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| This week on TechHive: Roku tips and tricks |
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| After my Fire TV tips piece from last month turned out to be a hit, I decided to write something similar for Roku users.
While Roku’s streaming players and smart TVs have a reputation for being easy to use, not every useful feature is obvious from the start. This week’s column has advice on how to navigate faster, find free content, control playback in new ways, and more. Read the full column on TechHive. |
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| Weekly rewind |
| AT&T’s three- (or four- or five-) pronged streaming plan: Earlier this week, AT&T continued to tease out details on the Netflix-like streaming video service that its WarnerMedia division will launch late next year. Instead of just offering a one-size-fits-all service, AT&T is planning three tiers: The basic tier will include movies from the HBO catalog, the middle tier will look a lot like HBO Now with both movies and original HBO shows, and the top tier will throw in video from the Warner Bros. and Turner libraries, presumably including the movie catalog of recently-shuttered Filmstruck. It’s still unclear how much any of this will cost.
Meanwhile, AT&T says it’s launched its last satellite, suggesting that the company will begin slowly winding down its legacy DirecTV service. AT&T now wants to focus on streaming for live TV service, and the company’s been testing an Android-based box that will stream DirecTV over the internet. This will apparently be a separate service from DirecTV Now, which is already available on other devices such as Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV. Speaking of DirecTV Now, AT&T is hinting at lineup changes and a higher price of around $50 to $60 per month, along with a cheaper plan to come early next year, though the company isn’t sharing details yet. Just when you thought you had all this stuff figured out.
Friends will be there for you: I normally don’t write too much about the fates of specific shows in this newsletter, but the news that Friends will remain on Netflix through at least 2019 seemed noteworthy for a couple reasons: First, Friends is (perhaps surprisingly) one of the most popular shows on Netflix, which explains why the company was willing to spend a reported $100 million to keep it on board. Second, it could be a rare example of a non-exclusive streaming deal for a sought-after show, as AT&T’s WarnerMedia will be able to offer Friends on its own streaming service alongside Netflix in 2020. (The deal does, however, give AT&T the option to pull the show from Netflix in favor of exclusivity after next year.)
Some observers believe this was a bad deal on AT&T’s part, as it could harm AT&T’s efforts to pull Netflix customers over to its own service. Still, it’s arguably the best possible outcome for viewers, and inclined to think that Friends’ sustained popularity is due to Netflix, not vice versa. The chances of Friends fans abandoning Netflix for AT&T’s service could be slim, which is why AT&T is hedging and taking Netflix’s money. |
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| Save more money |
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| Given the topic for this week’s column, it’s only fitting that some Roku players are on sale. Get the Roku Streaming Stick (reg. $50) for $34, or the Roku Streaming Stick+ (reg. $60) for $49. Both devices are easy to use and have similar performance, but the latter supports 4K HDR video. Check out my reviews of both for more info. |
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| Want advice on more than just cord-cutting? Sign up for Advisorator and get smarter about phones, apps, computers, smart homes, and more. It’s $5 per month or $50 per year, and you can try it for free first. |
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| Thanks for reading! |
| Fellow Cincinnatians: Come on over to the Blue Ash Library (4911 Cooper Rd., 45242) this Wednesday, December 12, at 7 p.m. for my first-ever presentation on cord-cutting. Hear me yap about the latest streaming TV options, see some of the latest devices in action, ask me your most pressing questions, and just say hello!
As always, don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions, story ideas, or feedback on this newsletter. Get in touch by replying to this email.
Until next week,
Jared |
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