Verizon may launch an internet-only TV service, Comcast will launch one but only to its Comcast internet customers, and Apple may be contemplating the skinniest of bundles. With special guest Mike Range.
CordKillers: Ep. 164 – Eyes Wide Shut Streaming
Recorded: April 3 2017
Guest: Mike Range
Intro Video
Primary Target
- Verizon Said to Plan Online TV Package for Summer Launch
– Sources tell Bloomberg Verizon has been buying streaming rights to TV networks in advance of a US launch of an online TV service. The package will supposedly have a few dozen channels and go on sale this summer. CBS previously said its contract extension for Verizon’s FiOS TV service included “future digital platforms.”
How to Watch
- Comcast could chase cord-cutters with ‘Xfinity Instant TV’
– Reuter sources tell it Comcast will roll out a streaming only TV service called Xfinity Instant TV for $15-$40 a month and included major broadcast channels, sports channels like ESPN and spanish-language channels. The service would launch in Q3 to any customer of Comcast broadband Internet. This would be a revamp of Comcast’s Stream service trialed in Boston and Chicago. - Amazon is making Twitch a destination for original shows
– Starting April 5 at 4 PM Eastern Amazon will start running three of its spring pilots, Oasis, dramedy The Legend of Master Legend and comedy Budding Prospects, on repeat for 24 hours at www.twitch.tv/twitchpresents. Also the first Twitch Studio original comes out April 7th at 5 PM Eastern. Ironsights tells the story of Big Buck Hunter champ Sara Erlandson.
What to Watch
- Amazon’s NFL series goes inside the huddle for a second season
– Amazon Prime will bring back All or Nothing for a second season. Last year it followed the Arizona Cardinals NFL season. This year will follow the 2016 LA Rams season. - The Dark Tower moves again, this time to August
– The Dark Tower released date was moved to August 4 and the Emoji Movie moved to July 28. Sony showed preview footage at CinemaCon last week on got positive buzz from critics. Sony says the move was done to give the Emoji Movie more summertime play. - Doctor Who comes back April 15.
- A new trailer for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales shows a crusty Orlando Bloom. Pirates comes to theaters May 26.
- A new trailer for Spider-Man Homecoming is out. The movie arrives in theaters July 7.
- The first teaser trailer of Game of Thrones shows a lot of walking and cold breath. Season 7 premieres July 16 on HBO.
What We’re Watching
- Brian: The Expanse, Legion through ep 4, Rick and Morty, Netflix Live, OJ: Made in America
- Tom: The Expanse, Magicians, Legion, Rick And Morty (301), Baseball
- Mike: The Expanse, Legion, Archer S7, Walking Dead… BREAKING BAD?!
- On the Lookout: 13 Reasons Why
Front Lines
- Apple wants to sell HBO, Showtime and Starz in a single bundle
– Sources tell ReCode that Apple is pitching a deal to bundle premium services HBO, Showtime and Starz for one discounted price, potentially accessible in a standalone product. The three services are currently sold separately by Apple for a combined $35 a month. - Netflix is rolling out offline playback for its Windows 10 Store PC app
– Windows Central notes Netflix’s option for offline viewing of select content is now available in the Windows 10 Netflix app. The update has begun rolling out to Windows 10 users through the Windows Store, though updates to the Windows 10 Mobile and Xbox versions of the app have yet to appear. - Smart TV hack embeds attack code into broadcast signal—no access required
– Security consultant Rafael Scheel demonstrated a proof-of-concept exploit that would allow someone to take control of a smart TV using a low-cost transmitter to send a malicious TV broadcast. The attack worked against two fully updated Samsung TVs by exploiting known security flaws in the Web browsers. The attack gave full control of the TV. - Netflix nabs ‘Archer’ team for its first animated feature
– Netflix’s first animated feature film, America: The Motion Picture, will be an R-rated comedic take on the founding of the United States. Archer’s Adam Reed and Matt Thompson will lead the production team and Thompson will direct. The Expendables’ Dave Callaham will write the scrip. And Phil Lord, Chris Miller and Will Allegra from the LEGO Movie will contribute. Channing Tatum will produce and voice George Washington. - NBC will broadcast its entire 2018 Olympics programming live across the world
– NBC announced it will broadcast events live regardless of timezone for the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. NBC previously streamed all coverage live, but tape delayed large portions of the TV broadcast for prime time viewing. - ESPN’s new Apple TV app behaves like your cable box
– ESPN’s WatchESPN app which lets subscribers to SlingTV, PSVue and such watch all the ESPN content in one place has a couple feature updates on Apple TV. IT will start playing one of its channels immediately upon logging in, it also has a curated selection of on-demand video and some nice interface tweaks. The app also gives users a look at the miniseries We the Fans on April 9, two days before broadcast.
