Why Roku could use a subscription, new Apple TV boxes
This week on TechHive: The case for a Roku subscription
Although Roku will soon make some long-overdue improvements to its streaming platform—including a universal watchlist and a “Continue Watching” section—one thing about it still irks me.
I’m talking about Roku’s fixation on advertising, which is apparent almost everywhere you look. Roku’s main app menu is crowded out by a big banner ad, its Roku Channel app is mostly ad-supported, and even the remote control has ads in the form of sponsored shortcut buttons.
While the ad-supported model has certainly helped Roku thrive, it’s not for everyone. Some of us, I suspect, would be willing to pay for an ad-free experience. Roku’s continued investments in original programming and its forthcoming foray into smart homes—in which it will sell security camera features on a subscription basis—got me thinking that now’s the time. Read the full column on TechHive.
Weekly rewind
New Apple TV boxes: Apple has announced two new Apple TV 4K streaming players, though neither is a major upgrade over last year’s model. Both include a faster A15 Bionic processor and support HDR10+, and their remotes both charge via USB-C instead of Lightning.
The bigger difference is pricing: The base model now costs $129—that’s $50 less than before—and it doubles the storage to 64 GB. But if you want Ethernet connectivity, you’ll need the $149 model, which additionally has 128 GB of storage and Thread radios to help serve as a smart home hub. I’m looking forward to reviewing the new hardware soon.
For now, the 2021 Apple TV remains deeply discounted at major retailers including Amazon, which has it for a record-low $100. I like the Apple TV for its speedy software and ad-free menu system, and this still might be the best option if you want Ethernet and Thread support for less.
New Chromecast review: My review of the Chromecast with Google TV HD is up on TechHive this week. It’s a great value if you’re strictly looking at the sticker price, with a forward-thinking menu system and a nicer remote than the cheapest Roku players and Fire TV Sticks.
But Amazon and Roku frequently discount their players, such that you can often get a 4K device with better features at the same price or even less than what Google’s charging. That means the Chromecast with Google TV is only worth buying if you don’t care about future-proofing for a 4K TV and are all-in on the Google TV interface. Check the full review for more details.
YouTube Premium’s price hike: The ad-free version of YouTube is getting more expensive for families, jumping from $18 to $22 per month. (The price will rise to $30 per month for subscriptions billed through the iOS App Store, accounting for Apple’s tax on in-app purchases.) Individual YouTube Premium subscriptions are unchanged at $12 per month, and the hike has no effect on YouTube TV.
Google could just be trying to make more money from subscriptions amid an advertising downturn, though I wonder if the hike is also related to YouTube Music (which is included with Premium). Spotify raised the price of its own family plans last year.
Either way, the move stings as YouTube seems to be showing more and longer ads lately. Opting out the official way—instead of, say, using an ad blocker—just became a tougher decision.
More catch-up
- Netflix adds a way to move profiles between accounts ahead of its crackdown on password sharing.
- Speedvision makes a comeback as a free streaming channel.
- Netflix may eventually stream video games, too.
- Google TV now lets you add shows to your kids’ watchlists.
- Fubo TV cancels its sportsbook plans, but streaming sports and betting continue to intertwine.
Save more money
Time’s running out to lock in a year of HBO Max at a 40% discount. New and returning subscribers can get the offer through October 30, bringing the first year’s price to $70 with ads or $105 without.
And as I mentioned earlier, it’s a great time to buy the 2021 Apple TV 4K, which is down to a record low of $100 via Amazon.
As always, you can check out more ways to save with my big list of streaming deals on the Cord Cutter Weekly website.
Thanks for reading!
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Until next week,
Jared