Cordkillers 200 – M-O-N-O-P-O-L-Y-M-O-U-S-E

Cordkillers / December 19th, 2017

Disney is getting most of Fox. What does that mean for Hulu? T-mobile gets into the TV game. 

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CordKillers: Ep. 200 – M-O-N-O-P-O-L-Y-M-O-U-S-E
Recorded: December 18 2017
Guest: None

Intro Video

Primary Target

How to Watch

What to Watch

What We’re Watching

Front Lines

  • Amazon to start selling Apple TV and Google Chromecast
    – Amazon said Thursday it will resume selling Apple TV and two versions of the Apple TV 4K, the Chromecast and Chromecast Ultra. Amazon removed the devices from its store in late 2015.
  • Redbox returns to internet video with On Demand service
    – Redbox On Demand is launching offering movies and TV shows for purchase and rent. You can stream them or download for offline viewing. You can get it on Android, iOS, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku and smart TVs from LG and Samsung.
  • Samsung and Amazon will start streaming HDR10+ content tomorrow
    – Samsung began streaming Amazon videos in HDR 10+ on its smart TVs, the first time HDR10+ has been available from a streaming service. HDR10+ features Dynamic Tone Mapping, which allows brightness levels to shift depending on whether the particular scene is brightly lit or dark, based on the dynamic metadata attached to a video. It’s the 5th HDR standard. It’s licensed through a partnership of Samsung, 20th Century Fox, and Panasonic.
  • Hulu adds its ‘My Stuff’ watchlist and picture-in-picture mode to its web app
    – Hulu added a picture-in-picture mode, improved search and a user-controlled watch list to its Hulu Live TV service. The features are being tested on the web at beta.hulu.com.
  • YouTube TV is available in 34 new markets
    – YouTube TV expanded to 34 new metro areas for a grand total of 83 in there US. The new locations include New Orleans, Green Bay, Tucson, Tulsa, San Diego and San Antonio among others.

Dispatches from the Front
THE ULTIMATE CORD CUTTING CHALLENGE: My 77 year old Dad.

Hi CordKillers,
My dad has lately been chafing at the almost $300 he pays to his local cable company for internet, cable, and phone. He’s very interested in cutting the cord, but I don’t think he could deal with the complexity of choosing a streaming box, a few streaming services, and wiring up all the TVs in the house for streaming boxes.

I’m happy to serve as the family IT dept and get them all set up, but I have very little faith that they’ll remember how to use it when I leave.
If you were going to design a cord-killing strategy for a couple senior citizens accustomed to cable, what would you choose?

Thanks
– Ted

 

I’m at Star Wars and there’s a commercial for the fantasy film movie League it’s fantasy football meets movies aka the movie draft

– Stephen

 

 

 

Illegal or Unethical, Or Neither

Let’s say that I subscribe to premium channel X.

Let’s also say that I have a rooted streaming device, and this device has software to stream anything I want. Channel X has a show every week which I like. Some weeks I can’t watch at the time it is broadcast. I am a little impatient, and don’t want to wait for several days for the show to be “On Demand”. I opt to use my streaming device as if it were a cloud DVR. I have paid for the privilege of watching this show, I am basically just time shifting. Thoughts?

Thanks,
– Chris

 

 

PSA: Movie pass charged me a monthly charge and a yearly charge this month. Reddit has some people saying that they signed up for yearly and were only billed monthly. I suggest everyone check their billing statements.

– Sean

Links

2017 Winter Movie Draft
patreon.com/cordkillers

Cordkillers 197 – Kibbles in My Keyboard

Cordkillers / November 28th, 2017

New plans for Marvel, Plex can delete commercials from your DVR recordings, and we check in on the gear and services we use to watch our stuff.

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CordKillers: Ep. 197 – Kibbles in My Keyboard
Recorded: November 27 2017
Guest: None

Intro Video

Primary Target

How to Watch

  • Tom’s device report or Why I still need a Roku even though I find myself using Apple TV more and more.

What to Watch

  • Why Eileen and Tom seemed to have started “collecting” movies again.

