Plex lets users host their own media files—movies, TV shows, music, and pictures—on one computer, and then stream them to other devices over a local Wi-Fi network or via the internet. In 2016, it added the ability to record over-the-air TV channels from an antenna, and that feature, along with Plex’s overall level of software polish, made it a great option for users who wanted total control over their TV setups.

Lately, though, Plex has been looking beyond the media server for growth, adding ad-supported streaming content to its app instead of expanding what its DVR can do. That’s left an opening for a relative newcomer called Channels, which launched its own over-the-air DVR software in 2017 and has been piling on impressive new capabilities ever since.

Channels’ goal, it seems, is to build a DVR for everything, and with each new feature it adds, I wonder why Plex isn’t doing the same. In a way, Channels reminds me of what Plex might’ve become had its focus on the media server never drifted. Read the full column on TechHive.

That news came tucked inside a barrage of content announcements from the House of Mouse, showing how the company is shifting more of its focus from cable TV to streaming. More than 20 Star Wars and Marvel TV shows will land on Disney+ over the next few years, for instance, and a couple of Disney’s big films—live action versions of Pinocchio and Peter Pan—are headed straight to the service amid theaters’ coronavirus struggles.

Meanwhile, it sounds like Hulu will become an even broader catch-all for content that doesn’t fit neatly into the Disney+ pop culture umbrella. Reality TV stars the Kardashians will create projects exclusively for Hulu starting next year, as will ABC News. Hulu will also add more original films to its catalog, and will integrate ESPN+ content for those who subscribe to that service.

Speaking of ESPN+, the service is getting a bunch of its own exclusive shows, including a reimagining of SportsNation and new studio show from Stephen A. Smith. It’s not the great unbundling of sports from cable that I’m still hoping for, but maybe it helps set the stage.

Fire TV’s facelift: Amazon has started rolling out a major update to its Fire TV software, changing the look and layout of the home screen and menu system. The new Fire TV Stick and Fire TV Stick Lite will be first in line for the update, followed by other Fire TV devices in 2021.

Unfortunately, I can’t tell you much more about the interface overhaul, because I haven’t been able to try it myself. It’s a slow rollout with no way to jump ahead in the queue, but I’ll surely have some opinions to share once I’m able to dive in.

CBS All Access improvements: Ahead of next year’s rebranding to Paramount+, CBS All Access has added support for up to six user profiles per account. You can also set up kids profiles with two levels of age restrictions, and any videos viewed through those profiles will be commercial-free.

The service is getting some Nick Jr. shows such as Paw Patrol and Dora the Explorer as well, though the selection is still just a subset of what appears on Nick Jr.’s cable channel. Hopefully ViacomCBS wises up and expands those offerings soon; offering a steady stream of kids content is a pretty simple way to make sure people don’t constantly cancel the service.

TiVo’s streaming service suggestions: TiVo has come up with a clever way to recommend streaming services to users of its TiVo Stream 4K streaming dongle. Based on what you watch through the Stream 4K, TiVo will assign a “match score” for services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and Disney+, indicating how likely you are to enjoy each one. It’ll also provide a list of specific shows that you might like from those services to help you decide between them.

I’ve never understood why streaming devices like Roku and Fire TV don’t do more to pair users with the right services. Sure, they’ll advertise various streaming options on their home screens, and they’ll tell you where to find a movie or show if you search for it by name, but that’s all just glorified marketing. TiVo’s approach seems more holistic, telling you not just which services you might like, but which ones you might not.