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This week on TechHive: The case against cord-cutting takes an absurd turn
For years, TV and tech pundits have derided cord cutting with bogus arguments. They’ve claimed, for instance, that dropping cable TV won’t really save you money, that it will ruin quality television, and that it might even break the internet. These claims almost always ignore the evidence to the contrary, whether it’s the sky-high average cost of cable TV, the glut of prestige programming on streaming services, or steady advancements in online video technology.

Now the cord-cutting naysayers are trotting out a new argument in favor of cable, and it’s even more absurd than the old ones: Having too many high-quality, standalone streaming services, they say, is actually bad for consumers, who are apparently helpless at using technology or making sound purchase decisions. Read the full column on TechHive.

Weekly Rewind

Streaming Mayweather-McGregor: Saturday’s fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor is a big moment for streaming video. Unlike Mayweather’s bout with Manny Pacquiao in 2015, this fight will actually be available on pay-per-view without a cable subscription.

But to watch the Mayweather-McGregor live stream, you’ll have to pay the price just like cable subscribers do. Pay-per-view access will cost $100, and will be available through various streaming devices and services. That price includes the main bout and three preceding fights, which have a scheduled start time of 9 p.m. Eastern. Head to TechHive for my rundown of streaming options.

More 4K HDR streamers inbound: A new report at Bloomberg adds credence to some earlier rumors of a 4K HDR Apple TV. Siting unnamed sources, the report says Apple will announce the device in September, alongside new iPhones and Apple Watches. Interestingly, the report also mentions that Apple’s TV app will start pulling in live video from various apps, so users can tune into news or sports from a centralized menu. The current version of the app only supports on-demand video from sources like HBO Now, Hulu, and Crackle.

Meanwhile, AFTVNews has turned up more evidence of a 4K HDR Fire TV. It’s unclear, however, whether this device will be a successor to the $90 Fire TV box, or something closer in price and performance to the $40 Fire TV Stick. I suspect we’ll find out in a month or two.

More Catch-Up

Save More Money
If you need a small TV for your kitchen, bedroom, or basement bar, this 32-inch TCL Roku TV could do the trick. It often sells for $170, but Dell.com has it for $150 with a $25 gift card thrown in.

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Until next week,
Jared