What millennials watch, the state of Apple TV’s single sign-on, and Comcast is doing well. With special guest Andrew Mayne. (http://twitter.com/andrewmayne)
It’s Spoilerin’ Time 154
Winter Movie Draft, Logan (trailer), Sherlock (403), Justified (502).
00:43 – Winter Movie Draft
03:10 – Logan (trailer)
05:47 – Sherlock (403)
12:27 – Justified (502)
Cordkillers 154 – In Bed! (w/ Jeff Cannata)
Why Netflix is killing it, Esquire network blazes a trail, why more people are using antennas.
CordKillers: Ep. 154 – In Bed!
Recorded: January 24 2017
Guest: Jeff Cannata
Intro Video
Primary Target
- Netflix added a record 7 million new subscribers last quarter
– Netflix announced it earned $0.15 per share in Q4 with sales of $2.48 billion. Analysts had expected earnings per share of $0.14 and revenue of $2.47 billion. Notably the company saw very strong growth in subscribers across all markets. In the US, 2 million new subscibers were added in Q4, with 5 million added internationally. This well exceeded analyst expectations of 1.38 million and 3.78 million, respectively. The company has focused on adding international content that can travel across regions to continue this growth, like the original Brazilian series 3%, as well as Japanese anime and Turkish dramas - Netflix predicts HBO will let you binge new shows online before they air on TV
- Netflix’s global domination plans find a US fanbase
- Netflix is so big that it doesn’t need net neutrality rules anymore
- A buyer’s primer on who’s NOT subscribing to Netflix
- Netflix is killing it
– Reed Hastings in shareholder letter cited an unconfirmed report about the BBC ““The BBC has become the first major linear network to announce plans to go binge-first with new seasons, favoring internet over linear viewers. We presume HBO is not far behind the BBC.”
– Netflix CCO Ted Sarandos “We’re seeing as we’re adding more and more global shows that it’s rising all boats across the world,”
-“Weakening of US net neutrality laws, should that occur, is unlikely to materially affect our domestic margins or service quality because we are now popular enough with consumers to keep our relationships with ISPs stable.”
-“On a public policy basis, however, strong net neutrality is important to support innovation and smaller firms.”
– A UBS study of US non-subscribers to Netflix
– 2/3 older than 55
– 3/5 have HH income below US median, also small HH of 1 or 2 perople
– Slower on technology adoption
– The report notes that adding Netflix as part of a cable bundle is more likely to convert this group into subscribers
How to Watch
- NBCU Shutting Cable’s Esquire Network, Re-Launching As Digital
– NBC is shutting down its Esquire Cable network, a month after DirecTV dropped it, and will relaunch it this Spring on Esquire.com. It will have all existing programs plus anticipated new shows.
– Esquire averaged 55,000 adults 18-49 in primetime last year72 of 104 networks. Even NBC’s leverage of USA (#4) and Bravo (#23) weren’t enough to keep it going. - Pondering the future of niche cable in era of cord cutting
- Hulu will let you download shows ‘in a few months’
– Hulu has extended its user profiles function to iOS and Android. Users of Hulu on the Web, Xbox and PlayStation also have access to profiles.
– And Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins told AdWeek that you’ll have the option to download Hulu shows in a few months, once licensing issues are squared away.
What to Watch
- Star Wars: Episode VIII Is Now Star Wars: The Last Jedi
– The next Star Wars movie has a title. Episode VIII will be called Star Wars: The Last Jedi. - Netflix’s The Discovery posits a dark outcome from proving the afterlife exists
– A movie called The Discovery will come to Netflix March 31. Robert Redford plays a person who has proved the afterlife is real causing a spike in suicides. The movie also stars Jason Segel, Rooney Mara and Jesse Plemons. - Netflix’s House of Cards will return on May 30th for its fifth season
– House of Cards will return to Netflix on May 30 for season 5. It’s the first season without creator Beau Willimon as showrunner. - Twitter to live-stream from red carpet for 3 more award shows
– Twitter will partner with Dick Clark Productions to live stream the red carpet pre-show for the Country Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards and American Music Awards. Twitter will also live stream the 7th annual Streamy Awards. - Seinfeld’s ‘Comedians in Cars’ moves to Netflix this year
– Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee will bring 24 new episodes to Netflix starting in late 2017 along with 59 back episodes. Previously it was the only show most people could remember when asked what kinds of things you could find on Sony’s Crackle service. Seinfeld will also film two stand-up specials. - Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s Good Omens TV Miniseries Arrives on Amazon Next Year
– Neil Gaiman will be the showrunner of a six-part adaptation of Good Omens, a book Gaiman co-wrote with the late Terry Pratchett. Amazon is co-developing it with the BBC for air in 2018. - Star Trek Discovery delayed, no longer has a release date
– James Frain has been cast as Spock’s father Sarek howeever, the series will no longer debut in May. A representative told the Hollywood Reporter, “We’ve said from the beginning it’s more important to do this right than to do it fast.” No new release date has been announced. - The author of The Martian is writing a NASA TV pilot for CBS
– Andy Weir, author of the Martian is working on a pilot for CBS called Mission Control that “revolves around the next generation of NASA astronauts and scientists who juggle their personal and professional lives” during a critical mission.