Dispatches from the Front
Add me to the fellowship of cord killers! I signed up for Playstation Vue last week for a trial run and just worked up the nerve to call Charter Spectrum to cut off my tv service. They offered me a couple different discounts, but it wasn’t near the savings I would have needed to stay. Not all is perfect as I’m losing access to local channels (OTA signal is hit or miss where I live), plus I lament having to give up the wonderful interface of my TiVo Roamio. Yet, the extra $50/month in my pocket will help to ease the pain.
Speaking of interfaces, for the Playstation Vue app on Apple TV, does anyone know how to keep the on-screen menu from disappearing after only a few seconds? It’s incredibly annoying, especially when you’re not sure what you want to select.
Thanks guys, I wouldn’t have had the courage to make the change without your show.
– Chad
Im excited about the vudu upc code add feature. I have over 800 movies on vudu 500 of them cane from the disc to digital at home feature. When doing it at home with a blu ray drive you get 50% off when you do 10 or more. Also when going from a blu ray to hd digital its only $2 before the discount. I love having them on vudu because i dont have to worry about wear and tear of disc or keepinh them in alphabetical order. It also makes it easier to share with my parents. I bet the upc code way is alot more accurate. I love the show.
– Kevin
My curious mind wanted to see if a Barcode from a picture of the blu ray cover online would also work, and it did. The barcode had to be a quality scan. A person could easily get 100 movies for $200 of they wanted to game the system here.
Keep up the good work.
– Tim
I do have a question I wanted to ask regarding authenticating broadcast channels. I’m able to use my SlingTV credentials to authenticate certain apps like WatchESPN, etc. However, I haven’t seen a way to authenticate any of the broadcast channels for antenna users. Occasionally, I’ll miss a show and will try to watch it on that channel’s ATV app or website. Many of them are now wanting you to authenticate provider credentials which seems rather stupid since it’s free, broadcast tv. Seems like they should at least provide antenna usage as an option. Do you know of anyway to do that?
Thanks in advance!
– Sonny
I recommends the Inteset INT-422 Universal Learning Remote on Amazon. This is a basic 4-in-1 remote, and comes pre-programmed to control a Roku, Apple TV, X-Box 360 and Media Center. Any of the device buttons that you don’t want to use can be reprogrammed to control another device, and each individual button can be reprogrammed or even moved. This is nice because a few of the buttons to control the Roku were in weird spots so I moved them to a different button.
It also has some nice features like quick launch buttons for Netflix and Amazon Video, and volume and mute punch-through so they work in any mode.
I’ve had this set up for about a month and it has fully passed the wife test to the point that last night out of the blue she said “I really like this remote. Thank you for buying it.”
And one of the best features is that it was only $26.
The one downside is it is an IR only remote, so the Roku needs to be line of site to work, but it’s a small price to pay for the convenience of one remote.
If you need to get your remotes under control or just win points with your wife I highly recommend this remote.
Love the show!
– Biocow
Hey guys, thanks for all the good info but I have 1 request for the show. Most of the time when you talk about “what we’re watching”, the viewers get a all male perspective on the shows to watch. I was wondering if at least once a month that you could throw in a few things that your wives are watching. Since I was the one the one who initiated this whole cord cutting thing at our house, I feel it is my responsibly to bring my wife some content that may not be my cup of tea which is all Scifi, science and tech oriented. I am not saying that women don’t like that stuff too but they sometimes cast a wider net than I do
Thanks for everything
– Mikey C
Hello gang! Paul from Dayton again. Thanks for reading my email last episode about my subtitle difficulties. Just wanted to follow up on a couple of things. I apologize for not mentioning which programs I use, sent the message a bit late at night lol. I use NextPVR to record video signals and Plex to play the video files back.
I believe you guys are right about the subtitles being embedded in the video signal. When I used Windows Media Center as my recording/playback software, I could enable subtitles easily by either pressing the subtitle button on the WMC remote, or by opening the menu with my mouse. In the new setup with Plex and Kodi, there are subtitle enabling buttons on the menu interface, but toggling these options do not bring up the subtitles. I’m guessing that something in NextPVR is either not enabled or not working, lol. Haven’t found anything there which works either.
– Paul
Links