Weekly Rewind
YouTube stops working on Fire TV: Although Google plans to cut off Amazon’s YouTube app on Fire TV starting January 1, Amazon isn’t waiting. Opening the app now brings up a message telling users to install either the Silk or Firefox web browsers, both of which can still access YouTube.com without issue.
To recap: Google is frustrated over Amazon’s refusal to support Prime Video on Chromecast, and to sell Google hardware products on Amazon.com, so now the search giant is using YouTube as leverage. While the companies say they’re having productive discussions, Amazon’s deactivation of YouTube suggests they won’t be coming to terms in the next few days.
Time to consider “Streamcutting?” It’s been a slow news week, so here’s an interesting Reddit thread on what might be dubbed “Streamcutting.” Essentially, the poster realized that trying to replicate the cable bundle with streaming alternatives can be an expensive endeavor, so he’s cutting out PlayStation Vue, Amazon Prime, and CBS All Access in favor of just Netflix and Hulu.
That’s not going to work for everyone, of course. Sports in particular is still a challenge without a TV bundle, especially if you don’t get great antenna reception. But in general, it’s good idea to step back every once in a while, look at your streaming subscriptions, and reconsider whether they’re still worth paying for. Being able to do that with minimal hassle is one of cord-cutting’s great advantages.
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