What We’re Watching
- Brian: Young Pope 102,103. Justified, Sherlock 403
- Tom: Laura, Justified (502) Sherlock (403) Star Trek: Voyager
- Jeff: Split, Captain Fantastic
- On the Lookout: AwesomenessTV’s “We Love You , BuzzFeedVideo’s “Broke.
Front Lines
- 15% of U.S. broadband households have antenna-only TV service
– A Parks Associates study found 15 percent of US broadband households get TV from an antenna the 5th straight quarter of growth. Pay TV subscriptions dropped to 81%, making three straight years of declines. - DirecTV Now got 200,000 subscribers in its first month
– In an SEC financial filing AT&T stated the the DirecTV Now streaming service added more than 200,000 paying subscribers in its first month. - AirTV is shipping to customers without its biggest feature (updated)
– Dish’s AirTV boxes are shipping but without the promised integration of over the air channels into the Sling TV interface. A separate button gives access to over the air channels. The boxes on display at CES were running beta software apparently and a software update to bring the integrated guide to everyone should roll out next month. - Roku’s new app can replace its remote, help you find something to watch
– Roku updated its Android and iOS apps, moving navigation to the bottom of the app and showing you a list of channels you have installed in the main screen when you first launch the app. A new section called What’s On makes recommendations. The remote screen also now more closely resembkles the physical Roku remote. - Shambling corpse of 3D TV finally falls down dead
– LG and Sony will stop adding support for 3D TV to their television sets in 2017. Samsung dropped support from models in 2016 and Vizio in 2013. - Netflix Joins Apple’s TV App, Sort Of
– The Apple TV app (which is on iOS and Apple TV the device) now supports non-original Netflix shows. Netflix originals can still only be accessed from the Netflix app.
Dispatches from the Front
Hi Tom/Brian – I just wanted to share the results of an experiment I was conducting to see if I could start using Amazon Prime video more than I was because I mostly forgot it was there.
Well TLDR; No. Their UX on both Roku and the Web is still terrible. When I stop watching the UHD version of the Grand Tour on the Roku and try to continue on the laptop it doesn’t continue from where I left on the Roku. Because Amazon tracks the UHD and the HD versions separately. Seriously!!! Also I rented 3 movies during their 99 cent rental offer and couldn’t find them on any screen. I had to search for them movies and then it showed that I had rented them. Also the UX is terrible to figure out which are paid and which are free on Prime.
When I discussed this with a few colleagues and friends, I found I wasn’t the only one struggling. So I guess amazon which is so brilliant in shopping UX needs a lot of work on the streaming part. I love a lot of the work they are doing but definitely need to ramp up the UX. For now I am back to itunes and Google Play for renting. But I assume Apple will run into this when they plan on launching their streaming service.
Thanks,
– Josh
Hey guys,
I love the show and I am a Patreon contributor. I have a question. What apps would you recommend that show where to stream a movie or tv show?
Thanks again for the show. I cut cable October 2015 and I haven’t missed it. My wife was the reason I didn’t do it sooner but she was tried of Comcast issues and agreed to try. We agreed to cut cable for a month without actually dropping the cable. We disconnected the TVs and hooked up an OTA antenna. After two weeks my wife said she didn’t miss cable and we dropped Comcast.
We use Netflix, Acorn TV and Tablo with the antenna. We use a combination of Apple TVs and Roku on 4 TVs. I like Apple better and my wife prefers Roku. I use SideReel to track my shows at Tom’s recommendation. We have used Sling TV, PlayStation Vue and Dirrectv Now. Of the three, I like PS Vue the best but I will try Hulu’s new service we it comes out.
Sincerely,
– Elvin
Hello wonderful employees!
I meant to write in some time ago about this subject, but just never got around to it.
The reason that Amazon didn’t release Grand Tour all at once is because they’re still filming!
This screen grab is from E! following the production team of GT around the Hollywood Hills, Wednesday, January 18, as they film elements for what’s possibly the season finale on February 3rd. According to WikiPedia, “it was announced that the final studio filming location will be Dubai in December 2016.[25].”
So there’s your answer, they’re still not done! However, they’re going straight into filming series two, so maybe that would be release Netflix-style.
Love the show, gents. Keep up the great work!
Thanks for recommending Movies With Mikey I love his review style, and his review of The Force Awakens changed my mind about the movie. When I saw it all I could see was all the fan service BS like “oh look it’s Death Star 3.0 this time it’s bigger”. Mikey revealed done of the underlying plot that I totally missed.
Love the show
Your boss
– Matt
Hey guys,
Heard your positive sounding coverage of the Anime Strike launch on Amazon. Always cool to see the anime streaming services get a little Cordkiller love. Wanted to drop you a line and hip you to some details about that service you may not be aware of. You’re right, anime fans tend to be a pretty passionate bunch, but we’ll get back to that later.
99% of the offerings on Anime Strike is content that’s readily available through other channels. There’s really nothing particularly special about most of the content it offers other than their “curation.” No doubt some of it was previously available on Amazon Prime.
But there is *one* thing that is special.
There is a programming block on Fuji TV called Noitamina (animation spelled backwards). Every broadcast season, it airs one weekly half-hour episode show. The content on that block is aimed at an older audience, and an audience that might not be your standard issue “anime fan.” Think drama, not Dragonball. And the content that airs on Noitamina, while not infallible, is generally considered to be a cut above by a lot of anime fans. Many folks will check out any show that airs on that block, even if it doesn’t appear to be their cup of tea. “Noitamina show” is a phrase that people recognize.
