Showtime’s ready for its own HBO Now, Broadcast networks become optional and what Apple should do to keep the Apple TV relevant?
CordKillers: Ep. Talk Good Like Shwood
Recorded: May 11, 2015
Guest: Justin Robert Young
Intro Video
Primary Target
- Showtime over the Net
–CBS CEO Les Moonves said Internet-delivered version of Showtime rolling out “in the coming months”
– Moonves said HBO Now proving the opportunity to go over-the-top
– “very encouraged” by $6 a month CBS all access. Whole country should get it by end of year.
– COO Joe Ianniello: “underscores our value in retrans and reverse comp negotiations” In other words, it means we can up our fees to affiliates and cablecos.
–Couple ways we can go here:
-1.) Will this creep to non-premium channels like AMC and FX? Will this be the true way to a la carte?
-2.) Will other broadcasters follow suit in order to gain leverage in fee negotiations?
Signal Intelligence
- Sling TV may add broadcast networks but won’t force you to buy them
–Sling TV CEO Roger Lynch: “a key decision from the beginning” to omit broadcast content from base package
– ‘target market’ gets it from Hulu or OTA
– “You’ll see us launch broadcast networks in a tier,”
-Also “It’s not our vision that Sling TV will be everything that everyone will want.”
–Sling in my experience is definitely about watching live not on demand. HBO and AMC not very valuable there. ESPN and HGTV definitely are.
– If Sling adds broadcast it will be a complex series of negotiations with local broadcasters.
– Will it be able to do what Aereo couldn’t afford to?
Gear Up
- Apple TV channel lineup expands with CBS Sports and USA Now
- Apple TV Remote Expected to Add Touch Pad in Redesign
- OpenTV Sues Apple, Alleging Patent Infringement
–NY Times talked to “employee briefed on the product”
– New Apple TV at WWDC June 8
– remote will gain a touch pad and also be slightly thicker than the current version
– The touch pad can be used for scrolling around and there will also be two physical buttons
-Apple TV added CBS Sports and USA Now apps. Clips from CBS Sports, USA NOw requires authentication
– Open TV suing Apple over iTunes for ‘securely delivering media to consumer devices’: OpenTV licenesed by many on-demand and DVR
Front Lines
- Cord-Cutting Alert: Pay-TV Business Declines for First Time During Q1
–MoffettNathanson’s numbers showed a net loss of 31,000 customers for pay TV in Q1, the first time subscribers have declined. Ever. DirecTV, Verizon FiOS and even TWC added customers but it could not offset the seclines from other providers. - Xbox One will reportedly include TV DVR feature soon
–Paul Thurrott, who has a good track record on this sort of thing, says a DVR feature for the Xbox One is coming, likely this year. Can the Xbox One be the one box for everything? - Reddit is launching a video channel based on its AMAs
–Reddit hired two producers from The Verge who’s first project is an interview series based on Reddit’s AMA feature which will show up on the Reddit YouTube channel. - Xfinity’s new X1 remote follows Amazon’s approach to voice controls
–A new remote for the Xfinity X1 cable box has a dedicated voice button and embedded microphone to allow voice commands and search. It’s available for free to anyone with the X1 cable box.
Under Surveillance
- X-Files 6-episode miniseries returning Jan. 24 2016
- Hulu is reportedly making a TV series based on ‘Myst’ telling the origin story of the island.
- Sony renewed Powers with new episodes coming to the PlayStation in 2016.
- Steven Spielberg’s Amblin TV will produce a Minority Report series for Fox set 10 years after the end of pre-crime with a former pre-cog teamed up with a detective.
- ABC has ordered a second season of Agent Carter, still sounds like an 8 episode run.
- Sense8 teams up the Wachowskis and J. Michael Straczynski
-It about eight strangers from all around the world who become mentally and emotionally linked. Comes to Netflix June 5. - Fox canceled the Mindy Project but Universal is in talks with Hulu for two new seasons.
- Amblin TV will also adapt Brave New world for a series on SyFy
- Brian: Game of Thrones, Finished Daredevil, first 2 eps of Silicon Valley, couple of Bob’s Burgers, rewatched Interstellar, introduced penny to The Price is Right
- Tom: The Last Man on Earth, Bob’s Burgers, Silicon Valley, Once Upon a Time, The Flash, Agents of SHIELD, Arrow, The Shield (509), Game of Thrones, Mad Men
- Justin: Game of Thrones, Silicon Valley
Dispatches from the Front
Just finished up a big survey of cord cutters and the habits of password sharing, thought you guys might enjoy the data:
http://exstreamist.com/the-younger-you-are-the-more-likely-it-is-youll-share-your-netflix-password/
The 10 cent version:
Younger age equals a higher likelihood of sharing passwords. Older age results in a healthy fear that these services are going to put an end to all this freeloading sooner rather than later. HBO Go the largest % of “borrowed” streaming services. Let me know if you’ve got any questions / need any more info about the data, hope you enjoy!
