Some Technology Questions from the electronically challenged [Archive]

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Doc Safari

03-27-17, 17:11

RetroRevolver77

03-27-17, 17:38

1. How does Wi-Fi work? I'm wanting to buy an internet radio, but I don't know the first thing about it. I want to be able to listen to the radio without turning my desktop computer on. The computer has internet (obviously), but how do I use the internet radio?

2. Okay, I know there are a lot more important things to worry about in life, but when I send somebody an email, how does my email find the other person's computer? (I swear I'm not on drugs or drinking--but this has bugged me for years).

3. If I bundle my DISH network TV service with internet, can I be watching TV while someone else is using the internet on the computer? I'm guessing the answer is yes or it wouldn't be very popular, but how does that work?

4. If I downloaded some music videos from the eighties or something, could I make a DVD of all the videos?

5. Can I store downloaded movies to a flash drive so I don't have to buy DVD's or Blu Rays anymore?

Sorry for the newbie questions, but I was born in an age of analog dial TV's and I'm just not up on all the funky stuff you can do nowadays.

Wi-Fi is a digital signal vs analog radio. I would get the wifi/modem high speed internet, skip the Dish, and then just get NetFlix and an Apple TV for HBO Now or other cable channels you like. You'll have way more programs and will be able to watch what you want instead of what just so happens to be on the dish. Yes you can store movies but it would require more storage than an average flash drive- likely a secondary hard drive. I use my computer as my entertainment system and have a secondary hard drive along with a third hard drive that plug ins for sensitive data that I use offline. I'm not a computer guy but mine is liquid cooled and was set up for gaming but I lost interest in that kind of stuff soon after- I guess I'm to old to argue with kids who use cheat codes instead skills. Though I did learn to become an Ace chopper and jet pilot playing BF3- lifeskills.

7n6

grnamin

03-27-17, 17:42

2. Okay, I know there are a lot more important things to worry about in life, but when I send somebody an email, how does my email find the other person's computer? (I swear I'm not on drugs or drinking--but this has bugged me for years).

Domain names such as yahoo.com, google.com, etc., are tied to Internet Protocol (IP) addresses which are like phone numbers for internet-connected devices (routers, switches, servers, desktops, laptops, smartphones, etc.). An email address is formatted with username@domain.com. When you send an email to someone, the email ends up in a server which determines where to send it next. This is where Domain Name Servers (DNS) kick in. They have a cache of all domain names and will tell the mail server where to send your email. Once it gets to the recipient's mail server, it's the username that tells who is supposed to receive the email. The recipient has a username and password to access their mailbox either online via web browser or downloads the email via mail client such as Outlook. The latter can be set up to download the emails and cache (save) them to your computer or you can view the emails directly from the server and not have them cached locally (online mode).

Side note: I found out the hard way that some TV channels that have their programs available online won't allow you to access that content unless you are a cable TV subscriber. When we cut cable off and left internet and phone, we could no longer access, for example, Cartoon Network's shows online. :(

Doc Safari

03-27-17, 17:49

Wi-Fi is a digital signal vs analog radio. I would get the wifi/modem high speed internet, skip the Dish, and then just get NetFlix and an Apple TV for HBO Now or other cable channels you like. You'll have way more programs and will be able to watch what you want instead of what just so happens to be on the dish.

I just ordered an HDR UHD Smart TV, but it's a Samsung (hasn't been delivered yet). Are you saying that I can just have high-speed internet and skip the DISH network all together? Will all the programs I watch then just be accessed through the program's website and I watch the next episode on the big screen TV just like I was formerly watching it on the computer?

RetroRevolver77

03-27-17, 18:04

I just ordered an HDR UHD Smart TV, but it's a Samsung (hasn't been delivered yet). Are you saying that I can just have high-speed internet and skip the DISH network all together? Will all the programs I watch then just be accessed through the program's website and I watch the next episode on the big screen TV just like I was formerly watching it on the computer?

Yes but it won't be like watching standard cable. Mine is set up through Apple TV since I don't have a smart tv, which uses wifi accessing both NetFlix and HBO Now. You can hook up a computer direct to your TV or you can just use the Wifi connection from the smart TV to access your favorite online video content be it Hulu or NetFlix etc. but those would have to be set up prior with your computer access in order to get an account/login ID. Skip the dish. Pretty much cable and dish are done- this is the future. Once you set it up you'll see how easy it is to use. You'll never go back to pre-programmed television.

grnamin

03-27-17, 18:04

If all you have is internet service you will have to pay extra to access premium channels such as HBO and Showtime. The beauty of going with internet only is that you have better control over what you want to see and not have to pay for channels you don't want.

cbx

03-27-17, 18:57

Get a fire stick and a Chromecast if your an Android phone user.

