While other services have larded on more mandatory channels—and raised prices accordingly—Sling TV has tried to preserve some semblance of cost control with its lower base prices and add-on packages. Unlike its rivals, Sling TV has also embraced over-the-air antennas, selling hardware that integrates free broadcasts and streaming cable channels in a single menu. It’s the rare live TV service that seems to be fighting the homogenous, bloated bundles that cable subscribers are trying to escape.

That’s why Sling TV’s shortcomings are so frustrating. The service, which is owned by satellite TV giant Dish Network, has always struggled provide a smooth, consistent experience across all streaming devices, and it’s been slow to adopt new features that might help it stand out for reasons beyond pricing and packaging. Perhaps that explains why, after building up a huge first-mover lead in subscribers, Sling’s growth has nearly ground to a halt.

Consider this column an act of tough love. For Sling TV to be truly great, it needs to take decisive action in a few key areas. Read the full column on TechHive.

The rivalry between Google and Amazon came to a head in late 2017, when Google started blocking Amazon’s unofficial YouTube app on Fire TV devices and Echo Show smart displays. At the time, Google said it was responding to unfair treatment by Amazon, which refused to sell certain Google devices through its online store or bring Amazon Prime Video support to Chromecast. Eventually, though, the companies realized the obvious: They were doing their mutual customers a disservice, and had to find a way to resolve their differences.

One more thing: On Fire TV, you can use the voice remote to launch or search for YouTube videos, even straight from the home screen. Just say “Play

on YouTube.”

HBO Max details: AT&T’s next streaming service has received a name and a delay. HBO Max will launch in spring 2020, later than the end of 2019 timeframe the company had been targeting. The service is also taking Friends with it on an exclusive basis, which means the show will leave Netflix at the end of this year.

While AT&T hasn’t announced a price, the Wall Street Journal has reported that $16 to $17 per month seems likely. The hope is that folks who are already getting HBO Now at $15 per month will pay a little more for HBO Max and its expanded content library–which, by the way, will also include The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air–though the former option will stick around if you’d rather save the extra buck or two.

Hulu updates: Hulu has brought back 4K streaming on a limited basis after dropping support last year. If you have an Apple TV 4K or Chromecast Ultra, you can watch originals such as The Handmaid’s Tale, Catch-22, and Harlots in the higher-resolution format.

Hulu’s also updated the live TV grid guide on its website to display two weeks of upcoming programs, but there’s some bad news: The same update for streaming TV devices is still months away.

You can also get a standard Fire TV Stick for $15, or a Fire TV Cube for $70, but I strongly suggest picking up the Fire TV Stick 4K instead. It’s faster than any of Amazon’s other devices, and it has better HDR support with both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ compatibility. While you won’t get the hands-free Alexa controls of Amazon’s Fire TV Cube, a separate Amazon Echo speaker ($50 on Prime Day) will accomplish the same goal with much better audio quality.

Prime Day will actually run for two days this year, so you’ll have until Tuesday to figure out what to buy.