What to consider before bundling, Google TV Streamer review
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: What to consider before bundling your streaming services
As more cord-cutters realize how easily they can cycle through different streaming services, TV programmers are turning to bundles to stop them.
Disney+, Hulu, and Max, for instance, are now available in one big bundle for $17 per month, while Starz and Britbox have teamed up on a $15-per-month bundle of their own. Comcast offers a “StreamSaver” bundle with Netflix, Peacock, and Apple TV+ at $15 per month for Xfinity customers, and Spectrum is throwing in a bunch of streaming services with its traditional pay TV packages. By bundling their offerings together—even on an optional basis—streaming providers hope to discourage people from bouncing around despite rising prices and higher ad loads.
While these streaming bundles might seem compelling on the surface, they’re not always the best option. Instead of accepting the promise of savings at face value, I suggest asking yourself a handful of questions first.
Read the full column on TechHive →
Weekly rewind
Google TV Streamer review: Also over at TechHive this week, I reviewed the Google TV Streamer, a $100 streaming box that underwhelmed me, as Google could have done more to distinguish its high-end streamer from the herd. Just look at the Apple TV 4K’s intelligent dialog boost and superior multiview support, or the Fire TV Cube’s content upscaling and extensive hands-free voice controls. Google couldn’t even muster more than five years of promised software updates, while its Pixel phones get seven.
In lieu of notable features, the Google TV Streamer is just a teeny bit faster than Walmart’s excellent Onn Google TV 4K Pro ($50) and acts as an optional hub for the Matter smart home standard, which remains irrelevant in most connected home setups. It just doesn’t justify spending twice as much, even if it’s a fine streaming device overall.
An overseas NFL option: The sports-centric streaming service DAZN is launching a legal way to watch pro football when you’re out of the country. For $18 per week or $180 per season, you can sign up for NFL Travel Pass, which provides live coverage of all NFL games along with access to NFL Redzone.
The catch? You have to sign up before you leave the country, and the FAQ section on DAZN’s sign-up page just lists a bunch of irrelevant information. Given DAZN’s unsavory sales tactics and negative reviews from overseas viewers, this feels like a bit of a dice roll.
Hulu nixes Disney+ add-on: According to reports by The Streamable and Cord Cutters News, Hulu is discontinuing the option to add Disney+ for an extra $3 per month, and is instead shifting folks over to the Disney+ Duo bundle, which includes both services (with ads) for $11 per month.
At regular prices, the change actually results in a lower bill, as Hulu recently raised its standalone price to $10 per month. But if Hulu offers a Black Friday discount this year—it’s dropped to just $1 per month for 12 months in previous years—this would cut off a cheap way to add Disney+ on top.
More catch-up
- Bally Sports rebrands as FanDuel Sports Network. I have updated my NBA and NHL streaming charts accordingly.
- The Dallas Mavericks launch their own “MavsTV” streaming service and free over-the-air broadcast plans. (Ditto on chart updates.)
- Disney and Hulu turn off iOS in-app subscriptions for new customers, aiming to avoid Apple’s revenue cut.
- Cable companies sue the FTC over new rules that will make canceling service easier.
Save more money
Want to watch the MLS Cup playoffs for free? Here’s what you do:
- Get a free trial for Apple TV+. Apple offers seven days for new subscribers, or three months for new and returning subscribers with a device purchase. You may also be able to redeem three-month trials via Best Buy or Target if you haven’t subscribed lately. (If you’re set up Family Sharing, you can have other folks in your group redeem the trials as well.)
- Sign up for MLS Season Pass, which is $10 for the remaining season but free for Apple TV+ subscribers.
- Cancel both subscriptions immediately after sign-up to avoid automatic billing.
Check out my big list of streaming deals page for more ways to save, including the latest promo codes for free Paramount+ and discounted Peacock. I update it every Friday.
Thanks for reading!
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Until next week,
Jared