by ben patterson | Nov 30, 2016 | home video, how-tos, phones, tablets
Until now, the Netflix app on your Android or iOS device wouldn’t do you much good if you were on a jetliner at 30,000 feet, deep in a subway tunnel, or otherwise out of range of a decent Wi-Fi or cellular connection. All that’s changed thanks to... 
by ben patterson | Jul 28, 2016 | home video, how-tos, networking
Mary Ellen writes: Is there a device that would pick up and strengthen a weak Wi-Fi signal? I have a condo in a building where Wi-Fi is provided but it is shared by another unit, and the router is not located in my unit. Although my smartphone can receive emails etc.,... 
by ben patterson | May 18, 2016 | home video, how-tos
Mary writes: Do you know if there is a way to see past queues? I can’t remember the name of a movie we had seen and would like to look back at my queues to see what the name of it was. Hi Mary! I don’t know a way to view an old snapshot of your Netflix... 
by ben patterson | May 11, 2016 | home video, how-tos
Don’t want Netflix rearranging your queue—er, Your List—of movies and TV shows? I don’t blame you. Luckily, there’s a setting that’ll help you get control of your Netflix account back. You can also dial up—or down—how much bandwidth you use... 
by ben patterson | May 12, 2014 | home video, how-tos
South Jersey writes: Hi Ben! I have a VCR player with some old VHS tapes I like to watch, and I was looking into getting an HDTV (my first). The salesmen told me I’d need an HDMI cable, but they didn’t know the price of the cable or even bother to ask if I had HD... 
by ben patterson | Apr 29, 2014 | home video, how-tos
Dolores writes (re: my recent cord-cutting article, in which I mentioned that I dumped cable TV in favor of an over-the-air antenna): But, what do you use for Internet access? We use our cable company more for Internet than TV. Hi Dolores! Well, I wish I could tell... 
by ben patterson | Apr 24, 2014 | home video, how-tos
Megan writes: My husband and I are finally ready to ditch cable and go back to free TV over the airwaves. Will the 30-year-old antenna up on our roof work with our HDTV, or do we need to upgrade to an HD antenna? Hi Megan! Great question, and perfect timing. My wife... 
by ben patterson | Feb 20, 2014 | home video, how-tos
So, is your Netflix streaming queue—er, “list”—starting to grow cobwebs? Keep seeing the same dull movie recommendations over and over? Or has your toddler’s taste for Barney taken over your “Top Picks” section? With a little effort, you... 
by ben patterson | Aug 22, 2013 | home video, how-tos
Can’t find your “queue” of saved movies and TV shows on Netflix.com? You’re not the only one. Just the other day, I went nuts trying to find my missing queue on the Netflix website. Well, turns out that our Netflix queues have quietly morphed... 
by ben patterson | Aug 21, 2013 | home video, how-tos, shopping
Shelly writes: Some HDTVs advertise “Hz” and others “p”. What’s the difference? I was told to get at least 120Hz for clearer pictures but Sony advertises 1080p for its TVs. Hi Shelly! Yep, I hear you: all the numbers and abbreviations...