My Streaming Life

Google is changing the name of something. Again. Remember a few years back when Google Cast was renamed "Chromecast built-in?" If not, well they did. That's what's important in all this. Now, Google is rebranding "Chromecast built-in" as ... wait for it ... "Google Cast." Ta dah! Why the name change? Who knows. It's Google being Google, and that's reason enough I suppose. Website 9to5Google noticed the change this week 9to5Google noticed the change this week : The updated branding is referenced on Android.com on Android.com (with chromecast.com/built-in redirecting to that page) and this Google Support article this Google Support article :  Google Cast (formerly Chromecast built-in) delivers multi-screen TV and audio experiences with speakers. "Google Cast" inherently gets "Google" into the name, so that could be why this change is happening today. I'm not picking on Google. Well, maybe. But they aren't alone....

Follow me on this. Yesterday, Philo announced a free ad supported television (FAST) service. There are over 70 channels involved, and some even offer DVR service. Yesterday, Philo announced a price increase to $28/month (up from $25) for its standard pay TV service (streaming cable, or vMVPD service). So, yeah, both. Philo's pay TV service is great. No local channels, and no news and sports (well, not the big boys anyway), but a lot of entertainment channels. A bargain at $25/month, and still a bargain when the price goes up in a couple of weeks (June 12, 2024). The FAST service is smaller than, say, Pluto TV, Roku Channel, Tubi, and the like, but still pretty good: 4UV All Reality WE tv All Weddings WE tv AllBlk Gems AMC Thrillers Anger Management ANIME x HIDIVE Are We There Yet? BBC News beIN Sports XTRA The Bob Ross Channel Cheddar News Chicken Soup for the Soul CINEVAULT CINEVAULT Westerns CINEVAULT: Classics Cold Case Files Comedy Dynamics Confess by Nosey Cowboy Way Crack...

Following up yesterday's article on Peacock's Military Appreciation sale, Michael Timmermann talks about Peacock offering a special low yearly price to lock in before an upcoming price hike: [ YouTube ] As I've said before, I don't watch Peacock a lot, but it is a good service at a good price. It's not necessarily Peacock that I don't watch, it's most pay streaming services. My Streaming Life uses a lot of free ad supported television (FAST). That will probably be the case for a while. But that is a good deal about Peacock.

Yesterday was Memorial Day. Today is one of the last four days of Military Appreciation Month. I make that distinction because a lot of people seem to confuse Memorial Day with Veterans Day. I'm a veteran, and I appreciate that Veterans Day is a thing. I certainly appreciate Memorial Day which is to honor those that did not return from service. It's quite frustrating to me when I see things that seem to honor veterans in general on Memorial Day. That day is not for me. It's for my fallen comrades. When Peacock had a special for veterans , I grimaced, thinking they were confusing Memorial Day with Veterans Day. Only, that was an error on my part. You see, May is also Military Appreciation Month . And that's the reason Peacock is offering a special offer for veterans. So good on them. Normally, I don't look to take advantage of discounts for veterans. I've seen so many over the years that wore one kind of uniform or another -- military, law enforcement, etc. -- th...

When I cut the cord back in 2011, there were no services such as Sling TV, YouTube TV, Hulu+Live TV, Fubo, or the like. Once those services came along, and more and more people had streaming alternatives to cable TV -- actually streaming versions of cable TV -- cutting the cord picked up. Now, it looks like more people are doing like I did, even with those options. What I'm talking about is that more people are dropping cable TV than are subscribing to streaming services. At least, that's the trend. A survey by Cord Cutters News says that around have of cord cutters are not subscribing to "streaming cable" services . Increasingly cord cutters are moving primarily to on-demand services like Disney+, Netflix, or Max. According to past surveys of our readers many start with a live TV streaming service only to later move to on-demand only options. Now with Disney, Fox, and Warner Bros. Discovery launching a sports-only live TV service it raises real questions about th...

Microsoft has added a new feature that will cause some concern for a lot of people. Windows 11 will take a snapshot of user screens every three seconds. Britec has the details. [ YouTube ] My Steaming Life still uses a Windows computer to run Plex. For now. A Linux server is looking more and more like a good idea.