You can you show time and things like that through the fire stick. They also have a product called sling, which basically allows you to watch cable through the internet. The things that you can't get on a tv but can still playing your phone, just use the Chromecast and you can display all your photos and stuff to everybody else andplay your internet radio anything you want through it to Pandora Google or whatever radio app use. Especially if you have a cool sound system hook up to your TV. You can also get a really nice Bluetooth portable speaker they have small ones, or big ones. My neighbor has a monster foot-and-a-half tall Sony one that he put in the shop that's all Bluetooth. Cost like a hundred bucks and Amazon. **** cable and ****ed Dish TV. I haven't had dish in three years. Don't miss it either.

cbx

03-27-17, 19:00

It's getting to where you can even watch sports on the internet TV. I watch the Superbowl this year through the internet. Not so much as watch is hang out and drink beer with my buddies and eat food and talk about how stupid the commercials were this year. Never really watch the game it seems like.

In fact. Doc Glogster this entire post was done by voice on my phone no computers. I Don't even use my PC anymore. PCS are joke. Just use your phone to run everything.

Yeah, the spelling is not quite perfect. You know what though, it sure beats firing up a clunky ass PC to do it with.

cbx

03-27-17, 19:01

So to recap. Get an Amazon fire stick that is $40. Get a Chromecast, that too is $40. Get a Wi-Fi router, and getting internet connection your house. A good one. Say goodbye 120 a month Dish Bill.

jpmuscle

03-27-17, 19:32

So to recap. Get an Amazon fire stick that is $40. Get a Chromecast, that too is $40. Get a Wi-Fi router, and getting internet connection your house. A good one. Say goodbye 120 a month Dish Bill.
Even better if you KODI hack the firestick.

skywalkrNCSU

03-27-17, 20:30

No offense to Doc but he said it himself that he is electronically challenged so maybe a fire stick/chromecast combo isn't up his alley, especially a hacked fire stick.

I use an Apple TV setup (got the Apple TV for free) along with DIRECTV Now that also has HBO, Amazon Prime that I cast via my iPad, and a HD antenna for my local channels. It works for what I need it for but it sure isn't as easy as when I had cable. No DVR so if you miss it and can't stream it you are SOL.

For Doc I'd recommend checking out the firestick if you think that kind of setup might work for you but be aware there are pitfalls and you might find the extra cost for dish is worth it.

tb-av

03-27-17, 20:42

@DG these are short or additional versions of what others have said.

How you get stuff to and from your pc. Every device on the Internet has a unique ID.. or IP address. So when you send mail the first place it hits knows your IP then maybe it ends up on a mail server somewhere but eventually it know you sent it to say IP address 5.6.7.8 regardless of what the email name was. So the whole Internet is just like one giant phone book and everyone has a number or several numbers.

At your home though you might have a router and it will have a phone number the whole Internet sees. Lets just say it's 1.2.3.4... now inside your home your router also has a "home side" and it can give phone numbers to all your stuff. There are a couple of pools of numbers that won;t cross the Internet barrier from Home to Rest of World. One pool is the address of 192.168.x.x. that range will not travel out over the Internet. So you and your next door neighbor could both name your laptops 192.168.1.5 and there would be no problem because the Internet does not allow those numbers to travel over it. So your Home looks like Internet 1.2.3.4 <--> 192.168.1.5 Home. If you have two PCs or two PCs and Smart TV your Router will assign them 192.168.1.6 and 192.168.1.7.... so it's a little mini phone number type deal inside your home. Now everyone that sends you mail sends it to 1.2.3.4 and receives it from 1.2.3.4 when you send it. Because you are only talking to your Router, not directly to the Internet. So every business, home, store, whatever has that internal private network of NON-ROUTABLE IP addresses connected to a ROUTER with a INTERNET ROUTEABLE IP address. So the whole ordeal is a connection of Public and Private numbers and no matter how large no two device will every have the same IP address where they could talk to each other directly. Internet address can talk directly so no two the same. Private address can be similar because they can't get get routed out on to the Internet. Like you and I could each have a PC with the same IP right now, but I can't have two PCs here with the same address because my Router wouldn't know which was which.

You are going to want to get that picture if you add devices behind your router.

with respect to watching TV and Movies and things like KODI. That is basically illegal downloading. It is a base system that is constantly modified to 'retrieve' shows, movies, radio, etc.. The Smart TV, or Smart BLueRay player are sort of the base version. they give you access to say Hulu or Vimeo or whatever.... but you need to subscribe to those services to get the good content. KODI in it's altered states gets around that issue to a great degree. KODI out of the box is all legit freely available content.... but that's not why most people use KODI or other such media players.

Yes, you can download vids from many places. Generally speaking, if you can download them you can by one means or another burn them to a BlueRay, DVD, MP4.. whatever. The PLEX system will take your library and actually transcode it as needed. So let's say you have a huge BlueRay of the latest movie and you ripped it off to your hard drive. Then you tell PLEX to catalog it. Next you want to see a bit of the show on your phone for some reason... Well PLEX will automatically notice it is a phone and transcode the movie down to a suitable format that will display and play reliably on your phone..... Otherwise you would have to store several versions on your media drive. The super hiRez, The mid rez, the low rez, etc.. So everything you asked can be done but it can get complicated.

Now let's say you wanted to watch some YT vids on your laptop with no wifi. So you download the YT vids ( which again may or may not be legal ) and you put them on a flash drive. You could even stick say 10 of them in a video editor first and chop all the heads and tails, save the real content you want to see in one file, give it a name, and copy to your thumb drive say as an MP4. Plug it in your PC and you are set.

