Optus Premium Speed - Worth the Money?

I'm getting upgraded to the premium speed pack on my Optusnet Cable plan so thought this would provide a good opportunity to do a comparison of before and after.

So, this is my result on my laptop on 14/11/13 though wifi connection before the upgrade using the OOkla Speedtest..




And another from 15/11/13



I will update once I get my new DOCSIS 3.0 modem to see the changes. Hopefully they'll be worth the extre $10 a month!

UPDATE: I now have the speedpack added and a spanking new Docsis 3.0 modem to go with it and I have to say the new speeds are pretty damn impressive. Below are the new speed test results where the results speak for themselves.

Pepperjack Shiraz on its way

As part of a marketing campaign that I am lucky to be part of I have the chance to try some Pepperjack Shiraz...mmm. Just got my email today that my package is on its way. Nothing like free wine!

Can't wait. I'll let you know how it is.

UPDATE: Yum! everyone that tried the Shiraz agree that it is a mighty fine drop!

Ten Play - Ten Don't Play?

Channel Ten have recently launched their new catch-up web page - Ten Play.

Trouble is the title seems misleading. I tried watching something on the browser through the PS3. The whole system crashed. OK, maybe a Playstation fault...the browser never was PS3's strong point.

This morning I'm trying to watch something on the site on my laptop. Waiting....waiting....nada.

Hard to see how ABC can get it so right with IView and to a lesser extent, SBS with their catch-up site but the big boys in Australian TV lag behind.

Seven's site is OK at best, with fairly ordinary quality of the streaming, Channel Nine's is mediocre and I'm yet to get anything on Ten.

Oh well, back to Aunty I suppose.

UPDATE: the teething problems seem to be over for TenPlay. There's only two things wrong with it in my opinion..,.too many ads and not enough shows I actually care that I missed. I did LOVE Puberty Blues though and am quite sad that it has finished. Quality acting and writing on Australian TV is hard to find.

My boy sends me strange messages...

Breaking Bad

Is it just me....or are you champing at the bit for the next installment of BREAKING BAD?

Now...if only there was some way of getting it moments after it finishes screening in the States....

[evil laugh grows louder and louder]

Doing the geoblock

There's been a bit of brow beating recently in the tech areas of the Sydney papers about the morality of geoblocking and subsequent watching of services such as NetFlix and Hulu Plus etc. This is an interesting progression from what used to be written about - namely bittorrenting and demonstrates that as the speed of the web has increased, so too has the viewing habits of the users. Where once, people waited a few hours for a free torrent of their favourite show to download, now we want it instantaneously and more interestingly, are willing to pay for it.

This is where the moral argument comes into play. Is it less 'evil' to pay for a service in the USA than to download a free torrent? Services such as Netflix and Hulu do pay producers for their content, but the rights are for US content and it can be argued Australians are ripping off producers by not contributing to the Australian companies that pay substantial prices for Australian distribution.

Personally, I think that the world is changing, and in this internet age, we shouldn't be limiting ourselves to these ideas of geography anymore. The internet is a medium which joins the globe together, and copyright laws and distribution rights are lagging behind the reality of the everyday consumer. If we want a movie, we'll find it. If we want to see the latest episode of Dexter, we'll download or stream it. TV is old and boring, and cable is better, but too damn expensive. Streaming is the new way forward. Even Foxtel is getting into the act with its new Foxtel Play service, recognising the shift in Australian's viewing habits. However, it is still at the moment a poor cousin to what Australians can access through a bit of simple geo-blocking and a subscription to Netflix and Hulu Plus.

How to geo block? I've tried a couple of DNS blocking services (simply for research purposes for this article of course) - Unblock US and Smart DNS. Both have a short free trial and both work extremely well for the purpose they're designed for - giving access to people outside the U.S. to the popular sites. Setup is easy and you don't have to be locked into your computer to watch, as a simple bit of back door fiddling allows consoles such as Xbox and PS3 to gain you access through your loungeroom TV.

So why wait? Unblock Netflix today!

The world really is your oyster!

Ben starts school

My oldest boy started school today...


 

A turning point?

I've blogged a few times about the ridiculous hype, and subsequent free marketing the press here in Australia (and I'm sure the rest of the world) give to Apple and its upcoming products. "Is this the new iPhone?' articles appear with regularity with any rumour, photo etc eagerly gobbled up by a hungry press eager to have the i-word included in the headline. However, an article appeared the other day suggesting Samsung phones are overtaking Apple and now today, the Sydney Morning Herald has published this... http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/is-this-samsungs-next-galaxy-smartphone-20130107-2cbrp.html Perhaps, finally the worm has turned.