Netflix’s password sharing “crackdown,” Max’s messy launch
This week on TechHive: Netflix’s password sharing “crackdown” is a fishing expedition
Hey folks, quick programming note: I will be on vacation for the next two weeks, so this newsletter will be on a brief hiatus. We’ll be back to the normal publishing schedule on June 16.
Netflix really wants people to know that password sharing isn’t allowed anymore. The extent to which it’ll enforce those rules is another matter.
Despite widespread reports that Netflix will begin “blocking” users who regularly stream from outside the home, the company has not yet committed to a timeline for cutting people off. For now, account holders will receive warnings to stop their password sharing, along with options to either move the other user onto their own account or pay extra on their behalf.
These measures are now rolling for U.S. users after months of testing in select markets, but calling them a “crackdown” isn’t quite right. For now, at least, sharing your password is still technically possible; it’ll just become more annoying to do so.
Read the full column on TechHive →
Weekly rewind
Max’s messy launch: As announced last month, Warner Bros. Discovery has renamed its flagship streaming service from HBO Max to just “Max.” With the new name comes a new app, which subscribers must download in place of the old one, and the entire Discovery+ catalog is included. (Discovery+ is also still available on its own.)
A lot of folks seem riled up about the name change, but I’m ambivalent about it. More irksome is that 4K video now costs extra, and the standard ad-free plan includes fewer simultaneous streams than before. At a glance:
- With Ads ($10/mo or $100/year): HD video, two streams at a time, no downloads.
- Ad-Free ($16/mo or $150/year): HD video, two streams at a time (down from three).
- Ultimate Ad-Free ($20/mo or $200/year): 4K HDR, four streams at a time.
Meanwhile, Max’s new Apple TV app is full of bugs and missing some features specific to Apple’s streaming box. Other users haven’t been able to access the service at all, and its “Kids & Family” section is reportedly way off the mark. Also, the HBO Max button on some streaming remotes is now broken. Execs seem upbeat, however, on what matters most: Potential ad revenue upside.
Paramount+ changes: Paramount+ is moving a little faster on plans to raise prices and bundle Showtime in its premium tier. On June 27, the basic ad-supported plan will increase to $6 per month (up $1), while the ad-free plan is jumping to $12 per month (up $2), though it now includes the full Showtime catalog. Those changes were previously scheduled for Q3.
If you were bundling Showtime already, this actually represents a price cut, as the two services had cost $15 per month until a few months ago. But of course, you can still just get the whole bundle for free with a little extra effort.
Google bans a web browser: Downloader is a great utility for Android TV devices that helps users browse the web and sideload apps from outside Google’s app store. Now, Google has banned it from the Google Play Store, seemingly in response to TV companies who claimed it could be used to access pirated video sites. By that logic, Google should ban every other browser (including Chrome) from the Android platform as well.
Google has ignored requests for comment. The app remains available through Amazon’s Appstore on Fire TV devices—and on Android TV, if you can sideload it on your own.
More catch-up
- Comcast launches a light bundle of cable channels for $20 per month, but only for its internet customers.
- Starz raises prices by $1, to $10 per month.
- YouTube’s Sunday Ticket will allow unlimited simultaneous streams at home.
- Disney begins pulling movies and shows from Disney+ and Hulu.
- Rumor mill: Bally Sports’ owner may finally relinquish some MLB rights.
- Spectrum says most new TV customers are going without cable boxes. (Here’s how to ditch yours.)
Save more money
We’ve got a bunch of developments on the deal front this week, so let’s round them up in short order:
- Get three months of Hulu for $2 per month if you sign up by the end of Saturday.
- YouTube’s Sunday Ticket pre-sale ends on June 6. You can save $100 on the season until then. Read my explainer to understand the options.
- T-Mobile subscribers can once again get a full season of MLB TV through the T-Mobile Tuesdays app. Once redeemed, you can watch out-of-market baseball on any streaming device.
- Lifetime Plex Passes are on sale for $96 with the code POWERGEEK through the end of today. Not sure what Plex Pass is? I’ve got an explainer on that, too.
- The latest Paramount+ codes are CHEERSATX, LOVEALLWAYS, and FATALATTRACTION. Learn how to get it for free.
Thanks for reading!
Again, Cord Cutter Weekly will be on break for the next two weeks as my wife and I take a long-overdue anniversary trip. This was a pretty action-packed week on the streaming front, so hopefully things will quiet down until I get back! Either way, we’ll play catch-up on whatever I missed.
Until next time,
Jared