Consumer Products are a part of personal finance, so occasionally you'll see an article here about something that grabbed my attention - thanx to Renaissance Investments for this one!
Just don't give up your cable connection quite yet. Apple TV, Boxee, Netflix - all three arrived in Canada late last year but with one major disadvantage. We got the watered down Canadian versions instead of the more sophisticated American models.
To be sure, the set top box hardware is the same, it's just what the boxes are allowed to do or, more importantly, not to do. To give the most egregious example, in Canada, Apple TV doesn't even offer TV shows, one of its main draws in the US.
So, is it even worth opting for internet TV?
The answer depends on how much you're prepared to pay to start experimenting with streaming TV while you continue to pay cable bills. Here are some of the pro and cons of internet TV.
Apple TV $119 - While Apple TV won't get you your favourite shows just yet, you can use this palm-sized set top device to watch movies from iTunes, show off your photos on the big screen at family gatherings, and set up a house-wide sound system. With any luck, it won't be too long before an agreement is forged that will allow Canadians, who don't have a US iTunes account, to watch their favourite shows. At that point, you'll be more familiar with streaming TV and can crunch the numbers to decide whether it's worth it to give up cable altogether.
Boxee $229 or free - Boxee is a set top device that finds shows and movies available on the internet and puts them on your TV. The software was originally developed as open source and geek types can set it up without buying the new box, which is manufactured by D-Link. The box's main selling pint is supposed to be ease of use. Alas, according to the reviews, it is far from a no-brainer and, given the price tag and the restricted access in Canada to entertainment providers like Hulu, it's probably not worth your while. Stick with the free software if you're up for it.
Netflix Canada $7.99 per month - You can stream Netflix Canada to both Apple TV and Boxee as well as to Wiis and Xboxes. But there's on big problem. Even though you can watch all the moves and TV shows you want, Netflix Canada's selection has been described as similar to the discount DVD bin at your local drugstore. Netflix has said it wants to improve the selection but needs more customers and revenues to do so, creating a chicken and egg situation. Before you sign up, check out the selection and make sure there's enough available to keep you entertained.
Roku - This set top box is very highly rated but only available in the US with no plans to enter the Canadian market.
Google TV - It's not in Canada yet either but the reviewers have deemed it expensive and over complicated so at least we don't have to feel bad about being left out of this one.
Me, I'll stick to my satellite for awhile yet - with the occasional downloads from CBC (gotta watch my Dragon's Den!)
Monday, March 7, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Spending Patterns
This last week I spent some time looking at personal financial software again. It really came down to two choices - Quicken or Mint.com As I was searching for reviews of the two, I came across a really interesting article.
First - what I saw as the difference between Quicken and mint.com was that mint was a "cloud" product and Quicken was a desktop product. Then I discovered that Quicken now has a cloud product out there too!
This is where it got interesting. I'm a big fan of data mining - I like to be able to look at large volumes of data and find the nuggets in it. Mint.com provides a really unique opportunity for that - because all of this data is uploaded to one database, it becomes possible to mine it for interesting trends.
No, you and I can't do that - at least not yet. But in one of the reviews I read comparing Quicken to mint.com they let it slip that mint.com had noticed a significant change in people's spending habits - a drop of $300 US/month per user!
This is where cloud computing gets really interesting - if everybody is uploading all their data - whether it be pictures or finances - it makes it relatively easy to track trends. Nobody is interested in what a specific individual does (okay, MOST people aren't) - but to know what a large population of people is doing? This is WAY better than all the crazy membership cardst to track "discounts" - but that are really just set up to track your spending patterns.
So, what made this so interesting to me was this: the data at mint.com shows a drop of $300/month is spending. Are people, in general, becoming less of the consumer animal we've grown accustomed to? Or does this represent a small part of the population. It could be argued that those who are willing to take the time to manage their finances by computer are more likely to be fiscally responsible. How broad-based is this trend?
Personally, I'm torn on whether it's a good thing or not. Long-term, better fiscal responsibility is better for individuals and the country. Short-term, if you spend all your money on consumer stuff it's gonna drive up the profits of companies I might own...
Let's get responsible people!
First - what I saw as the difference between Quicken and mint.com was that mint was a "cloud" product and Quicken was a desktop product. Then I discovered that Quicken now has a cloud product out there too!
This is where it got interesting. I'm a big fan of data mining - I like to be able to look at large volumes of data and find the nuggets in it. Mint.com provides a really unique opportunity for that - because all of this data is uploaded to one database, it becomes possible to mine it for interesting trends.
No, you and I can't do that - at least not yet. But in one of the reviews I read comparing Quicken to mint.com they let it slip that mint.com had noticed a significant change in people's spending habits - a drop of $300 US/month per user!
This is where cloud computing gets really interesting - if everybody is uploading all their data - whether it be pictures or finances - it makes it relatively easy to track trends. Nobody is interested in what a specific individual does (okay, MOST people aren't) - but to know what a large population of people is doing? This is WAY better than all the crazy membership cardst to track "discounts" - but that are really just set up to track your spending patterns.
So, what made this so interesting to me was this: the data at mint.com shows a drop of $300/month is spending. Are people, in general, becoming less of the consumer animal we've grown accustomed to? Or does this represent a small part of the population. It could be argued that those who are willing to take the time to manage their finances by computer are more likely to be fiscally responsible. How broad-based is this trend?
Personally, I'm torn on whether it's a good thing or not. Long-term, better fiscal responsibility is better for individuals and the country. Short-term, if you spend all your money on consumer stuff it's gonna drive up the profits of companies I might own...
Let's get responsible people!
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