That whole ordeal of viewing, gathering, archiving, transcoding, etc a media library is not exactly easy. It often takes a few tools and the more you get for free the more work and house keeping it takes.

But as far as I can tell, everything you mentioned is doable but the experience is not like simply turning on your TV and changing channels.

tb-av

03-27-17, 20:52

Here is what FireStick says.....

The next generation of our bestselling Fire TV Stick. The most powerful streaming media stick under $50–now with the Alexa Voice Remote.
Enjoy over 10,000 apps, games, and Alexa skills including Netflix, Hulu, HBO NOW, YouTube, Amazon Video, NBC, WatchESPN, Disney, and more. Subscription fees may apply.

---- See this is where you go to YouTube or a forum and they tell you how to install something on KODI and some of that stuff would be free... not legal but free.-----

Launch and control content with the included Alexa Voice Remote. Simply say, “Play Game of Thrones” or “Launch Netflix” and Alexa will respond instantly. Plus, play music, find movie show times, order a pizza, and more—just ask.
No cable or satellite? No problem. Watch the best of live TV and sports from AMC, HGTV, ESPN, FOX, and others with a subscription to Sling TV, or top-rated primetime shows with CBS All Access.
Find the best way to watch with universal search results from over 140 channels and apps including Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Video
Prime members get unlimited access to Prime Video, featuring thousands of movies and TV episodes at no additional cost. Plus, members can add over 100 premium and specialty channels like HBO and SHOWTIME—no cable or satellite subscription necessary.

----- that's probably the way to go if you shop on Amazon... just get PRIME and you save on shipping and get some free TV too.---------

Pick up where you left off. Bring hit shows and movies with you when you travel. Plug Fire TV Stick into any TV’s HDMI port, connect to Wi-Fi, and continue watching.
Play current favorites or quickly discover what to watch next directly from the Home screen

============ You will need a DVR( hard and/or software ) to record shows that you may wish to store elsewhere ============

cbx

03-28-17, 02:05

Google united subscription is 9 bucks a month. All the music there is and no ads on YouTube. Well worth it. Music can stream on the chrome cast. Hell of sweet setup.

Pandora subscription is 4 bucks a month. Play though Bluetooth or Chromecast. Well worth it.

Netflix is 9 a month. Tons of content.

Amazon prime and firestick is awesome. Lots of kid programing. Lots of great shows. We're watching hand of God now. Voice activated remote too.

Amazon firestick and Google Chromecast both allow purchase of movies, rentals, episodes, and seasons.

It's really not hard.

Screw commercials. Ain't nobody got time for that.

Its weird at first cutting the cord. Now, I wouldn't trade it. Kids love it. When where at other peoples houses or commercials on hotel TV's hey get pissy...Lol..

"There's only two channels dad.. it's all commercials dad....."

Honestly, most of my watching is YouTube. I have a subscription list from hell. Guns, night vision hunting, outdoors, adventure sports, avaiation. Girls in bikinis fishing..... Pretty much non stop cool shit.

No lame as news networks or crap reality shows. I love it. I get to watch what I want, when I want.

tuck

03-30-17, 01:32

3. If I bundle my DISH network TV service with internet, can I be watching TV while someone else is using the internet on the computer? I'm guessing the answer is yes or it wouldn't be very popular, but how does that work?

Yes, I have Dish TV and satellite internet and am typing this while watching TV. There are two separate dishes, one for TV and another for internet. Unless satellite internet is your only option, I would recommend against it. The amount of data usage your allocated is limited, and speeds are less than awesome, especially if the weather is inclement.

mnoe82

03-30-17, 04:43

I feel like the waters are getting muddy with too many people who are trying to help but are offering competing options.

Doc Glockster send me a PM please.

Doc Safari

03-30-17, 09:12

I feel like the waters are getting muddy with too many people who are trying to help but are offering competing options.

Doc Glockster send me a PM please.

I think I'm actually going with Xfinity or something like that.

Outlander Systems

03-30-17, 09:33

My only bitch about Apple TV is the lack of Prime support natively.

You can still stream from an Apple device, but for $99 Apple can kiss my ass. The Roku blows Apple TV out of the water.

If this sucker didn't pay full retail for the ATV, he'd promptly throw that thing in the trash and replace it with a Roku. It's been playing 2nd fiddle on bedroom tube duty.

No offense to Doc but he said it himself that he is electronically challenged so maybe a fire stick/chromecast combo isn't up his alley, especially a hacked fire stick.

I use an Apple TV setup (got the Apple TV for free) along with DIRECTV Now that also has HBO, Amazon Prime that I cast via my iPad, and a HD antenna for my local channels. It works for what I need it for but it sure isn't as easy as when I had cable. No DVR so if you miss it and can't stream it you are SOL.

For Doc I'd recommend checking out the firestick if you think that kind of setup might work for you but be aware there are pitfalls and you might find the extra cost for dish is worth it.

skywalkrNCSU

03-30-17, 09:54