And Amazon signed a deal with Fuji TV to be the exclusive streaming distributer of simulcast content that airs on that block a few seasons back.
So essentially, Anime Strike is merely Amazon holding a single show, of well-regarded content, hostage for five dollars a month, every season. On TOP of an Amazon Prime membership. Compare that to the seven dollars a month for a Crunchroll membership – where you can watch literally *everything else* that is simulcasting (plus a large library of things you *can’t* see other places).
There is no value add to Anime Strike. It’s a very old-media, consumer-hostile, balkanization maneuver.
Y’all are correct – anime fans are a pretty passionate bunch. Moreover, they’re pretty savvy about streaming services too. And the naked cynicism of what Amazon is doing with that service is readily apparent. I assure you, Anime Strike enjoys absolutely no good will in western anime fandom. People are going to continue paying Crunchyroll (a company that enjoys a *great deal* of consumer good will) their seven dollars a month, and torrent the single Noitaminia show. That’s what’s going to happen.
That isn’t intended to be justifications for piracy, just pointing out the reality and economics of the situation.
Cheers guys,
– Monte
Links
It’s Spoilerin’ Time 153
Winter Movie Draft, Sherlock (402), Justified (501), Westworld revisited.
00:36 – Winter Movie Draft
03:10 – Sherlock (402)
19:33 – Justified (501)
25:15 – Westworld revisited
Cordkillers 153 – T-Mo Singing the Credo
Netflix streaming turns 10, Apple may make original TV shows, Amazon launches an anime channel. Light Sherlock and Battlestar Galactica spoilers 30:03-30:35. With special guest Justin Robert Young.
CordKillers: Ep. 153 – T-Mo Singing the Credo
Recorded: January 16 2017
Guest: Justin Robert Young
Intro Video
Primary Target
- 10 years ago Netflix to offer online movie viewing
– Quick shoutout that it was 10 years ago today that Netflix launched it’s “Watch Now” service. Netflix subscribers got one hour of watch time per $1 they spent on the service for DVDs and could choose from “more than 1,000” titles. (Windows IE Only) - Apple said to be seriously pursuing Netflix-style scripted TV and movies
– The Wall Street Journal reports Apple is talking with veteran TV and movie producers about commissioning high quality scripted series and feature films. The Journals sources say the project would start with a handful of carefully selected shows and movies. No deals have been made and questions remain about how the shows would be distributed. Apple has some original content already with Carpool Karaoke, documentaries and an upcoming series based on the life of Dr. Dre. - Jimmy Iovine Addresses Apple Music Expansion Reports
– Apple’s Jimmy Iovine told the Television Critics Association “we’re trying to create is an entire cultural, pop cultural experience, and that happens to include audio and video.”
“If South Park walks into my office, I am not going to say you’re not musicians, you know?We’re going to do whatever hits popular culture smack on the nose. We’re going to try.”
Iovine was promoting the HBO documentary The Defiant Ones about him and Dr. Dre partnering to launch Beats.
How to Watch
- A Studio Ghibli-Produced TV Show Is Coming to Amazon Prime Later This Month
– Studio Ghibli’s 2014 series Ronja, the Robber’s Daughter comes to Amazon Prime video January 27th. It’s based on a book by Astrid Lindgren and directed by Goro Miyazak. It’s the story of a thief’s young daughter who befriends a rival’s son, linking the two opposing ideologies. - Amazon launches the first of its own subscription VOD channels, Anime Strike
– Amazon has launched its own Anime channel called Anime Strike featuring collections of classic movies and TV shows along with currently airing Japanese TV. Amazon Prime Members can add the service to their existing subscription for $4.99 a month. Amazon sells add-ons from other services like Starz, Showtime and Cinemax.
What to Watch
- Netflix’s ‘iBoy’ trailer introduces smartphone superpowers coming January 27
- Twitter to live stream the US Presidential inauguration in partnership with PBS
- Joel and Ethan Coen have written and will direct a TV miniseries called The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, a Western
What We’re Watching
- Brian: RedLetterMedia, Sherlock 402, Justified 501, VICE
- Tom: Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, This is Us, Twin Peaks, Star Wars: Rebels, Justified (501), Sherlock (402)
- Justin: Sherlock
- On the Lookout: Travelers
Front Lines
- PBS KIDS debuts a new channel and live TV service, available via web and mobile
– PBS launched a new 24/7 PBS KIds channel available on 107 over the air stations but also for free on the PBSKids streaming app and at PBSKIDS.org. Later this year PBS will integrated games that extend what’s happening in the live stream. And starting April 21st the channel will have “PBS KIDS Family Night.” From 7 to 9 PM on Friday evenings. - DirecTV Now appears to be a complete mess
– DirecTV Now seems to have constant problems still, a month and a half after launch. The Verge notes more than 200 active forum threads complaining about DirecTV Now as well as almost daily apologies from the DirecTV Now twitter account for various bugs, outages, login and billing problems. - Star Wars will not digitally recreate Carrie Fisher for future movies
– Lucasfilm issued a statement Friday that it, “has no plans to digitally recreate Carrie Fisher’s performance as Princess or General Leia Organa.” Carrie Fisher had shot all her scenes for Episode VIII. For Episode IX, Hollywood Reporter said one of Lucasfilm’s options was using CG to create new scenes and BBC said Lucasfilm was in discussions with Fisher’s estate about the use of her likeness. - Game of Thrones: Could Season 8 Consist of More Than 6 Episodes?
