Blackfoot Telecommunications now offers a streaming primer

Blackfoot Telecommunications helped take some of the mystery out of “streaming” and “smart TVs” and even how to watch good old-fashioned local TV in today’s era, with a first-ever “Understanding Streaming” workshop in Thompson Falls April 24.

A dozen people came to Thompson Falls High School library to hear Kina Kuhn and another Blackfoot representative team up with Blackfoot’s long-time training partner, Denise Loran of WaterColorCT (Missoula), unravel and simplify the concept of streaming, and the related devices and services that it entails.

Loran, who has taught the “Easy Access” Windows 8 and then 10 classes for a decade, started by defining terminology such as “streaming device.” Many in the audience already stream their screen entertainment, since virtually all TVs made since 2012 are capable, but for some, that little black box that connects to the TV was an object to be feared.

Everyone in the class knew how to stream videos on their computers, so Loran showed how simply a smart TV can be made to do the same thing, or at least project the computer’s screen on a large TV, by simply finding the right connectors to hook all the devices together. Even a phone can be connected, to show your vacation pictures without the old slide projector. If you can’t tell what connectors to use, Loran and the others recommended taking a picture of the ports on your computer or TV and asking at the store what ends you need on a cable between whatever devices you are connecting.

A smart TV, Loran explained, picks up your wireless or ethernet internet connection just as your computer does. A streaming device comes with programming that offers menus to help select from the seemingly unlimited services available to purchase movies and other shows from, also called “content providers,” such as Netflix or Hulu. Each service focuses on different subjects, including sports, news, older or newer movies and TV shows, etc. Roku, or Amazon’s Firestick, Google’s Chromecast Ultra, Apple TV 4K and Nidia Shield TV were given as examples of such a device, with some focusing your attention toward their own products, while Roku is more of a neutral source. Some content is available for free, but often comes with commercials.

Internet speed is a critical factor in how smoothly a video can be streamed, and many have experienced the “buffering” that pauses a show while data comes in. As Blackfoot works to bring faster access to more and more areas, they expect streaming to become ever more popular. However, there is only so much “bandwidth” to any area, and “if everyone comes home and turns on their streaming at the same time, the streaming speed will also be slowed, regardless of the internet speed in the home.

If you still want to watch free local TV channels, a sleek upgrade to the old “rabbit ears” antenna is available for about ten dollars. It is about the size and shape of a mouse pad but hangs on the wall or stands on your TV. Reception, as always, will depend on the broadcast tower signals available at your specific site.

Each class participant received a free Roku device to start trying out their newfound streaming knowledge. This class was a “teaser” the trainers said, and anyone needing assistance or more information can call Blackfoot at 541-5000 and ask for Customer Care.