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This week on TechHive: The Disney+ problem that wasn’t |
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So here’s a funny story: After reading reports earlier this week that Disney+ would only allow subscribers to watch on up to 10 devices, I asked a Disney spokesperson for clarity on that potentially troubling detail. Such a strict limit on device activations, I figured, would be a major annoyance not only to password sharers, but to families that use lots of devices. Disney subsequently confirmed the limit, and I wrote a whole column about why that’s a problem.
After publishing, however, I received an update: Disney+ will not, in fact, put a cap on how many total devices you can use. The 10-device limit only applies to downloads on mobile devices. Otherwise, you can watch on as many devices as you want, with up to four streams at the same time. That bit of clarification pretty much renders this week’s TechHive column obsolete, but at least it’s fo r a positive reason.
As for other details, Disney+ will support up to seven user profiles, and kids under age 7 will have a special menu that’s organized by character. The service will include 4K and 4K HDR video at no extra charge, and it’ll support Dolby Atmos as well. It’ll also follow a more traditional schedule for its original series, releasing new episodes on a weekly basis instead of dumping entire seasons at once, Netflix-style.
Disney+ is launching on November 12 for $7 per month or $70 per year, with a big emphasis on Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar, and Disney characters. It’ll have a mix of classic movies and shows, plus a small number of originals that will grow over time.
Disney’s also offering a big discount through this long weekend If you’re willing to prepay for three years of service sight unseen. Just sign up for a D23 fan club membership by Sunday night (look for the black “Become a General Member” button for a free membership), then head to My Account > View Account on the D23.com site and click “Redeem Now.” You’ll get three years of Disney+ for $141, which is 33 percent off the regular annual price. |
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Weekly rewind |
JBL Link Bar review: Fortunately, not all my work at TechHive this week was for naught. I also wrote a review of the JBL Link Bar, a $400 soundbar that’s also an Android TV streaming player and Google Assistant speaker. By smashing all those functions together–and including three HDMI inputs for hooking up extra video devices–the idea is to make setup a lot simpler than a typical soundbar and to consolidate your living room hardware.
Unfortunately, each of the Link Bar’s individual elements feel like too much of a compromise. While the soundbar offers great audio clarity, adding a subwoofer costs an extra $300, and there’s no option for surround sound or multi-room audio. The Android TV software also has framerate limitations on certain live TV services (including Hulu, Sling TV, and PlayStation Vue), and Google Assistant feels slower to respond compared to a regular Google Home speaker. Meanwhile, the Link Bar’s HDMI inputs add too much latency to use with game consoles, and you’d still need separate remotes to use a cable box or DVD player anyway. I’m not ready to rule out the idea of a soundbar with streaming software inside, but the execution needs to be a lot better.
Hulu’s new guide: At last, Hulu is expanding its grid guide to a 14-day view on Roku and Apple TV, with more device support coming soon. The expanded guide is also available on the web, as it has been for the last month or so. Previously, Hulu’s guide only showed the current and next program for each channel, which made recording future events needlessly difficult. Hulu is also working on broader interface changes, including clearer section labels and denser content menus, but it’s still unclear when those will start rolling out.
Next steps for Plex: Over at Variety, Janko Roettgers wrote a good piece about where Plex is headed. While the company isn’t abandoning its media server roots, it increasingly wants to be an aggregator of other content as well. It already offers streaming news (culled from various sources) and podcasts, and it integrates with Tidal for streaming music. With the right hardware, you can also turn Plex into an over-the-air DVR. This week, Plex announced a new deal with Warner Bros. to stream some free ad-supported movies later this year, and Roettgers reports that Plex is working on both a video subscription marketplace (similar to Amazon Channels) and an a la carte video store (a la iTunes) for the first half of next year.
The subscription piece is particularly interesting because Plex is available on pretty much every device. That stands in contrast to, say, Apple TV Channels, whose device availability is far more limited. Still, it’s unclear how many partners Plex can round up for this effort, and ultimately Plex’s quest for aggregation will run into the same problems as the big streaming platforms it’s competing with: Some services, such as Netflix, just don’t want to be fully aggregated into someone else’s TV guide, so the idea of a true universal menu for streaming content is still just a distant dream.
On a related note, Plex has backtracked on plans to phase out its app for home theater PCs after a backlash from some of its diehard users. The company is still investigating the best way to keep HTPC support going, but in the meantime it will keep its current Plex Media Player PC software alive and fix any major issues that come up. (I still think Plex is right to focus elsewhere, but then I’m not the one who has deal with an angry mob of customers.)
Spectrum TV Essentials arrives: According to Cord Cutters News, Spectrum’s TV Essentials streaming video package is now live in all of the company’s markets. This is a $15 per month bundle with no sports or news channels, no major broadcast networks, and no other channels owned by said broadcast networks. It’s pretty similar to Philo, which costs $20 per month, except Spectrum’s service lacks DVR. You can access the channels through the Spectrum app, which is available on Roku, Apple TV, Xbox One, Samsung TVs, iOS, Android, and the web.
As with other Spectrum streaming packages (such as TV Choice), Essentials isn’t just something you can switch to from cable. Instead, you either have to wait for an offer by phone or mail–unlikely to happen if you have Spectrum TV already–or call customer service and see if they’ll give it to you. You can safely assume that cancellation will be a hassle as well. |
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Save more money |
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If you’re new to Hulu or haven’t subscribed in the last year, you can currently get six months of the ad-supported version for $3 per month (that’s 50% off) by signing up through this link. The deal is apparently associated with model Chrissy Teigen, who linked to it on Twitter, hence the “Welcome, Chrissy Fans” message at the top of the screen.
Meanwhile, you can also get 20% off one year of ESPN+ by signing up through this link, bringing the price down to $40. The content on ESPN+ is not at all the same as the cable channel, but it still has some appeal to certain sports superfans. |
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Did you know that in addition to this lovely newsletter, I also write a separate one called Advisorator? Instead of just covering cord cutting, it’s filled with tips on all kinds of tech topics, from phones and computers to apps and online tools. It’s also a modest effort at turning this newsletter endeavor into a 100% ad-free, sponsorship-free, reader-supported business. Please check out some samples and consider a free trial. With the summer winding down, we’ll have a lot of fun stuff to talk about. |
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Podcast alert! |
Last week, I had a great time dropping in on the Bald Move podcast with Jim and A.Ron, where I yapped about the state of cord-cutting and the many misconceptions I’m often rolling my eyes over. You can listen to the whole episode right here, or jump to around the 19-minute mark for my segment.
If you’ve emailed me with questions or comments recently, I have not forgotten about you! All of your emails are neatly arranged in a folder that, with any luck, I will work through soon. Feel free to increase the workload by replying to this email, and have an enjoyable holiday weekend.
Until next week,
Jared |
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