Cordkillers 130 – Subscribe, Binge, Unsub, Repeat

Cordkillers / July 25th, 2016

Cord-cutting conquers Comic-Con, Netflix finds out people don’t like price raises, and Twitter becomes a sports network.

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CordKillers: Ep. 130 – Subscribe, Binge, Unsub, Repeat
Recorded: July 25 2016
Guest: None

Intro Video

Primary Target

Signal Intelligence

  • Netflix price rises prompt subscribers to turn off
  • Netflix Added Way Fewer US Subscribers Than Anyone Expected
    – Netflix announced it earned $0.09 per share in Q2 with revenue of $2.11 billion. Analysts had expected earnings per share of $0.03 at the same level of revenue.
    – Netflix also announced it now has 83.18 million subscribers worldwide.
    – Of concern to investors, the company missed its subscriber growth projections, adding only 160,000 subscribers domestically, and 1.52 million abroad. Previous guidance expected 500,000 and 2 million, respectively.
    – Netflix CEO Reed Hastings cited increases in subscription prices as driving increased subscriber churn, resulting in the lower overall subscription numbers, however Hastings remained confident stating: “in terms of new members, which is most of what drives growth, the new pricing is working great.”

Gear Up

  • NCTA’s final counter-offer on setttop boxes
    – The National Cable and Telecommunications Association filed 33 pages reponding to FCC questions about setttop boxes
    – Will not pledge to make DVR, FF, REW functions standard
    – Will not charge extra for third-party apps or boxee
    – Proposed HTML5 apps for third-party devices w/ all liner and on-demand programming
    – NOT managed over the Internet

Front Lines

  • Twitter will livestream weekly games from MLB and the NHL
    – Twitter seems to be becoming a sports network for cordcutters. It will stream a weekly MLB game worldwide, and a weekly NHL game plus a nightly sports highlights show called the Rally in the US. The NBA will create two original weekly live pregame shows for Twitter. Twitter is partnering with Campus Insiders to stream over 300 “live college events” from Mountain West Conference, Patriot League and West Coast Conference. Yes, that includes live games and competitions spanning football, basketball,and more. Twitter is also getting news and highlights from the ACC. 
  • NFL Network and NFL RedZone Coming Soon to PlayStation Vue
    – Sony announced the NFL Network and the NFL RedZone will be available on PlayStation Vue in time for the 2016 season. Pricing and packaging were not announced but users will be able to authenticate on NFL apps and websites.
  • Redbox is testing its second attempt at a streaming service
    – A Redbox spokesperson told Variety Thursday that it has started testing its own streaming service called Redbox Digital. Redbox published an iPad app for the service which will sell and rent video on demand. A cast button shown in the app store listing suggests it will work with Chromecast. Variety says Redbox is also looking at Roku. Redbox launched a Netflix-like streaming service with Verizon in 2013 and shut it down 18 months later. Redbox’s parent company Outerwall reports earnings this Thursday.
  • Netflix orders more episodes of true-crime doc series ‘Making a Murderer’
    – Netflix has ordered more episodes (we don’t know how many) of Making a Murderer which explores the defense of convicted murderer Steven Avery and his co-defendant, Brendan Dassey. AND Netflix is getting the global rights to stream season one of FX’s American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson in 2017. 
  • Comcast to offer prepaid TV and internet service
    – Comcast will offer prepaid Internet and TV service in its markets in the US, starting in Illinois, Michigan, Georgia, Florida and Indiana. TV subscribers will pay $80 for a starter kit then refill their subscription every 7 to 30 days for $15 or $45. No contracts no credit checks.
  • Amazon to invest $300 million in India to make original Prime Video content, says report
    – Amazon plans to launch it’s Prime Video service in India this year and will invest $300 million to make original content for the market. Amazon hired veteran film producer Aparna Purohit as Head of Creative development last January. Netflix announced last month it is partnering with India’s Phantom Films to make a series based on the gangster thriller novel Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra. 

Under Surveillance

Dispatches from the Front

I am a long time listener, recent cord cutter. Before the fall season starts up, I want to get myself set up with a DVR, because I have great OTA reception where I live, BUT I want to be able to watch those recordings on my home computer sometimes too. It looks like Tivo recently stopped selling its software for this, and Channelmaster’s transfer of randomly-named files sounds odious. What solution am I missing?

Your boss,
– Andrew

 

 

Brian, I too am a fan of having closed captioning on. I’ve come to notice another benefit to closed captioning. In Preacher, in the scene when young Tulip over hears the Jessie’s dad talking on the phone. It just sounds like murmuring, but CC spells it out for you. Also, there was a movie where the tv was on in the background with no sound, but CC showed what the Reporter was saying, which was pertinent to the show.

– Chris

 

 

I’m in the process of cutting the cord. The main problem is that my wife likes the Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies Channel. Is there a place to stream these without a cable/satellite subscription? Thanks love the information you provide.

 

– Robert

 

 

 

It is a sad day. No more VCR. 🙁 I guess i can finally throw away that box of Disney movies I have.

 

– Shawn

 

 

Links

www.patreon.com/cordkillers

2016 Summer Movie Draft
 

Cordkillers 129 – Shut Up and Eat It!

