Okay, if you are like me, you are tired of the word “Ninja” being overused in popular media to imply of someone who is great at doing something. However, in an effort to be super cool, I’m going to use it too.
The nomadic nature of being a traveler comes with a lot of challenges that sometimes take some experience to learn how to navigate. With computer access, laptops, tablets, and my personal favorite “phablets” (large mobile phones such as the Samsung Note) being used more and more for their digital content rather than work related activities, a lot of travelers have turned them into their mobile digital entertainment device.
As a traveler, sometimes cable is included in your housing package and sometimes it’s not. When it isn’t you have a couple choices. You can watch the sitcoms straight from the channels’ website, like ABC or NBC, Comedy Central, etc. on which ever media system you want for free. You can go through the process of setting up cable yourself, although it’s a bit of a pain, or you can turn to a new option which works great and really fits into the lifestyle of travelers.
I’m talking about streaming TV devices such as Roku, Google Chromecast, and Amazon Fire. For a pretty modest fee of anywhere from $10-$20 dollars a month and a purchase cost of less than $50, you have your own entertainment package that only requires Wi-Fi to use. You can find Wi-Fi just about anywhere in fact; a lot of apartments have broadcast Wi-Fi for free when cable isn’t. These devices are self-contained in what amounts to a small thumb drive that plugs into any TV that has an HDMI outlet and comes with a small remote. Watch live TV, recorded TV, and even purchase movies from Amazon, Netflix, or sign up for HBO GO service.
A little more research and you can see if your current cable subscriber (at your home address or parents’ house) has a mobile platform. From that mobile platform you can tell your DVR at home to record shows, movies, or whatever content you want and you can play them back remotely. You can even purchase movies from your home DVR with the mobile platform and then replay them remotely. If you are a member of Amazon Prime, even better; you not only have access to free next day shipping (which comes in super handy when you are a traveler) but you get free access to their online content.
So there really is no reason to setup cable TV on your assignment, unless you like spending hundreds of dollars. Get an Amazon Fire Stick or Roku Stick, sign up for HBO GO, use your DVR at home, or purchase movies from Amazon or Netflix and you will have plenty of entertainment at your fingertips, literally.
Plus you get to say you are a Digital Entertainment Ninja, and that is pretty cool!
Andy Hanneman is an Account Manager in the Diagnostic Imaging division of Aureus Medical Group. Andy and his wife are celebrating their twins 1 year birthday. When not working, his life is filled with feeding and changing diapers. (He would also like to mention the tireless efforts of his wonderful, beautiful, patient, and understanding wife who takes care of the girls full-time. Without her, his sleepless nights would be much worse.) Being a parent is an awesome power and responsibility and at the end of the day, his girls bring a huge smile to his face. Plus he wanted to mention, he has not yet dropped them, so he’s got that going for him, which is nice!