Cordkillers 80 – Sit or Get Off the Pot, Hulu

Cordkillers / July 20th, 2015

Hulu may contemplate an ad-free tier, Judge gives Internet TV hope, Slingbox giveth and taketh away.

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CordKillers: Ep. 80 – Sit or Get Off the Pot, Hulu
Recorded: July 20, 2015
Guest: Andrew Mayne , Eklund

Intro Video 

Primary Target

  • U.S. judge says Internet streaming service should be treated like cable
    – US District Judge George Wu in LA ruled FilmOn X entitled to compulsory license for streaming broadcast TV network
    – (Compulsory license allows small cost carriage of must carry sytations. Stations who opt for retrans consent no longer    must be carried but have to negotiate in “good faith” for retrans costs)
    – An immediate appeal to 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals was allowed
    – Injunction against FilmON left standing
    – Feb. 22, 2011 – District Judge Naomi Buchwald granted an injunction, shutting down most of the broadcast stations carried by Ivi
    – Same right Aereo was denied in Manhattan Federal Court October 2014
    – FCC launched comment period Dec. 18, 2014 on reclassifying OITT as MPVD
  • Password Sharing: Are Netflix, HBO Missing $500 Million by Not Cracking Down?
    – A report from research firm Parks Associates estimates services like HBO Go will lose up to $500 million worldwide to people who share login information. 6% of US broadband households use a service paid for by someone outside the house. Services like HBO and Netflix responded to the survey with a collective “yeah we know.”

Signal Intelligence

Gear Up

Front Lines

Under Surveillance

Dispatches from the Front

Hey Tom and Brian. I am still a few weeks behind so I don’t know if you have mentioned this or not yet.

The people of sideclick have re launched their product. They are only $13,000 away form their $80,000 goal, and they have 27 days left at the time of writing this.

Thanks,

– Savo in silly Schenectady NY. 

 

 

Guys,
Please understand that live TV is essential to a sports fan! I know you two are not. With, basketball, hockey, soccer, golf and football, the major broadcasters like NBC, ABC, CBS & ESPN, make billions, not to mention billions more for teams and players. Then add in endorsements,etc. You are happily ignoring a huge segment of your own potential market.

Please get someone on your podcast who is tech savvy and is a sports lover.
 

– Don

 

 

Hey guys, it’s your boss here. Last week you asked for an “anti-Plex opinion” … I am not that “anti-Plex opinion”, but I’m going to share my insights, anyway. 🙂

In my opinion, Plex is really good at one thing: managing libraries of locally-stored, non-DRM’d content. …

What Plex does not do is Live TV or PVR functionality, or any streaming service or web site. Yes, there are “Plex Channels” that will give you content from the web, but in my experience they are very glitchy and rarely work, probably because they’re almost all scraping web content, making them very prone to breaking. When they do work, figuring out what content is actually available on the channel is worse than figuring out what’s available on Free Hulu, and the experience will make Brian’s Grandmother a very sad panda!

TL;DR – If you have a large library of local media, Plex is awesome. For everything else, Plex is pain.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and for making my favorite podcast every week! Keep up the good work!

– Stealth Dave

 

Links

patreon.com/cordkillers
2015 Winter Movie Draft

Cordkillers 79 – Comcast Stream: You Can’t Take it With You

Cordkillers / July 13th, 2015

Comcast offers a cord-cutting fig leaf, ESPN loses subscribers, Chromecast gets an ethernet port.

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CordKillers: Ep. 79 – Comcast Stream: You Can’t Take it With You
Recorded: July 13, 2015
Guest: Lamarr Wilson

Intro Video

Primary Target

Signal Intelligence

Gear Up

Front Lines

Under Surveillance

Dispatches from the Front

Hey guys, just wanted to write in about my experience with the Amazon Fire TV stick and using it in hotel rooms away from home. After hearing about the update which allowed you to sign in through a hotels wifi access portal, I used it a few days later at a Hotel Indigo, an upscale Holiday Inn family hotel. It worked great! Fast, stable, great picture on Netflix, no problems. I loved it.

