Why streaming isn’t cable, Fire TV screensaver ads
Jared Newman | Hey there! I’m Jared Newman, and this is Cord Cutter Weekly, my newsletter on how to save money on TV and make the most of streaming.
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This week on TechHive: Why streaming isn’t cable all over again
If only I had a penny for every time someone said streaming TV was turning into cable.
Here’s the latest, from CNN’s Brian Lowry, in a story about efforts to package various streaming services together:
Streaming appears poised to undergo what some have called “The Great Re-Bundling,” with services merging, combining or forming alliances that will essentially reconstruct the cable “bundle” that consumers relied upon for decades.
As always, reports of the cable-style bundle’s resurgence are greatly exaggerated. At best, streaming service bundles are happening piecemeal, don’t resemble cable at all, and might not even be successful. If you enjoy the freedom and flexibility that cord-cutting brought, you shouldn’t worry losing it anytime soon.
Read the full column on TechHive →
Weekly rewind
Fire TV’s expanding screensaver ads: Last fall, I wrote about how Fire TV devices were showing ads in screensaver mode and offered instructions on how to avoid them. One method was to use Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max dongle, whose special “Ambient Experience” screensaver mode was ad-free.
Not anymore. As Cord Cutters News reports, the Ambient Experience now kicks off with ads as well. Even worse, the workarounds I documented earlier—such as using a third-party screensaver app or setting up a personal photo library—don’t work with the Ambient Experience. The only way to avoid the ads is to turn off screensavers entirely—or pick a different streaming device that doesn’t treat your TV like a billboard.
Paramount merger: After years of months of negotiations, Paramount is merging with Skydance, a production company owned by David Ellison, son of tech billionaire Larry Ellison. I won’t bore you with the business details, but it’s basically an acquisition despite technically being a merger.
What this means for Paramount+ is still murky. There’s talk of overhauling the tech stack, switching up the content mix, and offering bundles with other streaming services, but none of that’s happening imminently. Stay tuned.
Victory for Stars fans: The Dallas Stars are breaking up with Bally Sports and plan to launch their own in-market streaming service, called Victory+. But instead of requiring yet another subscription, the service will be free with ads. While some major sports teams already make their games free with an antenna, this is the first time I’ve seen one opt for free streaming. More of this, please.
More catch-up
- Paramount’s new logo is “the fleece vest of entertainment logos.”
- Redbox is shutting down and liquidating assets.
- Uh oh: YouTube TV lost subscribers last quarter, analysts say.
- Some TCL Roku TVs won’t let users turn off motion smoothing.
- Sling TV is the latest service to show ads when you pause.
Save more money
After a brief absence, Peacock is back with another discount for new and former subscribers. Use the promo code PLANETFITNESS50 to take $30 off for one year, bringing the price to $30 with ads or $90 without. Peacock is raising prices in six days (to $80 per year with ads or $140 without), so now’s the time to lock in a much lower rate through next summer.
If you’re not a regular Peacock watcher but plan to stream the Olympics, you might also consider signing up now for just a month at the regular price. That’ll save you a couple of bucks before those price hikes kick in on July 18.
Other notable savings:
- Paramount+: For a free month, you must now use this link to sign up. You can also use this link to get half-off a year with Showtime before price hikes kick in, or this link to get half-off two months with Showtime instead. These offers are for new and ex-subscribers only.
- MLB.TV: All-Star break sale, $48 for the remaining season.
- Amazon Prime Video Channels: $1 per month for two months of Starz, MGM+, Crunchyroll, and more, plus 50% off two months of AMC+, Discovery+, and others. Full deal list here.
- Fire TV devices return to previous lows through Prime Day.
- See more ways to save with my big list of streaming deals, updated every Friday.
Thanks for reading!
Got cord cutting questions for me? Just reply to this email to get in touch.
Until next week,
Jared