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This week on TechHive: Yes, HBO should be more like Netflix

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When the New York Times reported earlier this week on a meeting between HBO employees and one of their new overlords at AT&T, the story had all the indicia of corporate greed run amok.

AT&T executive John Stankey, now the head of Warner Media following AT&T’s acquisition of Time Warner, reportedly told HBO employees to expect a “tough year” as the venerable network changed direction. Getting “more hours of engagement” would become a priority, Stankey said, because more engagement means “more data and information about a customer that then allows you to do things like monetize through alternate models of advertising as well as subscriptions.”

While observers pounced on the report as a sign that AT&T would ruin HBO by pushing quantity over quality, Stankey has a point: HBO should be more engaging than it is now, not just for AT&T’s benefit, but for the benefit of HBO’s subscribers.

That doesn’t mean HBO should start emphasizing quantity over quality–and, reading Stankey’s full remarks, I’m not convinced that’s what he was driving at–but it does mean HBO needs to change. Despite its prestigious veneer, HBO is in the business of producing mass-market entertainment and should want people to consume more of it. Right now, the network isn’t doing all it can to make that happen. Read the full column on TechHive.


Weekly rewind

Philo, revisited: Last November, a new steaming TV bundle called Philo arrived, offering roughly 40 cable channels for just $16 per month. It accomplished this primarily by omitting major broadcast networks and expensive sports channels, instead working only with non-sports programmers such as AMC, Discovery, and Viacom.

This week, Philo expanded its reach by releasing new apps for Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV, joining existing ones for Roku, iOS, and Google’s Chrome browser. The startup has also raised $40 million, mainly from the networks that supply most of its channels, and is now planning a bigger marketing push.

I hope Philo does well, because it provides a necessary counterweight to the trend of ever-larger and more expensive streaming TV bundles, which I wrote about last week. If Philo can establish an audience for smaller, cheaper TV packages, maybe other networks will curb the kinds of contractual obligations that are making most streaming bundles as inflexible as cable. For more on all that, check out my interview with Philo CEO Andrew McCollum at Fast Company.

The overblown antenna: As more people look into cutting the cord, some unscrupulous antenna vendors have been trying to push their products through misleading or outright false advertising. Stop The Cap has a great story on this phenomenon, looking at puffed-up marketing from products like ClearView, OctaAir, and The Fox. Some of these vendors exaggerate about how much programming you can get with an antenna, while others use scare tactics to dissuade customers from buying cheaper (but equally effective) products. I did some poking around myself, and found several antennas on Amazon that listed ESPN and Fox Business in their product images, even though neither channel is available over-the-air.

Antennas can be a useful tool for cord-cutters, but they are limited to the five major broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and CW), public broadcasting channels like PBS, and lesser-known digital subnets like MeTV. And while some antennas are more powerful than others, your location, surroundings, and antenna placement often matter more than the hardware itself. My advice is to use TVFool’s lookup tool to see what channels are available at what mile ranges, then getting an antenna from a reputable brand like Antennas Direct, Channel Master, Mohu, or Winegard, rather than one that tries to mislead consumers.

More catch-up

  • YouTube TV gives customers a free week after an outage during the World Cup semi-final.
  • DirecTV Now adds Samsung smart TV support.
  • Netflix’s Android app now automatically downloads new episodes of shows you’re watching.

Save more money

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Amazon is holding its annual Prime Day sales event on July 16, and some deals are already available both on Amazon and elsewhere, so this could be a good time to upgrade your cord-cutting setup. Here are some notable discounts:

  • Nvidia Shield TV with remote for $139 (reg. $179) on July 16 only, and with remote and game controller for $179 (reg. $199) from July 15 through July 21.
  • Available now: Discounts on Roku TVs from TCL.
  • On eBay right now: Get a free Google Home Mini with any $119 purchase. (Make sure the Mini is in your cart and enter “PMINI4FREE” at checkout.
  • Google Express, right now: Chromecast for $25, Chromecast Ultra for $50, plus 20% off your first order with code “SUMMERFUN”
  • Amazon’s Fire TV devices will almost certainly be on sale on Prime Day as well.

This week on Advisorator

The latest issue of Advisorator, my new general tech advice newsletter, went out to subscribers on Monday, covering travel tips, Gmail privacy fears, new Alexa gear, and more. I’m also testing a biweekly chat session where you can get your tech (and cord-cutting) questions answered in real time. I’d love to have you on board.

Sign up now and get a four-week trial along with the most recent issue.


Thanks for reading!

You may have noticed that Cord Cutter Weekly is sporting a fresh look this week. While building Advisorator, I took the opportunity to start over with some new code that’s more adaptable and (I hope) a bit easier on the eyes. Bringing that look back to Cord Cutter Weekly just seemed to make sense. Let me know how you like it (or if you don’t), and please keep all the usual feedback and ideas coming.

Until next week,
Jared

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