– HBO programming president Casey Bloys told TVLine are still deciding how many episodes season 8 of Game of Thrones will have. Originally we were supposed to get 7 this year and 6 next but it looks like there’s a possibility of more than 6 in season 8. - Apple TV app changes pave the way for better gaming
– Apple has increased the maximum size of apps that can be submitted to the Apple TV App Store from 200 MB to 4 GB. That could mean new Apple TVs coming with larger drives than the 32 and 64GB models currently offered. It could also mean a focus on games since those apps are much larger than streaming video related apps. - ESPN brings Apple’s handy single sign-on tool to its iOS apps
– The WatchESPN and ESPN apps now supports Apple’s single sign-on feature for Apple TV. The main ESPN app also adds picture in picture so you can watch a game while tapping around reading news. - Also Shield TV users, Amazon Video is available in the latest software update!
Dispatches from the Front
Hi Guys, on the last Cordkillers, Jason asked about streaming in an RV. This link is invaluable for info on just that subject. Please pass it along, thanks ~ Steve Lamb TV & Movie Entertainment on the Road: Streaming, Downloading & Alternatives – RV Mobile Internet Resource Center
Stephen
Hey guys, one of your bosses, Rick from outside Orlando here. read on Zatz not funny this week slingplayer is discontinued. As a long time user this upset me greatly as I use mine every time I travel to connect to my Tivo Roamio at home, and also have one in my parents house across the country to watch my favorite sports teams, not to mention slinging to my PC in home for background TV when I’m surfing the net. Can you guys tell me if there are any viable alternatives as I have not found one?
– Rick
- Slingbox Manufacturing Halted… In Favor Of Video Production Ecosystem
– “Fortunately, existing owners have nothing to fear in the short term as Slingbox services will carry-on. Although I wouldn’t hold out hope for much in the way of application enhancements.”
Hey Tom and Brian,
On episode 152 you guys were discussing streaming services with Cloud DVR options. Long term, do you really think cloud DVRs will be the best way to do things or is just a holdover from the cable and satellite tv days?
I’ve had DVRs from DirecTV and TWC in the past, but since becoming a Cord Killer, I’ve enjoyed the freedom of on demand and not having to mess with a DVR.
Isn’t On Demand a better solution? I don’t have to worry about remembering to record a show or hope the game doesn’t go long and bump the schedule back 5 minutes, or run out of space on a DVR.
Also, how dumb is a storage restriction on a cloud DVR. We all know they probably aren’t actually recording shows to individual DVRs for each subscriber, its just a database entry of what shows you are recording. This will be like cell phone minutes or texting plans, where we get billed like crazy for small uses at first but then eventually get unlimited once demand is high enough.
Keep up the great work,
– Josh
I’ve been running my own DVR (MythTV) for around 10 years now and while I use to love it, both my wife and I have been slowly using it less and less ever since we subscribed to Netflix in 2012. It was to the point that when I had a motherboard go bad, I had to figure out if it was worth the time/cost to replace it. In the end I decided to but since I stopped even watching GMA in the morning like I use to, then unless it is for a special live event, I just don’t use it anymore.
Even shows that I have several seasons worth on my DVR, Simpsons, Bobs Burgers, Family Guy, etc., I realized most of those shows are now on Netflix so I determined the last episode I saw and started watching that episode on Netflix. I’ve now seen more Bob’s Burgers over the past month then I have over the past few years just due to moving it to the interface I’m always on (Netflix). Simpsons I had to leave due to them not being on Netflix yet, but I’m sure I could find them via one of my friends on Plex if I cared to look.
The point it, even consumers like me who loved OTA so much to build our own machines to watch, just don’t care anymore…but I will probably continue to keep it around for live programming or others events that are nice to be able to pause, or time-shift just enough to skip commercials but still enjoy majority of the event live.
As a side-note, if I actually cared about local news, Roku’s NewsON app lets me watch local news. I even saw some of GMA this morning when our weather turned bad and my antenna wasn’t picking up the best signal. But that’s the first time I’ve turned GMA on in months.
Thanks for the great work guys!
– Greg (Kansas City)
Brian,
This last week I found a great, but limited use for my over the air antennae. I live in the Portland, Oregon metro area and we recently had a very bad snowstorm. The local early morning traffic report OTA was amazing quality. Using the local news streaming sites was a horrible experience, max 720p streaming and even then it struggled (I have 300mbs fiber).
Before this I was with you, but after rediscovering the OTA part of my TV I am amazed at the visual quality (better than my 4k roku ultra using 4k uhd hdr samsung) and the diversity of channels is great….
THE COMMERCIALS KILL IT THOUGH!!!! lol our household can’t stand commercials and my 6 year old has no concept of them… “where’d my show go?, this isn’t my show!”
Netflix, Amazon and commercial free Hulu are how our household views it all. We tried SlingTV and PlaystationVue and didn’t even finish the free trials because of the commercials.
Keep up the great work!!
