My Streaming Life

It's still nearly a month from actual release, but Amazon did recently announce that a new edition of the Fire TV Cube would be available soon. I know that most people opt for the Fire TV Stick -- commonly called "Firestick" by many users -- but the Fire TV Cube is the top of the line of Amazon's streaming devices. Personally, I use the Fire TV Cube because of my previous experience with the Fire TV Sticks. The first Fire TV Sticks were simply inferior devices, especially when compare to the Roku devices. However, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is a very good device, and completely changed my mind about the Sticks. But, if you do want the top of the line experience, the Fire TV Cube is the way to go. According to the Amazon Fire TV Blog, the new Fire TV Cube will be available on October 25 and have some improvements in power and speed, plus an HDMI input : An industry-first, Fire TV Cube includes an HDMI input port, giving customers the flexibility to bring their entertain...

Back in August, Pluto TV announced that they would be adding several channels in September, including content from Hallmark. This week, I finally saw the Hallmark Movies & More channel on Pluto TV. And that is a welcome addition. Hallmark has been a favorite source of content for family members for as long as I can remember. When I was younger, specials from Hallmark on TV were something that my mother would often enjoy watching. In later years, family members enjoyed Hallmark's content, particularly their Christmas movies. Having it on cable was nice, and when we dropped cable, the various streaming platforms that carried Hallmark content were things I regularly subscribed to. Hallmark content has been on some very low-priced streaming platforms, both on-demand and linear streaming. A favorite has been Frndly TV, which at $7/month is the lowest price of the live streaming services that carry the actual Hallmark Channel. Philo, at $25, is another low priced streaming service wi...

We're going off-topic here for something I think is important, and may be a new scam. At least, it's new to me. I've never seen this, and I can see people falling for it. Last night, a family member received an email from PayPal about a charge against her account. It was for $899 for an iPhone, or so it said. What seems to have happened is that someone submitted a PayPal charge against her PayPal account, and PayPal sent an email notifying her. To be clear, the email itself was legit. The problem was twofold, however, and it was within the email. The first problem was, of course, that she had not ordered an iPhone. The seller/scammer had submitted an unauthorized charge. PayPal has no idea if it's legit or not, so they sent the email notifying her of the submission, for her to decide to pay it or cancel it. The second problem was within the body of the email, and that's the other part of the scam. Note the part in the "Seller note to customer." That is ...

Well, sports fans, the big day has arrived. Yesterday, in fact. Bally Sports+ launched yesterday, making the service available nationwide. Well, mostly. Back in June, the service launched in five markets: Detroit, Kansas City, Miami, Milwaukee, and Tampa (or Tampa Bay). Those are the five baseball markets where Bally Sports+ carry the baseball games. None of the other markets that carry Major League Baseball have agreements for the teams to be broadcast over the streaming service. For example, I live in an area where I would get Bally Sports South and Bally Sports Southeast. And, I would normally get Braves baseball, which is carried on those regional networks. Yesterday, I became capable of subscribing to Bally Sports+, and can get both Bally Sports South and Bally Sports Southeast, but it states "Braves baseball and related content are not currently available on Bally Sports+." I can still get all the other programming, just not Braves baseball. And for me, Braves baseball ...

A recent survey indicates that more people in the USA, as well as in Europe, are cutting back on streaming subscription services because of inflation. Not that streaming services have raised prices, but that everything else has gone up meaning less money for non-essentials. And streaming services are getting hit by this. While I've not seen the poll, I've seen a write up about it by a good source, The Streaming Advisor , which covers many of the bits of information uncovered by the survey. There is a definitive generational preference as well. Over two-thirds of Gen Z and Millennials in the US (66% and 76%, respectively) are willing to pay to skip ads, compared to 32% of Baby Boomers, who may be accustomed to ads while viewing TV content. More than half of this generation (the Boomers) are the most unwilling to pay to skip over ads (52%) compared to just 14% of Millennials and 17% of Gen Z who say they are unwilling to do so. I get this. I'm in that generation, and I usuall...

