Hey there! I’m Jared Newman, and this is Cord Cutter Weekly, my newsletter on how to save money on TV and make the most of streaming. Sign up here if someone shared this newsletter with you.
How ATSC 3.0 aims to win over cord cutters
Jared Newman | 
As the FCC looks to accelerate ATSC 3.0 adoption for over-the-air TV, broadcasters are eager to show off options that don’t involve replacing your TV or giving up DVR.
Ahead of this week’s CES trade show, the broadcaster consortium Pearl TV announced a certification program for no-frills converter boxes that will plug into the HDMI port on any TV. Anne Schelle, Pearl TV’s managing director, said in an interview that the goal is to have converter boxes for under $60 available this fall.
Also at CES this week, broadcasters are touting advancements in ATSC 3.0 “gateway” boxes, which offer live TV and DVR on multiple TVs throughout the home. Both Zapperbox and ADTH are developing whole-home DVR solutions that work with encrypted ATSC 3.0 channels, clearing some longstanding hurdles with digital rights management.
All of this suggests a new level of urgency as broadcasters push to wind down the current ATSC 1.0 standard. If they want the FCC’s approval for a full transition to ATSC 3.0, they’ll need to show that they’re not leaving people behind.
Read the full column →
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Weekly rewind
Fire TV’s new home screen: In other CES news, Amazon was showing off a new look for the Fire TV home screen. Here’s the current design:
And here’s the new one as seen at Amazon’s booth:
The navigation strip below the top feature carousel is gone, and menu sections such as movies, TV shows, live TV, and free content appear at the top of the screen. Instead of being able to pin six apps at the top, you’ll see up to 20 of them a bit further down, and there’s a hamburger menu on the left for settings and other shortcuts. Also, everything’s rounder, and Amazon says menus will load faster.
I spent a minute clicking around the new interface at Amazon’s CES booth before the dude at the demo station snatched the remote away and politely refused to give it back. Guess I made him nervous. Anyway the whole thing looks a lot more like Google TV, which to me is an improvement. One nitpick: Dispense with the cryptic navigation icons and just use words.
Amazon says the new look is launching on the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, second-gen Fire TV Stick 4K Max, and Fire TV Omni Mini-LED TVs next month, with more devices getting it in the spring.
FanDuel Sports Network failures: The future of FanDuel Sports Network is once again in disarray as owner Main Street Sports Group has fallen behind on rights payments to many NBA teams. The group had previously warned that it might collapse if it couldn’t sell itself to the niche sports streamer DAZN, but that deal has become unlikely according to Sports Business Journal.
What this means for ongoing NBA and NHL coverage is unclear, but all nine MLB teams whose games previously aired on FanDuel have now reclaimed their rights. This likely leads to more teams distributing games through MLB.TV, which I will view as a positive unless/until ESPN ruins it. (Reportedly that won’t happen until 2027.)
More catch-up
- By me, from CES: Peacock will be the first to stream live sports in Dolby Vision, likely starting with Spanish-language World Cup coverage.
- Another CES story from me: Google TV will let you control picture settings and search your photos by voice.
- Also from Peacock: It’s adding new basketball, figure skating and hockey feeds for the Winter Olympics and NBA All-Star Game, including bench cams.
- After Disney sued Dish over its innovative Sling Day Passes, Dish sues back.
- DoorDash quietly kills its free HBO Max offer for DashPass holders.
Save more money
Not much new happening on the deal front this week, but here are some highlights:
- YouTube TV: Now $60 per month for the first two months. New subscribers only.
- Former Paramount+ subscribers: You can still reactivate at $1 per month for two months with promo code RM2KN3. May not work for everyone.
- Fire TV Stick: HD for $18 with code HDFTV, and the 4K Max for $30 with code MAX4KFTV.
For a full list of available deals—including various bundle deals and carrier freebies—check this page on my website.
Thanks for reading!
Apologies for the late newsletter today. I got home to Cincinnati late last night from the CES trade show in Vegas, just as I was getting used to Pacific Time.
Quick shameless self-promo: If you’re interested in all the other tech stuff I saw at CES, consider an Advisorator membership. I’ll be providing an exclusive look to members in next Tuesday’s newsletter. It’ll be fun!
In the meantime, hit me with your cord cutting questions and I’ll do my best to answer.
Until next week,
Jared