Kicking Cable to the Curb

[kiba]

Yeah, I like the DMZ idea, that may be my next increment.

You might not need to, my isp (fios) throttles streams and blocks providers I got like. 50 times more providers/sources back when using a vpn

Here is the experiment I did a while back for a freind fwiw, he didn't believe me

Here's Suicide squad Exodus,
This is on our main router, home network with no open vpn:

8 items, 1/2 page

Same thing, except this is on the second router network with openvpn

441 items, 32 pages

All the ones that I tried on the home network ended up being trailers as well.

Exodus is all I really ever use. Well, that and Netflix, HBONow, Amazon, and PLEX. I am not a big sports fan so I didnt seek out any of that stuff. In fact, the Android boxes came loaded with so many addons that I disabled most of them simply because I got tired of waiting through all of the automatic updates.

I do pay for HBO, and my SO pays for Netflix. I know I could get all of that content through Kodi but I dont mind paying for content I actually use.

At the end of the day I spent about $500 on hardware, and less than $40 in MRCs. I still get Internet only through the cable company. I was ahead of the game $$ wise about 4 months into this.

Yeah we also have HBO now, I mostly use Netflix, or Hulu, PS vue off the dvr, etc. I just like getting a good quality stream without faffing around. I can't sit through an entire movie from kodi in 720p "hd" stretched out onto a 4k screen, it sets my ocd way off. My gf and my cousin both use kodi a lot though and they enjoy it.

 

[garyoa1]

U can adjust the picture size.

 

[kiba]

U can adjust the picture size.

I'm saying the streams that say "hd" are actually 720p, the ones that don't are 480p, only the 1080p ones are for reals HD.

 

[garyoa1]

Oh I hear ya. In fact some "HD"s are SD as well. Exodus has become my last resort. Zen and HD Movie "ususally" have more HD than the others. But still, no guarantee.

 

[mikepetro]

You might not need to, my isp (fios) throttles streams and blocks providers I got like. 50 times more providers/sources back when using a vpn

I havent had that problem.... yet. I do use REALDebrid though, and that gained me a marked improvement in the quality of my streams.

I just like getting a good quality stream without faffing around. I can't sit through an entire movie from kodi in 720p "hd" stretched out onto a 4k screen, it sets my ocd way off.

I havent gone the 4k route. The distance that I sit from my TV, about 15 feet, negates the benefit. That, and my aging eyes (sucks getting old). 720-1080 suits me just fine, and saved me a bunch on TV hardware. Now if I had a Home Theater room with optimally placed seating I am sure I would be singing a different tune.

 

[kiba]

Oh I hear ya. In fact some "HD"s are SD as well. Exodus has become my last resort. Zen and HD Movie "ususally" have more HD than the others. But still, no guarantee.

Yeah, I mean you can find 1080p for the popular stuff, but basically what we are doing to these providers w/ these addons is the same thing as a constant ddos attack. So understandably some of them don't stream too well, but by the second or third buffering I'm pretty much done and off to find something on Netflix or Hulu.

 

[kiba]

I havent had that problem.... yet. I do use REALDebrid though, and that gained me a marked improvement in the quality of my streams.




I havent gone the 4k route. The distance that I sit from my TV, about 15 feet, negates the benefit. That, and my aging eyes (sucks getting old). 720-1080 suits me just fine, and saved me a bunch on TV hardware. Now if I had a Home Theater room with optimally placed seating I am sure I would be singing a different tune.

Yeah I use real debrid.... some of the time, most off the time I don't want to mess around with having them log my ip... I know I'm using a VPN but still, makes me paranoid. One of the reasons I have openload and all the others disabled.

This is how paranoid I actually am, lol. I think I probably took it to the next level. The VPN I picked is pia, the anonymous one where they don't log any data, I signed up for it with a fake email from a public WiFi, and I pay for it with a gift card I pay cash for. Got the idea from another guy on another forum, like a fart in the wind.

 

[mikepetro]

Yeah, I havent reached that level of CYA yet. I cover my tracks were I can. For me, the biggest thing is just not to "serve" anything. For the most part I have not seen them go after people that are only downloading, theres no money in it for them, its a waste of resources. For example I never have done the torrent thing, ever, and never will.

 

[umanbean]

This is how paranoid I actually am, lol. I think I probably took it to the next level. The VPN I picked is pia, the anonymous one where they don't log any data, I signed up for it with a fake email from a public WiFi, and I pay for it with a gift card I pay cash for.

To me, sounds more prudent than paranoid. I need to take some cues from you.

Got the idea from another guy on another forum, like a fart in the wind.

If I could be like that everywhere I go on the netz, I'd be a happy camper. Just blowin' in the wind. I know it's possible to be ~almost~ anonymous ~most~ the time, but it takes a lot of effort.

I don't do anything or go anywhere out of the ordinary, but still...

