Weekly Rewind
Apple TV 4K review: After spending some time with Apple’s 4K HDR streamer, my conclusion is that it probably shouldn’t cost $179. That’s $110 more than several other 4K HDR streaming devices, including the Roku Streaming Stick+, Fire TV, and Chromecast Ultra, all of which do a decent job of playing much of the same content.
Still, the Apple TV 4K nails the little details in ways its competitors often don’t. Its apps are universally best-in-breed, its voice search is speedy and sophisticated, and its home screen is refreshingly free of advertisements. The fact that Apple’s streaming box is the only one to support Dolby Vision—a proprietary enhancement over the HDR-10 standard—is just icing. While the Apple TV 4K doesn’t win on value, it does make for a superior streaming box if you’re willing to pay a stiff premium. Check out the full review on TechHive.
A small step forward for in-market sports: Late last week, NBC announced a new standalone streaming service for Portland Trail Blazers basketball games. The “Blazers Pass” will offer 15 live streaming games for a flat rate of $35 (or $31.50 until December 1), specifically for people who live within the team’s traditional TV coverage area.
Before you get too excited, keep in mind that Blazers Pass only covers about 20 percent of the 77 games that will air on NBC’s regional sports network, and it won’t cover nationally-televised games on channels like ESPN and TNT. But until now, you needed a TV bundle to access any in-market games at all, with the NBA’s League Pass service only offering out-of-market games. Blazers Pass seems like a modest step toward giving people what they really want, which is streaming access to all in-market games on a standalone basis.
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