Apple makes a play to be your default set-top box, Amazon Prime Video expands (sort of), and Hulu tries to get better at recommendations. 

Download audio

Download video

CordKillers: Ep.  146 – D-U-M Dumb!
Recorded: November 22 2016
Guest: None

Intro Video

• Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Netflix

Primary Target

• Sony’s PlayStation Vue service now works on Apple TV
  – Sony’s PlayStation Vue TV service came to Apple TV Thursday though it does not let subscribers purchase plans through the Apple app nor does it integrate with Apple’s TV app.
• AT&T will reveal everything about DirecTV Now on November 28th
  – AT&T will announce details about its upcoming service November 28 in New York.
  – Sign up for 3 months get a free Apple TV, sign up for one month get an Amazon Fire TV stick.
  – So far reports say DirecTV Now has ABC-Disney, NBCU, Viacom, Scripps, Discovery HBO Starz and A&E on board. Just signed on Fox. No word on CBS. 
• Apple to Cut Fees Video Services Will Pay for App Store, Say Sources
  -Bloomberg’s sources say Apple plans to cut the amount it charges companies to sell video services through the App Store from 30 to 15 percent. The apps must integrate with Apple’s new TV app.  

How to Watch

• Amazon Prime Video is going global next month to take on Netflix
  – In a video promoting Amazon’s upcoming car show The Grand Tour, host Jermey Clarkson announced the show will be available in more than 200 countries in December. The show is exclusive to Amazon which seems to mean Amazon Prime Video will be expanding outside its four markets soon. The Grand Tour comes to Amazon Prime Video Friday in the UK, Germany and Japan and went live Thursday in the US. 
• The Grand Tour: The Official Trailer
  – The Grand Tour. Following a rather public spat, former hosts of BBC’s Top Gear Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May have essentially re-launched the show on Amazon Prime Video as The Grand Tour. From the little I’ve seen of Top Gear, The Grand Tour is a pretty faithful recreation of the format: commentary, car ranking, and comedy bits breaking up longer segments on unique and high performance vehicles. The show is bold, each episode being filmed in a travelling tent/studio in a different part of the world with incredible production value, but it’s still bouyed by the hosts’ chemisty. And when I say “production value,” I mean it. There are some very expensive, very short moments in the first episode, but their wow-factor might be worth the price. I’ll leave the surprises for you to enjoy, but it’s a gorgeous, charming show.

What to Watch

• Emilia Clarke cast in upcoming Han Solo movie
• Neil Gaiman Is Producing a TV Show About a Multiverse Skyscraper
  – Neil Gaiman co-producing and writing a Fox TV series called The Building about people who live in a building that continually moves through alternate dimensions. It’s an adaptation of the movie Parallels.
• Marvel’s ‘The Inhumans’ will premiere in IMAX before its TV debut
  – ABC’s The Inhumans will bring its first two episodes to IMAX for two weeks in early September before the show starts airing on TV. The TV version will have exclusive scenes not shown in theaters. 
• Netflix to air three Dave Chappelle stand-up specials
  – Netflix will have three comedy specials from Dave Chapelle. One is a standup special directed by Stan Latham. The other two are never-before-seen specials. No premiere date was announced.

What We’re Watching

• Brian: Justified 406, Westworld 108, Ash vs. Evil Dead 101-107
• Tom: The Crown (102-110), Justified (406), Star Wars Rebels, Westworld (108)
• On the Lookout: (Mini-reviews of The Tick, Jean-Claude Van Johnson, pilots) 

Front Lines

• Hulu acquires The Video Genome Project to improve recommendations ahead of live TV service’s launch
  – Hulu acquired the Video Genome Project , which aims to aggregate metadata around video content in order to make better recommendations based on viewing history. Hulu plans to implement the tech when it launches it’s live streaming service early next year. One of its plans involves detecting current events form news feeds and making recommendations for movies and TV shows.
• Xbox One gets over-the-air DVR through a set-top box
  – Users of the Tablo device for over the air reception and DVR functions can now access it through a new Xbox One app. Tablo costs $220 plus $5 a month for the guide. It has apps for most other streaming boxes like Roku, Fore TV and Apple TV.
• Netflix can finally stream 4K from a PC (but probably not yours)
  – Netflix has opened up 4K streaming for Windows PCs through the Microsoft edge browser. You also need a 4K-capable screen and your PC needs a 7th Generation Kaby Lake Intel processor. 
• Warner Bros. Acquires Full Control of Machinima
  – Warner Brothers has purchased full control of Machinima and will put it to work in partnership with its DC Entertainment properties including video games, moves and TV shows. 
• Twitter launched an app for Android TV that lets users watch live video like Thursday Night Football. 
• Xiaomi’s Mi Box supports 4K and HDR streams and Google Cast for $69. It runs on Android TV. 

Dispatches from the Front

Hello Brian & Tom,
I know back in the day the show was at over 2k but now below 1,800. I’m assuming that the money you have coming in from a lesser number is still enough to keep the lights. However, is there a number below which you guys can’t continue? Hopefully we are well above that number. And I doubled my pledge to a whole 2 bucks an episode to help out.

Thanks,

– Norm from Visalia, CA
 

 

Hi Tom and Brian

I’m just wondering what I can expect from Amazon Prime’s video content when Amazon begins full operations in Australia next September? I remember when Netflix started here they had most of their exclusives except for a couple like Star Trek and Breaking Bad that were licensed exclusives. Is the Amazon Prime library full of exclusives that Amazon owns and therefore will in all likely hood appear on day one or are shows like Man in the High Castle and The Tick owned by third parties and could complicate the launch?

– Thanks from Nik.

 

Brian,
While you’re forgetting to cancel your Starz subscription this month, be sure to catch the Starz original, Ash vs Evil Dead.
All of season one is available and most of season two is now in there for your viewing enjoyment. If you love Three Stooges slapstick and way over-the-top blood and guts horror, Ash is the man!
Keep up the fight to rid us of cable
And tune into my podcast, Too Much Scrolling, every Tuesday on the same podcast app you’re using now or on our website toomuchscrolling.com
I’ll see you in the future.
–Steve 

 

Hey guys,

Just one of your free listening, faceless masses here. Just thought you guys should know that some thing’s happened to the Can I Stream It website you say you use on your show. Apparently both the app and website no longer give out current information on streaming options. No clue about when and why, only that I (and many reviewers on the Android app store) have noticed the fallout. Any suggestions for a backup option? thanks.

– Isaac from Portland

• JustWatch
• Yahoo Video Guide

 

I’m not a fan of brian’s coined “convenience trumps fidelity” as I’m an advocate for hdr, low compression, and high quality monitors and speakers … but brian’s right.

I have a question for you guys, and maybe the cordkiller community .. I would like to take my box of DVD’s and Bluerays downstairs and port them over to digital licenses. Is there a service out there that does this?

I think Walmart did it for a while, but charged for it, which I think is ridiculous to have to upgrade my license considering they’re going to get user data and behavioral data out of this deal. Ideally I’d love to convert my physical media to itunes or google play at no charge. Is this possible? 

– Joe

Links

2016 Winter Movie Draft
patreon.com/cordkillers