{"id":23204,"date":"2018-01-30T06:00:06","date_gmt":"2018-01-30T11:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/?p=23204"},"modified":"2019-11-26T07:25:46","modified_gmt":"2019-11-26T12:25:46","slug":"i-want-my-polka-music-tv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/2018\/01\/30\/i-want-my-polka-music-tv\/","title":{"rendered":"I Want My Polka Music TV!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>When I purchased my first Roku<\/em><\/a> about 8 years ago I quickly became convinced that it was the best $60 I had ever<\/em> spent. The house I moved into in the mid-1990s was wired throughout it’s three floors for cable, but despite the constant barrage of junk mail, telemarketer calls and the occasional appearance of flesh-and-blood salesmen, my wife and I never saw the sense in signing up for a cable subscription. Before moving to that house, I had cable TV for years with an old roommate. I could take or leave cable, but the roommate thought it was as necessary as gas, water or electricity. Once the roommate and I parted ways, I ditched cable. It was sort of like escaping an over-priced, all-you-can-eat buffet that had lousy food and worse service. There was no point in getting back into a relationship with cable so the wife and I did without. We both worked second shift so we were never home for prime time. We relied on a steamer trunk partially filled with video cassettes of movies I had recorded when I still had cable. We would resort to rabbit ears occasionally. If we were desperate, we would head out to a video store which was a crap shoot and fairly pricey. As the decade drew to a close, I got a DVD player which led to subscribing to Netflix’s DVD-by-mail service which led to Netflix’s streaming service a few years later which lead to spending the best $60 I ever spent on the Roku<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"\"As I have written before,\u00a0Netflix<\/em> is the service that pushed me into getting a set-top internet streaming box and although I have since left Netflix<\/a>, I’m glad I went with a Roku over the hardware offerings of Apple, Amazon and Google. Roku has an abundance of bizarre and free channels. It feels as if public access TV has exploded. My latest find is The Polka Network Channel<\/em>. It’s everything you can expect from a polka channel as the screenshots up above can attest. It features a selection of video tapes of the Big Joe Polka Show<\/em>\u00a0featuring the late Joe Siedlik<\/em> of Omaha bringing happy music for happy people<\/em> for over 25 years. His show was syndicated in a number of markets, but sadly Philadelphia was not one of them which is weird since Philly does have similar tastes in the String Bands and Mummers. Despite that, the programs are a lot of fun and have the charm of low budget, locally produced programing. It’s sort of like American Bandstand<\/em> for senior citizens only those seniors can really dance!<\/p>\n

Get The Polka Network Channel<\/em> HERE!<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When I purchased my first Roku about 8 years ago I quickly became convinced that it was the best $60 I had ever spent. The house I moved into in the mid-1990s was wired throughout it’s three floors for cable, … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4,3456],"tags":[4318,4316,56,4317,185,4098,186],"class_list":["post-23204","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-weird-world-of-the-roku","tag-cord-cutting","tag-joe-siedlik","tag-music","tag-polka","tag-roku","tag-streaming","tag-television"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1ed1x-62g","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4190,"url":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/2015\/03\/05\/wonderfully-weird-channels-roku\/","url_meta":{"origin":23204,"position":0},"title":"The Wonderfully Weird Channels of the Roku","author":"Joe_Williams","date":"March 5, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm starting a new category that could be considered for cord-cutters or folks looking to save some serious cash by giving cable TV the heave-ho. I could be considered a cord-cutter in a way although I never had a cord to cut in my current residence. Back when the city\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Stuff Joe Likes"","block_context":{"text":"Stuff Joe Likes","link":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/category\/stuff-joe-likes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-08-18-at-12.20.52-PM.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-08-18-at-12.20.52-PM.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-08-18-at-12.20.52-PM.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-08-18-at-12.20.52-PM.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-08-18-at-12.20.52-PM.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/Screen-Shot-2023-08-18-at-12.20.52-PM.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":20940,"url":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/2016\/08\/04\/pluto-tv\/","url_meta":{"origin":23204,"position":1},"title":"Pluto TV","author":"Joe_Williams","date":"August 4, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"A post-Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, pre-Trog Joan Crawford in an episode of forgotten television series Route 66. I discovered this odd television guest appearance while surfing the channels on my Roku box. Yes, you can surf channels on the Roku just as you can on a cable TV subscription\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Weird World of the Roku"","block_context":{"text":"Weird World of the Roku","link":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/category\/weird-world-of-the-roku\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/plutotv.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/plutotv.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/plutotv.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1924,"url":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/2010\/11\/30\/i-want-my-roku-tv\/","url_meta":{"origin":23204,"position":2},"title":"I Want My Roku TV!","author":"Joe_Williams","date":"November 30, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"This is Tina's birthday card to me for 2010. It's another one of her brilliant digital collages. Tina usually bases the card on whatever my current obsession may be (it seems there is never a shortage!) This year she's ribbing me over my fixation with the Roku which is a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Drawer Cards"","block_context":{"text":"Drawer Cards","link":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/category\/drawer-cards\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"TV Man - I Want My Roku TV!","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5287\/5221078570_67d60fae3b_z.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":44047,"url":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/2024\/11\/05\/is-it-over-yet\/","url_meta":{"origin":23204,"position":3},"title":"Is it over yet?","author":"Joe","date":"November 5, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"14 years ago when I purchased my first Roku box, the whole concept of streaming video was in its infancy and it was great! For a fraction of the cost of a cable television subscription I could watch what I wanted when I wanted. Sadly, the notion of streaming caught\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Weird World of the Roku"","block_context":{"text":"Weird World of the Roku","link":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/category\/weird-world-of-the-roku\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/REV-RCA_Indian_Head_test_pattern.jpg?fit=1152%2C864&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/REV-RCA_Indian_Head_test_pattern.jpg?fit=1152%2C864&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/REV-RCA_Indian_Head_test_pattern.jpg?fit=1152%2C864&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/REV-RCA_Indian_Head_test_pattern.jpg?fit=1152%2C864&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/REV-RCA_Indian_Head_test_pattern.jpg?fit=1152%2C864&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4072,"url":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/2011\/09\/09\/year-roku\/","url_meta":{"origin":23204,"position":4},"title":"My Year With the Roku","author":"Joe_Williams","date":"September 9, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"1993 was the last time I had cable television. I was moving into a new apartment and couldn't come up with a compelling reason why I wanted another bill to pay. Taking a day off from work to play cable installer roulette held no particular appeal for me either. I'm\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Stuff Joe Likes"","block_context":{"text":"Stuff Joe Likes","link":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/category\/stuff-joe-likes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Roku-TV.jpg?fit=640%2C828&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Roku-TV.jpg?fit=640%2C828&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/Roku-TV.jpg?fit=640%2C828&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":34028,"url":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/2020\/03\/11\/digital-sanctuary-no-more\/","url_meta":{"origin":23204,"position":5},"title":"Digital Sanctuary No More","author":"Joe","date":"March 11, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I got my first Roku streaming box almost ten years ago. I have written before of my stubborn resistance to a cable TV subscription and my struggle with rabbit ears and video shops. When I first heard of streaming boxes, I had my doubts, but the Roku HD was the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Weird World of the Roku"","block_context":{"text":"Weird World of the Roku","link":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/category\/weird-world-of-the-roku\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/political-crap.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/political-crap.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/political-crap.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23204"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23204\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/willceau.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}