 Cord Cutters News also reviewed the new Walmart Onn 4K Streaming Device: [ YouTube ] I'm still undecided on getting one of these devices. There are some postives, for sure. I'm just not sure if it's worth the money, for what extra it brings to the table. My Streaming Life doesn't really need another streaming device.

I'm not a regular user of Max (formerly HBO Max), but I do find it to be a good service. It is in my rotation of services. Something will be added to Max this fall: college football. Specifically, the first two rounds (including quarterfinals) of the playoffs. According to news reports, Max and TNT will air games over the next five seasons, starting with this year, when the college football playoffs expand to 12 teams . The deal will see Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT Sports and HBO Max show two first-round games over the first two seasons of the contract. In the ensuing three years, it will broadcast and stream two first-round games and two quarterfinals. The sides could add more games. While TNT’s future partnership with the NBA is in doubt, the move for CFP games is unrelated to those current tenuous negotiations, according to executives briefed on the talks. The CFP agreement would have happened regardless of where the talks with the NBA stood. ESPN, the home of the national c...

I cut cable years ago. To clarify, I dropped cable TV. I still have cable Internet. Suppose you want to drop not just cable TV, but also cable Internet. What are your options? Cord Cutters News has some suggestions . #1 Your Phone Company When I say “contact your phone company about Internet service” you are likely thinking DSL. The good news is most phone companies won’t even sell DSL any more including AT&T. Instead, they are offering fiber in most areas. If you have not talked to your phone company in a few years it may be time to give them a call and look at their fiber options. #2 5G Home Internet The fastest-growing Internet service in the United States right now is 5G Home Internet especially from T-Mobile and Verizon. Yes, these services are not available in all areas, but you may be surprised how many areas they are available in. Also, look at AT&T for its new 5G Home Internet as it slowly rolls out. If they are not in your area yet make sure to sign up for notificatio...

Lon Seidman had a video recently talking about the bundle that Comcast is offering. It is worth a watch. [ YouTube ] My Streaming Life uses Comcast/Xfinity for Internet, and I don't normally subscribe year-round to services. This is worth considering.

There was an article last week that I haven't addressed. It talks about a change that Amazon made to the Fire TV interface, and the author wasn't happy about it. The change is a small one, but it can indeed cause issues. AFTV News reports that Amazon changed the default button to download an app to instead download and subscribe . That is a small, but critical change . When searching to install select apps, such as Paramount+, Apple TV, Philo, Starz, and others on a Fire TV, the default option is no longer to simply download the free app, as it has been for the last 10 years. Instead, the default option has now changed to both download the app and simultaneously subscribe to the service. These automatic subscriptions are processed through Amazon, so, even if you’re already subscribed to one of these affected streaming services directly, you may find yourself double-subscribing when all you intended to do was download the free app and log in with an existing subscription. The op...

In the first quarter of this year, over nearly 1¼ million customers dropped Comcast, Spectrum, or DISH. According to Cord Cutters News, this translates into nearly 14-thousand per day dropping one of those services. This amounts to Comcast, Spectrum, and DISH losing over 13,700 TV customers every day in the first quarter of 2024. If this trend continues over 5 million TV customers will cancel TV from DISH, Comcast, and Spectrum. That would be up from the 3.260 million the three companies lost in 2023. The report goes on to break down the losses for each of those major pay TV services. My Streaming Life doesn't depend on those services for TV. Well, not directly; I have Comcast's Xfinity Internet that I use for streaming. I dropped traditional pay TV over 13 years ago. More and more are finding that's the way to go.

I haven't tried the new Lenovo Chromebox Micro. But Lon Seidman has: [ YouTube ] I've used a lot more ChromeOS recently, due to the issues with Windows and security. I've generally been happy with ChromeOS, but I do prefer the Chroembook Plus. The limited specs do give me pause. My Streaming Life doesn't generally use a computer. But not everythign I do is streaming. ChromeOS is fine for me. Not too sure about this particularly device though.

