said by jcondon:said by RemyM:You can get your OTA stations through Aereo.
»aereo.com/zips
And many cable shows are available to purchase online.
All well and good for those of us who have the Internet and are tech savy. My MIL sold her computer a year ago and doesn't currently have any Internet or cell phone at all. Should be getting a basic non smart phone soon.
I actually considered the option though for her. Would it be cheaper to have a cable modem only and then do Aereo and Vonage? Maybe but probably not drastically. Do I think she could figure out Roku or Apple TV? Probably not or it would be pain full at least. Her Closed Caption got turned on by her (probably when she was dusting) and I couldn't walk her through how to turn it off. So when I was there Sunday I had to turn it off for her.
If she's on a fixed income or receives any type of assistance, she might qualify for the Federal Lifeline program, which includes offers from wireless providers such as Virgin Mobile's
Assurance Wireless and many
other wireless service providers . I didn't think mom would qualify as she doesn't receive any Federal Assistance, however apparently her yearly income is just within the range needed to qualify.
While this kinda goes against my principles, it gives me a chance to take back some of the money myself and family paid in
USF charges from the coffers of the bureaucrats while helping a relative.
Your mother in law might qualify simply on income, as my mom did, or participation in an assistance program. If anything, it's worth looking into. Since she doesn't have a computer, you can simply give her the telephone #: 1-888-321-5880 (Assurance Wireless).
My mom qualified for their 250 free minutes/250 free texts program. She pays an additional $5 a month to bring both up to 500, which are more than enough for her to keep in touch with grand kids, kids & relatives. If she needs more, she just uses her phone to top up her account. While you don't get a nice iOS/Android phone, you do get a functional Kyocera or Motorola low cost set with limited online capabilities.
HTH,