I've been testing some different setups for privacy phones, and have found an issue that's common to them all. The problem is apps. Now, the whole reason for a privacy phone is to keep information about activity from being sent to Google, Facebook, or other places that collect and sell your data. The easiest way for them to do this is via apps. If you notice, I didn't say anything about Apple just now. That's not because I'm not concerned about Apple having that data. Apple is actually the least offensive of those that gather your data, but I still don't like the idea of them gathering it. And I don't want iPhone developers getting the data either. Many apps will collect the data or simply not run. That can be a problem. But the workaround is actually quite simple. Use the Web browser on the phone to access the Website. For example, rather than opening the Facebook app, I'll go to the Facebook Website on my privacy phone. It works pretty much the same. P...

College football season continues, and while some games are not huge draws -- Big Dawg U vs Cupcake U games still happen this early in the season -- there are also some major matchups. If you want to watch all of the games this season, you need access to all the networks. And, as you will see, that can get expensive. Of course, you might not want to be able to watch al the games. You may have only a single team, or a few teams, you care about. We'll show you how you can watch the games, whatever the games might be. Well, most of the games. Four Saturday games will not be on these networks. A couple surprise me, but that's how it goes. Here are the networks carrying games: ABC ACC Network Big Ten Big 12 Network CBS CBS Sports Network ESPN ESPN 2 ESPN 3 ESPN U SEC Network ESPN+ Fox Fox Sports 1 Longhorn Network NBC NFL Network Pac 12 Network Peacock Here is how to watch these networks: ABC Antenna, over the air, f...

Rumors of a new Chromecast have been around for a bit . Well, they are rumors no longer. Yesterday, Google announced the new device, called the Chromecast with Google TV (HD) . In the process, the current Chromecast with Google TV became the Chromecast with Google TV (4K). So, yeah, the rumors about it being a lower end device were true. A new improved Chromecast was not released. Rather, a new lower priced one was released . Chromecast with Google TV (HD) streams in high definition with 1080p HDR, and we’ve made software optimizations behind the scenes to make sure you get a smooth and snappy experience no matter what TV you’re watching on. Starting today, Chromecast with Google TV (HD) is available for $29.99 in our classic Snow color, and is available in 19 countries now, with more regions coming soon. There is no reason to run out and buy one, unless you want a new Chromecast for a secondary TV. I has lesser features, though not really much less. The main thing is 1080 HD vs 4096 U...

YouTube is the big dog when it comes to hosting user created content. Some think it's the only place to do that. But it's not. There are other places where similar content resides. Vimeo, Vevo, and Dailymotion have been around for a while. And the latest hot alternative is Odysee. That one is interesting in that it is promoted by a lot of content creators as being more free -- as in free speech -- than any other platform. And there is a lot of truth to that. But still, YouTube reigns above all of them. And that's partially because of laziness. Each of the various services has unique content, but most users simply go to YouTube and only go anywhere else if they can't find what they want. Some -- most? -- don't even know you can go elsewhere. Last year, NordVPN published a list of the 10 best YouTube alternatives : Vimeo DTube Internet Archives Video Section Metacafe 9GAG TV Dailymotion Vevo Twitch TED Crackle The article lists information about each of the services, ...

In 2009 and 2010, I spent time running the numbers to determine if I could save money by streaming TV rather than staying with cable. Spoiler: yes. I went through all the numbers, and bought the equipment to set it all up, and started streaming. But the last piece of the puzzle took a little while. Until I saw an article last week on the Tablo Blog about it, I had pretty much put it out of my mind. But after seeing the article, I began to remember that it was, at the time, a pretty big step. One thing that can be a problem is when they then start to pressure you, sometimes being subtle, sometimes not. Tablo covered it pretty well : Don't let your provider convince you to boost your internet package or speeds either. Unless you've got online gamers in the home or other high-bandwidth needs, 25 MBPS download/3 MPBS upload speeds and a 1TB data cap are usually enough. I've spoken to people after they cut the cord and they then brag about how they got a good deal on faster Inte...

