| AT&T TV Now price drop: Here’s something I don’t often get to say: AT&T has reduced the base price of its live TV streaming service from $65 per month to $55 per month. The catch is that HBO is no longer included, but you can still add it for $10 per month, effectively making the channel optional instead of mandatory. (AT&T TV Now’s “Max” package, which includes regional sports channels, still costs $80 per month with HBO included.)
I’m not crazy about AT&T TV Now, but the price change makes it somewhat compelling for a narrow subset of cord cutters. Unlike YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV, AT&T’s service includes Viacom channels (Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, and so on), so it’s the cheapest way to combine them with all the major broadcast networks, cable news, and national sports channels. And now you can just add or drop HBO on a seasonal basis to save a bit more money.
Quibi arrives: Over at Fast Company, I took an early look at Quibi, a new streaming service that launched this week after months of industry hype. The big idea behind Quibi is that all of its shows are less than 10 minutes long, and you can only watch them on your phone. But unlike most of what you’d find on, say, YouTube or TikTok, Quibi’s shows are heavy on Hollywood talent and production values. The service, which was founded by entertainment industry mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg and Silicon Valley exec Meg Whitman, is backed by $1.75 billion in venture funding.
This kind of service is clearly going to be polarizing, and plenty of folks are practically rooting for Quibi to fail, but I’m not quite that bearish. The idea of short shows with substance is appealing to me, and Quibi’s big gimmick—that videos are formatted for both portrait or landscape mode—is convenient for mobile use. Still, Quibi doesn’t have any clear hits out of the gate, and it’s not tied to any other streaming services or social networks that could help raise awareness for its programming. For Quibi, launching the service was the easy part compared to what comes next. (On that note, you can get a 90-day trial if you sign up this month.)
Netflix’s new parental controls: Now you can use a PIN to stop your kids—or, perhaps, other adults—from getting access to your Netflix profile. To set up PIN protection, head to Netflix’s account page in any web browser, then scroll down to the “Profile & Parental Controls” section. For each adult profile, find the Profile Lock setting and select “Change.” You’ll be prompted to create a four-digit code that you’ll then have to use to access that profile in the future.
Netflix has also added more granular content controls for kids’ profiles. At the same account page, select the profile for any child, then select “Change” next to Viewing Restrictions. From here you can set a maximum movie and TV maturity rating and block specific movies or shows by name.
Although Netflix has offered PIN protection before, it applied to the entire account, requiring adults to enter a PIN for any selection above a specified age rating. This approach didn’t prevent kids from accessing adult profiles (and viewing mature trailers) in the first place, and it didn’t allow different maturity levels for each child. The new system just makes a lot more sense. |
The steady drip of free stuff continues as more companies chip in to keep us entertained at home.
- Let’s start with AMC Networks, which is unlocking some content across its various channel apps and websites. The AMC app will have the first half of The Walking Dead Season 10, BBC America will have a collection of free nature documentaries, the IFC app will have several comedy movies and series, and SundanceTV is streaming the first seasons of Liar and several other shows. More details here.
- YouTube is also unlocking some of its Originals that previously required a YouTube Premium subscription (though, sadly, Cobra Kai is not among them).
- Speaking of YouTube, Andrew Lloyd Webber is releasing full-length musicals there every Friday.
- Meanwhile, the Apple TV app is offering free access to Epix through May 2, with no extra sign-up required. You can access the Apple TV app on a wide range of devices including Apple TVs, Roku players, and Fire TV devices.
I also have a clarification on last week’s news that HBO is streaming some free movies and shows through the HBO Now/HBO Go apps and website: If you have a Roku device, you’ll find that free content inside The Roku Channel app instead. |
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| Just a friendly reminder that if you subscribe to my other newsletter, Advisorator, by April 16, I’ll donate your first payment (minus card processing fees) to Direct Relief and Feeding America. That’s $15 or $50 going to charities helping with the coronavirus crisis, plus a side of tech advice for you on all kinds of topics, from phones and computers to apps and online tools. (Subscriptions auto-renew by default, but you can email me after signing up to disable this if you want.)
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| Thanks for reading! |
| For those who celebrate Easter or Passover, I hope it’s a good and meaningful one despite the tough circumstances. I’ll be continuing to work through my email backlog, so hang tight if you haven’t heard back from me yet! You can always send me your questions, comments, and feedback by replying to this email.
Until next week,
Jared |
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