Micro-USB annoyances, DirecTV price hikes

Jared Newman
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October 13, 2023

This week on TechHive: Please, no more Micro-USB on streaming devices

I’m in the process of reviewing Amazon’s new Fire TV Stick 4K Max, which in many ways is a marvel of modern consumer electronics. Despite being slightly smaller than its predecessor, it delivers faster performance, better Wi-Fi connectivity, and double the storage.

Yet in one way, the new streaming dongle is frustratingly outdated: It still requires a Micro-USB cable for power. Just like rival Roku, Amazon continues to use a 13-year-old power connector instead of the modern and far superior USB-C standard.

There’s no excuse for this in 2023, when even Apple has switched from the proprietary Lightning connector to USB-C for nearly all of its products. USB-C is so close to becoming the only kind of cable you need, yet some of the most popular streaming video players on the market are holding it back.

Read the full column on TechHive →

Weekly rewind

DirecTV price hikes: Starting November 5, DirecTV will raise prices for all of its TV packages, including DirecTV Stream and its satellite TV service. The streaming service’s base price will jump to $80 per month (up from $75 per month), while the “Choice” package with regional sports will increase to $109 per month (up from $100 per month).

If you don’t care about regional sports—but still want a bundle of cable channels—I still suggest YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV as cheaper alternatives. Regional sports fans might give FuboTV another look, especially now that you can make up for its lack of Turner sports coverage through Max. As always, it’s worth considering whether you need a big TV bundle at all.

Regional sports unbundle watch: On a related note, the Washington Wizards and Capitals are the latest sports teams to offer local games without a pay TV bundle. Monumental Sports Network costs $20 per month or $200 per year on a standalone basis, though it’s also available through pay TV packages that included NBC Sports Washington previously.

Other unbundled options for local NHL and NBA games include Bally Sports+, MSG+, YES Network, and NESN 360. Scripps has also begun broadcasting Las Vegas Golden Knights games over-the-air, and says it has agreements with more teams in case Bally loses more team rights. (Bally owner Diamond Sports Group is in bankruptcy and risks losing rights if it can’t pay teams.) It’s a turbulent time for sports streaming, but it’s steadily leading to greater flexibility for cord cutters.

What’s up with Vidgo? I missed this last week, but the live TV streaming service Vidgo has been nonoperational since the beginning of October due to what it claims is a vendor dispute. The service has promised bill credits and discounts for existing customers—who can also still use their Vidgo logins to access “TV Everywhere” apps for individual channels—but it’s not taking new sign-ups.

Vidgo was already a tough sell at $70 per month without CBS or NBC-owned channels. The company said last week that it still intends to get back online, but hasn’t provided a timeline.

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Save more money

Amazon’s October sale days are over, but you can still get Roku’s Express 4K+ streaming player for $29, or the Roku Streaming Stick 4K for $37. Both are fine options, but the latter has better Wi-Fi connectivity and supports Dolby Vision HDR.

Other notable deals:

This week in Advisorator

I wrote about the one feature that finally made me comfortable using a Mac.

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Until next week,
Jared

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