like a great solution for people want a One & Done implementation. Very nice.

Finally, thanks for the heads-up on the Wilson wireless amp. I'll have to judge the cost versus a wired one snaked up the refrigerator vent, but that's a nice solution. I think the Wilson wireless antenna + amplifier & Cradlepoint MBR 1000 router looks like a winning combination and honestly, as elegant (or more) than what I've got going on at the house nowadays.

[3Ms75Argosy]

ahhhh... my parents just called, they want to give me their old ATV while they go buy the new one... nice! I always liked the harddrive aspect of the old one, and was JUST about to buy one (the old one) for home... we use the Wii for Netflix stream.

2air, I like the eyetv you posted about, does it get HD ok from antennaes? We don't have cable at home.. yes... old fashioned parents are we!

JUST bought a Virgin MiFi this summer for use... it really is unlimited GB's for $40! The previous month I bought 5GB for $60, so we're pretty happy. Yes, the coverage is quite limited, but the kids were pretty happy on our car trip down to S. Cal.... though I will say having the youngings doing web heavy stuff really slowed down the speed. Just wish it were a bit faster; we loved it for the live traffic updates too. Can use while charging (that would be terrible if it couldn't!!), but boy it get's warm! I wonder how warm those Droid phones with wifi hotspots built in get! I'm waiting for Verizon to hop on the lower GB price train though... something like 2GB for $60.00 + tax... no thanks....

Anyway, yes, we love our gadgets!
Happy streaming!
Marc

[2airishuman]

good report on the mifi marc...

i really do think it can serve as a kiddie tool (don't forget the sugar and caffeine)

the eyetv works GREAT from an antenna...

it's actually very strange looking to see set of HDrabbit ears running to a plug on a laptop.

look over the various products on the elgato site ((old fashioned parents that u are...))

((there are several version of this 'tv tuner 4 puter' on the NONmac side too))

just to show HOW nice the EYEtv/elgato products are...they are SOLD in APPLE company stores...
________

works'

not to go DEEPLY into this , but i assume u are using ripit?

approaching 5 tb of flicks on drives, i am...

cheers
2air'