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This week on TechHive: Making the most of Fire TV |
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Amazon recently launched the Fire TV Stick 4K, and it’s by far Amazon’s best streaming device in years. Still, there are lots of ways to make the experience better, not all of which are obvious when you’re just getting started.
Whether you have a Fire TV Stick 4K or any other Fire TV device, I’ve rounded up some of my favorite tips and tricks to get the most out of them, including ways to browse faster, launch apps with ease, and avoid common annoyances. Read the full column on TechHive. |
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Weekly rewind |
Disney streaming details: The House of Mouse now has a name for its standalone streaming service, which is launching in late 2019. It’ll be called Disney+, and the lineup will include live action series for Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a High School Musical reboot, an animated series based on Monsters Inc., the next season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and a bunch of original films.
In other words, it’s following the same playbook as ESPN+, which launched earlier this year and includes no overlap with ESPN’s cable channels. I still expect this will change over time, as Disney renegotiates cable contacts and prepares for the next wave of cord-cutting. Disney hasn’t announced a price for Disney+, but has said that it’ll be cheaper than Netflix.
DirecTV Now’s disappearing discounts: AT&T wireless subscribers have until November 15 to lock in a $15 per month discount on DirecTV Now. The discount is currently available to customers with an Unlimited &More or Unlimited &More Premium plan, but it sounds like new subscribers will have to pay full price for DirecTV Now after next week.
This is one of several ways that AT&T’s been tightening the belt on DirecTV Now service. The company raised prices by $5 per month over the summer, and has also phased out giveaways of Apple TV and Roku hardware for new subscribers. The moves will certainly help make DirecTV Now more profitable, though subscriber growth has already collapsed as a result.
Roku’s next moves: AdAge published an interesting interview this week with Anthony Wood, the CEO of Roku. The main takeaway: Roku eventually wants to build a new interface that focuses more on content than apps.
Roku has already started moving in this direction with its new Featured Free section, which promotes ad-supported video from apps like ABC, Fox, Crackle, Pluto TV, and The Roku Channel. Wood says Roku would also like to aggregate video from subscription services like Showtime and HBO, and he didn’t rule out a subscription tier for The Roku Channel.
It’s unclear when this change might happen, but it’s long overdue in my view. While part of Roku’s appeal is in the simplicity of its app launcher, other platforms are doing a better job at making recommendations and helping you pick up where you left off on shows. Besides, Roku tends to be pretty mindful of making things easy to use, so when the company does get around to a new interface, I imagine it’ll do a fine job. |
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Save more money |
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As I mentioned last week, the run-up to Black Friday isn’t a great time to buy a new streaming device, as most retailers are withholding discounts until then. (Some deals to wait for include Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K for $35, Roku’s Streaming Stick for $30, and the new Chromecast for $25.)
Still, Amazon’s sale on the Nvidia Shield TV is worth considering already. The model with just a remote (and no game controller) is on sale for $140, which is $40 off the regular price, and Amazon is throwing in a free Echo Dot speaker as well. This is a powerful 4K HDR streamer whose accessory support allows its to double as a smart home hub, Plex server, or over-the-air DVR. It’s also pretty good for gaming if you have a spare Bluetooth or USB controller to hook up.
Nvidia does say that it may have “additional specials for Black Friday and Cyber Monday,” and the current deal is available until November 26. You may want to wait if you’re looking to bundle the Shield with a game controller or SmartThings Link. |
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The next issue of Advisorator, my tech advice newsletter covering more than just cord-cutting, goes out this coming Monday. Sign up now, and I’ll help guide you through the madness of holiday gadget shopping with a biweekly newsletter, optional deal alerts, and personalized advice when you need it. Subscriptions are just $5 per month or $50 per year, and you can try it for free first. |
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Thanks for reading! |
If I look hard enough, I can almost see the end of my review backlog. Please let me know if you have any specific questions on Google’s third-generation Chromecast, Amazon’s Fire TV Recast DVR, or any of the devices I’ve reviewed already. And of curse, I’m always happy to hear your feedback on what to cover next. Just reply to this email to get in touch.
One other note: After sending last week’s newsletter, I realized the story about average cable TV bills rising to $107 per month included a broken link. I apologize for the error. If you’d still like to read that story, here’s the correct link. |
Until next week,
Jared |
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