Cordkillers 192 – Unsyncable Molly Brown (w/ Jason Murphy)

Cordkillers / October 24th, 2017

Nielsen rates Netflix shows whether Netflix ants it or not, Verizon keeps delaying its TV service. and TiVo has a new 4K box!
With special guest Jason Murphy.

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CordKillers: Ep. 192 – Unsyncable Molly Brown
Recorded: October 23 2017
Guest: Jason Murphy

Intro Video

Primary Target

  • Nielsen will now measure TV audiences on Netflix
    – Nielsen Subscription Video on Demand
    – Ratings, reaches, frequency and segmentation reporting for Netflix (and eventually Hulu, Amazon and others)
    – Testers to include NBCUniversal, Disney-ABC, A+E Networks, Lionsgate, Warner Bros. Television, and three (unnamed) others.
    – Will not cover mobile
    – Different than 2014 opt-in reporting service that only gave raw number estimates

How to Watch

What to Watch

What We’re Watching

Front Lines

  • TiVo’s upcoming DVR, the TiVo BOLT VOX, will include voice support
    – Dave Zatz at Zatz Not Funny spotted a product listing on Amazon for a new TiVo BOLT called the BOLT VOX with support for 4K Ultra HD. It’s listed as having 500 GB storage and support for OTA and cable. It also has voice control in the remote.
  • YouTube Red greenlights a Tinder-themed romantic comedy series called Swipe Right
    – YouTube Red greenlit a comedy series about Tinder called Swipe Right, starring Carly Craig from Role Models. Carly plays a single 35-year-old who decides to date all her 252 Tinder matches.
  • Topshop’s ‘Stranger Things’ collection is a fitting tribute to Barb
    – Netflix has partnered with UK’s Topshop and US Target on Stranger Things merchandise including T-shirts and figurines. Netflix also said it will take on $1.6 billion in debt to help it pay for new productions in 2018.
  • Netflix, Amazon, movie studios sue over TickBox streaming device
    – Netflix and Amazon have joined several movie studios in suing TickBox, one of those many Android-based boxes that promises to deliver free TV. While TickBox explicitly says it does not condone piracy and that its box is not to be used for such purposes it also says you can “access movies and shows that are still on Demand and episodes of TV that were just aired. You will never pay to watch any of them.”
  • Snapchat to make original TV-style shows
    – Snap Inc. and NBCUniversal are partnering on a new digital content studio to make original scripted video in the three-five minute long format. The first original show will be produced with US film and TV producers Mark and Jay Duplass and and their new Donut creative studio
  • Chelsea Handler’s Netflix talk show will end after two seasons
    – Chelsea Handler’s Netflix talk show will come to an end after season two. Handler will release a documentary on Netflix where she engages with “people of different ethnicities, religions and political philosophies. She also plans become more engaged in the US political process.

Dispatches from the Front
Hi –

I loved the discussion about Movies Anywhere in Episode 191. I was so excited, I signed up at my first available opportunity. Connecting all the services went VERY smoothly on my cell phone EXCEPT for iTunes (I’m an Android), but I even got that connected once I got to a desktop. Libraries on the various services either updated immediately or with a refresh.

According to this article in The Verge, 4K upgrades are apparently limited to Apple titles:
https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/13/16464000/how-to-use-movies-anywhere-app-features

Example: I own Glory in HD on Vudu (Disc upgrade). It is available on all of the other services, but there is a 4K version on Amazon. I do not have access to that one, even after registering with Movies Anywhere.

I hope other studios get on board with the 4K upgrades. It also irks me that the 4K versions of some movies are only available on one service (two I know about: Star Trek Beyond is only 4K on Vudu, Glory is only 4K on Amazon). This obstacle will slow the adoption of 4K – convenience trumps fidelity!

Your Boss 🙂
– Chris
 

 

On the most recent episode (10/16) you mentioned that MoviesAnywhere links to partners to purchase content. Total bummer (but not surprising) that it does not do price comparison. I use the JustWatch app on my phone to do comparison shopping. It does a good job of aggregating rental and purchase pricing.
Thanks!

– Mark
 

 

 

Not sure if you’ve mentioned this website before or not, but gowatchit.com is an extremely useful website showing all the places you can watch a movie, to buy, rent or get tickets to. Includes all kinds of services and on demands from cable.