– Brandon from Oregon
Hi, Tom, Brian and <insert the name of your guest so I sound clairvoyant>
Comcast is getting sneaky trying to get people to subscribe to cable TV. The other day I was helping my uncle setup a new wireless router he bought. We called Comcast and at the end the tech said “For only $5 more a month you can get 8 times the speed increase on your internet”. We figured he had some old outdated plan and thought that sounded like a good deal. After 10 minutes of the tech setting that up he comes back and says “Oh by the way that includes cable TV as well”, which he was not subscribe to before. We put the brakes on that quick and there was no way to get the speed boost without getting cable TV. Sorry Comcast stop trying to sell me cable TV, its never going to happen.
See ya
– Adam
Hey Tom & Brian,
My sister has a question regarding piracy. She’s working on a project that started out as trying to get enough YouTube clips from Captain America: The Winter Soldier to make a short movie, but it quickly turned into a quest to see how many clips she could find. We’re editing the clips together, but she keeps asking me if doing this is illegal. Ordinarily I would say “Of course, we’re cropping out Facebook links and editing out the curse words. It’s not the full experience.”, but she has 2 hours worth of clips out of a movie that’s 2 and a half hours long! What should I tell her?
From,
– Amar
Links
It’s Spoilerin’ Time 152
Winter Movie Draft, Rogue One revisited, Sherlock (401), Justified (411-413). With special guest Roberto Villegas.
00:38 – Winter Movie Draft
04:33 – Triage (Westworld)
06:15 – Triage (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story)
07:01 – Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
14:36 – Sherlock (401)
22:00 – Justified (411,412,413)
Cordkillers 152 – When the Sun Explodes
Hulu shares some sneak peeks about their live service and the hottest over the air hardware out of CES. With special guest Roberto Villegas.
CordKillers: Ep. 152 – When the Sun Explodes
Recorded: January 9 2017
Guest: Roberto Villegas
Intro Video
Primary Target
- CBS signed a deal with Hulu to bring the CBS broadcast network, CBS Sports and entertainment channel Pop to Hulu’s forthcoming live streaming service.
- Disney classics going to Hulu in exclusive deal
- Hulu privately demos live TV service
– Chris Welch from The Verge got a look at Hulu’s forthcoming Live TV service
– It will be available in the Hulu app, not from a separate app.
– Priced less than $40
– Two simultaneous streams, cloud DVR with a small amount of storage
– New users answer questions about movie and TV tastes including shows and networks
– Main screen “Lineup” shows on demand and live things Hulu thinks you’ll want to watch
– Notifications based on preferences
– Other sections similar to existing Hulu
– Live TV section (no guide) and “leaving Hulu soon” section
– Pause any network show and rewind from where you started watching
– Pay extra for more DVR storage and more simultaneous streams
– Signed deal with CBS, meaning only NBC left to bring in.
– “in the coming months”
– Multi-year deal with Disney to bring animated classics and live-action catalog
How to Watch
- Sling TV set to debut the AirTV Player, which combines local channels, Sling’s service & Netflix
– Dish announced the Air TV set-top box running Android TV that can integrate over the air channels into it’s Sling TV channel guide. It can also run all Android TV apps and comes with Netflix and YouTube pre-installed. The bluetooth remote has voice control and infrared for controlling sound systems. The Air TV is available today for $130 or $100 without the antenna adapter. You can buy the adapter later for $40. - Mohu’s wireless AirWave antenna makes cord-cutting simple
– Mohu Airwave
– Antenna that streams OTA TV over WiFi
– Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, iOS, Android, Web
– $150 late spring - Tablo Droid
– Connect USB antenna to Android TV (starting with Nvidia Shield)
– Software can work with Hauppage tuner as well
– Software is free with free 30-day trail , guide data is $3.99 a month
– Coming to Google Play Store in Q2
– Device oming Q2 no price
– Tablo Live
– One-tuner, no storage
– Streams OTA TV to Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Android TV, Chromecast and mobile
– Q2 for $99
-Upcoming Tablo Cloud feature for storage in the cloud
What to Watch
- ‘Twin Peaks’ Gets Premiere Date, Episode Count On Showtime
– Twin Peaks will debut on Showtime May 21. Right after the premiere airs, you’ll be able to watch episodes three and four on Showtime’s digital streaming service. - Hulu and the BBC Are Making a Cop Show Set Five Years Before the Apocalypse
– Hulu is teaming up with the BBC to make a series called Hard Sun from Luther creator Neil Cross. Earth is five years from an apocalypse that can’t be avoided and follows detectives trying to enforce the law. - Twitter will livestream portions of PGA golf tournaments
– Twitter continues to add live sports coverage with an exclusive deal to stream parts of 31 PGA golf tournaments this year. It involves pre-grame and the first two holes of each days marquee group. It’s free no login required. - Netflix lands its first original drama from Korea, a series based on a love-finding app
– Netflix has commissioned Love Alarm, a 12-part series based on the Korea comic about an app that helps people find love within 10 meters. Jaemoon Lee will produce, set for debut in 2018. - The Man in the High Castle Gets Another Season and Another Showrunner
– Amazon renewed The Man in the High Castle for a third season. Eric Overmyer, who ran Bosch, will serve as showrunner and executive producer in the third season - What is VRV?