 

[umanbean]

For example I never have done the torrent thing, ever, and never will.

Same here...

 

[kiba]

Yeah, I havent reached that level of CYA yet. I cover my tracks were I can. For me, the biggest thing is just not to "serve" anything. For the most part I have not seen them go after people that are only downloading, theres no money in it for them, its a waste of resources. For example I never have done the torrent thing, ever, and never will.

Yeah, I think it's the seeding that they're mostly worried about, still, it doesn't make me feel any less paranoid, lol

We've also got several terabytes of (probably) illegally ripped dvd's and blu-rays on my plex server, I could probably prove they're mostly all mine but still. Vpn Makes me feel a lot better.

 

[mikepetro]

NNTP is a wonderful thing.....

 

[2legsshrt]

I'm saying the streams that say "hd" are actually 720p, the ones that don't are 480p, only the 1080p ones are for reals HD.

Actually from what I've seen 720 is also HD or it could be the upscaling of my tv or box. All those 1080's you got with your VPN are the movie correct not a trailer. I don't get restricted by my ISP at all but I have DSL business acct only 40Mbps but the way it is done is they brought 2 dedicated 20Mbps lines into the house and the modem puts the 2 together. No buffering well maybe twice in the last 2 months.

 

[2legsshrt]

If you use the Z key on the keyboard to change your aspect it does a much better job then using the aspect on the tv less distortion of the pic. And not sure if your box has the settings for 4k which also seems to work well. It is a setting on the general opening screen for the box itself not just Kodi.

 

[2legsshrt]

This is what I got using Real Debrid (not necessary) on my regular home ISP

 

[2legsshrt]

Not as many 1080's but I'm sure there are a lot more if I would have scrolled down. Normally the RD ones work 1st time though

 

[kiba]

Actually from what I've seen 720 is also HD or it could be the upscaling of my tv or box. All those 1080's you got with your VPN are the movie correct not a trailer. I don't get restricted by my ISP at all but I have DSL business acct only 40Mbps but the way it is done is they brought 2 dedicated 20Mbps lines into the house and the modem puts the 2 together. No buffering well maybe twice in the last 2 months.

Yeah depending on what your hardware and settings are, the gpu can use selective pixel scaling and/or directx hardware (or software) acceleration to stretch a small picture into a bigger one. The direct X one works best out of the modes but it still sets my ocd off. Not actually joking about that part lol. I just look for a stream in 1080p or if I can't find one I skip it and find something else to do.

and yeah those 1080p ones are the movie. Fios, they had blocked literally everything but the trailers, with the vpn I use a Mexican IP and I can still get all of them, Mexico dont give a crap, aparently.

If you use the Z key on the keyboard to change your aspect it does a much better job then using the aspect on the tv less distortion of the pic. And not sure if your box has the settings for 4k which also seems to work well. It is a setting on the general opening screen for the box itself not just Kodi.

That was on my htpc, actually I think the graphics cards can go up to 5120, but yeah our shield boxes can also do 4k, it'll automatically detect the TV's best resolution through the gpu... but netflix and Hulu only have a few movies or shows in 4k so far, there's adding more gradually, but you can watch 4k movies that are on my plex server through kodi.

 

[kiba]

but yeah the shield tv boxes actually do 4k pretty well, they've got good enough hardware, they all use tegrax1 processors and are one of the only android boxes to put a Maxwell gpu with cores from the pc version. its one of the reasons we got them to replace the old ones. the old boxes we had could do 4k but all 3 were limited to 30fps which was not a fun time, especially in scenes where the camera would pan or there lot of action or something. actually, any sort of movement, once you start to notice it.

I mostly use the htpc but ive tested them with a few 4k movies and found it acceptable and i'm super picky. if something bugs me it'll keep bugging me unless I fix it or walk away.

rn I have real debrid, the openload ones, and some of the alluc ones disabled, bc my gf is mostly the one who uses kodi, every time same thing.... first thing on the list is like a million providers from real debrid or alluc and she pick the first one, it'll keep coming with the pop-ups and she'll just keep hitting cancel over and over till I start to hear the Chewbacca noise.

 

[Iffy]

OK, just gotta ask da actual users here, what does...

- Real Debride/etc.
- NetFlix/Plex/etc.
- any paid subscription

... provide beyond Kodi's inherent capability?

Nawh, I don't need to watch PPV UCF/WWC/etc. live teleca$t$ (I can wait 24 hours). Can already watch live American prime time/sports/news of my choice via Kodi wid what I have. IOW, what am I missing here besides spending mo' $$?

And no, I have no esoteric/rare/historic video collection to preserve fer whatever reason. I do appreciate those dat do, but not my goal. Nor do I have a 4K TV. Nonetheless, being an ol' phart, 720/1080 beats da crap outta what I've watched fer most of my existence!

 

[garyoa1]

Yer missin spendin mo muny, IMHO. I have no problemz wit nuttin.