I got a lot of dismayed emails last week after Google announced that it’s discontinuing its line of Chromecast streaming dongles.

Will existing Chromecast devices stop working? Will anything replace them? Are there better phone-as-remote solutions or ways to mirror your phone or laptop on the TV that are worth considering instead?

The short answer to those questions is that you needn’t worry too much. If you’re still using a Chromecast device now, it should continue to function as normal, and there are plenty of options to replace your Chromecast in the future if necessary. But unless you’ve paid close attention to Google’s assorted branding foibles over the last decade, the details can be tricky to understand. So let’s break it down.

Read the full column on TechHive →

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Weekly rewind

Sunday Ticket price hike: YouTube has raised the price of NFL Sunday Ticket by $30 per month, so the full season now costs $480 by itself, or $380 when bundled with YouTube TV. (Sunday Ticket provides out-of-market games only; you’ll need an antenna or a live TV streaming service such as YouTube TV to watch local games.)

Also, the standalone Sunday Ticket package no longer offers an NFL Redzone add-on. Most live TV streaming services sell their own Redzone add-ons, or you can subscribe to NFL+ Premium, which includes the channel for $15 per month.

I’ve got ways to save on both Sunday Ticket and YouTube TV in the “Save more money” section below.

More catch-up

• Venu Sports reveals its planned launch date in court: August 23.
• THR: “Once a Cash Cow, Cable TV Is Now Roadkill.”
• Starz and Britbox are planning a bundle.
• Peacock brings back Gold Zone and Multi View for the Paralympics.
• Warner deletes the whole Cartoon Network website, taking troves of videos and games down with it.
• A woman dies from an allergic reaction after eating at a Disney Springs restaurant. Disney says her husband waived his right to sue when he signed up for Disney+.

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Save more money

With football season starting soon, we’ve got a bunch of live TV streaming services offering deep discounts for new subscribers:

• YouTube TV: $53 per month for the first four months, or $146.49 per month for four months with NFL Sunday Ticket. (Saves $20 per month or $21.25 per month, respectively.)
• DirecTV Stream: Save $30 to $39 per month for three months, depending on package.
• Sling TV: Half-off the first month, or prepay $199 for a four-month “Season Pass” that includes Sling Orange, Blue, and Sports Extra (normally $280).

Have you already used up all your new subscriber discounts? Consider a masked email address.

Elsewhere on the deal front, DoorDash is now offering Max’s ad-supported plan for free with an annual DashPass, which costs $96 per year. That’s $4 less than the annual price of Max with ads by itself, and gets you reduced delivery fees and service fees on DoorDash orders. You can upgrade to Max’s ad-free tier, but it costs an extra $11 per month, which is more than the actual difference in price.

Other notable savings:

• Get a year of PlayOn Home for $10 so you can record from streaming services and skip the commercials. (But read my recent PlayOn coverage first.)
• Verizon customers can still take $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket, or get it free with certain home or mobile internet plans.
• See more up-to-date deals on the Cord Cutter Weekly website, updated every Friday.

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Thanks for reading!

Thanks again for thinking about a paid subscription to Advisorator. Being able to produce independent tech journalism like this is a privilege, and I’m grateful for your support.

Got cord cutting questions for me? Just reply to this email to get in touch.

Until next week,
Jared