(Found while looking up a movie called Dealt about a Richard Turner, a blind magician. Brian would probably be interested)

Keep up the great work you guys!

– Justin

 

 

Hey Tom and Brian have you heard about Sinemia? I just recently discovered it when I was considering signing up for MoviePass. They have plans starting off at $10 a month. It’s not unlimited movies like MoviePass, yet you are able to see 2D 3D and IMAX movies. And from what I can tell you’re able to reserve your seat ahead of time unlike MoviePass which requires you to be near the theater.
Keep up the good work guys

Your boss
– Pete

 

Links

2017 Winter Movie Draft
patreon.com/cordkillers

Cordkillers 191 – Netflix Original Spaghetti (w/ Sarah Lane)

Cordkillers / October 17th, 2017

Movies Anywhere makes movies easier, Netflix beats expectations, and Sarah Lane needs movie recommendations. With special guest Sarah Lane.

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CordKillers: Ep. 191 – Netflix Original Spaghetti
Recorded: October 16 2017
Guest: Sarah Lane

Intro Video

Primary Target

  • Movies Anywhere: Watch all your Amazon, Google, and iTunes titles in one place
    – Disney has launched an expanded version of its Disney Movies Anywhere service called Movies Anywhere. The service allows users to access movies purchased from Amazon, Google, Apple or Vudu all in one place. Movies Anywhere uses the Keychest technology implemented by Disney Movies Anywhere. Studios involved included Disney, Sony, 20th Century Fox, Universal and Warner Brothers. Discussions are ongoing with Paramount and Lionsgate but movies from those studios will not be available at launch. Movies Anywhere is available on Android, Android TV, Amazon Fire, iOS, Apple TV, Roku, and Chromecast.

How to Watch

What to Watch

What We’re Watching

Front Lines

Dispatches from the Front
Hi Tom and Brian,

Long time listener and fan. The past two years I have been using cable for just local channels and Playstation Vue. I am about to close on my first house so because of the impending move I started to re evaluate how I cord cut.

First off I looked my antenna options because of the surrounding mountains. As of right now basic cable will be used but in a few weeks I will mount a large antenna off of the chimney of the house, hopefully it will work and I can cut basic out of my plan including a high $12 per month DTA cost.
Next I am looking to beef up my plex account, maybe to a lifetime plex pass. The service has been growing a lot in the last year and I have been impressed with the new additions. For services I am trying YouTube TV for CW live content. I am not sure if I will keep it due to the lack of DIY and HGTV and I do not want both YouTube TV and PS Vue.

I have been happy for the most part with PS Vue, but it has been several months since Sony and Viacom had their dispute. When I signed up I had all those channels and I felt like I was getting an amazing deal, now I feel like its an okay deal. I would pay another $5 with PS Vue if they added CW live, brought back Viacom channels, and added the History channel.
For the most part I have been very happy with my cord cutting experience.

Keep Up the Good Work

– Scott

 

 

 

Hey Tom & Brian!
As you know, Hulu recently dropped their price for new subscribers to only $5.99 per month for the first year. I had just signed up for Hulu about a few weeks ago to binge watch the Handmaid’s Tale, so I was pretty bummed to see them lower the price after I joined.

I decided to contact Hulu and see if I could get the new pricing even though I am now a current Hulu subscriber. I was pleased to find out that they would give me the lower rate, no questions asked!! This might not work for everyone, but you might want to pass this along to other Cordkillers as a new version of Brian’s Chicken challenge.

Love the show!
– Josh

 

 

 

Howdy,

We’ve been internet only with phone (pacemaker monitoring & 911 health reasons) on TWC’s fastest speed since Cordkillers premiered, and have been eagerly awaiting G-Fiber’s arrival. Every truck sighting elicits excitement. Our home is 12 miles from town center nestled in a valley, which, though within city limits, would necessitate an expensive roof-mounted antenna to get broadcast TV.

Since we have been streaming (Google WiFi mesh) using Chromecasts and Rokus all this time, a speed quadrupling at two-thirds or less the cost is eagerly anticipated. If G-Fiber is not offering phone services [?] there are other ISP services we can use.

Cheers, as Always!

