Switch between streaming apps, Another Tablo DVR
This week on TechHive: Faster app switching
If you’re a convert from cable to streaming, you might find yourself wanting something like a “last channel” button, but for streaming apps.
After all, sometimes you want to jump between two separate streaming services for their live programming. I often do this on Sundays, for instance, while watching NFL Redzone in the NFL app and local Bengals games in Channels DVR. As more streaming services add sports coverage, being able to quickly toggle between them will become more important.
Still, every streaming device handles app switching differently, and some are better at it than others. Over on TechHive, I’ve rounded up the best ways to multitask on each platform.
Read the full column on TechHive →
Weekly rewind
Verizon’s big bundle plan: Here’s an interesting—but unconfirmed—story I missed last week: Sources tell the Wall Street Journal that Verizon plans to bundle the ad-supported versions of Netflix and Max for $10 per month for its wireless customers, versus $17 per month when sold separately. (Netflix charges $7 per month for its ad-supported plan, while Max charges $10 per month.) The report says Verizon will announce the package “in coming weeks.”
Verizon has experimented with other bundles before, and occasionally gives away a year of ad-free Netflix when you subscribe to another, less-popular service such as AMC+. Combining two of the most popular streaming services would be a bigger deal, but would also make sense as Netflix and Warner try to scale up their ad businesses. It would also help Verizon keep more customers tethered to its wireless service.
That said, I take umbrage with the notion that this is cable all over again. Being able to pick and choose individual services a la carte—but still get a discount for bundling them—is precisely what cable didn’t do, instead forcing people into mandatory bundles with no flexibility. I’m all for interesting new packages that still give people a choice.
Tablo’s quad tuner: Tablo has made good on its plans to sell a quad-tuner version of its over-the-air DVR, capable of playing or recording up to four broadcast channels at once. It’s up for pre-order at Best Buy for $140, and should ship in early December. The dual-tuner model, meanwhile, is on sale for $80, down from the usual $100.
Regretfully I’m still working on my review of Tablo’s fourth-generation DVR, which is quite a bit different from its predecessors both for better and for worse. I’ll keep you posted when it’s up on TechHive.
More catch-up
- Here’s a helpful explainer on the Fire TV’s new storage-saving features.
- Why don’t all of YouTube TV’s apps have a clock? The Streamable investigates.
- Brace yourself for more political ads on streaming services.
Save more money
It’s not Black Friday yet, but more early deals are trickling in, at least on the device side.
- As I mentioned last week, you can now grab the Roku Express 4K+ for $25 or the Roku Streaming Stick 4K for $30. Both are capable streamers, but the Stick has better Wi-Fi connectivity and a more portable design.
- Amazon, meanwhile, has kicked off its own device deals on the Fire TV side. including the Fire TV Stick (HD) for $20, the new Fire TV Stick 4K for $25, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $40, and the Fire TV Cube for $110.
- Google’s Chromecast with Google TV HD has also returned to its usual $20 sale price, while the 4K model has dropped to $38.
Need more details? You can check out my streaming device picks over on TechHive.
I’m still hoping we’ll see some streaming service deals roll in next week. In the meantime, check out my big list of current deals over on the Cord Cutter Weekly website.
Thanks for reading!
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Until next week,
Jared