How to cut the cable yet stay within your bandwidth cap

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After 31 years of doing this column pretty much without a break, I’m finally back from a family crisis and moving into a new house, which sadly are not the same things. Why don’t I feel rested? I have a big column coming tomorrow but wanted to take this moment to just cover a few things that I’ve noticed during our move.

We have become cable cutters. Before the fire we had satellite TV (Dish) and could have kept it, but I wanted to try finding our video entertainment strictly over the Internet. It’s been an interesting experience so far and has taught us all a few lessons about what I expect will be an upcoming crisis of people blowing past their bandwidth caps.

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How to watch the Paris-Roubaix bicycle race online

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The pro-cycling season is well underway. Things kicked off early with the Tour Down Under way back in January, but now it ramps up with the Spring Classics. The most well-known of those is Paris-Roubaix, better known as "The Hell of the North". The cobblestones that lead through the forests can be deadly, especially when wet.

That race commences April 8, and if you don't get TV coverage, fear not. There's a way you can watch the action and possibly a bit of carnage, although we hope there is none of that this time. NBC Sports Gold will be carrying the race online.

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Watch the Grammys live on your Roku

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Tonight is the annual music extravaganza known as the Grammys. It's a long-standing awards show and many prominent artists are up for receiving one of the coveted trophies, most notably Jay Z who is nominated for eight of them.

Artists set to perform include Lady Gaga, Pink, Elton John, Miley Cyrus, Childish Gambino, Kendrick Lamar and Little Big Town. There will also be a tribute to the victims of the shooting in the Las Vegas nightclub last year.

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Back from the dead: Unofficial Kodi add-on provider TVAddons now has 12 million monthly active users

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TVAddons has had a tough year. The site, which provides access to unofficial Kodi add-ons, and for a time had a custom build of Kodi called FreeTelly, has been sued, had its site closed down and its domains and social media accounts seized.

On top of that, it’s also had a number of run-ins with Team Kodi, which called for the site to be permanently shut down, claiming it brings "nothing but misery to everyone."

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After a brief absence, CBS returns to DISH

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For those who have cable or a satellite TV service, you may be used to the occasional channel, or a few of them, disappearing. This is most frequently due to contract disputes as large conglomerate networks attempt to prop up channels that aren't doing so well. It's usually worked out, though it can take some time.

That scenario recently played out between CBS and DISH. The former yanked its channel package off of the satellite provider's service in an effort to extort more money.

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CBS blocks its network from DISH subscribers

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While many people opt for cable there are also a fair amount who go against that grain, subscribing to a satellite provider for various reasons -- maybe it's location, perhaps it's NFL Sunday Ticket. There are two major players in that market -- DirecTV and DISH.

All sorts of problems can interrupt service, both to an entire system, or just certain provided networks. One of the biggest reasons for providers and customers alike is contract disputes. That's something we see all too often. The mess is generally sorted out, but it sometimes drags out for too long.

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The Lord of the Rings -- Amazon plans to take you back to Middle Earth

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Did you read the classic JRR Tolkien books? Perhaps you saw the award-winning series of movies that did a phenomenal job of portraying The Lord of the Rings story. There are, of course, some things left out for brevity's sake -- it's hard to put that many words on the big screen.

For everyone who reminisces about the books and/or the films there will soon be a way to get transported back to that magical land of elves, dwarves, wizards, orcs and other creatures that reside in a certain part of our psyche.

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Roku's latest remote can control more of your home

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If you aren't using a Roku then you may be missing out on something special. The tiny streaming device has many features such as Netflix, Hulu and hundreds of other apps, including music ones.

There is, however, much more that can be done if you integrate other products into the entertainment setup, but that can get pricey when you begin bringing in other products to control different items. It could also mean you regularly having to reach for other remote controls.

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Amazon makes Fire TV Stick available in over 100 countries

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Not long after releasing the original Amazon Fire TV as a small set-top box, Amazon shrunk its player down into stick form. It's a small dongle that plugs directly into an HDMI port on your TV or monitor, or even an HDMI switch if you'd like to easily move between sources.

Now the retail giant is opening up the market for the Fire TV Stick to people around the globe, bringing entertainment to everyone.

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Warning: Kodi could be spying on you -- secret addition looks for 'infringing' add-ons and warns you to remove them

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Kodi is rarely out of the news these days, and the media center software has become synonymous with piracy.

Users who install third-party add-ons that allow them to stream TV shows and movies illegally should be aware that developers could be monitoring their devices, looking for 'infringing' add-ons that facilitate piracy. Worse still, if any of these add-ons are found, a nag screen will appear demanding their removal.

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There's only a few days left to get your free Roku Premier with DirecTV NOW

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Looking for a good set-top box that can do most anything? There are several on the market, including Amazon Fire TV and even Android TV, but the top one for most folks out there is the tiny Roku. With its hundreds of apps and ability to play things like Hulu, Netflix and others it's a solid choice.

Models and prices vary, but the Roku Premier is currently being offered for free if you'd like to get in on the action.

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HBO hackers leak Game of Thrones Season 7 ending

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Following the hack of HBO, there has been a string of Game of Thrones leaks -- everything from scripts to complete episodes. Now the Mr Smith group behind the hack has leaked the ending of season 7 of the show.

The leak is part of the "sixth wave" of data dumps and it reveals exactly how the show will end. With HBO seemingly unwilling to pay the ransom demanded by the hackers, the latest leak really comes as little surprise.

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HBO hack leads to Game of Thrones leak

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HBO is the latest company to suffer a hack and subsequent leak of shows. Hackers are said to have breached the network's security and gained access to 1.5TB of data including Game of Thrones scripts and unaired episodes of shows.

Episodes of Ballers and Room 104 have been leaked online, but it is the release of what appears to the script to next week's Game of Thrones that's drawing the most attention.

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If you're downloading Game of Thrones, HBO has its eye on you

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As the new season of any major series kicks off, torrent traffic for episodes clogs up internet pipes around the world. This has been true of everything from True Blood to Lost, and it's no different with season seven of Game of Thrones.

Clearly the networks behind shows that are shared via BitTorrent and through other means are keen to clamp down on piracy, and anyone planning to download Game of Thrones is cautioned that HBO is actively monitoring people pirating the series, and warnings are being sent out.

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Here's when you can buy Samsung's artsy 'The Frame' television

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In many homes, a large television is the focal point of the living room. When people gather in that area, they tend to sit in chairs that face the TV. Times are changing, however, as people are spending more time watching videos on laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Maybe it is time to redefine the way we think of the television.

Samsung has done exactly that, you see, with its all-new 4K televisions called "The Frame." Since they were unveiled earlier this year, some people have been clamoring to get one. It isn't hard to see why -- they are super-thin and can be "framed" to look like works of art. You can then display images of art on the screen when not in use. In other words, you can look sophisticated as if you don't own a TV when company is over, while secretly watching The Bachelor and Maury when alone. Thankfully, we finally know the release date.

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