Watching No TV, but TiVo (and DVR) Now
We did not see the benefit of TiVo until Verizon delivered FiOS TV to our house. In the past, we needed to buy a TiVo box and pay for a recording service (with the cable provider that has the Digital Video Recording (DVR) service). Now the FiOS TV gives us a Top Set Box (TSB) - they don't call it a "cable box" (not Cable TV) - this box has a DVR built in the box. Therefore, there is no add-on fee for DVR services. At about $30 per month, we get 30+ basic channels (including a free international channel) plus their HD mirror channels, and VOD (Video On Demand - so we could order movies and watch free recorded programs). The DVR could truely change the way we watch TV.
Because the TSB uses the Program Guide data to record the TV program, we could use keyword search, category browser, and the guide itself to find the program and set the recording series. When we see the program we like (in real time or from the guide schedule), we simply press the [Rec] buttom twice, this series will be automatically set for recording, on different schedule or on different channels.
The Motorola Dual Tuner DVR (DCT 6416) TSB has a 150-gbytes hard-disk that could store several hundreds of TV programs in standard resolution (about 100 hours of high-definition/HD programs). We could set the DVR to keep only the last 2 or 3 episodes for a series. The DVR also automatically remove the old recording for us, unless we want the recording to be protected. We don't worry a thing - just let the DVR on auto-pilot - so we could sit back and enjoy the watching.
FiOS TV is delivered via a fiber optic line, or called "fiber to the premises" (FTTP) telecommunications service. FiOS Internet deliveres between 15 and 50 mbps (megabytes per second download) Internet connection.
Verizon FiOS provides a free wireless router that connects our laptop at 11 mbps. We can watch live stream video programs on our computers. If don't need 200+ TV channels, we could get a bundle of TV/Internet/Phone (VoiceWing Internet VOIP/Voice Over IP) for under $90.
After we set up the TSB with DVR, we are watching high-quality TV programs. The kids do not need to surf the channels. They watch what we want them to watch with less commercial interruptions. By skipping the commercials, we could save about 30-40% of time. For example, we could start 40 mins late to watch a 2-hour baseball game, then skip most of the commercials, and see the final result as the game finishes in real time. Some TSB allows us to connect our computer and/or DVD burner for a copy of the recorded programs. The most important feature of DVR is we are in control on what our kids watch and when to watch them. "Say Goodbye to TV, Hello to TiVo and DVR."
You don't need 200 channels to watch high-quality TV programs. With the TiVo, you will realize there are so many good (educational and fun) programs across the channels in different time. For information on what to watch, please see Newton Kid's TV Channels
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Music for Road Trips
In addition to GBA and DVD players, we should encourage our kids listen to radio and music, but how do we know what we want the kids to listen to are the things they really like? We got many negative responses, especially to those long stories like "Harry Potter" and "A Series of Unfortunate Events." At the beginning, the kids are interested - as the car stopped, but the story could not continue. So listening radio and music are still the main activities in car.
On Radio, we often listen to:
- Radio Disney (AM 1260):
http://www.radiodisney.com;
On CD our favorites are:
- Superstar Kidz:
- Kidz Bop:
- Songs from America's Heartland:
- Disney Travel Songs:
- Science Verse:
- High School Musical:
This year, we rediscovered the love for UB40 music. Not a lot of people know about this group, as some were confused with another band, U2 (the lead singer came from Ireland). When we went to our local library, the librarian never heard UB40, but led us to the section with many U2 music on wars. In fact, UB40 is more pleasant to listen to. UB40's music is a mix of blue parties, jazz, light rock, and international travel songs. Their songs are mostly based on a Jamaican or Caribbean tempers or beats, performed with many instruments from South America and Africa. Wherever we are traveling, UB40 music brings a felling for cruise or small islands vacation.
We had two CDs from UB40, one is the Best of UB40, and the other is the Labour (Labor) of Love. :
You can get a sample of their music online for free at
http://www.myspace.com/ub40 .
As we lived and worked in United Kingdom for many years, we know UB40 is the code name for Unemployment Benefit Form (UB40). We were told that some of the musicians joined the band when they lost their jobs. The feeling of unemployment while on vacation made our road trips more relaxed and cheerful. No cellphone, no email, and no TV - get out of this world. As Newton Dad complains, listening to UB40 is the closest thing he never had with regard to unemployment. As many immigrants, we have been working since the day we landed in this country.
Are you sorry you have to go to work after your vacation? If you do, please email to INFO@newtonkid.com or Contact Us Online >>>