Cordkillers / July 18th, 2016

Apple plays coy with TV, Twitter wants to be a streamer, and yes people do want Netflix on their cable box.

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CordKillers: Ep. 129 – Shut Up and Eat It!
Recorded: July 18 2016
Guest: None

Intro Video

Primary Target

  • Eddy Cue on Apple’s TV Plans and Why Netflix Isn’t a Competitor
    – The Hollywood Reporter spoke with Apple senior VP of software and services Eddy Cue about Apple’s TV strategy. Cue sidestepped the question of offering a TV service saying, “Whether we’re providing it or somebody else is, it really doesn’t matter to us.” He also said Apple is “not in the business of trying to create TV shows” and that Apple is not “actively trying to buy any studio.” Cue says Apple is focused on the hardware and making it easy to get your shows with a simple voice command or no command at all. 
  • Apple is launching a reality TV show called Planet of the Apps
    – Apple’s first foray into original television content received a name and an open casting call. Planet of the Apps, is looking to cast 100 app creators for a reality competition. The show requires developers to send in information on their app, along with a 1-minute video profile. There’s no air date yet but contenstants must have a functioning beta ready by October 21, 2016.
  • Here’s what Apple really meant to say today about its plans to sell web video

Signal Intelligence

  • Twitter Signs Another Live-Streaming Deal, This Time With Bloomberg
    – Twitter has signed another live streaming video partner, Bloomberg Television. Twitter will stream Bloomberg’s market coverage throughout the day as well as several programs like With All Due Respect and Bloomberg West. Twitter will sell preroll ads to run before non-live clips through its Amplify platform and share revenue with Bloomberg. There may also be in-stream ads as well. 
  • Twitter’s latest sports streaming deal is for Pac-12 college games
    – Twitter’s latest sports streaming deal is for Pac-12 college games: Twitter will host over 150 events during the upcoming 2016-2017 academic year. Does not include basketball or football.

Gear Up

Front Lines

Under Surveillance

Dispatches from the Front
 

Please tell me you guys are going to watch “”Stranger Things”” and spoil the hell out of it. I’m very interested in seeing Brian’s thoughts on all of the Easter Eggs. I just binged the whole show in one day. 

Cheers,
– Jeff 

 

 

Hi guys! Love the show and as a loyal Patreon supporter I will keep you on the payroll as you continue your crusade TW2YW2YWOWDYWT – I was unsure if anybody contacted you about HDR10 vs Dolby Vision but I wanted to recommend two other great podcasts – AVEXCEL Ep 18 (Another great Patreon investment opportunity) and AVRANT Ep 492 (at 23:12) for a technical “deep dive” on this and other AV topics sorting hype from facts. There is an article at http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/dolby-hdr-201606214303.htm
Keep up the good work and looking forward to Cordkiller total victory in the future. 

– Chuck

 

 

So I’m trying to find the cheapest legal way to watch a few summer TV series, Mr. Robot, Killjoys, Dark Matter, and the new Top Gear. I see that Sling blue has all of those channels so I sign up for the free (thankfully) 7 day trial. The first two episodes of Mr Robot are available on demand and I get excited, the rest of the shows are appointment viewing only with no way to even set a reminder. So I try the Syfy app to register my “cable provider” and Sling isn’t an option. Basically this thing is appointment viewing only with no DVR. I guess I’ll be cancelling and buying my shows one at a time from Amazon or Vudu since Amazon prime has none of the shows I watch either.

Love the show.

PS have you noticed it is one cent per episode cheaper to buy shows one at a time rather than the whole season?

– Matt

 

 

Hi Tom and Brian
Just wanted to let you know that Joseph Gilgun who plays Cassidy in Preacher is in the new film The Infiltrator and is very good in a small part. He is a completely different character and I almost didn’t recognize him. I know you enjoy him in Preacher as do I and thought you might want to check him out in a good film with Brian Cranston.

– Cliff

 

 

Hey Brushwood! (Also Dear Mr. Tom Merritt)

What’s up with not mentioning The 100 whenever talking about The CW line up? If you’ve not seen it, please correct this grave mistake immediately. An apt description of The 100 would be taking Game of Thrones, adding Battlestar Galactica, tossing in a dash of Lord of the Flies and finally a pinch of Lost.

Give it until the end of episode 3; I promise you’ll be just as hooked as I was.

Thanks!

– Jordan

 

 

 

– Matt in Willimasport subscribes to a Comcast bundle because it’s the cheapest way for him as an engineering student and having Netflix on the cable box will bring it easily to the living room TV.

– Tim says “In our AARP home, the addition of Netflix to our X-1 box eases the ‘spousal factor’ a bit. My wife won’t have to fire up the Apple TV, switch the hdmi input to the tv.”

– Faiz’s Dad has basement home theater room but insists on watching TV in the kitchen, meaning he never uses Netflix. Faiz writes, “Our IPTV provider (Bell in Canada) added Netflix support a few months back, and since then he’s used it on occasion. Still not regularly, but often enough that it’s not just a fluke.”

Links

www.patreon.com/cordkillers

2016 Summer Movie Draft