PlayOn’s free streaming DVR, more ATSC 3.0 problems
This week on TechHive: A DVR for streaming services
PlayOn has launched a free version of its DVR for streaming services, and the timing couldn’t be better.
Commercial-free TV is becoming more of a luxury, as streaming companies realize that viewers who watch ads bring in more money than those who don’t. PlayOn’s DVR provides an old-school solution, recording shows from on-demand streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+ and letting users skip through commercials. Its free Windows app can record movies and shows in standard definition, while a $40-per-year-subscription enables HD recordings, now at up to 1080p resolution.
Note that cable replacement services such as YouTube TV and Sling TV have their own cloud-based DVRs, so you can skip through ads without any extra software. Still, PlayOn is the closest thing we have to a true DVR for on-demand, ad-supported streaming services, and now you can check it out at no expense.
Get more details in my TechHive column →
Weekly rewind
The Disney-Plus-Hulu app: Next month, Disney will start testing a new version of the Disney+ app that includes a big chunk of the Hulu catalog. The combined app will be available in beta for folks who subscribe to both services ahead of an official launch next spring.
A lot of stories are getting this wrong, so let’s be clear: The Hulu app isn’t going away, and it’s not even clear how much Hulu content will be available through the Disney+ app. While Disney is pushing people to pay for both services through aggressive bundling, fully merging them will be a long and complicated endeavor if that’s what Disney truly wants.
More ATSC 3.0 issues: Back in July, I wrote about how over-the-air broadcasters are locking down their ATSC 3.0 channels with DRM, and how that’s a problem for tuner boxes and over-the-air DVRs. At the time, broadcasters insisted that only external tuners would be affected by those issues, and that TVs with built-in ATSC 3.0 support should play encrypted channels without incident.
Unfortunately that’s not true. Over on YouTube, Tyler “Antenna Man” Kleinle has posted evidence of numerous TVs failing to decode encrypted ATSC 3.0 channels, with users experiencing error messages, frequent signal drops or minute-long load times. The failures apply to models from Hisense, Sony, and LG, and on stations around the country.
Kleinle argues—rightly, I think—that over-the-air TV should just work out of the box. DRM introduces a whole new set of complications, including the need to download firmware updates when issues arise (and which TV makers may not even get around to delivering). In their zeal to prevent piracy, broadcasters continue to risk ruining antenna TV for everyone.
A regional sports resolution: The NBA has reached a deal with Bally Sports owner Diamond Sports Group as it goes through bankruptcy, John Ourand of Sports Business Journal reports. The agreement will keep local games on Bally’s regional sports channels through the end of the season, at which point the rights will revert back to the league.
The deal should provide some assurance to fans, who won’t have to worry about games disappearing from Bally mid-season. We saw that happen with the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks after Diamond missed its payments to each team.
A similar deal with the NHL is likely, but the fate of Bally’s baseball coverage is still uncertain. While the MLB wants its rights back now, Diamond wants to keep them through the 2024 season. Stay tuned for more drama, and see my list of regional sports streaming options for what to do in the meantime.
More catch-up
- Netflix: Future films will focus on quality over quantity.
- Bally Sports+ outages lead to bill credits for affected customers.
- Spotify gives its TV app a redesign.
- Amazon’s reportedly building a new Fire TV operating system, and it’s not based on Android.
Save more money
Walmart is currently selling the Roku Ultra LT for $34. That’s a solid deal on a streaming box with an ethernet port and Dolby Vision support. The remote also has a headphone jack for private listening, though it lacks the hands-free voice and remote finder function found in the regular Roku Ultra.
Roku has also announced a bunch of other Black Friday deals, though you’ll have to wait to get most of them. Here’s the schedule:
- Nov. 12 – Dec. 2: Roku Streaming Stick 4K for $30, Roku Express 4K+ for $25.
- Nov. 17 – Nov. 25: Roku Streambar for $99.
- Nov. 19 – Dec. 9: Roku Ultra for $70.
- Nov. 21 – Nov. 30: A whole bunch of premium subscriptions on sale.
If you need help deciding, check out my Roku decision flowchart from last year.
Black Friday tends to be a great time for streaming deals, and I’ll keep you posted as more arise. In the meantime, check out my regularly-updated big list of deals for more ways to save right now.
Thanks for reading!
Got cord cutting questions for me? Just reply to this email to get in touch.
Until next week,
Jared