This week on TechHive: Clearing up cord cutting misconceptions
Cord-cutting isn’t just a nerdy niche hobby anymore.
As the price of cable TV continues to climb, it’s quickly become of interest to many more people. While that’s not a bad thing, it does mean folks are approaching cord-cutting with widely varying levels of expertise. That in turn has led to lots of misconceptions about how it all works.
So allow me to clear some things up. Based on my conversations with readers like you, I’ve tackled some of the biggest misunderstandings that come up as people try to navigate the new world of streaming and over-the-air TV. Read the full column on TechHive.
Weekly rewind
My NFL cord-cutting guide: Last week, I was hoping to find a guide to watching the NFL without cable that I could link to in the newsletter. Unfortunately, most of what I found on the web fell short. Too many sites were more interested in earning affiliate fees than providing comprehensive information, and even the sites that meant well were often full of omissions, inaccuracies, and search engine-optimized filler.
And so, out of frustration, I decided to write my own NFL viewing guide instead. You can read it for free on my Advisorator website, where you won’t find any ads or intrusive trackers. And as always, I don’t earn a sales commission from anything that I recommend. Give it a look and let me know what you think.
Comcast TVs draw closer: Over at Protocol, Janko Roettgers reports that a long-rumored line of Comcast smart TVs is imminent. The cable giant has reportedly enlisted Hisense to make a pair of 4K televisions under the “XClass TV” brand, coming in 43- and 50-inch screen sizes. The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Walmart is on board to sell the TVs in its stores.
A Comcast-flavored TV wouldn’t necessarily be a bad product—the company’s X1 and Flex set-top boxes are, by most accounts, pretty good—but it may struggle to compete regardless in an uncomfortably crowded field. With Roku, Amazon, Google, Samsung, LG, and Vizio among its smart TV competitors, Comcast may find that business doesn’t come easy, especially in an area where its regional monopoly power doesn’t apply.
Another nail in Locast’s coffin: In case Locast’s decision to suspend operations earlier this month left any doubt, a federal judge has now issued a permanent injunction against the service, forbidding it from operating. The same judge previously threw out Locast’s request for summary judgment, prompting the group to abruptly shut down its free streams of local broadcast channels.
The injunction appears to be a formality—Locast and the networks had agreed in 2019 that this would happen if a judge ruled against the group—but it rules out any chance of Locast coming back anytime soon. While Locast can still appeal the ruling, so far it hasn’t committed to doing so.
More catch-up
- Another 1.12 million customers dropped pay TV bundles last quarter.
- CNBC: Amazon “seen as the frontrunner” for future NFL Sunday Ticket rights.
- Google may add free streaming channels to the Chromecast with Google TV.
Save more money
Showtime is quickly becoming one of those services for which you should seldom pay full price, at least if you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber. The service is once again on sale through Prime Video Channels for $1 per month for two months, even for previous subscribers. (The price jumps to $11 per month after the two-month promo period if you don’t cancel.) It’s yet another example of how cord cutting rewards the patient with significant discounts.
Other notable deals on the cord cutting front:
- Get a previous-generation Apple TV 4K in “like new” used condition for $76 with the code SAVE4FALL. (The sale price appears on the final checkout page.) Buy a new Siri remote to go with it and you’re in great shape.
- Prefer the new Apple TV 4K even though it’s not much different aside from the remote? It’s on sale again for $170.
- The Roku Express+ once again falls to $29, down from $40.
Thanks for reading!
Your cord cutting questions, comments, and feedback continue to be a tremendous source of potential story ideas. Just reply to this email to let me know what’s on your mind.
Until next week,
Jared