HBO will do some kind of Internet service next year. People say Yay! CBS will do one now. People say boo. Google unveils Nexus player. People sort of notice!
CordKillers: Ep. 41 – You would steal a policeman’s helmet
Recorded: October 20, 2014
Guest: Kristi Kates
Intro Video
Primary Target
- TV’s Move to the Web Can Strengthen Its Cable Business
- HBO Says It’s Going to Start Selling on the Web Next Year
- -HBO CEO Richard Plepler said at Time Warner investor presentation
-“in 2015, we will launch a stand-alone, over-the-top, HBO service in the United States. We will work with our current partners. And, we will explore models with new partners. All in, there are 80 million homes that do not have HBO and we will use all means at our disposal to go after them.”
-Martin Peers of “The Information” reports $15/ mo.
– Diffusion group survey 6% moderately or highly likely to sign up - HBO’s Online Pricing Trap
- CBS launches its own TV subscription platform for $6 a month
- -CBS launched $6 mo. streaming service.
– 6500 classic episodes
– 15 shows day after air
– Live TV in 14 markets with more to come
– No NFL - Never say never: why TV networks are suddenly ready to unbundle
- Lions Gate to offer streaming movie service in 2015
- -LionsGate: The service, Tribeca Short List, will offer movies such as the dystopian teen hit “The Hunger Games” beginning next year, according to the studio.
Signal Intelligence
- Netflix’s growth slows down just as HBO joins the streaming fight
- Netflix’s U.S. growth slows, shares plunge
- -Netflix earnings
– US growth slowed to 980K customers, down from 1.29 million a year ago (had predicted 1.33 million)
– Netflix’s international subscribers grew 72 percent to 15.84 million from a year earlier.
– Net income rose to $59.3 million, or 96 cents per share, from $31.8 million, or 52 cents per share, in the year-ago period.
Gear Up
- Here comes the Nexus Player: Google and Asus release first Android TV device
- Pre-order page
- Nexus Player
– Available for preorder US and Canda
-$99 (Game pad sold sep. for $40)
– Bluetooth remote, voice search
– 28 apps (Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, Plex, Pluto.tv, YouTube)
– Compatible with GoogleCast
Front Lines
- Aereo Asks FCC to Change Definition of Video Distributor
- – Aereo Chief Executive Officer Chet Kanojia met with FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and other officials on Oct. 8 to advocate for online programming to be added to the definition of an MPVD.
– This would be a big victory for any company attempting to create an online multichannel TV service
9 Remeber Discovery refused to let Sky Angel carry its channel online. It could not flat out refuse in this scenario)
– if a programmer has a stake in a distribution service, then it is required to sell its programming to MPVDs. - Good News, TV Guys: ComScore Found Your Missing TV Watchers
- – Comscore survey says the younger a viewer is the less likely they watch on a TV
– Millennials say they spend a third of their TV-watching time watching TV on computers, tablets and phones
– 24 percent of 18-to-34-year-olds say they’re not subscribing to pay TV. — 13 percent say they’ve cut the cord, 11 percent never had a cord. - Amazon’s Instant Video app now shows your homemade movies
- –Upgraded Amazon Instant Video apps for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and certain TVs from LG and Samsung can show photos and videos stored in Amazon Cloud Drive for users in Germany the US and UK.
Under Surveillance
- Netflix’s next original series is a collaboration with Canada’s Rogers
- –Netflix is co-producing a series with Shomi, a VOD service from Canadian TV channel City and telco Rogers. Between is a six-episode series that follows the story of a strange disease in a small town that has abolished everyone under 21 years old. Created by Michael McGowan, director of Still Mine and One Week.
- Last week Netflix announced every episode of Friends is coming to Netflix January 1.
- MST3K’s Joel And Dr. Forrester Reunite On Paul Feig’s New Webseries
- – Joel Hodgson and Trace Beaulieu will reunite on Freaks and Geeks’ creator Paul Feig’s new webseries on Yahoo. Other Space is “a journey in unknown space set in the early 22nd century, when the human race has mapped most of the known universe, failed to find alien life, and frankly gotten a little tired of the whole thing.”
- WB Announces A Ton Of New DC Movies, Including Who’s Playing The Flash
- –WB Announced the lineup of DC Movies: Suicide Squad will be the next DC movie released after Batman V. Superman in 2016. In 2017 you get a standalone Wonder Woman along with a Justice League movie directed by Zack Snyder. In 2018 a Flash movie starring Ezra Miller and Aquaman starring Jason Momoa. In 2019 is Shazam (Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam) and Justice League 2. Then in 2020 a Cyborg movie and a new Green Lantern.
- Brian: Legend of Korra, rewatching Avatar: The Last Airbender, playing Far Cry 3, Fargo, Transparent, Twin Peaks
- Tom: The Shield (308) Transparent, Doctor Who
- Kristi: Agents of SHIELD, Firefly fan film “The Verse,” Warehouse 13, bit of Doctor Who
Dispatches from the Front
Tom and Brian,
Quick note: Quit watching The Walking Dead mid-season 2. Tried last season, quit. Brother tells me to watch current season’s premier. Holy crap! I think I’m in.
Fred in Pooler, GA
Do you have an explanation for why movies take so long to be available to rent? It is so frustrating to see DVDs to buy but not to rent. I want to rent Catching Fire, which was released in 2013 and it is only available to buy. Grrrrrr!
Pam
Hi,
Thanks for your show, we cut the cord about 3 years ago and finding new shows has probably been the hardest part to get used to! Your show has helped me in this regard quite a few times. I wanted to pass along a show I stumbled upon in Netflix that I am in love with! It’s called An Idiot Abroad, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it because know one in my immediate circle seems to love it as much as I do, I want to see if I’m weird, if Brian likes it then I’m legit!
Take care,
Melanie
You guys have to give Manhattan (on WGN America, Hulu, iTunes) a try. Wife and I love this show. Fascinating drama about the time period and the science with the A bomb. Purchased the season on iTunes and look forward to it every Monday. Just got renewed for a second season.
Jon
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