The Preakness Stakes will be this afternoon. It's the Triple Crown race that doesn't get as much exposure as the others. The Kentucky Derby is always the big one, and the Belmont Stakes gets a big push over the Preakness Stakes for some reason. That never really made sense, as the three jewels of the crown are pretty much all prestigous races. If you are interested, and if you are a streamer, you will probably want to know how you can watch it. Or even if you can watch it if you're a streamer. And of course you can. NBC is carrying the race. The race will actually be on NBC and Peacock. Coverage begins at 1:30 pm, with the actual race a few minutes before 7:00 pm. Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan will be running, and there will of course be interest if the horse can win the 2nd race of the Triple Crown. The fastest time in the Preakness Stakes was set by Secretariat in 1973, at 1:53. The second fastes time is officially 1:53.28 by Swiss Skydiver in 202. However, Sham...

It sure looks like Walmart has stopped, at least temporarily, including a fancy new backlit remote with the Onn 4K Pro Streaming Device. Lon Seidman noticed his new device had the old remote on a video he posted recently  on Lon.TV. Now, AFTV News has a report that this wasn't an accident : When the listing first appeared at the start of the month, the images showed a more premium remote that included backlit buttons. The updated images now show the standard remote without backlit buttons. The premium remote that comes with backlit buttons is easy to identify because it is also the version that comes with a large blue “Free TV” button. The remotes without a backlight are also missing the blue button. Apart from a few unsubstantiated comments I’ve come across, it does seem as though both versions of the remote do include a remote finder, as is demonstrated in this review video which shows the standard remote beeping after the button on the front of the Onn 4K Pro is pressed. While t...

Roku will be carrying some Major League Baseball games for free. And you don't need a Roku device to watch them. According to a post from late March, Roku will carry Sunday MLB games : Starting May 19, we will offer Sunday MLB games for free on The Roku Channel, plus an all-new MLB Zone to help you discover live and upcoming games, nightly recaps, highlights, a fully programmed MLB FAST channel in the Live TV Channel Guide, and more across the Roku platform. That kinda got lost in the shuffle until recently. Now, as we approach May 19, it's getting more attention. Roku made another announcement this past week, and that has gathered a lot of attention, but people are overlooking what Roku said in March, as quoted above. The new news release give a few more details, but it still means the same thing: Roku Channel will carry games. And that means you don't need a Roku, if you download the Roku Channel app for your Fire TV or Google/Android TV device. Sorry Apple TV users, the...

Last week, I expressed a desire to try the new Walmart Onn 4K Pro Streaming Box. Well, Lon.TV actually tried it, and based on my experience with his reviews in the past, I'm now thinking about giving the new Walmart box a pass. [ YouTube ] If the only real feature is the Google Home capability -- essentially meaning it includes the functionality of a Google Nest Mini -- then it's not really worth the extra money to me. It might be to someone though, as the Google Nest Mini is regularly $49, the cost of the Onn 4K Pro Streaming Box. It's kinda like bundling a Chromecast with a Google Nest mini, except the specs are a little lower. My Streaming Life uses both Chromecast and Onn Streaming Device setups, and I like them both. I still may try one, but since the overall device is the same experience insofar as streaming, and I don't need another Google Assistant device in the Living Room, I may pass on this. Or at least delay trying it out.

Recently, AFTV News compared a group of Google TV (or Android TV) devices against the Fire TV Cube and some Fire TV Stick devices. I found the article interesting. Maybe you will too . The report indicated the Fire TV was the top device, but NVIDIA Shield was second and third (Pro and Standard versions). Two Fire TV Sticks took 4th and 5th. Google Chromecast took 6th. The two Walmart boxes took 7th and 8th. No big surprise, really. The Fire TV Cube is a really good device, but I prefer the NVIDIA Shield to it. I also prefer the Chromecast to the Fire TV Sticks, but that's simply a personal preference. The Walmart devices are still the best value, in my mind. My Streaming Life doesn't involve gaming, but if yours does, the order of finish from AFTV News is a good guide. If gaming doesn't matter, they're all really good devices, and the interface should be the deciding factor. For me, it's Google TV rather than Fire TV. But that's just a personal preference.  

