We interview Pluto.TV co-founder Ilya Pozin about the best cord-cutter service for the lazy and bored. Plus: Amazon bans Chromecast and Apple TV, Verizon goes nowhere, and the new Chromecast proves to be well designed.
CordKillers: When You Don’t Know What You Want
Recorded: October 5, 2015
Guest: Lauren Perry
Intro Video
Primary Target
- Amazon kicks Chromecast and Apple TV out of store
– Amazon sent email to marketplace sellers
– No new listings for Chromecast or Apple TV
– Existing inventory will be removed Oct. 29
– “It’s important that the streaming media players we sell interact well with Prime Video in order to avoid customer confusion.”
– Developer emailed DTNS pointing out that Chromecast SDK requires Google Play Services on Android, meaning no FireOS device works
– And an Amazon rep told David in email “… we’ll expand Amazon Video to the upcoming Apple TV 4th Gen in the near future.”
Signal Intelligence
- Verizon Go launches
– Verizon Go90 launched for iOS and Android
– Various shows from traditional nets and MCNs
– Daily Show and 30 for 30 alongside HuffPost Live, Michelle Phan
– VZN wireless subscribers get some exclusives
– Live NCAA football, basketball, and international soccer.
– Go90 will launch with 8,000 titles and over 35 exclusive original series, which will nearly double by year’s end
– 15 of the 30 most viewed network shows and 9 of 15 most viewed web shows
– Social network aspect to follow celebrities and join crews - Comcast, Verizon Launch New Video Services Watchable, Go90
– Watchable from Comcast
– Free on Web, iOS and Comcast X1 set-top box
– Web videos from Buzzfeed, Maker, Vice, Vox, etc
Gear Up
- Google Announces Chromecast 2 And Chromecast Audio To Bring Intelligence To Your Living Room
- Chromecast adds video from Showtime, Sling TV, NBA and more
– Chromecast
– Showtime today and Sling TV in next few weeks
– NBA NHL coming
Chromecast
– circle with integrated HDMI cable (Black, lemonade and coral) 5GHz wifi 802.11ac, new adaptive antenna system
– New Chromecast app collects cast-enabled apps/content from your phone
– Universal voice search across services
– App update within next weeks
– Fast Play 80% reduction in app loading
– Multiplayer gaming
– New feeds getty images, FB and Flickr
– Available today in 17 countries for $35
– Chromecast Audio
– Plugs into existing home speaker
– Same shape but with minijack (RCA and optical as well)
– Works with any device on network as well as ‘guest mode’
– Spotify now supports chromecast
– Can mirror audio from Chrome or Android
– Supports multi-room sync
– Avail. today in 17 countries. $35 in US - TiVo Unveils BOLT, A Modern, 4K-Ready DVR Designed For The Streaming Era
- TiVo exec explains Bolt strategy, Fire TV app and new Pro next year
– TiVo Bolt on sale at Best Buy and Amazon.
-4K support, can handle cablecard and Over the Air signals and has a bent design to help with cooling and make it look cool.
– QuickMode which plays back content 30% faster with pitch-corrected audio
– SkipMode which lets you skip past commercial breaks on 20 channels for programming that airs 4PM to Midnight.
-500GB model costs $299 and a 1TB model runs $399. Both models get a year of service for free after which it’s $15 a month or $150 a year.
– TiVo Chief Marketing Officer Ira Bahr on company forums to TiVo enthusiasts: “we already have a roadmap plan to bring you something you’ll like way better in 2016 (more on this shortly).”
Front Lines
- Apple TV will have an open API for universal search
– Tim Cook told BuzzFeed there will be an open API for Apple TV’s search so it can expand beyond the launch apps of iTunes, Netflix, Hulu, Showtime and HBO. - YouTube Kids streams content on Chromecast, Apple TV and more
– YouTube Kids is now available on Chromecast and AppleTV. Also new curated playlists from the likes of National Geographic Kids and tools for parents that help you learn the app and tweak the password. - Virgin America will offer free Wi-Fi for Netflix content on select flights
– On Virgin America flights now, Netflix is offering free in-flight WiFi and access to its full catalog of movies. You just have to be on a plane with ViaSat WiFi. The promotion ends March 2nd of next year. - HBO Now and Showtime apps arrive on Android TV
– HBO Now, Showtime and CBS All Access are all three now available for Android TV users. The console also gets Disney Movies Anywhere’s store, Epix, WWE and UFC.
Under Surveillance
- Brian: The Martian, The Shield, rewatched 2 Utopias (bonnie is out), Rick and Morty Finale (wow)
- Tom: Agents of Shield, Clone Wars, Voyager, Empire, The Martian, The Shield (708), Doctor Who, Ferrell Takes The Field, The Last Man on Earth, Leftovers (half ep. 1), Rick and Morty (210)
- Bryce: Hand of God. New Amazon Original series. 10x1hr episodes out now. Starring Ron Perlman.
Dispatches from the Front
Dear Tom,
It’s October which means our beloved Redbirds are once again in the hunt for a World Series title. As a cordkiller I’d like to know the best way to see the action.
It is a confusing process to know where to watch the team with or without cable. I have a Roku and am willing to pay to watch the games. I don’t believe MLB At Bat has playoff coverage.
How are we going watch, Tom?
– Michael (Great) Daehn
Dear Tom and Brian,
I continue to enjoy your show and appreciate all your hard work.
I want to make a suggestion that I think will help everyone: you should recommend that your bosses switch their payment method in their Patreon accounts to PayPal. Here’s why:
PayPal will notify users when their card is about to expire, so they can fix it before it actually starts being declined. This will help Cordkillers get their money on time.
Merchants don’t see PayPal users’ card numbers, so there’s less risk when a database is hacked (you probably already knew that, but it’s timely information considering recent events).
See how everyone wins?
PayPal wasn’t available on Patreon when I first signed up, soon after you started Cordkillers. So some of your bosses who signed up in the beginning might not be aware they even have this option. Tom should tell DTNS listeners, too.
Love the show!
– Beelissa
Hey Brian and Tom,
I like the idea of using VR for virtual theaters and be able to sit back on my comfy couch with nice headphones and get a real theater experience minus the seat kicking.
Brian’s comment about being able to look around the virtual theater and see the shocked expressions of the people around you reminded me of a DTNS story about the software that is able to read emotions.
If down the road our VR gear is able to do that, then it would be possible to have our virtual avatar display the same surprise, shock, disgust, etc, that we’re feeling as we watch the movies.
This would be good for that community feeling if the theater is full of our friends, or even a selection of strangers that also happen to be watching the movie at the same time.
It would also be useful for film makers and studios to see the data that is fed back so they can make better movies.
– Andy from Michigan
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