The strange experiments of networks to lure cord-cutters. Plus, why Roku just got banned in Mexico.

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CordKillers: Ep.  177 – It’s Not That We Don’t Love You
Recorded: July 3 2017
Guest: None

Intro Video

• Cordkillers happening now

Primary Target

• AMC wants to charge you an extra $5 a month to watch its shows without commercials
  – AMC Premiere for Comcast Pay TV subscribers
  – $5 a month ad-free AMC shows on AMC app while logged in with Comcast ID
  – Has more deleted scenes and may have originals.
• NBCUniversal will stream Premier League soccer games, no cable subscription required
  – NBC offering $50 Premiere league pass, no cable sub necessary
  130 live games in US as well as studio shows
  – Games shown on NBC broadcast and cable will not be available

How to Watch

• Roku banned in Mexico over piracy concerns
  – Roku has been banned in Mexico
  – Televisa-owned Cablevision sued Roku because users were hacking it to watch pirated TV
  – Cablevision’s complaint: “We would also like Roku Inc to better supervise the use of its software so that it’s not used inappropriately.”
  – Roku says it’s not enabling the channels distributing pirated content on its platforms, and is taking them down when found.
  – Non-certified channels that are added to Roku through a system the company had set up with the intention of allowing developers to test channels without publicizing them to the entire Roku audience. These channels are not available in the Roku Channel Store
  – Roku plans to fight the decision.
• Cinesift
  – Movie database site that combines Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb, Letterboxd and Metacritic scores, with Netflix and Amazon Prime availability (Updated to include more Reddit suggested features) [OC]

What to Watch

• Watch the trailer for Rick and Morty season 3, streaming from July 30th
• Netflix is going to make a two-hour episode to wrap up the story of Sense8 to be released next year.
• The first episode of Forces of Destiny is out on the Disney YouTube channel. It features Rey on Jakku with BB8.
• Netpicks for July 2017

What We’re Watching

• Brian: Justified, Okja, Preacher part 2 premiere, Robocop
• Tom: Justified, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Doctor Who, Okja, Preacher
• On the Lookout: Beyond

Front Lines

• Tablo easily turns Android TV boxes into standalone DVRs
  – The Tablo USB dual-tuner dongle is available for $70. The device plugs into an antenna and an Android TV box like the Shield TV to create a DVR. The guide data is free for the first six months and after that costs $4 a month or $40 a year.
• Twitter to stream live coverage of Wimbledon and Comic-Con
  – Twitter will broadcast the opening preview night from San Diego Comic-Con in partnership with IGN. Twitter is also streaming Wimbledon coverage like interviews and highlight reels, but no live matches this year.
• Streaming service Boomerang is now available on Apple TV. It also added its first original series, Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz.
• You only have to log into NBC’s app once across Apple devices
  – NBC’s iOS app now works with Apple’s single sign-on in addition to its Apple TV app. Users only have to sing in once to be signed in across all devices linked to their Apple ID.
• Netflix is bringing Dolby Atmos surround sound to its original content starting with Okja
  – Netflix announced Okja is being presented in Dolby’s High Dynamic Range with Dolby Atmos sound. Some LG TVs as well as the Xbox One and Xbox One S can stream Atmos content. Netflix original movies, Blame! Death Note and Bright will all be released in Atmos as well.
• Seeso Is Selling Two of Its Shows to AT&T-Backed VRV, May Be Preparing to Shut Down
  – Seeso has sold two of its original programs, My Brother, My Brother and Me and Harmonquest; to Otter Media, which runs streaming service aggregate VRV. The shows will appear on VRV, but details of where/what plans the shows will appear on have not been confirmed. Decider’s sources said that other original Seeso programs could be up for sale.

Dispatches from the Front

The idea of “interactive TV” has been floating around for some time and really only becomes a legit possibility with streaming or internet-provided content. Only recently has cable TV had the ability to achieve this but also via an internet link to process viewer input. But streaming makes the most sense I believe.