– Elation’s (AT&T subsidiary, Crunchyroll owner) new multi-channel streaming service, VRV, went live. Announced in June. Aggregates premium content from digital networks like Crunchyroll, Nerdist, Rooster Teeth, Tested, RiffTrax, Machinima, and more. Offers a “combo pack” with 8 channels for $10/mo. Focussing on mobile and TV apps first, web player coming later. - ‘Powerless’ trailer pits DC superheroes against ordinary people
– A trailer is out for NBC’s Powerless about the people of Wayne Security who protect the people of Charm City from the effects of superhero fights. Vanessa Hudgens, Danny Pudi and Alan Tudyk are in the cast. Premieres February 2. - Watch the first trailer for the CBS All Access ‘Good Wife’ spinoff
– There’s also a trailer out for The Good Fight, a Good Wife spinoff and the first CBS All Access original to premiere on the service, starrting February 19. - Watch the chilling first trailer for Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale
– Hulu released a trailer for The Handmaid’s Tale starring Elizabth Moss as Offred set to premiere April 26th.
What We’re Watching
- Brian: Justified 411,412, 413,Sherlock, Jackie
- Tom: Justified (411,412, 413) Sherlock, Gilmore Girls, Hidden Figures, Passengers
- Roberto: RWBY vol 4, Rogue One, Viva Amiga
- On the Lookout: The OA, People of Earth
Front Lines
- Netflix & Amazon score a few Golden Globes, HBO won none
– Amazon’s theater-released movie Manchester by the Sea received a Golden Globe for best actor for the performance by Casey Affleck. The movie comes to Amazon Prime 90 days after release so sometime in late February. Amazon also won for Goliath and Netflix won for The Crown. However NBC blocked the stream from Sling TV, PS Vue and DirecTV Now services. - Nvidia debuts new Shield with 4K, an AI mic add-on and Google Assistant
– The Nvidia Shield TV is available for preorder at $200 shipping later this month. It supports Netflix and Amazon 4K HDR, and YouTube, Google Play Movies and Vudu in 4K. An upgrade in the coming months will add Google Assistant as well. - Amazon Fire TV and Alexa will power new 4K TVs from a trio of third-tier brands
– Tong Fang Global introduced 4K TVs under its Westinghouse, Element and Seiki brands, ranging in 4 sizes from 43-inches to 65-inches running Amazon’s Fire TV OS and Amazon Voice Services. Available later this year, no price. - TCL adds Dolby Vision HDR to more of its 4K Roku TVs
– TCL debuted 25 TV models running the Roku OS with HDR10 and Dolby Vision HDR. The 50-inch P-series TV will launch for $500 all coming to North America. - The Most Popular TV Show of 2016 Was Not from a Big Network
– Ratings startup SymphonyAM put out its ratings for most popular shows in 2016 based on viewership within the first 35 days after premiere. Ornage is the New Black was tops followed by Big Bang Theory (CBS), Stranger Things, Fuller House and Designated Survivor (ABC). - Netflix is still renting out DVDs to millions of customers in 2017
– Netflix just launched a new iOS app for DVD.com which is the part of Netflix that still rents DVDs. About 4.2 million people in the US still rent DVDs from Netflix. Netflix is still seeing quarterly revenues to the tune of $132 million from them.
Dispatches from the Front
Happy Holidays guys! I recently rediscovered your show, and am enjoying it immensely. Quick question, do you have any recommendations for streaming in an RV? Because I don’t want to use all of my telephone data in on weekend, and I don’t want to watch the same old DVDs. I guess this is more of a internet question, but I figured I would ask the people who knew the most about streaming. If you can offer any help, we would greatly appreciate it.
Yours,
– Jason
I hope this gets to you before you record for the week.
I just tried to download a couple of shows from Netflix for my ride home on the bus and Netflix told me that I could only download this title one more time before “”December 22, 2017″”.
In preparing for a cross country flight before Christmas, I had downloaded a bunch of stuff and didn’t watch it. So I deleted it to free up space. Now, I’m learning that you can only download something 3 times a year.
– Tim
Do you guys have a suggestion of a good app to keep track of all the TV shows and movies you want to watch? Every time you guys mention what you’re watching, I want to add this somewhere, but I don’t have a good hub for this (other than an endless Google spreadsheet, which isn’t that convenient), or tracking it on watchlists across multiple apps. If it happened to allow for music too, and maybe notes about why I’ve added it, that would be amazing. Thanks!
– Tim J
To Brian,Tom, and Bryce:
Enjoyed the KILLIES Show very much! You all had very good choices! Cordkillers is one of my best recommendations for Discovering new shows and movies.
I am especially happy that Tom included the CROWN and DOWNTON ABBEY on his list. I am also an Anglophile and enjoy those kinds of shows too. I normally watch zombies and science fiction, but enjoy History too.
Thanks much! Best Wishes in the New Year!
– Michael K.
Hey Killers… just LOVED The Killies 2016. It would be cool if you guys did it quarterly. Much fun had by all!!
