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This week on PCWorld: Don’t pay for an extra Max member until they make you

Jared Newman   |   April 25, 2025

Netflix is the envy of every other major streaming service; so, every other major streaming service continues to copy Netflix’s rules against password sharing.

This week, Max took a page from Netflix’s playbook by adding an option to pay $8 per month for an extra member that doesn’t live in your home, same as Netflix. Last fall, Disney added similar options for its Disney+ streaming service ($7 per month with ads, $10 per month without). Both companies have updated their terms of service to say that out-of-home account sharing is forbidden.

But calling this a “crackdown” is still extreme relative to the actual level of enforcement that’s happening. Let’s call them shakedowns instead, with streaming services using the occasional nastygram or sign-in nuisance to see what extra revenue they can knock loose. Don’t make it easier on them by giving in before it’s necessary.

Read the full column →

Weekly rewind

New Roku players: Roku has refreshed the low end of its streaming device lineup with the $30 Roku Streaming Stick and $40 Roku Streaming Stick Plus. They replace the old Roku Express and Express 4K+, and hallelujah, they both have TV volume, power and voice controls on their remotes. (The Express did not.) Roku says both sticks are power efficient enough to plug into the USB ports on most modern TVs instead of an outlet, so they’re more portable and easier to hide out of sight.

The new devices slot in below the Roku Streaming Stick 4K (which adds Dolby Vision support) and the $100 Roku Ultra box. At some point I’ll have to do a new Roku decision flow chart (here’s the old one) to help you sort through it. 

Some other Roku news items: 

DirecTV’s streaming shakeup: Turns out I didn’t need to write that article comparing DirecTV Stream and DirecTV via Internet, because now they’ve merged into a single offering. There are no contracts, and you can pick from DirecTV ‘s full size bundles or smaller genre packs. You can also add a Gemini streaming box, which provides a more cable-like menu system and remote, for $10 per month extra. (Some retailers such as SolidSignal continue to sell Gemini boxes if you’d rather pay for one up front.)

Just note that DirecTV still requires two-year contracts (with early termination fees) for its satellite service. Also, its advertised pricing no longer includes regional sports fees, so you’ll need to read the fine print to know the real cost, which varies by market.

Comcast’s new internet offerings: Comcast is currently offering home internet plans with either a 5-year or one-year price lock, and it’s also waiving data caps if you use a Comcast modem and router. Here’s the breakdown: 

  • 400 Mbps: $55/mo for five years, $40/mo for one year.
  • 600 Mbps: $70/mo for five years, $55/mo for one year
  • 1.1 Gbps: $85/mo for five years, $70/mo for one year
  • 2.1 Gbps: $105/mo for five years, $100/mo for one year

These aren’t long-term contracts, and you actually save more with just one-year price lock, though the cost will presumably get a lot higher after that. The one notable gotcha is that you can’t get free unlimited data using your own router. You either have to use Comcast’s router (with extra charges for mesh networking) or pay an extra $30 a month to use your own networking gear.

The offerings are available both to new and existing customers, but the latter will have to call customer service to switch. Comcast’s cheaper Now internet brand (starting at $30 per month with no data caps) still seems like the better deal overall.

More catch-up

Save more money

This section of the newsletter has some affiliate links, which earn me a commission if you wind up buying to something.

Peacock has finally taken down free three months deal that I’ve been mentioning here for the past four months. The good news is that you can still get three free months of Peacock with a Target Circle membership, which is free. Just click the redeem button on Target’s site, and you’ll get a unique promo code to use with Peacock.

Other notable deals:

As always, you can find a full list of active streaming deals on the Cord Cutter Weekly website.

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Until then,
Jared