It's great being back in the apartment as it didn't take long to get the bags unpacked and things feeling like home. Actually, I'm rather surprised that although we used the Internet a lot during this trip, being connected to the usual data stream also helped to make things seem like normal.
While gone, I received an email from Netflix that they had become available as a streaming-only service in Canada. We're very happy with our local DVD-by-mail company called Videomatica. Yet, I did sign up for my free month with Netflix to check out the service. There are a number of approved devices on which their service will presently operate and my PS3 is one of them. The main reason we have the PlayStation is not for gaming but rather for Blu-ray capability, so it's already connected to the living room flat-screen.
After just a short trial, I can see the benefits of streaming through a legitimate source. The actual television and movie pickings look pretty slim at present, but I'm sure they'll build up the library quickly. As Canadians, we run up against content provider copyright problems a lot. If one tries to sign onto Internet services such as Pandora or Hulu, one gets a polite road block and warning screen which usually looks something like this:
"Our service is only for Americans, by which we mean people who live in the United States. Unfortunately, by your IP address, we have figured out that you are at least several meters north of the 49th Parallel. Therefore, you are not entitled to access our system. Although you watch and listen to many of the same things as we do, you have an entirely different set of monopolies, media barons, and licence-holders. If you are smart enough to know your way around the Internet, there are ways to pretend to be residing in sunny Los Angeles, and which will trick our site into sharing its contents. If this applies to you, happy viewing. If you are an average consumer, you are shit out of luck."
The first month of Netflix in Canada is free. I expect to keep my subscription at this point. Although it allows unlimited viewing, it would only take several movies in order to justify the $7.95 monthly fee. Now, when exactly, can I drop satellite TV?