– Dan
Links
The Killies 2016
Getting a new streaming device this holiday season? Here are our favorite shows and movies we discovered in 2016 (and a few we abandoned). With Cordkillers producer Bryce Castillo ( http://twitter.com/brycas )
YouTube: https://youtu.be/rojhCSmQZjE
Download video: http://archive.org/download/Killies2016_201612/Killies2016.mp4
Download audio: http://archive.org/download/Killies2016_201612/Killies2016.mp3
THE KILLIES FOR 2016:
Preacher (AMC, not streaming)
Polygon ( http://youtube.com/polygon )
Expanse (SyFy, Amazon)
Moana (movie)
Insecure (HBO)
La La Land (movie)
Doctor Strange (movie)
Terrace House (Netflix)
Mr. Robot (USA, Amazon)
Movies With Mikey ( http://youtube.com/chainsawsuitoriginal )
The Grinder (Netflix)
The Crown (Netflix)
Red Letter Media ( http://youtube.com/redlettermedia )
The Path (Hulu)
Zootopia (movie, Netflix)
10 Cloverfield Lane (movie, Epix)
Atlanta (FX)
Black Mirror (Netflix)
Narcos (Netflix)
Last Man on Earth (Fox, Hulu)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
Stranger Things (Netflix)
Documentary Now! (IFC, Netflix)
Better Call Saul (Netflix)
Downton Abbey (PBS, Amazon)
Ash vs Evil Dead (Starz)
Empire (Fox, Hulu)
Arrival (Movie)
Brian’s Abandie: The Profit
Tom’s Abandie: Agents of SHIELD
Bryce’s Abandie: Scandal
It’s Spoilerin’ Time 150
Winter Movie Draft, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Justified (410)
00:39 – Winter Movie Draft
06:21 – Triage (Westworld)
09:55 – Justified (410)
16:26 – Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Cordkillers 150 – Seat Punchers (w/ Nicole Spagnuolo)
Cord killing slows but saves money, best OTA antennas, Amazon Prime goes worldwide. With special guest Nicole Spagnuolo
CordKillers: Ep. 150 – Seat Punchers
Recorded: December 19 2016
Guest: Nicole Spagnuolo
Intro Video
Primary Target
- Here’s Why Many Cord Cutters Often Pay More for Video
– PriceWaterhouse Coopers surveyed 1200 US adults and found 51% of those who reduced their cable package ended up paying more money per month on video than before because of streaming packages they added. While 68% of those who cut cable entirely spent less per month on video. Also 84% of current cable subscribers plan to keep their connection next year up from last year when only 77% said so. Pay TV lost around 1.4 million subscribers in the first 9 months of 2016.
How to Watch
- The cord-cutter’s guide to the best indoor antennas
– CNET’s Ty Pendlebury put 6 over the air antennas to the test in Manhattan and Long Island. The $10 Channel Master Flatenna fared well enough to make it the pick for best antenna on a budget. The best overall was the Antennas Direct ClearStream Eclipse for $59 or $79 with amplifier. The $40 MoHu ReLeaf got a nod for being the best performance in areas with less than optimal coverage. - Amazon expands its Prime Video service to over 200 countries, but China isn’t included
– Amazon made its Prime Video service available in more than 200 countries Wednesday. It’s free where Prime membership is available or standalone for $5.99 or €5.99 a month. Amazon Original content comes in English, with French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish subtitles and dubbed versions in some markets.
What to Watch
- Woody Harrelson will shoot his next movie while streaming it live into movie theaters
– Woody Harrelson will live stream his film Lost in London to theaters as it’s being shot in real time. The 100-minute story based on Harrelson’s actual arrest in London will take place in 14 locations and be shot in a single take. Harrelson, who wrote and directed the film, will also star in it, alongside Owen Wilson and Willie Nelson. Lost in London will stream on January 19th at 9PM ET. - Star Trek: Discovery Casts The Walking Dead’s Sonequa Martin-Green as Its Lead
– Sonequa Martin-Green aka Courtney Wells on the Good Wife, aka Tamar on Once Upon a Time AKA Sasha on the Walking Dead will add aka the lead on Star Trek; Discovery. The show will focus on the Lieutenant Commander of a ship rather than the captain and Martin-Green will be that LT-Commander. Michelle Yeoh is the Captain. Star Trek: Discovery is coming to CBS All Access in May. - Twitter to live-stream Golden Globes red carpet
– Twitter will team up with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and Dick Clark Productions to live-stream the official red carpet pre-show for the Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 8 - Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale starring Elizabeth Moss as Offred, will premiere on April 26th, 2017
- The first official trailer for BladeRunner 2049 is out. The movie comes out 10/6/2017
- Duck Tales Summer 2017
What We’re Watching
- Brian: Justified 410, Rogue One
- Tom: Justified (410), Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, The Man in the High Castle (201-205), Star Wars: A New Hope
- Nicole: Last Man on Earth, The Goldbergs, The Middle, FreeForm – 24 Days of Christmas Kid Shows: , Peppa Pig, Team UmiZoomi, Teen Titans Go
- On the Lookout: Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency
Front Lines
- Facebook says it’s in talks to buy its own video shows
– ReCode reports Facebook is in talks with studios to license TV shows. The talks are being led by Ricky Van Veen, the College Humor co-founder who joined the company earlier this year said “we’re exploring funding some seed video content, including original and licensed scripted, unscripted, and sports content, that takes advantage of mobile and the social interaction unique to Facebook. The deals are said to be around $1 million a year, much less than budgets for shows by Netflix or Amazon. - Amazon’s new Fire TV interface is what it should have been from the start
– Amazon updated the interface for its Fire TV. The menu moves to the top, a larger space for art and horizontal rows for shows or app options, with Recent shows in the top row. It’s available for “second-generation” Fire TV box and Fire TV Stick and will come to older models in the coming months. - New streaming service BritBox brings British TV to the U.S.