A survey by Beta Research show that, once again, ESPN is a must have network for many cable users. ESPN seems to always top the list of cable channels that users want. This year's survey is no different. The Streaming Advisor suggests this is the top reason that people keep cable, and he may be right. And his suggestion that if more knew they could get the channel without cable, they might cut the cord as well. Let's look at the details of the survey. The top channels for men and women were different, as you might expect . Among men, the favorite basic cable channels included ESPN, History and ESPN2, Fox News, CNN, Discovery Channel, Fox Sports 1, Comedy Central and National Geographic. Among women, the top networks were Food Network, HGTV, CNN, Hallmark Channel, ID, TLC, Lifetime and History. All of these channels can be had via Sling TV Orange+Blue with Lifestyle Extra for $56/month. Or Sling TV Orange+Blue and Frndly.TV for $57/month, which may be a better deal overa...

Do you have cable? Or know someone who does? And do they watch it? I mean, really, do they watch cable? There have been articles about users "quiet quitting" cable, meaning they keep cable, but rarely ever use it. And that's more common than you might realize. With the number of streaming services that offer great content, some TV users stop watching cable, but still pay for cable. It's difficult for me to understand that, partly because I started streaming heavily with the intention of cutting cable. I was not one that started watching more and more streaming, then realized I was still paying for cable but not watching it. Some family members were like that, though. When I asked why the cutting of cable wasn't happening, the response was that there might be something that's just on cable, such as sports programming. The logic there is that paying $100/month (or more, in the example I'm using) every month keeps one from having to subscribe to a $35/month...

I've mentioned my testing of Pi Hole on my local network. Generally, people use Pi Hole to block ads on their network. That's not really what I'm after. There are URL lists that are designed to block other things. Some block NSFW content. Some block malicious Websites. Some block tracking services. And of course, some block ad services. When I set up my Pi Hole, I started using the standard ad blocking, just to test it out. It worked well. Be aware that it won't block all ads. For example, if you're watching YouTube, and the ads are served from YouTube, then you'll still see the ads. If they are from a different service, then yeah, it will block them. That's because of how Pi Hole works. It blocks content from certain servers. If the server is not an ad server, you'll get the content you expect. Of course, if the ad is from the main server as well, Pi Hole can't tell the difference. So no, it won't block everything. It can't. After that initi...

For the first time this season, all of the networks that carry games will all have at least one game this weekend. In the first three weeks -- Week 0, Week 1, Week 2 -- at least one of the networks, often two or three, didn't have any games on their schedule. That is no longer the case. Every network has a game. That's because Longhorn Network, which carries Texas home games, has a game. NBC and Peacock, which carry Notre Dame home games has a game. NFL Network has a game. This will happen again many times this season. I think it will. Sure it will. Probably. Yeah. Anyway, if you want to watch all of the games this season, you need access to all the networks. And, as you will see, that can get expensive. Of course, you might not want to be able to watch al the games. You may have only a single team, or a few teams, you care about. We'll show you how you can watch the games, whatever the games might be. Well, most of the games. Four Saturday games will not be on these ne...

This week, I had a conversation with a 20-something at work. She was talking about movies with her manager, and mentioned that they subscribe to seven streaming services. I mentioned my method of subscribing to only one or, if the cost is low, two streaming services each month, rotating them around. She seem a little interested, and I mentioned the pricing, and how I do it. She corrected my numbers on the cost of Hulu, and that's when I realized that she was paying for the no-ads plan. She said she can't watch ads. I hear that a lot from younger people. They will pay more money to simply not watch ads. Personally, I would rather save the money. Heck, there might be an ad for something I want, or it might let me know about some sale, and I can get what I would buy anyway, but for a lower price. Saving money twice. There are plenty of people like her, but a new survey indicates there are more that watch ads. And, most importantly to the advertiser, the ads are making the differen...