Best,
–Rob
I’ve listened to every episode of cordkillers. In spite of Brian, I enjoy the show very much. I understand spoilers are going to occur. What I have issue with, is when people enjoy spoiling things when it’s unnecessary. Episode 67, Tom was describing the Star Wars trailer without naming Han and Chewy when Brian interrupted, mocking Tom for doing so and more than happy to provide the spoiler.
Recently, Brian thought it would be funny to watch Game of Thrones on HBO GO, skip to the end and then tweet the ending. DOUCHEBAG.
I get that Brian doesn’t understand my point of view. What I don’t understand, is why would you knowingly piss off a segment of your listeners.
–Erik
Hi guys,
In regards to the TiVo OTA story, last fall we purchased an OTA for my snowbird parents to use as a second DVR so they wouldn’t have to lug their existing TiVo across the country twice a year. Ok it was also so I could avoid the yearly, “how do I hook this thing up” call. Unfortunately, I didn’t do my research and was surprised to find that, unlike every other TiVo I’ve purchased over the last ten years; I couldn’t get a lifetime plan for it.
Not only did I have to pay monthly, I had to commit to 12 months. Not the best option for a device that will be unplugged 6 months of the year. After much back and forth with TiVo, they refused to budge and the cheapest option they would “give” me was to pay monthly for 18 months, cancel for 6 months and repeat.
I had finally caved and was about to sign the contract and hook up the OTA on Saturday when this deal came out of nowhere. So I reached out to TiVo one last time. Of course no such luck for me, I have to buy another OTA that has lifetime I can’t put lifetime on the unactivated OTA I already bought! Crazy but it was still a lot cheaper than what I would have done. Luckily I was able to get the deal even though it did come and go for me as well.
Anyway, long story longer, does anyone want a new unused OTA sans lifetime service?
Your penny pinching boss,
–Dan in Rochester
I have been an avid user of Windows media center DVR to record with Cablecard for years. With the software not being part of Windows 10, I was very disappointed. I have yet to find anything and then today I found this on kickstarter. . This is going to be a game changer for me. I already use HDHomeRun prime. This should be amazing. I thought this is something you should share with your audience.
–Dave
Hi Brian, Tom, and guest,
A huge potential problem exists for those who rely on WMC for their DVR on some cable providers. WMC is currently the only software approved by CableLabs to play Copy-Once content (which is DRM’d video that can only be played on the device that recorded it or a WMC extender like the Xbox 360). All other software currently available (various Kodi backends, NextPVR, etc.) is only able to play/record Copy Freely material. Generally this isn’t a major problem as Comcast and Verizon flag most content as Copy Freely and only tag HBO/Starz/Showtime and the other premium cable channels as Copy Once. Nevertheless, some providers tag everything as Copy Once and therefore some users of WMC will eventually be forced to move away from an HTPC as an option to receive cable TV on their computer.
Not sure if it was mentioned on the show either but SiliconDust has started a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to develop their own DVR software. It appears that it will be a subscription-based program for $30/year, but the UI looks promising and it states that it should be able to play copy-once material.
–Geoff in Maryland
Hey guys, last week Brian and Justin declared the summer blockbuster dead because Avengers 2 only had the 2nd biggest opening weekend in movie history. I really don’t understand this idea. As I write this, Avengers 2 has already made 3 times its budget. Furious 7 has profited well over a BILLION dollars, more than the budgets of all the movies in the series combined.
My point is, they can afford an an occasional flop (like Avengers 2) and still profit billions of dollars every summer. When you look at the worldwide grosses, its hard to find a high budget movie that didn’t make back its budget. In 2014, Robocop and Hercules over doubled their money. 300 Rise of an Empire tripled. Godzilla and Ninja Turtles nearly quadrupled. None of these movies were considered huge box office hits, but all were very financially successful. The ONLY high budget summer movie in the past 3 years I could find that didn’t make its money back was RIPD. It lost 52 million. Good thing Universal profited about 600 million off of Fast & Furious 6 that same summer! I think they’ll keep cranking out the summer blockbusters for some time to come.
If I’m missing something, please explain. Maybe there’s something I’m not seeing or maybe I totally misunderstood what you guys meant. Either way, would love to hear.
Thanks guys, I love the show and am proud to be supporting it!
–Andy in Taylor, Tx
P.S. Brian: standing invitation for Louie Mueller BBQ in Taylor any day this summer!
re: Prisoner 42
THANK YOU!!!
–Kirk
2015 Winter Movie Draft
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