Hey there! I’m Jared Newman, and this is Cord Cutter Weekly, my reader-supported newsletter on how to save money on TV and make the most of streaming.
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Streaming DVR explained, Google’s new Chromecast
This week on TechHive: DVR options explained
One of the most common misconceptions I hear from prospective cord-cutters is that they’ll won’t be able to record their favorite shows after ditching cable TV.
I’m not sure where this fear comes from, but it’s just not true. DVR service is included at no extra cost when you sign-up for a live TV streaming service such as YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, or Sling TV. Even cable companies don’t always offer that.
To explain things further, I’ve assembled a guide to DVR for all the major live TV streaming services, so you can see how they compare on recording hours, ad-skipping, and other features. Read the full column on TechHive.
A more advanced DVR: Also at TechHive this week, I put together a two-part series on Channels DVR, an advanced option that gives you total control over your TV setup. It can record from both over-the-air and streaming sources, and it’s full of neat features like the ability to create your own custom round-the-clock channels.
Channels isn’t for everyone, as setting it up requires time, expense, and technical know-how, but the payoff can be significant for folks who don’t mind tinkering with their TV setups. Part one of the series goes over how to set up Channels DVR, while part two dives into all the cool things you can do with it.
Weekly rewind
Google’s new Chromecast: After months of rumors, Google has launched a $30 version of its Chromecast with Google TV dongle, which lets you access streaming services by plugging into any TV. Unlike the existing $50 model, this one doesn’t support 4K video, Dolby Vision HDR, or Dolby Atmos audio decoding, but it does have the same remote control and menu system, which emphasizes content over apps.
As I wrote over at TechHive, this is a direct answer to Roku’s Express and Amazon’s Fire TV Stick Lite, both of which also cost $30. But unlike those budget streamers, Google’s has TV volume, power, and input buttons on its remote.
That said, Roku’s and Amazon’s streaming devices frequently go on sale, so you can often get 4K-capable hardware with better features the same $30. Even Google itself is still bundling three months of HBO Max with the 4K Chromecast for $65, a deal that isn’t available with the cheaper model. Another low-cost streamer is always welcome, but your money might go further with other options.
Philo does good: Although Philo now charges $25 per month for its sports-free streaming bundle, the company continues to honor its original $16 per month price for folks who signed up early on. Now, The Streamable reports that Philo is adding a dozen channels for those users, including Cooking Channel, Discovery Family, and Nicktoons. (Those who signed up at higher prices have those channels already.)
Philo does offer a more generous DVR at its current price—it saves recordings for a year, versus 28 days on the older plans—but it’s never required customers to pay more than what they signed up for. That deserves praise even without the additional channels thrown in.
In other Philo news, the service now partially integrates with Alexa on Fire TV devices, so you can use the voice remote to jump directly into specific shows. Try saying “watch Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives on Philo” from the Fire TV home screen, or “show me comedies” while inside the Philo app. (Sadly, launching live Philo channels by voice still doesn’t seem to work.)
More catch-up
- Inside baseball: Major sports leagues may try to take over regional Bally Sports networks.
- Think streaming has problems? DirecTV issues refunds for Sunday Ticket glitches.
- YouTube briefly tests obnoxiously long commercial breaks on TVs.
- We updated an oldie but goodie over at TechHive: The one trick every cord cutter needs to know.
Save more money
Over at my Cord Cutter Weekly website, I’ve just published a new guide, entitled “The big list of streaming deals.” In it, you’ll find up-to-date ways to save money on streaming services and devices, longer than what I could realistically stuff into a newsletter.
Of note, for this week:
- Now’s the time to lock in a year of Peacock Premium for $20, or 12 months for $2 per month, down from the usual price of $50 per year or $5 per month. This deal has been around throughout September, but expires at the end of the month.
- Another new code for a free month of Paramount+ has popped up. Try using MDQ22, or previous codes STARTREKDAY or BRAVO. See here for more instructions.
Thanks for reading!
Don’t forget to drop by my cord cutting Q&A later today as well. If you can’t make it, you can always email me with your questions instead.
Until next week,
Jared