– Stephen

Links

2017 Winter Movie Draft
patreon.com/cordkillers

Cordkillers 190 – The Sidekick: Bevin (w/ MikeTV)

Cordkillers / October 10th, 2017

Netflix is more expensive, the Stephen King visual universe expands, and less TV on Google Fiber. With special guest MikeTV.

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CordKillers: Ep. 190 – The Sidekick: Bevin
Recorded: October  9 2017
Guest: MikeTv

Intro Video

Primary Target

  • Netflix Raises Its Subscription Prices
    – Netflix raised prices of two of its three plans by $1 a month. The basic single screen plan stays at $7.99. The two screen “standard” plan goes from $9.999 to $10.99 and the 4-screen 4K “Premium” plan goes from $11.99 to $13.99. New customers get the new prices now. Existing customers will be informed by Netflix soon and see it on their bill in November.

How to Watch

  • Google Fiber Drops Cable TV Package For New Cities
    – Google Fiber announced that for its upcoming launch in Louisville and San Antonio markets, it will only offer internet service, with no TV package. Last year, Google announced that Fiber would halt future deployments, making these two markets the last confirmed committments to roll out the service.

What to Watch

What We’re Watching

Front Lines

Dispatches from the Front

Hi guys, just wanted to let you know that as an old guy, I enjoyed Blade Runner 2049, but apparently it is a failure because only old guys like it. But on a related note, why do the studios fail to promote the sequels that seem to be so endemic these days by pushing the previous films in a series on the streaming platforms. Blade Runner is a great example since, though I find it hard to imagine, so many have never seen the first film. Another example was the Kingsmen sequel; I saw the previews for the Golden Circle several months ago, and had never heard of the original. I had to use my Netflix DVD subscription to get a chance to see it.

Without a TV or cable, I can’t see whether I would want to spend money on seeing either show, but without seeing them, I won’t spend the money to buy them on Amazon. Shouldn’t there be a better way? Or should I just wait till they show up on Prime or Netflix?

Keep up the good work

– Dave

 

 

 

Hey Bri,

I signed up for Movie pass when they dropped the price to 10 dollars a month and loved it initially. I could use their “E-Ticket” feature at my local theater. Meaning I could pick my seat and buy the ticket from my house without ever using the MasterCard they shipped to me. It was great and I’ve seen more movies in the past 3 weeks then I did in the last 3 months.

Till… something change… They apparently lost the deal with Goodrich Theaters that allowed E-Tickets and now every theater in my area requires me to buy the ticket within 100 yards of the theater. The love is now gone… I like picking my seat and planning ahead of time and I’m willing to go to the theater less and get the best experience (picking my seat… etc) for the big movies than get some second class access to the smaller films while their in theaters.

So I cancelled my membership – which you can do directly from the app so no complaints there. But its just not worth it, even at 10 bucks a month. I mght start it back up again if they get the E-ticket feature back but until then… I’m out.

Thought you and Tom would like the input – thanks for the show(s)!

Sincerely,
– Norman

 

 

 

hey, I have no idea whether anyone else has been similarly affected, a google search turned up nothing, but while looking over my credit card bill I noticed that I had been charged 3 times in September for Filmstruck. Twice on the usual billing day, and then once again on the following day. I used the chat option from the Filmstruck help page and they immediately resolved the issue and refunded two of the charges. I don’t always go over my monthly transactions and very easily could have missed this, so I was thinking there’s probably a lot of other subscribers who (if this isn’t just something that just happened to me) might never know they’ d been overcharged.

Thanks! Love the show 🙂
–James
 

 

 

CBS All Access and Big Brother

One aspect of CBS All Access I think is missed often in discussions is the inclusion of Big Brother Live feeds. For years CBS has been selling access to the feeds and have a faithful audience for them. One Year ago they ran a Special Season of Big Brother over the top which was only available on CBS All Access. So for those customers everything else is Value add.

Still debating on if its worth it to watch the New Star Trek.

– Scott
 

 

Links

2017 Winter Movie Draft
patreon.com/cordkillers
 

Cordkillers 189 – Space Babies (w/ Nicole Lee)

Cordkillers / October 3rd, 2017

Who has the best streaming service and Roku’s new lineup of boxes and dongles. With special guest Nicole Lee.

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CordKillers: Ep. 189 – Space Babies
Recorded: October 2 2017
Guest: Nicole Lee.