There were a few reports recently suggesting that Netflix was considering releasing its original series content in a more traditional way. Netflix has previously released its series all at once, allowing its subscribers to binge watch the new shows, same as it had for older shows. Most of the recent news articles referred to a report from Puck News [ pay wall warning ] that said Netflix was considering changing its model. I have a couple of thoughts on that. The main thing is that most of the articles all refer to that one source. So, seeing a dozen or so reports doesn't really carry weight, since they all have a single source. When there is only one source, that causes questions in my mind. If there are multiple sources, that indicates there may be something to it. But when everything goes to a single source, that doesn't carry as much weight. Having said that, if the single source is a good one, then it's a good source. And this seems to be good source. Oh, and one oth...

Fans of the NFL who are streamers are sometimes frustrated that they can't get NFL Sunday Ticket with a streaming package. In fact, some NFL fans won't fully cut the cord because of this. NFL Sunday Ticket is that important to some fans of the league. For those that don't know -- and yes, NFL fans, there are those that don't know -- NFL Sunday Ticket is a service where you can watch out of market games. It won't carry local games that are available over the air or on a local cable system, but is very useful to fans who want to watch games otherwise not available. In the USA, DirecTV, the satellite service, is the only way to get it. DAZN, a streaming service, has it in Canada, while SKY Mexico, a pay TV service, covers most of the rest of North American. Some other cable services handle the Caribbean and South America. But here in the USA, it's DirecTV. Do you ever wonder why it's not available on DirecTV Stream? So do others. Recently, TV Answer Man Phillip...

When I got my first Roku device in 2010, it operated on both the 2.4 GHz WiFi band and the 5 GHz band. That wasn't that common. And, in fact, only the top tier Roku device -- the most expensive one -- supported 5 GHz as well as 2.4 GHz. If you aren't familiar with the differences between the bands, just understand that 2.4 GHz is older and has some issues. 5 GHz is newer, and has its own issues, but is generally better performing overall for most people. Smaller and older devices support 2.4 GHz only. Most devices these days are dual band, meaning they can connect to either. Most will use 5 GHz if it's available and a decent signal. Around 2015, 5 GHz became much more widely used, and became more common on cheaper devices. Roku had included dual band on all devices except the entry level ones by late 2013. For the past nine years, that has remained the case. The low tier, entry level Roku devices have been 2.4 GHz only. The Roku 1 and Roku LT were 2.4 GHz only. When the Rok...

As much a fan of TV as I am, you'd think I'd be watching the Emmy Awards. You'd be thinking wrong. I cannot remember the last time I watched the Emmys. Probably over 40 years. Why is that? Well, it's one of those things where if you stop doing something, and you find you don't really miss it, you don't go back to doing it. I watched the Emmys because I was home and it was on. And whatever was on the other channels -- there weren't that may channels back then -- was either a rerun I didn't want to see, or some other show I haven't seen and didn't want to see. I watched the Emmys by default. I got a job working nights and didn't watch a lot of prime time TV for a few years. And when I stopped working nights, I didn't really pay attention when the Emmys came on, because I really didn't miss them. However, I may decide to watch them tonight. I looked up the nominees and found that a couple of shows I watch got nominations. I'll be pul...

Every now and then, when you start a project, you should have a sanity check along the way. Rethink things. Ask yourself if where you're going is in line with your initial goals. If not, did the goals change? If so, was it for a valid reason? Or did you simply forget the initial goal and veer off course? With this privacy phone project, I had to do this recently. And I'm not sure just where I'm going to go with this, because it brought home something I had not considered. Well, I had, but I hadn't given it proper consideration. Here's what's going on. When I set a privacy phone as a goal, it was to reduce being tracked by a big data company. Apple and Google each are able to gather a lot of data on you, and I really don't like that. That was one of the reasons behind my trying out a Pi Hole device on my network; not to block ads, but to reduce tracking on my online activity. Google has a lot of data on me, and I'm just not comfortable with that. They sel...

