The latest effort comes from Reelgood, which just released a nifty new remote control feature for Roku devices. When you find something to watch in Reelgood’s streaming guide apps for iPhone or Android, you can press a button and launch the video directly on your Roku player or smart TV.

I’ve been using a pre-release version of Reelgood’s new iPhone app this week (the Android version is already available), and while I ran into some issues with a handful of services, it worked flawlessly with content from Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Tubi, and Crackle. Roku itself doesn’t provide anything like this, so using Reelgood’s remote app might be even better than navigating with an actual remote. Read the full column on TechHive.

As for everyone else, Comcast is still planning to launch Peacock nationally in July, though Variety reports that the company is considering an earlier launch. For non-Comcast viewers, a more limited version of Peacock will be free, while the Premium service will cost $5 per month, and the ad-free version will cost $10 per month.

At the outset, Peacock will mostly host new NBC network shows the day after they air, along with back-catalog content such as The Office and Parks & Recreation. Originals are in the works, but NBC says most of those won’t arrive until 2021 as the coronavirus grinds productions to a halt.

HBO sticks around on old Apple TVs: In last week’s newsletter, I noted that HBO was dropping support for second- and third-generation Apple TVs (that is, the ones with silver remotes and no App Store) at the end of April. Now, the network says it will keep its HBO Now app alive until May 15 instead of April 30, and support for HBO Go will continue for a few more months. (HBO Now is a standalone subscription service, while HBO Go is for people who already get the channel as part of a pay TV bundle.)

The third-gen Apple TV is eight years old now, and the second-gen model came out in 2010, so with the launch of HBO Max coming, it’s not surprising that HBO wants to shore up resources and shed some legacy device support. Still, the optics of pulling support on short notice weren’t great, especially in the middle of stay-at-home orders across the country.

When HBO Now does go down, third-gen Apple TV users will have a workaround: HBO is still available as a subscription inside Apple’s TV app, with billing directly through Apple. Just make sure to cancel any existing HBO Now subscriptions first to avoid getting double-billed. For second-gen users, the TV app isn’t available, but you deserve to treat yourself to a new streaming box after sticking it out for a decade.

Free stuff watch: Content providers continue to keep the free movies and shows rolling. Here’s a rundown of everything announced since last week:

• Apple TV+ has made several of its originals free.
• Amazon Prime now offers some free HBO content (but the HBO Now app still has more)
• Sling TV’s Blue package is free every night between 5 p.m. and midnight.
• Lionsgate is streaming free movies through YouTube on Friday nights. (Tonight’s is The Hunger Games).
• Pink Floyd is putting full concerts on YouTube, starting with Pulse.

With Tablo, you set the DVR up wherever reception is best, then use the Tablo app on your streaming box or smart TV to watch live or recorded broadcasts. A single box will therefore work with multiple televisions around the house. While not everyone needs an over-the-air DVR, I think it’s the best all-around option for most folks that do.

As for which Tablo to get, the Tablo Quad ($200) is my favorite, but the refurbished Tablo 4-Tuner ($140) is nearly as good if you’re placing it near your router or connecting it over ethernet. And if you don’t anticipate needing to play or record more than a couple channels at a time, the refurbished Tablo Dual Lite ($120) is a fine option as well.