What We’re Watching

Front Lines

  • House of Cards ‘hopes to resume soon’ – without Kevin Spacey
    – Production on House of Cards season six is expected to resume December 8 without Kevin Spacey. Writers have been working during the hiatus, presumably to figure out what to do with Spacey’s character, Frank Underwood.
  • Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige says the next 20 Marvel films will be ‘completely different’
    – Marvel has 22 films from the release of Iron Man to the end of Phase Three with a fourth Avengers film in 2019. But in an interview with Vanity Fair, Kevin Feige said “we’ve got another 20 movies on the docket that are completely different from anything that’s come before — intentionally.” As well as “There will be two distinct periods. Everything before Avengers 4 and everything after.” The only films acknowledged in this fourth phase are Spider-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy sequels.
  • Plex’s DVR now lets you skip the commercials… by removing them for you
    – Plex confirmed to TechCrunch that it is a rolling out a feature for it’s over-the-air DVR function that will automatically remove commercials from recordings. Plex’s documentation warns the feature can take some time and cause high CPU utilization. It’s available in beta now for PLex Pass subscribers.
  • YouTube TV gets picture-in-picture support on Android Oreo
    – YouTube TV subscribers lucky enough to have a device that can upgrade to Android Oreo can now do picture in picture. That means you can keep the video from TV streaming while you do other things on your phone or tablet. Netflix, Chrome, VLC, and Facebook also support the feature.
  • Netflix’s She’s Gotta Have It tells a familiar story in a new way
    – Spike Lee has created a Netflix series based on his 1986 debut movie “She’s Gotta Have It.” The series focuses on struggling Brooklyn artist Nola Darling who’s in a casual relationship with three very different men. It premiered on Netflix November 23rd.
  • This Could Be the First Look at Altered Carbon, Netflix’s Very Expensive New Scifi Series
    – A Reddit account called Last Envoy has been posting images that look to be art referring to Netflix’s upcoming 10-episode series “Altered Carbon” based on the book by Richard K. Morgan The GIFS depict the Skin Jobs Dive Bar, Smokes N Vapr shop, and a noodle joint. Netflix isn’t commenting.

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Dispatches from the Front

Hey guys!

Just wanted to follow up after my email caused a stir regarding how I have been using Moviepass.

It does take 7 movie tickets in order to get enough points for a free small popcorn, and I upgrade it to a large for $2.00. Before Moviepass, I NEVER bought conscessons (I’m in my mid 20s) and now I spend $2 almost every time I see a movie. It’s not like they are losing money I would have spent, I wouldn’t buy popcorn at all and just see the movie. Based on the ticket cut and how cheap popcorn is to make, I believe Regal is still benefiting from my Moviepass adventures.

Regarding the Moviepass terms of service, I’ll need to take a closer look…

Thanks for the show,
– Joshua

 

 

Hey guys,
I cut the cord yesterday and stumbled across your podcast (and love it!). Since I’ve only listened to a couple episodes so far, maybe you’ve already addressed these topics (and sorry if that’s the case) but I had a couple of questions for you.
A little background first – I live in West LA, my cable company was Spectrum, I currently have Netflix and Hulu subscriptions and view them on the Roku. I also ordered an HDTV antenna to install on my roof and suspect I’ll be able to get the main channels for free. Now, the questions – 1) I need a new internet provider… not sure where to go… were you guys in the same situation? What was your solution? (Spectrum was charging too much and wouldn’t budge on price so I cancelled it on a whim, it will be shut off on Dec 12).
2) My only real issue now is how I’ll watch my favorite show (Better Call Saul!). There’s no AMC on Hulu and I really don’t want to pay Sling $20/month for ONE SHOW. Is there another way to watch it when it airs again? Should I buy episodes as they air on Amazon Prime? Assuming they’re available the next day. Is there a better way?
Thanks again for the podcast. Great job, and I’ll pass the word along to my friends!
– Lisa

 

 

Hello Tom and Brian,

I wondering if you think Disney’s new streaming service could be the return of the “Disney Vault”?

For the audience members who might not know what this it. During the VHS era, Disney would pull movies from stores and they would disappear for years to be re-released in some sort of new edition that had nothing new about it.