However, it is I’m afraid to report very bandwidth dependent. I tried it this past week at both a Hilton Garden Inn and a Hampton Inn, and the results were very poor. The login process was painless, but neither hotels had the bandwidth to properly use the stick. I tried the Pluto.TV, Twitch.TV, and the WWE network app and none would work or play any video. Netflix only worked at the Hampton Inn, and even then the video would buffer very often and not be the best quality.

In short, the Amazon FireTV stick is a great piece of hardware, and should be with everyone who travels or stays in hotels a lot for business, but premium internet access is necessity.

Hope this was helpful,
– Ken

 

 

 

Tom — you mentioned you enjoyed watching news from pluto tv because of the variety of sources and sit back experience… for that, I use haystack. Which I thought i heard about through you, but in case not, you should check it out.

A bit early in their dev — but you can see they are working on favoriting and a recommendation engine to keep your feed relevant to what you’re interested in and what’s trending, all while coming from multiple sources.

avid listener,
– Joe

 

 

Hi guys,

I just had one comment about the hulu/pluto channels. This is the syndicated version I’ve been waiting for. I keep hoping for something I can tailor myself. Hulu used to have play lists and queuing but now it’s only queuing. Just recently I wanted a Playlist option when I realized I could only stand 3 shows of someone else’s binge watching. Well I’m close with Pluto but not close enough.

Really hoping maybe Pluto help me get my own channel selection some day.

– Nicky

 

 

Season 2 of “The Strain” premiers this coming Sunday evening on FX.

A good scary series that gave me chicken skin during the first season. I’m looking forward to being scared again. Deserves a look at a couple episodes of season one. I think you’ll like it. 

– Bad Billy

 

Links

patreon.com/cordkillers
2015 Winter Movie Draft

Cordkillers 78 – Binge and Purge Viewing

Cordkillers / July 7th, 2015

TiVo finds TiVo viewers binge, gives Aereo users a free Tivo, Hulu available as a linear channel.

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CordKillers: Ep. 78 – Binge and Purge Viewing
Recorded: July 6, 2015
Guest: Jennie Josephson

Intro Video 

Primary Target

Signal Intelligence

  • Hulu to Deliver Free TV Shows, Movies via Pluto TV Service (Exclusive)
    – Hulu has channels on PlutoTV now.
    – Pluto can restream anything from the free tiere of Hulu on the desktop
    – Late Night Catch-Up; ’90s TV Shows; ’80s TV Shows; ’70s TV Shows; Joss Whedon Shows
    – In addition, Pluto has channels with select episodes of “SNL,” “South Park,” “Star Trek,” “Seinfeld,” “I Love Lucy” and “The Twilight Zone.”
    – Pluto TV has recently struck deals with a half-dozen other content partners to distribute their programming: Shout! Factory, Jukin Media, Devin SuperTramp, Multicom, Around the World in 4K and Amazing Places on Our Planet.
  • Hulu’s Living Room Viewing On The Rise As PC Viewing Declines
    – But desktop is a declining platform for Hulu
    – Living room viewing now 58% up from 44% a year ago
    – Mobile now 17% up from 15% yoy, and PC 24% down from 41% yoy
    – OTT streams have an average of 1.4 viewers

Gear Up

Front Lines

  • Vivendi Buys Dailymotion for $242 Million
    – Vivendi has purchased an 80% stake in Dailymotion. Vivendi owns Canal+ Group and Universal Music Group and said Daily motion will allow for the “joint development of “original and distinctive content and formats”
  • Comedy Central channel starts streaming on Roku
    – The Comedy Central app is now available to add to your Roku. And while you need a cable subscription to watch everything, the latest episodes of some shows — like The Daily Show, The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore and a few select others. 
  • Someone made a teaser trailer for Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events adaptation
    – An excellent teaser trailer appeared on YouTube for Netflix’s upcoming series based on the books “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” Trouble is Netflix doesn’t know where it came from. The teaser is the only video on an account under the user name Eleanora Poe.
  • TVPlayer app streams 25 UK pay-TV channels for a fiver a month
    – TVPlayer which offers free streaming of over the air channels now has a £5 a month plus package that includes 25 pay-TV channels like National Geographic, History and Discovery Channel, some of which will even include catch-up service. 

