CCW 3/27/2020: Streaming TV guide updates

This week on TechHive: The best live TV streaming services

In lieu of writing a new column this week, I spent some time going through our live TV streaming guide over at TechHive, making sure all the info is up to date. There you’ll find a channel comparison chart for services like Sling TV and Hulu + Live TV, another chart comparing features such as DVR support, and a list of streaming devices that each service works with.

I’ve also made one tweak to our recommendations, picking Hulu + Live TV over YouTube TV as the best bundle for sports fans. COVID-19 has made this a moot point for now, but YouTube TV’s drastic paring back of regional sports coverage will make it a non-starter for local sports in many markets whenever things get back to normal. To check out the full guide, head over to TechHive.

Weekly rewind

YouTube drops default video quality: After announcing last week that users in Europe would get standard definition streams by default, YouTube is bringing similar changes to the United States. Bloomberg reports that YouTube videos will default to standard-def for at least a month to ensure the internet runs smoothly for everyone.

This probably isn’t a major concern in the United States, where internet providers say they’re performing just fine, but it may help appease governments that are feeling jumpy about having essential functions hampered. Other services such as Netflix, Apple TV+, and Amazon Prime, and Disney+ have also dialed back streaming quality in Europe, but haven’t announced plans to do so stateside.

For what it’s worth, I’m not seeing standard definition by default on any of my devices yet, but I am seeing the default “auto” quality setting max out at 720p HD even when higher-resolution streams are available. To force the higher resolutions, hit the vertical “…” button on mobile or TV devices, then select “quality.” On desktop browsers, you can just hit the gear icon in the bottom-right part of the video.

More free stuff to watch: The other big story in cord-cutting this week is the sheer number of streaming services that are offering content for free. I rounded up a bunch of these options last week, but here are some more that have come up since then:

CBS All Access is offering free service through April 23 with this link or the coupon code “GIFT” even if you’ve signed up before. (Just immediately cancel the service to avoid being auto-billed at the end.)
Amazon is giving Prime subscribers a bunch of extra children’s content at no extra charge.
WWE Network is offering free access to on-demand and library content.
Plex is offering its live over-the-air TV service free for three months if you have the necessary hardware. (DVR still requires a Plex Pass subscription.)
Sling TV is providing 14 days of its Sling Blue service (which includes all three major cable news channels) without requiring a credit card.
Austin City Limits has opened up part of its live concert archive for free.
The NHL, NBA, and NFL are providing free replays of old games.

Even more free stuff: This week, as part of my other tech newsletter, Advisorator, I rounded up a list of other freebies outside the cord-cutting realm, including digital wellness services, learning tools, reading material, and gaming. You can read that list right here. Please consider a subscription to Advisorator if you’d like to support my work and get more tech advice in your inbox each week.

More catch-up

Bloomberg wonders if we’ll run out of TV because of coronavirus. (I’m still overwhelmed with unwatched shows.)
My colleague Mike Simon lists the downsides of cable replacement services for cord cutters. (I agree with most of them.)
Amazon is working on user profiles for Prime Video.
Netflix and Roku have temporarily suspended phone support, while Hulu has cut back customer service hours.

Save more money

If you’re still in need of a streaming device, the Roku Streaming Stick+ is on sale for $40 from several major retailers, including Target, Best Buy, and Amazon. That’s $10 off the regular price, and a decent deal on a dead-simple streaming player with 4K HDR support.

Also, Monoprice is selling a six-foot HDMI cable for just $1.64. The link will take you to a listing for a red cable, which is more expensive, so make sure to select the black cable to see the lower price.

Thanks for reading!

Apologies for the later-than-usual newsletter, as the quarantine life has knocked me behind schedule. As always, I’m eager to hear your cord-cutting questions, comments, and feedback, and promise to get through my email backlog soon! Just reply to this email to get in touch. And if you know anyone who might enjoy this newsletter, send them the sign-up link.

Until next week,
Jared