I am wondering if we could something like that happen with all Disney content. You go on iTunes, Google Play, Netflix, etc. and movies like Star Wars, The Marvel Cinematic Universe and Disney Animation can not be purchase or watched unless you subscribe to Disney’s Streaming Service. Then every time there is an anniversary of a films release they allow it to be sold on other platforms for a limited time at a marked up price.

Also, I could see Disney tier their service where you pay different prices for access to more popular content.

What are your thoughts on this? Speak to me oh Captains of Cordkilling!!

– Josh

     

Links

2017 Winter Movie Draft
patreon.com/cordkillers

Cordkillers 196 – You Might Be Part of the 7% (w/ Kristi Kates)

Cordkillers / November 21st, 2017

A streaming service for the sports apathetic, why people watch Netflix in the bathrooms, and Twitter tries to win the 24 hour news game. With special guest Kristi Kates.

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CordKillers: Ep. 196 – You Might Be Part of the 7%
Recorded: November 20 2017
Guest: Kristi Kates

Intro Video

Primary Target

  • Philo non-sports Pay TV service
    – Philo launched this week
    – Streaming service from A&E, Scripps, Discovery, AMC and Viacom
    – Base for $16 a month, Extras for $20 a month
    – Web, Roku, iOS

How to Watch

  • People watch Netflix at work and in public bathrooms 
    – Netflix commissioned survey
    – 37,000 adults between late August and early September
    – 67% of people watch TV and movie in public
    – planes, buses, commuting most popular
    – 26% said binged shows at work.
    – 7% worldwide admitted watching TV and movies in public restrooms
    – Mobile makes up 10% of its viewing though half of users stream from phone during a month

What to Watch

What We’re Watching

Front Lines

 

Dispatches from the Front

 

I would like to points out that when you use MoviePass to artifically inflate points that it’s the movie theater that loses out because you are getting stuff for free

– John

 

Tom and Brian,

Just finished listening to Episode 195 in which you read an email from Joshua where he says he buys tickets using his Moviepass everyday just to rack up loyalty points. A quick look at the Moviepass terms of service shows that is in fact against the TOS.

One of the items that they list as a reason to terminate your account is:

(ix) On more than one occasion during any thirty (30) day period you do not view the movie for which you purchased a ticket with your MoviePass Card in its entirety.

I’m sure you’ve gotten several emails on the same subject, but I just thought it was worth a mention. Moviepass seems like a great deal and I am getting ready to sign up, and I would hate for everyone to lose it because some folks aren’t playing by the rules.

Thanks

– Don

 

 

So I have to reverse my opinion that I tweeted to Tom and Brian earlier about MoviePass. It was a great company when it was $40 a month. The price cut and expansion with $10 a month has thrown all levels of customer service they used to have in the trash.

As someone who works in customer service I’m a little less lenient in this area than some (I broke relations with a game developer from poor service regarding $15.) but my partner and I have two different problems and they won’t respond to either of us. I have my card and no way to activate it and my partner has an activated card but no physical card. We have tried Facebook, Twitter, instagram in addition to the in-app chat support and email and no response from the company at all. It’s been a rather disappointing experience since the business model changed for MoviePass.

– Jeff

 

 

Hello Valued Employees (and guest),

So I’m wondering what you think about the idea that Netflix is ahead of the game in international distribution, with the key being their Netflix Originals brand.

With shows such as Peaky Blinders, The Expanse and ST Discovery all being branded “Netflix Originals” outside of their home territories, it seems like Netflix is playing the long game worldwide to increase their prominence and their mindshare with audiences, while the other big media companies still haven’t risen their eyes above the horizon and are just obsessively squabbling over the US domestic market.

TL;DR Netflix is focusing on the rest of the world, discuss!

Thanks for a great show – keep up the good work and maybe you’ll get those xmas bonuses!

– Micky

 

 

 

Hey there, just a small note on CW shows on Netflix. Tom had said that the previous season is available the day the new season starts. However, they show up 8 days after the season ends:

Netflix and the CW Confirm New Licensing Deal for All Scripted Series

Sorry if 400 people pointed this out! 😀

– Rob

 

Links

2017 Winter Movie Draft
patreon.com/cordkillers