Intro Video

  • None

Primary Target

  • DirecTV Now, Sling TV, Hulu TV: Best Internet TV Channel Deal
    – TiVo studied survey data of the most desirable TV channels among US and Canada viewers with the current offerings from major Internet-only services.
    – The survey showed the 4 broadcast networks led the way followed by Discovery then History then FX.
    – The survey determined 27 channels that most consumers wanted.
    – TiVo’s analysis showed the best coverage per dollar spent
    – DirecTV Now’s “Just Right” bundle $50/mo. covered 85%
    – DirecTV Now “Live a little” bundle $35/mo. – 82%
    – Sling TV combined $40/mo. 67%
    – Hulu TV $40 63%
    – PSVUe $39 59%
    – Sling blue 56% Orange 44%
    – YouTube TV $35 37%
  • TiVo’s Q2 2017 Video Trends Report

How to Watch

  • Roku rolls out Roku OS 8, refreshes TV hardware with 4K and faster processors
    – Roku just announced updates to five of its streaming devices. Roku’s $50 streaming stick gets a 50% faster processor and support for voice control. The $70 Roku Streaming Stick Plus has 4K and better wifi range with the wireless module built into the cable. The $30 Roku Express and $40 Roku Express Plus get faster processors and the Express Plus keeps its composite ports. The Roku Ultra isn’t being changed but the price did drop from $130 to $100. Roku OS 8 is also out for all supported boxes. It can integrate OTA programming and adds single sign-on.

What to Watch

What We’re Watching

Front Lines

Dispatches from the Front

I was listening to you talk about the new Trek when I had the following thoughts: I enjoy Cordkillers. I enjoy it enough that I give money through Patreon for content I could get for free. I also enjoy Star Trek. I view CBS All Access as a racket though. I won’t be giving money to their success and will instead wait for Trek on some other platform. On the one hand I pay for free content and on the other hand I want paid content for free. I can’t explain it. Go figure. Anyhow, you guys are worth the dough. Keep up the good work.

– Roy

 

 

 

I couldn’t believe what I heard today. After listening to my favorite podcast my app automatically starting playing my 3rd favorite. While putting in a hard day’s work looking busy and trying not to get caught playing on my phone. It happened. I thought somehow Trump invaded my air waves but It didn’t sound like the person was holding his hand in the air when he talked. How could you hate the big bang theory. It’s my favorite show of all time. So I decided I will donate $1 an episode but you must confess your love for the show.

– Kevin

 

 

 

Dear Tom and Brian,

I have long felt 2 things are true about CBS:
They are the home of many of my favorite shows
They are very stingy about rebroadcast rights for their shows, to the point of being greedy. Examples:
I was a fan of The Mentalist but I had to watch it live because it wasn’t available On Demand on our cable system like most other shows.
Their new show, Seal Team, is not listed in my cable company’s On Demand library; I guess if you don’t catch it live you have to watch it on CBS All Access.
As Tom has said, they often only allow a few episodes of a season to be available On Demand at any given time.
Contrast that with these examples from NBC:
· The entire first season of This is Us is available On Demand.
· All 8 seasons of Will and Grace appear to be available on my cable system’s On Demand library.
· You’d think they actually want to give people the opportunity to get caught up on these shows if they missed them when they first aired!

I feel like CBS believes they have such great and popular content that people will put up with their shenanigans and pay whatever they ask in order to watch it. I guess it remains to be seen whether this is true.

I do intend to sign up for CBS All Access. I tried it before and didn’t have very good luck with it. I intend to quit the subscription as soon as the Star Trek show is over.

Did you know they’re going to have a break starting November 5, restarting sometime in January? I bet they’ll get a lot of people cancelling in between . . .

Your Boss,
– Beelissa

 

 

 

I am considering CBS all access. I watched Star Trek Discovery and liked it enough to start the consideration. I am going away for a large part of December and can foresee some DVR shortages creeping up and CBS All Access could help, that is if I can watch the past five episodes or more of some of there current shows. I did some searching to see if I could find a chart of what shows have Full access and which have partial access, like your Supergirl example. Do you know of any such chart or site with information like that.

Thanks for any help,

– Mike

Links

2017 Winter Movie Draft
patreon.com/cordkillers