Andrew Hale: IT Talk & Other Topics

As the idea of a connected-home becomes a larger reality for more people, there are some general best practices on how to go about making it a success rather than a frustrating and expensive phase in your life. I've read and researched a lot over the last several years and have been able to witness smart-home devices become commonplace among the general population. In this research, I've seen a lot of different setups, from simple to complex. I've seen a significant amount of what works, common pitfalls, etc. I'd like to pass along some of this advice along to you so you can love your HA (Home Automation) configuration rather than frustrate everyone in your home.

At the time of this writing, I live in a condo and have exactly 1 company who's authorized to provide TV service and exactly 2 options for internet access (one of which I've already had and dumped for poor reliability). We had a TV & Internet bundle through a company called Broadstar Communications, which exclusively services apartment- and condo-complexes. For my area, their internet is through leased fiber lines from Cox Communications and they're a re-seller for Dish satellite TV service (the cable box, remote and software all say "Dish", but I'm not directly a Dish customer.) For the purpose of this post, I'll be examining the pros/cons and cost difference of leaving a "traditional" TV package for Hulu Live TV, including factoring in the power consumption on the equipment.