Mobile Wi-Fi devices–why didn’t anyone tell me these things are so damn useful?

Being a collector of different handsets and tablets can mean restricting usage of them at home for connectivity. Getting a real sense of them on the move, at first suggests individual SIM cards for each device which is not preferred due to the cost and in some cases lock-in on some providers contracts.

4G (LTE) connectivity s also something I wanted to take an up close and personal look given EE’s first off the bat launch in late 2012. There pricing for SIM and Phone plans on their 4G network were completely uncompetitive and its reported take up is seen as moderate at best. It was only when I realised there was a more clever way to get on to 4G and use remove any spend across any individual handset or tablet SIMs, did I come across the solution – the Huawei E589 mobile broadband modem from EE.

It’s pretty standard fare as these devices in their 3G form have been around for some time.  What clicked was realising I could cancel all of my handset SIM deals (as I never use the phone, except for my iPhone) and could then get the benefit of a) 4G Wi-Fi spot speeds and b) sharing them across my devices anytime I needed to take them out with me.  Of course there are corporate uses when I’m in the airport or just travelling around the UK. And of course there are international versions of this device, which are great to get better roaming charges on data.

Using it for the last week has seen a big boost in using my iPhone 5, Lumia 920, iPad mini and the Surface RT when I using them on the train or in the office. Performance was snappy, given that the download speed test results ranged between 10-20mpbs when in and around Docklands area in London. Having one of these on hand is like being a walking Wi-Fi spot having access to 4G speeds (dependent on location given the rollout programme), regardless of the device you are using and its native capability.

Set up is quick once you’ve inserted the SIM. You can do the usual in terms of hiding your SSID and changing the supplied password and you’re good to go.  You can even toggle the Wi-Fi to save on battery.  At the moment, I get about up to 3-days charges toggling it when I need it.  There’s an iPhone app to check your usage and all the other basic admin things you would expect to do. Nice.

So £50 up front for the device, £21 per month for 5Gb of data – shared across up to 5 devices. I’ll never need to buy a cellular iPad ever again.

Looking at cutting the cord to UK Satellite TV

In the UK, Sky TV have held a vice like grip on the satellite and non freeview market for a number of years.  They've been growing rapidly, picking up more channels alongside the movies and sports offerings which have provided them a winning combination since day 1.  With 50+ live channels just broadcasting HD (720p), they offer a value proposition that is difficult to match for other broadcasters at what is a competitive (if not expensive price).  For many customers, it's a must-have.

The trouble is, is distinguishing what you really want to watch and understanding the channels they are on, and then mapping that into the packages they offer for subscription.  As usual it's done in such a way where the average subscriber needs to buy a lot more in terms of packages, than what they really need.

Aside from my family, I watch a few things, mainly football, movies and US TV shows.  The rest of what  watch on Sky is just a circumstance of couch time.

Therefore, I approached Boxee with the usual geek-like salivation of yet another box to add to the home network, but also a curiosity as to whether I could meet my viewing demands.  The last requirement was for it to be polished and simple enough to use for my family.

So for the last week, I've been playing around with this thing.  A quick look at the device itself.

What I liked about Boxee box

• Generally good design  Box is small and neat, connectivity options are reasonable ok. Could have done with gigabit NIC and 5Ghz wireless N, but these are not deal-breakers.
• The UI is the sort of thing, you love or hate.  I'm not big for it.  Not sure, why, but I appreciate it's easy to use.
• Performance-wise, this is a media streamer and relies on a fast internet connection to make it fly in relation to the content.  
• The apps idea is good one.  Only a few I'm interested in such as Netflix or Vudu.  Hulu is still not available (yet). The apps which call upon the internal browser to stream content are quite poor in their execution.
• In terms of usability, alongside the UI, the reversible-remote is a great idea and executed ok.  Could be better in terms of the tactility of the keys and how to access all keys quickly when typing it passwords or URLs, but you can get by.

Detail you need to pay attention to

• A good VPN connection for access US licensed content.  Boxee uses PPTP and there are lots of good providers to get you set you up in no time
• A credit card account and contact details from the US.  Otherwise, Netflix and VDU are a no-go and this where it's can get useful.
• Lots of ISP download bandwidth.  When you make your VPN connection and run a speedtest, understandably, it's not the same as when you're on your home ISP connection.  Therefore FTTC and larger pipe cable users will be better suited to Boxee and the experience possible.

So what did I try?

Remember, it's about football, movies and US TV shows.

• Football using the FoxSoccer.TV streamed service.  OK quality and useful that it covers MANY live streams, including all the premiership games on a Saturday afternoon for example.
• Movies with 1080p.  Signed up with Vudu.  Nice app, easy to use and quality of movies is very good.  But price ay $5.99-$7.99 per movie.  Netflix is the alternative and charges $5.99 per throw.
• US TV Shows.  Again VDU deliver HD content between $1.99-$3.99.  If you want an all-you-can-eat sort of package, then it's Hulu.  Unfortunately, we're still awaiting for it to be an app on Boxee, despite it being on every other media console going in the U.S.  I expect it will be $7.99 for the Hulu Plus plan.
• Of course, if you get your HD content (movies and TV shows) via downloads from say, unofficial sources.  Then of course, Boxee will pick them up on your home network, add IMDB metadata to them and play them all with aplomb.
• Lastly, there is Navi-X,  the XBMC-like content aggregator.  It scrapes a wide variety of sources to present largely free content from again unofficial sources.  Playback and quality is variable.  Definitely a geeky thing.

Final thoughts
Spend £160 on the device, and add $21(£13) for a 3-month subscription to a VPN connection from a good service provider. FoxSoccer.TV is $20 (£12) per month.  Vudu and Netflix charge on a per content piece as described.  Of course, there are other content providers for free on the US boxee streams, but they tend to be limited in use and are often, laden with advertisements.

Gut-feeling, while this has been an interesting experiment, Boxee wil not replace Sky TV for now. It's a supplement and with added cost, give me more options on what I want to watch particularly on the footy side and getting access to US movies and TV shows.  For example, just using my Mac, I can now access footy on a Saturday afternoon and watch US shows whenever I fancy it.   Playback on iOS devices have additional subscriber costs from apps which I'd need a US-based iTunes account to get.

All in all, it's still a geeky niche product for me and not ready for the front-room and it may not get to that stage in the family home.  However, it has a number of uses not only in terms of what I've mentioned but certainly for content from the darker side of the net ;-)