Younify’s universal watchlist, ATSC 1.0 extension
This week on TechHive: The universal watchlist
Many companies have tried to build a universal TV guide for streaming, but they all suffer from the same fundamental problem: They don’t fully understand what you’ve been watching.
You can use Reelgood or Plex to discover new shows and create watchlists, for instance, but those apps can’t see your watch history and can’t help resume where you left off. Alternatively, Apple TV and Google TV devices have their own streaming guide features, but they don’t work with every major streaming service. The hope for a truly universal watchlist—one that pulls all your shows into one menu—has so far gone unfulfilled.
Younify might have finally cracked the code: This new iOS and Android app, from the makers of PlayOn, automatically combines your watchlists and watch history from 10 major streaming services, then lets you start watching with one tap. While it’s still rough around the edges, no other universal guide is this comprehensive at keeping track of what to watch.
Read the full column on TechHive →
Advisorator: Last call for discounts!
One last reminder that I’m having an anniversary sale for Advisorator, my weekly tech advice newsletter that recently turned five years old.
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Weekly rewind
ATSC 1.0 keeps ticking: While broadcasters continue to push ATSC 3.0 (or “NextGen TV”) as the future of over-the-air TV, the FCC is giving the present standard an extended lifespan. The agency says stations must keep their ATSC 1.0 broadcasts running until at least July 2027, and may consider further extensions from there.
ATSC 1.0 broadcasts had little chance of going dark in the near future anyway. NextGen-compatible TVs only started shipping in 2020, and many vendors are still holding out on the new standard or limiting it to a subset of their televisions. Cheap tuner boxes have also yet to materialize, and the standard’s DRM requirements have put the brakes on new over-the-air DVRs. The FCC’s order just provides extra assurance that ATSC 1.0 will be around for years to come.
All of which reinforces my advice from earlier this year: Don’t put off cutting the cord or buying an over-the-air DVR just for ATSC 3.0’s sake.
Paramount+ changes: I’ve mentioned it a couple of times already, but this week Paramount+ raised the price on its ad-supported Essentials tier from $5 to $6 per month. For the Premium tier, the price is increasing from $10 to $12 per month, but now includes Showtime at no extra charge. (If you were bundling Showtime before, your price will actually decrease.)
Good news, though: Paramount+ promo codes still seem to work. If you don’t mind manually cancelling and renewing every month, you can keep getting the service (including the Premium tier) for free.
Vizio’s makeover: Vizio is sprucing up its smart TV software with a more modern look. That includes a sidebar instead of top tabs for navigation, richer cover art and descriptions, scores from Rotten Tomatoes, and a more compact keyboard in its search menu.
Just as notable as the redesign itself is the list of TVs it’ll support, as Vizio says it’s updating nearly all SmartCast TVs from 2016 onward. Say what you will about “post-purchase monetization,” but targeted ads and subscription upsells are what incentivize TV makers to keep upgrading their existing sets with new software instead of abandoning them at the earliest opportunity.
More catch-up
- Bummer for Mets fans: YouTube TV drops SNY in New York.
- Diamondbacks baseball isn’t leaving Bally Sports, after all.
- Android TV gets a tab for purchases and rentals.
- Roku gets into live sports with Formula E racing.
- Paramount+ keeps pulling more content from its catalog.
- Netflix stops selling its cheapest ad-free plan in Canada.
- Fubo starts testing split-screen mode on Android TV and Fire TV.
- DirecTV Stream adds NFL Network and Redzone. (The Scott Hanson version, that is.)
Save more money
Friendly reminder that you can still get a year of Peacock Premium for $20 (with ads) or $70 (without) by using the coupon code N2TEWDZZ. According to the promotional terms, this deal runs through July 8, so you’ve got a little over a week left to redeem it.
Other notable savings:
- Bundle an Eero 6+ router three-pack and a Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $196.
- The latest Paramount+ codes are CONCACAF, TVCLASSICS, or WARP. Here’s how to use them.
- See more deals on the Cord Cutter Weekly website.
Thanks for reading!
Once again, thanks for thinking about a subscription to Advisorator, my newsletter for tech advice beyond the realm of cord cutting. Sign up this week to get your first year for $40, or your first three months for $9, with a four-week free trial to start.
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Until next week,
Jared