For college football fans, it's now Week 2, which is the third weekend of football. If that doesn't make sense to you, welcome to the world of college football. I don't blame the colleges for this. They didn't name it. Sports broadcasters and reporters did that. Blame them. Or, don't worry about it and just watch some football. That's what I'm going to do. I gave up on broadcasters and reporters a long time ago. And not just the ones that carry sports. It's Week 2 of college football, and after just two games ahead of today, both last night, there is a full Saturday of football in store. And, if you cut the cord and are a streamer, you have ways to watch the games. My needs are simple. I have an antenna for the ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC games that I want to watch. There are a few interesting games, plus the usual early season Power U vs Cupcake U games. But, if you know which network your game is on -- see the NCAA broadcast schedule here -- you can w...

I got my notice from Hulu on Tuesday. Prices are going up. This was not a surprise. We talked about this last month, after all. And it is happening next month. A report on Cord Cutters News mentioned that users were getting emails, so I certainly wasn't the only one. Comparing their email to mine, it showed that the emails were specific to the plan the user has. I have the cheap plan -- because I'm cheap, I suppose -- and it mentions the price increase for my plan only. The price of Hulu’s ad-supported plan will increase on October 10, 2022 to $7.99/month. The price adjustment will be reflected in your first billing cycle on or after October 10. Your payment method on file will be charged the new price unless you cancel before the start of your first billing cycle on or after October 10.* As always, it’s easy to switch between our subscription plans and packages. Explore all of our plan options to find the one that best fits your viewing needs, or to cancel, visit your Accou...

This totally got past me last week. An article in Variety says that Netflix has accelerated its timeline on launching its ad-supported tier. In case you weren't aware, Netflix is launching an ad-supported tier in the next several months. Expectations are that it will be in the $7-10 range. This follows a price increase earlier this year , which brought the monthly subscription prices to $10, $15.50, and the top tier is $20. The differences are as follows :   Basic Standard Premium Monthly cost* (United States Dollar) $9.99 $15.49 $19.99 Number of screens you can watch on at the same time 1 2 4 Number of phones or tablets you can have downloads on 1 2 ...

While my focus is usually streaming -- when I'm not off on a Linux computer or security phone tangent -- I occasionally talk about over the air antenna TV. I feel there is not enough emphasis on over the air TV. That used to be the only way to pick up TV stations. Then cable happened, and the local stations got in on that. Today, some live streaming services -- to include YouTube TV, Hulu+Live TV, Fubo TV, DirecTV Stream, and others -- have local channels as part of the lineup. However, that's not the only way to pick up these stations. An antenna, if you are able to put one up, or live close enough to the TV towers that a small indoor antenna will work, is a great way to watch local channels. The thing is, there sometimes the channels disappear. They don't really, they just move. Not physically; the tower doesn't crawl away or anything. The stations will sometimes change frequency. You see, there are two channels that today's digital signals use. One is the channel...

There are lots of little things I don't like about Peacock TV. Every bit of the problem is related to the user interface. Features that I don't like or want because they don't have them. But one thing that isn't a problem is the content. Good content can cause a person to overlook a lot of other issues. Peacock TV has some really good content. Of course, the NBCUniversal library is huge and contains some really good stuff. So yeah, it's expected that Peacock would have good content. Recently, though, they did something I didn't expect. I saw it and thought perhaps I wasn't seeing what I was seeing. But there it was. Jurassic World Dominion was streaming on Peacock. My first thought was that it was the previous movie, Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom , but nope, this was the recent movie. As in the movie that was released in the USA less than 90 days ago and had nearly one billion dollars in box office receipts. That movie. Right now, if you want to watch t...

I regularly visit sever Websites that focus on streaming. I list many of these in the sidebar. One is The Streaming Advisor , and I saw a post there that got me really excited. The post was entitled " How To Find Wonderful World Of Disney Movies On Disney+ " and if you know me, you know that caught my eye. I'm of the age where I used to watch Walt Disney's Wonder World of Color , which also went by other names over the years. The it was called the Wonderful World of Color when I started watching it, so that's how I always think of it. I had previously gone to Disney+ during a time when I had an active Disney+ subscription (see " Streaming more content with fewer services " for more about my rotating subscriptions). I saw different categories for Disney owned movies, but I didn't find a grouping for the older movies that aired on Wonderful World of Color . What I had to do was browse through the movies or search for a specific movie. I was disappoint...