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This week on PCWorld: My home theater PC experiment
Jared Newman | 
I’ve decided to test a radical change to my living room streaming setup.
For years, I’ve used an Apple TV 4K for streaming, and while it’s been a great device overall, I’ve always wanted to try swapping it for a home theater PC. In my early cord-cutting years (circa 2010), I used a cheap Intel Atom-powered Lenovo nettop (now obsolete) to access Hulu’s website (still free at the time) and avoid its subscription fees on connected TV devices. Plugging a cheap desktop PC into your TV today could yield similar advantages.
This experiment could fail for a variety of reasons, and I’ve already hit some snags in my initial setup. But if it works, it could offer a lot more control over the streaming experience along with some potential cost savings over time.
Read the full column on PCWorld →
Weekly rewind
DirecTV’s regional sports add-on: When DirecTV announced its $70 per month sports-centric streaming package in January, regional sports networks were curiously absent. Now they’re available as an optional $20 per month add-on in select markets.
That adds up to less than the $115 per month DirecTV Stream charges for its full-priced Choice package with regional sports, and it beats Fubo, whose plans with regional sports start at $108 per month. But it’s too bad there’s no real discount for bundling DirecTV MySports and regional sports together. FanDuel Sports Network charges the same $20 per month for its standalone subscription, no big pay TV package required.
Sonos streamer axed: The Verge’s Chris Welch reports that Sonos has called off long-rumored plans to make its own streaming box. The device, codenamed Pinewood, reportedly would have cost between $200 and $400, with a unified streaming guide and tight integration with Sonos’ speakers as key features.
The streaming box business has gotten a bit dull lately, so part of me was looking forward to this. But Sonos is still recovering from a software overhaul last year that caused all kinds of problems for its core audio products. The margin of error for an entirely new product category is probably too slim for a brand that’s on thin ice with its customers already.
More catch-up
- Streaming piracy sites helped infect 1 million devices with malware.
- Second-gen Chromecasts have been broken all week. Google says a fix is rolling out.
- MLS executives vent about Apple’s exclusive streaming deal.
- Apple TV is getting some minor interface improvements soon.
Save more money
This section of the newsletter has affiliate links, earning me a commission if you buy or subscribe to something in some cases.
I’m aware that some folks are getting a “no error provided” message when trying to claim a free month of Paramount+. I haven’t been able to replicate this myself, but have signed up with a test account and will see what happens when that free month expires. It could be that Paramount is (finally, after eight-ish years) limiting these freebies to one per account, but we’ll see.
Notable deals:
- You can still get four months of Disney+ and Hulu for $3 per month (with ads).
- Roku is selling the Streaming Stick 4K for $25 refurbished.
- Use this link for a free month of Apple TV+ and you can binge the entire second season of Severance. (Cancel immediately after sign-up to avoid auto-billing.)
- Peacock: Still free for three months for new and returning subscribers.
Remember that I keep a full list of active streaming deals on the Cord Cutter Weekly website.
Thanks for reading!
Got cord cutting questions for me? Just reply to this email to get in touch.
Until next week,
Jared
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