I can certainly see this progressing to the point you’re watching a show or movie and are able to actively interact with the characters on screen especially by voice. We tell our Apple TVs, Amazon Fire TVs, Siri, Alexa etc. what we want now so why couldn’t we just yell “Look to the left!” or “Watch out behind you!” or “Turn right” at key points in a show (possibly whenever an interaction icon appeared on screen). The possible increased level of engagement with the audience might help keep viewers watching more so than otherwise. So these first baby steps do make sense if it hopes to catch on. And why not start with the kids? Get them comfortable with the simple versions now so that as they grow, and the tech develops, they grow right along. There’s also less of a need to take it to big screens now since these shows are being watched close-up by the kids and they can just press their screens to direct the action.

The other question on this is where does the line between interactive “show” and video game get drawn? If we just start directing all the action, or most of it, aren’t we just playing a fancy video game with great, albeit realistic, graphics? Video game graphics have also improved tremendously as have the non-controller methods of interaction such as motion and voice.

Then lets mix in VR and AR and 360 (or 180) and, and, and …. Ahh hell, just beam me on to the holodeck already. Isn’t that where we all want to go anyway?

– Armando

 

 

 

Brian

Just one quick thought on the Netflix Interactive stories. I agree with you that traditional video doesn’t make for a compelling interactive viewing experience, HOWEVER – what if you apply interactive storytelling to the VR experience? What if Netflix takes their learnings from this flat/2D viewing experience, and commissions 360 degree storytellers to make a series of short films with multiple overlapping storylines where the viewer drives the plot forward through there interactions?

Does this make you more or less interested?

– Andy

 

 

 

I want to offer a suggestion as to what might be the potential service that could dethrone Netflix. As I was listening to your discussion one thing that kept being mentioned as a reason for the success for some of the current streaming services was their access to Disney content. So what happens if Disney – ABC pulls all their content from existing services and instead launches it exclusively on their own product?

And to make this even a more intriguing proposition, this service could also include new original content focused around some of their most popular properties such as Marvel and Star Wars. Just imagine if they took a similar approach that they have used for Daredevil and applied it to the Star Wars Universe. I could see a lot of people signing up for this new service just for that prospect alone.
For me, a service that included the entire range of the Disney Vault, access to ABC properties like Modern Family and Once Upon a Time, plus all of the ESPN sports programming would be an absolute must buy. Without a doubt it would have something that would be of interest to every member of my household.

I hope this adds to the conversation. Love the show! Keep up with the good work!

– Tony

 

 

 

Been wanting to see some of the YouTube Red content, Rhett and Link and Game Lab at least, and kids watch YouTube a lot, as well as our typical family TV time is watching the YouTube channels we follow.

So, I bite the bullet for the free YouTube Red trial, and I want to make it a family plan sorta deal … and you can’t.

There’s YouTube Red, which gives you Play Music, but no Family option … but you can get Play Music Family, which gives you YouTube Red.

Because … [reasons].

Short term solution, get all accounts on free trial and then cancel where needed and sign up for the Family Play plan in three months. I was hoping for a ‘pay the difference’ plan, but, doesn’t look like that’s an option.

I did email support, and got a quick reply which actually answered the question first go, so that’s a plus!

– Justin

 

 

 

Hi guys,

I’m a big fan of both Cord Killers and Spoilerin’ Time — but I’m curious as to why you guys say “Episode X Season X”, especially during Spoilerin’ Time? It is widely accepted that the most standard way to reference these is by “Season X Episode X” — in fact, that is how you write them in the podcast descriptions/notes (e.g. Leftovers 305, Justified 606, etc.), and I know you both have commented that this is how you are supposed to reference episodes in digital libraries and torrents, etc. (S03E05, etc.). It’s like version numbers in software: Major.Minor.Revision.

Maybe it’s not a big deal… but honestly it takes me a few extra CPU cycles in my brain to take what you say and then translate it into, “oh yeah, he means Season 3 Episode 5”.

Thanks,

– Marc

 

Links

2017 Summer Movie Draft
patreon.com/cordkillers