Hey there! I’m Jared Newman, and this is Cord Cutter Weekly, my reader-supported newsletter on how to save money on TV and make the most of streaming.
Did someone share this newsletter with you? Sign up to get it in your own inbox.
The real cost of streaming, Xumo vs. Apple TV
This week on TechHive: What’s the average streaming bill?
Here’s a collection of streaming video headlines from earlier this week:
- ZDNet: “The average US subscriber pays almost $1000 a year for streaming subscriptions”
- Independent: “Streaming services now cost average user more than cable TV, report reveals”
- iMore: “The average U.S. subscriber now spends nearly $1,000 a year on streaming — dismal state of subscriptions landscape laid bare in new survey”
What do all these stories about streaming costs have in common? They all cite the same survey from a digital payments firm called Bango, and they all got it completely wrong. Bango’s survey is measuring all digital subscription spending, including news, fitness apps, online gaming, shipping services such as Amazon Prime, and delivery services such as Uber One. Streaming is just one expense among many.
While I’m sure that some folks do spend $1,000 per year on streaming services—hypothetically, one could shell out a lot more—the average streaming bill is much lower.
Read the full column on TechHive →
Weekly rewind
Xumo Stream Box review: Also over at TechHive, I reviewed the Xumo Stream Box, a collaboration between Comcast and Charter that’s meant to replace their respective cable boxes. Normally $60, Comcast is giving away the Xumo box to its Xfinity internet customers, while new Spectrum TV customers can get the box free for six months, after which it’s a $5 per month rental.
While Xumo does a nice job aggregating various streaming sources into one menu, the hardware can feel sluggish and the app selection is more limited than other streaming devices, so it’s a tough sell if you have to actually pay for it. As a cable box replacement, it’s also missing some of features you might expect, such as quick access to the TV guide and a visual preview while fast forwarding through recordings
Spectrum TV customers in particular should look to the Apple TV 4K instead of the Xumo box, as you can bundle it with TV service for $90 and then download the Spectrum app for free. The extra $30 gets you a faster box with better app support, plus the aforementioned visual preview for Spectrum’s cloud-based DVR. Check the full Xumo review for more details.
The future of Freevee: Citing three unnamed sources, Adweek reports that Amazon plans to wind down Freevee, its free streaming service, sometime next quarter, and may instead repurpose its content as a free tier inside Prime Video. While Amazon appeared to dispute the report with a statement saying that “[t]here are no changes to Freevee,” those fluent in PR speak will note the odd phrasing, which doesn’t technically deny what might happen in the future.
Freevee’s existence as a standalone app was always a bit odd given that Amazon surfaces Freevee content inside the Prime Video app already. Now that Amazon is stuffing ads into Prime Video as well, having a separate app just for one type of ad-supported video makes even less sense. I’m guessing this rumor will pan out exactly as Adweek is reporting it.
Walmart’s buying Vizio: Walmart plans to buy the TV maker Vizio for $2.3 billion. Although the retail giant already sells smart TVs under its in-house Onn brand, those sets run on Roku’s streaming platform. Buying Vizio and its Smartcast operating system gives Walmart a platform of its own, which it wants for ad targeting purposes.
It does raise some awkward questions, though. What will become of Roku-powered Onn TVs and Walmart’s surprisingly-great Onn streaming box with Google TV? Will rival retailers such as Amazon and Best Buy want to sell Vizio TVs anymore? And will we finally see a streaming box with Vizio’s OS built in? For now it’s all inside industry baseball, but it’s interesting to think about at least.
More catch-up
- MLB TV brings four-game split-screen to Apple TV, Google TV, and Fire TV devices.
- Android TV devices get a handy “Quick Access” row.
- John Oliver’s YouTube videos now have a three-day tape delay.
- T-Mobile won’t offer free MLS Season Pass this year. (But everyone can at least save $20.)
- A tip from AFTVNews: Cancel your Prime Video Channels subscriptions to unlock comeback deals.
Save more money
Alright folks, I’ve managed to scrounge up another Paramount+ code after the last one expired. Try using the code HUJQ6R to get a month for free, both for new and returning subscribers.
As always, you must sign up through the Paramount+ website, not the app, and it won’t work if have an active subscription already. These codes seem to be in scarcer supply lately, so jump on this one soon if you have any interest in the Paramount+ catalog. Full instructions are here.
Other notable deals:
- Military and vets can get half-off Peacock Premium. Renew your status every year to maintain the discount. (Thanks for the tip, Dennis E.!)
- Everyone else can still use promo code PEAIHWO4KTP to get $30 off for one year (new and returning subscribers only).
- Save 15% on your first year of F1 TV Pro, ends February 25.
- Roku deals at Best Buy: Express 4K+ for $30, Streaming Stick 4K for $40, Ultra for $80, Streambar for $100. (Can’t decide? Consult my flowchart.)
- See more up-to-date deals on the Cord Cutter Weekly website.
Thanks for reading!
Got questions for me? Just reply to this email to get in touch.
Until next week,
Jared