Under Surveillance

Dispatches from the Front

I’m a time traveler and this email is in response to the discussion you haven’t had yet about the city of Chicago imposing a ‘cloud tax’ on streaming services like Netflix.

I agree with Brian that this is despicable. Chicago’s argument is that they’re trying to recoup tax revenue lost to brick-and-mortar stores that have been replaced with streaming services, but this argument doesn’t fly for two reasons. One, because there are presumably new businesses where the old stores used to be that are paying tax and offering taxable products and services, and two because streaming services don’t use local resources like a brick-and-mortar store. But most importantly, even if they have lost tax revenue, that’s just too damn bad. They have no right to replace it with a tax on a product that isn’t originating and may not be consumed in their city. What if I live in Chicago but watch Netflix exclusively when I travel?

– Shiftlock

 

 

Gentlemen, I was wondering if either of you had checked out the Netflix original “Grace and Frankie“. It is a 14 part comedy series with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. My wife and I really enjoyed it, though we are much older than you guys. First couple of episodes seemed a little forced but after that I though it improved substantially and was fun 

– Steve

 

 

Hi guys! I had to stop and rewind when you said that SHOWTIME was coming to HULU! SHOWTIME is a CBS network, and CBS has been all but openly HOSTILE to Hulu in the past. Has CBS blinked, or is this just another nail in Hulu’s financial coffin?

– Jon

 

 

Links

patreon.com/cordkillers
2015 Winter Movie Draft

Cordkillers 77 – We’re Pirates on Moon

Cordkillers / June 29th, 2015

How TV won, lost, and coexisted with the Internet all at once. What Hulu’s partnership with Showtime means.

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CordKillers: Ep. 77 – We’re Pirates on Moon
Recorded: June 29, 2015
Guest: None

Intro Video 

Primary Target

  • How Television Won the Internet
    – -NYTImes Michael Wolff “How Television Won the Internet”
    – People spend more time watching TV than they spend on the Net
    – Glut of traffic on Net drives down ad rates
    – TV moving off advertising to pay model
    – Half of broadcast and cable’s income is non-advertising based.
    – Netflix bills itself as a disrupter of television — except that it is television, paying Hollywood and the TV industry almost $2 billion a year in licensing and programming fees.
    – Yahoo just cut its first big sports deal. Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook says that his company’s future is video. Just last week, BuzzFeed and the Huffington Post announced their new TV plans.
    – A premium product that people pay attention to and pay money for. Credit cards, not eyeballs. 
  • OTT and TV Will Coexist, and It Will Be Beautiful 
    – ReCode: OTT and TV Will Coexist, and It Will Be Beautiful
    – Dermot McCormack, President, AOL Video and Studios
    – “History has shown the new does not supplant the old, but is instead the catalyst for change and evolution. “
    – TV tell stories. They can be told across screens
    – “Imagine finishing an episode of a TV show, and turning to your tablet for a related short that fills in a key plot point. — – Then you open Snapchat to see what happened offscreen at the pivotal moment from another character’s point of view. Later on, you’re sitting at your desk and you get a FaceTime call from the protagonist foreshadowing what’s to come in next week’s episode”
    – OTT will shape the development of TV, and (eventually) seamlessly combine with it to become something bigger and better than the sum of its parts.”
  • Years Of Pretending Netflix Cord Cutting Wasn’t Real Is Biting The Cable Industry In The Ass
    -TechDirt Karl Bode “Years Of Pretending Netflix Cord Cutting Wasn’t Real Is Biting The Cable Industry In The Ass”
    – FBR Capital Markets claims Netflix will have a larger 24 hour audience than any broadcast net iun US by end of year
    – 2 hours of viewing per subscriber per day. a 2.6 rating on par with ABC and NBC
    – Choose between Netflix and a cable or satellite TV subscription, 57% picked Netflix, with 43% opting for pay TV, according to a survey FBR conducted with ClearVoice Research in April. 

