NBC is pulling The Office from Netflix after all.
Starting in January 2021, the hit sitcom will become exclusive to a new streaming service that NBC plans to launch next year, and it’ll remain there until at least until the start of 2026. The Office is yet another example of major TV networks pulling their shows from streaming services—and Netflix especially—to boost their own over-the-top offerings. Disney and AT&T’s WarnerMedia are making similar moves as they plan to launch new streaming services later this year.
As you might expect, Netflix’s loss of The Office (in 18 months) has prompted more howling about “fragmentation,” and the notion that you’ll soon need a half-dozen or more streaming services to watch everything you want. Cable all over again has become a popular refrain, as some commentators expect all these new streaming services to eventually re-bundle themselves into one package.
I wouldn’t count on a great re-bundling to happen anytime soon, if ever. Instead, we’re witnessing the end of being able to watch everything. While this shift might be jarring for people who still have a big TV bundle, it should be second nature for cord-cutters who’ve gotten used to giving things up. As TV networks desperately pull their shows from Netflix and the like, they might be surprised to find that their viewers won’t come along with them. Read the full column on TechHive. |
New Fire TV televisions: Although Amazon’s been putting its Fire TV software on smart TVs since 2017, the first sets with decent HDR support are just arriving now. Toshiba’s new Fire TV Edition televisions with 4K HDR start at $280 for a 43-inch model and run up to $450 for a 55-inch model, and they run the same apps and interface as Amazon’s Fire TV Sticks.
Although 4K has more marketing power, HDR is a bigger upgrade over regular 1080p TVs. Instead of just packing in more pixels, which you might not notice at comfortable viewing distances anyway, it creates a more vibrant picture by adding more color detail to bright and dark scenes. TVs need high brightness and contrast levels to benefit from HDR, though, which is why you tend not to see the feature in cheaper 4K sets.
While some previous Fire TV televisions have technically supported HDR video, the new ones support Dolby Vision, an improvement over the HDR10 standard that allows for scene-by-scene color adjustments. Dolby tends not to slap its name on subpar sets, so HDR picture quality should be much better than what we’ve seen before. Keep an eye out for reviews and possible Prime Day deals in a few weeks.
Amazon’s free TV push: In another bit of Amazon news, last week the company rebranded its free streaming video app from “IMDb Freedive” to the more straightforward “IMDb TV.” The company also vowed to triple the size of its free catalog over the next few months. A lot of new stuff will be arriving in July, including movies such as La La Land and TV shows such as Columbo.
I don’t totally get Amazon’s approach of making IMDb TV a channel within the Amazon Prime Video app instead of a separate app, though. If you’re not already paying for Prime, you’re probably not going to download that app and run into IMDb TV content, and if you are paying for Prime, how likely are you to choose IMDb TV’s ad-supported video over ad-free movies and shows? It’s great that Amazon’s getting more serious about free video, but the company may want to find more ways to put it in front of people if it wants to keep up with other free options.
NBC’s app consolidation: NBC is folding several of its “TV Everywhere” apps, which require a pay TV login for full access, into the main NBC app. That means there’s a single destination now to watch shows from NBC-owned channels such as Bravo, SyFy, MSNBC, CNBC, and USA.
Those who subscribe to a live TV streaming service probably don’t have much reason to use the NBC app anyway, but it’s helpful for cable subscribers who use streaming boxes on extra TVs around the house instead of renting more than one cable box. The consolidation means less hopping around between apps, and probably sets the stage for the aforementioned NBC streaming service in 2020. |
If you want to add hands-free voice control to your streaming devices, the Amazon Echo Dot and Google Home Mini are both half-off at $25 each. (You can save an extra buck on the latter at Staples with in-store pickup.)
With an Echo Dot and Fire TV Stick, you can use Alexa voice controls launch videos in supported apps, control video playback, and even control smart home devices. (Alexa can also control playback in Roku players and Nvidia Shield TV boxes as well, but it can’t launch videos directly.) The Google Home Mini offers similar voice controls for Chromecast and Android TV devices, including the Shield.
One other note: With Amazon Prime Day set for July 15 and 16, I would advise against buying any Fire TV devices until then. |
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