– BBC, ITV and AMC are teaming up to bring the US a streaming service called BritBox, promising the largest catalog of British TV shows available. Shows that haven’t ended up on BBC America, PBS or other networks may show up within 24 hours of airing in the UK. That includes Eastenders, Emmerdale and Holby City. It will also have loads of older titles like Brideshead Revisted, Upstairs Downstairs, Keeping Up Appearances and Fawlty Towers. It’s set to debut before the end of March but no price has been announced. - NBC Is Teaming Up With Olympic Committees to Launch a TV Channel
– NBC and the International and US Olympic Committees are planning to launch an Olympic TV channel in the US in the second half of 2017. The channel will stream Olympic sports and related content year round. NBC will also add additional olympic sports coverage to NBC, NBCSN and NBC Sports Digital. - T-Mobile Offers a Year of DIRECTV NOW to AT&T Users Who Switch
– Thursday T-Mobile announced that it will give AT&T customers who switch to T-Mobile a $35 bill credit for 12 months to pay for AT&T’s DirecTV Now service. DirecTV Now is also part of T-Mobile’s BingeOn which does not count video from partners agains data caps. - Vimeo releases apps for tvOS, Android TV, and Samsung’s Tizen-powered TVs.
– Vimeo updated its apps for Apple TV, Android and an HTML5 app for Samsung TVs powered by Tizen. The app will begin playing from its curated cinema experience at launch. You’ll also be able to access your customized feed, uploaded videos, as well as any videos you’ve purchased previously.
Dispatches from the Front
Hey Tom & Brian
I have been a cord cutter for 4 years now and have loved it. However this summer I expanded this to the theatre and did not see any movies in the theatre. I waited for the movie to come to iTunes and purchased it. When you look at the cost of a ticket it is about the same cost of purchase. The cool part is if I like the movie I now own it if I don’t then I delete and it is the same loss of a ticket price. Thought you guys might want to add this to the chicken challenge.
P.S. I know this idea could destroy the movie draft but Brian we all know Tom is going to win.
– Josh
I’ve made a decision: If I don’t end up liking Voltron, I am going to stop using Netflix. They have surprising a lack of family-friendly content, and what content they did have that I watch, they get rid of! I was watching the Disney XD Avengers cartoon, they got rid of that. Then I started watching Columbo and the A Team, and they’re getting rid of that! Are they trying to lose me? Of course, that might not matter to them, because my little brother Adam still watches DinoTrux, but if I don’t like Voltron, which my siblings say I absolutely must watch, than I am done with Netflix. It isn’t worth it to me to try to hunt continually for things to watch on Netflix when there are other things available, like Designated Survivor on the ABC, Falling Skies on Amazon, or Cord Killers on DiamondClub.tv.
From,
– Amar
I’ve been enjoying the new TV app on tvOS, but I have a bit of a conundrum when it comes to the new single sign-on feature.
My internet service includes a very bare bones cable package (so they can count me as a subscriber), from which I have access to HBO and Showtime, and I use that login for HBO GO and Showtime Anytime on tvOS. Additionally, we use my in-laws’ login credentials from a different cable provider to get access to other apps like FX, USA, Disney, etc.
In this scenario, can I use my in-laws’ credentials for single sign-on and still do a manual login for HBO GO and Showtime Anytime? Or, will using single sign-on always favor one set of credentials?
Thanks, and love the show!
– Jesse
Tom,
I heard you sort of dismissing the new TV app on the Apple TV – can’t recall if it was on DTNS or CK, or both.
But I’d recommend you really try it. It’s incredible, and exactly what has been needed for years. Especially for cord cutters.
One of the biggest problems is keeping on top of what we’re watching in each of the apps. While Netflix is excluded, it has Hulu, CBS, CW, Showtime, HBO, and of course iTunes, as well as many others (but I think they need a cable sub).
And of all those apps, only Hulu has any semblance of a “now playing” (a la TiVo), or watchlist. CW has nothing. CBS has a favorite shows list, but doesn’t let you know when something new is on. HBO Now is surprisingly bad for maintaining a watchlist. SHO at least keeps track of what you last watched, but not what’s new. And even Hulu’s watchlist has a bizarre algorithm for ordering things.
With the new TV App, I basically subscribe to all my shows in all those apps, and iTunes, and when a new episode shows up anywhere, it pops to the front of the list. If I’m binging a show that’s already done, it shows me the next one available (and bumps it to the front after I watch a show). And for shows I know I want to watch at some point later and don’t want to forget about, I just add it to the list.
You can even put movies you want to watch in it. And if you want to check out the series (e.g. to play an older episode), you can just long-click on the show.
This app solves nearly all my problems, and I think these problems are fairly common among cord cutters. We finally have one place to go to maintain all our “to watch” shows across nearly all apps, and to get notified when new episodes pop up wherever they are.
What’s missing? Netflix of course, and that app has a fairly awful watchlist function currently (my “List” row is often impossible to find). And perhaps integration with the PlayStation Vue DVR would be nice.
But harping on the single log-in issues, which do seem pretty bad, but are basically irrelevant for cord cutters.
Just thought you’d appreciate some real world feedback from a very satisfied customer. And a suggestion to try it out to really appreciate it.
Thanks,
– Mark
Tom,
Are you going to do another episode of Pretend I’m Dumb about Star Wars for Rogue One? If so, are you going to pretend that you’ve seen the prequels, but not the original trilogy?
That way you will be acting as if you saw this movie in the chronological order of the story instead of the order the movies came out in, which I believe was the original idea for Pretend I’m Dumb about Star Wars.
– Bill near Athens, Georgia
Links