Signal Intelligence

  • Showtime Becomes The First Premium Service To Be Offered By Hulu 
    – Showtime purchased through Hulu will be $8.99 a month
    – Hulu subsidizing the difference between that and normal $10.99
    – Showtime shows will be available in Hulu app
    – Please note: At launch on Hulu, you will be able to watch live only on the web at www.hulu.com.

Gear Up

Front Lines

Under Surveillance

Dispatches from the Front
Hey guys, this one is for Bryan!

Bryan, as one of your bosses at the UK office of Cordkillers, I’d like to hereby give you permission to use the BBC IPlayer to watch on demand content guilt free!

It’s a common misconception (that I’ve even heard before on Cordkillers) that UK citizens pay their TV Licence Tax to either own a TV, or to watch On Demand services like the BBC Iplayer. This is not true. People pay for the licence to watch LIVE TV as it’s broadcast.

This is shown on the Iplayer itself as when you try to watch live content, you get a popup that asks you to confirm if you have paid for a licence – you don’t get this for On Demand content.

I think it’s important to point out this distinction A.) So you don’t get more guilttrippy emails and B.) Because I’m sure there are many UK Cordcutters like me who don’t watch live TV and exclusively watch On Demand services like the Iplayer who could be saving £120 per year.

Thanks,

Your boss,

– Benno 

(Link to the BBC guide that explains this below)

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you-need-one/topics/technology–devices-and-online-top8

http://iplayerhelp.external.bbc.co.uk/tv/iplayer_outsideuk_app

 

 

 

Howdy boys,

Just wanted to share some recent observations I’ve made comparing television series rollouts on Netflix to a normal weekly schedule.

Recently, I watched the Game of Thrones season 5 and my wife watched Orange is the New Black season 3. I really think I got the better experience. Watching Game of Thrones weekly gave me two and a half months of entertainment. I enjoyed watching the episodes religiously each Sunday night, reading the reactions and reviews (especially on Spoilerin’ Time), speculating about what might happen next, and talking about it with friends during the week. She finished the OitnB season in 2 days, and that’s all she gets out of it.

Of course, she could have watched one episode a week, but there’s no way to keep the entire internet on that schedule. While I’ve binge-watched series on Netflix, such as Battlestar Galactica, the only new series on Netflix I’ve ever really gotten into was Daredevil, and I can only imagine how much better the experience would have been watching weekly along with the entire world rather than in a few days all by myself.

Now, there’s a simple way Netflix could satisfy both those that want to binge-watch the whole season right away and those that want a weekly viewing experience. When a new season debuts, people could select if they want all the episodes available right away, or on a standard weekly schedule that is the same for everyone, or on their own schedule they can set up themselves.

Just my 2 cents! As always thanks for the show and I’m glad to support it!

– Andy in Taylor, Tx

 

 

 

Having just completed Sense8, I feel compelled to share this [spoiler free] assessment.

Marketing this series was always going to be tough and dropping names like The Matrix into the promo material probably did more harm than good. It is like expecting to see Star Wars and getting 2001: A Space Odyssey instead.

In many ways, this seems like a refinement of what the Wachowskis tried to do with Cloud Atlas. Sense8 is heavy on mood, location and atmosphere, which all feel very “now”. The fantastical elements exist only to further the personal stories of these eight people who should have nothing in common but share hopes, fears and dreams despite being worlds apart.

Not all the subject matter makes for comfortable viewing and some of the emotional notes may hit a little close to home (well, for me at least) but if you can buy into the conceit, it is profoundly rewarding.

