This week on TechHive: How cord-cutters can cope with data caps

Unfortunately, usage limits have become reality for a growing number of users. Comcast began broadly enforcing a 1TB data cap in 2016, and AT&T followed shortly after. Cox stepped up and expanded its own data-cap enforcement last year, and Verizon is flirting with the idea for its DSL customers, who now face unenforced “usage” guidelines in certain markets.

If you’ve cut the cord on cable or satellite TV and are facing data caps from your internet provider, all is not lost. Although streaming video can drive up your data use quickly, there are plenty of ways to curb your consumption and avoid running into overage charges. Read the full column on TechHive.

Weekly rewind

I still think YouTube TV is the best streaming bundle for most people, but I’ve now chosen Hulu as the runner up, thanks to its slick interface and vast on-demand catalog. (PlayStation Vue, despite being demoted from the runner-up slot, is still a great option for sports fans.) Click here to read more.

Tablo gets Surround Sound: Although Tablo is currently my pick for best over-the-air DVR, its lack of surround sound support has always been a sticking point for audiophiles. That’s finally changing, but with some caveats.

For now, 5.1 Surround Sound is available on Tablo’s web app and on its Preview apps for Fire TV and Android TV. Roku players will also get Surround Sound soon, and more apps will support it in the near future. You can enable the feature from the settings screen in any of these apps, and it will apply to all of them.

Here’s the bad news: If you’re using Tablo on older Android devices, older smart TVs, or pre-iOS 11 Apple devices, you should probably abstain. These devices don’t support the AC3 format that Surround Sound uses, and because Tablo applies the Surround Sound setting to all devices, those that can’t support AC3 won’t be able to play audio at all. (You can still use the Surround Sound setting with newer devices if they’re not hooked up to a 5.1 system, though.) Head to Tablo’s blog for more specifics.

AT&T WatchTV’s new channels: When AT&T launched its $15 per month skinny bundle last month, the company said six additional channels would be coming “soon after launch.” Those channels–BET, Comedy Central, MTV2, Nick Toons, TeenNick, and VH1–are now available according to Cord Cutters News.

If you’re looking for a non-sports bundle, Philo will probably still be more compelling, as it has more channels and a DVR feature. Still, there’s a chance AT&T WatchTV could plug some channel gaps left by other streaming bundles, and you can get it for free with one of AT&T’s new “Unlimited &More” data plans.

More catch-up

• Amazon Prime is getting Dolby Atmos support on August 31.
• Rumor: Verizon wants to work with Apple or Google on 5G TV service.
• Netflix is revamping its profile icons.
• Start TV is a new over-the-air channel for female-led procedurals like The Good Wife and The Closer.

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Thanks for reading!

Until next week,
Jared