Last week we received a disk from Netflix which allows us to stream movies and other programs on the Wii gaming console. We were shocked at how many documentaries, movies, childrens programs, TV series, etc., were streamable - thousands and thousands at least. Years and years of TV series are available, all commercial-free.
Our Netflix subscription is for $8.99 a month, which allows us one physical disk at a time and an unlimited number of streamed programs per month.
My husband has decided to turn one of the computers into an XBMC (XBox Media Center). We don't have an XBox, but it isn't required. XBMX runs on all computer platforms. It will allow the computer to act as a media center. It plays videos, shoutcast feeds, Hulu, podcasts, gives the weather, plays music, streamable media. etc. It can also do RSS & browse the internet.
Between the XBMC, the Netflix/Wii thing, getting news from the computer, and the fact that our local library system has a massive (free) DVD collection, the dish is on the way out.
This will save us almost $90.00 a month. He only watches a few shows, and the only thing I'll miss are the new episodes of Doctor Who. My husband said that since we'll no longer be spending nearly $1,100.00 a year on the dish, we could purchase of DVD to get the few shows we'd miss if we'd like.
Reference bump! ;-)