This is most decidedly NOT for everyone but a Netflix Original in the truest sense.

P.S.
I can’t help but think that the global, inclusive nature of this show helped it find a home at Netflix, which itself is increasingly trying to be all things to anyone with an Internet connection, wherever they might be in the world.

– Graham “Goucham-in-the-chat-room” Elliott
 

Links

patreon.com/cordkillers
2015 Winter Movie Draft

It’s Spoilerin’ Time 76

Cordkillers / June 24th, 2015

Movie Draft Update, Inside Out, Jurassic World, Silicon Valley Season 2, True Detective (201)

01:23 – Movie Draft Update                                                                                                                              

04:25 – Inside Out

11:34 – Jurassic World

16:06 – Silicon Valley Season 2

27:44 – True Detective (201)

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Cordkillers 76 – Hulu, It’s Better Than Hulu

Cordkillers / June 22nd, 2015

PlayStation overplays the a la carte hand, Roku’s ads get in your head, what Bill Simmons should do.

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CordKillers: Ep. 76 – Hulu, It’s Better Than Hulu
Recorded: June 22, 2015
Guest: Fraser Cain

Intro Video 

Primary Target

Signal Intelligence

  • Hulu Plus changes to just Hulu
    – Hulu officially changed the name of Hulu Plus to Hulu
    – So now if you’re watching the free version which used to be called Hulu it is still called Hulu
    – But if you’re watching the paid version of Hulu which used to be called Hulu Plus it is now also called Hulu
    – This was done to eliminate confusion.

Gear Up

  • Roku And Innovid Roll Out Interactive Video Ads, Including SMS-Based Reminders To Watch
    – Roku and Innovid partnering on interactive ads
    – Games, quizzes, videos
    – Personalized using data (location, demograpchis)
    – CBS (CBS News, CBS Sports, CNET, GameSpot), Vevo and Crackle are early partners
    – Roku SDK will now include Innovid as part of the Roku Ad Framework
    – Results in extended time spent with ads. Doubled the preroll
    – Soon can extend ad across devices. Movies times sent to smartphone for instance by SMS
    – Reminders about show airings

Front Lines

Under Surveillance

Dispatches from the Front

It’s the story of Steven Quartz Universe, an 11 year old boy whose parents are Greg Universe, a former rock musician who now runs a carwash and lives in his van, and Rose Quartz, an immortal alien hero who protected the Earth for thousands of years before giving up her physical form to bring Steven into the world. It follows Steven as he tries to grow into his mother’s legacy and join The Crystal Gems, Earth’s protectors (who are also his three moms). The series is the creation of Rebecca Sugar, who was responsible for the best episodes (and songs) of Adventure Time before she left that show to create this one.

The first 35 episodes are available on Hulu Plus and all eps to date can be bought from the major online marketplaces.

– Rob

 

 

I was a little disappointed at how negative you guys were about Tivo adding streaming access through web browsers on local computers. Ok, I get it, I’d also like to be able to open my laptop on vacation and bring up my recordings. Who knows, maybe they’ll add that, but for now I’m happy that I can at least do that within my own home.

– Matt
Sterling, VA

 

 

 

 

First review of TiVo Online: not only does it make you login to your tivo account AND your cable company account, it just plain doesn’t work. Not tonight, not here. I’ve been waiting to stream a video I know is on my TiVo, the latest Big Bang Theory, for like 10 minutes so far. Silly spinning wheel is all I get. I don’t see this becoming a habit quickly.

– Whistl

 

 

 

Just a Sling tv tip.

As we know Sling TV offers ESPN and ESPN2. You can download the ‘Watch Espn’ app and login with the Sling TV credentials and watch ESPN3 programming.

I was able to watch the NBA finals on ESPN3 too.

– Ryan in Iowa 

 

Links

www.patreon.com/cordkillers
2015 Winter Movie Draft