Reports are out, and the Websites seem to agree, that Comcast's Now Internet service is available nationwide. According to Cord Cutters News, Now Internet has rolled out nationwide . Now Internet starts at $30 a month for 100 Mbps, which is enough for three 4K streams and the ability to surf the web. There is also a $40 a month option for 200 Mbps down, which is enough speed for six 4K streams and the ability to surf the web. There is also NOW Mobile with unlimited 5G, talk, and text for $25 a line. "NOW is a simple, reliable, and low-cost way for people to get Internet and Mobile service on their own terms." said Bill Connors, President of Connectivity and Platforms, Comcast. "Our trials have shown that there is a need for a better prepaid product that provides a more consistent and reliable connection and we’re excited to bring fresh new options to this market." The service seems clearly targeted at the growth of 5G home Internet services as its marketing even...

I'm a big believer and supporter of security and privacy. You should be able to be online securely, and your privacy should be respected. Britec had a take on that, and says it doesn't really matter. [ YouTube ] I will disagree with an assessment that there's nothing you can do. I will agree that you can't stop everything. But think about it like this: there is no way to make your house completely secure. But that doesn't mean that you don't put locks on your door and lock the hosue when you leave. You do what you can do to stop what you can. My Streaming Life is impacted by my privacy and security practices, but it doesn't stop me from watching what I want when I want. It's more related to non-streaming activity. I will continue to do what I can, but I know that nothing stops everything. But some things stop many things.

If you have been worried that you weren't seeing enough commercials on your streaming services, fear not. Amazon will soon offer more commercials for you. On the heels of Amazon's announcement this past week about new types of ads to be offered to advertisers, word is now that Amazon will start showing ads when you pause Prime Video. Cord Cutters News reports that Amazon will start playing ads when you hit Pause when using their service. Amazon is trying to grow ad sales on the Fire TV and Prime Video. Last year Amazon’s Fire TV added full screen video ads when you start your device. In January Amazon added ads to all Prime Video subscribers unless an extra fee is paid. With these new ads Amazon will show a carousel of products that customers will be able to scroll through to select the ads/products they are interested in. The pause ads will also be shown during Amazon’s live sporting events as well as movies and TV shows. The report also includes information that you can avoid...

The Hollywood Reporter says Amazon is adding more ads. Yay? According to the report, Amazon is going to offer "an expanded suite of new interactive and shoppable ad formats" to Prime Video . The three formats are: Shoppable carousel ads, which includes a sliding lineup of products from a sponsor during Prime Video commercial breaks. Users can quickly move between products using their remote, and add items to their Amazon cart. Interactive pause ads: The pause ad has become a standardbearer format in video streaming ever since Hulu debuted the concept in 2019, letting services insert an ad at a natural moment: When the user has paused a video. Amazon will add a translucent banner that once again lets users instantly ad a product to their Amazon cart. Interactive brand trivia ads: A format that lets brands share more information about themselves or their products, with users able to add items to their carts, learn more information about brands or products, or even earn Amazon c...

Prices the last three years have gone up a lot. Prices for everything. And now word is Max is about to have another price increase. About a year ago, HBO Max (now just plain Max) had a price increase. The cheap, ad supported plan didn't go up then, but the bigger tiers did. Now, another increase is in the works, if Bloomberg is correct : They include the possibility of more layoffs at the company, which has eliminated more than 2,000 positions over the past year, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are still being worked out. The streaming operation alone could bear hundreds of millions of dollars in budget cuts, mostly in marketing and technology, the people said. My Streaming Life has Max in rotation. I'll subscribe to one service for a month, but only one. Then I'll pick another service. The thing is, with all the price increases, combined with the amount of free ad supported content there is, my rotation involves breaks where I don't su...

I've been pleasantly surprised with the Walmart Onn streaming devices. Well, the second generation devices. The first generation devices were awful. The original Onn Streaming Stick and Streaming Box were terrible devices. However, when they released new devices last year, I gave them a look, and I liked what I saw. The current Onn Streaming Box is a great device for $20. The Onn Streaming Stick is good as well, but I like the box better. Recently, word came out of an updated Streaming Box, with some seeing it on shelves, but not officially released -- somebody in stocking at some Walmart store had some explaining to do! -- so I've waited until it's officially released to decide what to do. Well, now it's been released. And I will get one and try it out. Eventually. You see, it's not in stock. Oh, it's been released, and showing as an item for sale on the Walmart Website , it's just that they're all sold out. When they are back in stock I'll get ...

If you're like me, you're a streamer, not a cable TV customer. But the reality is, some are both. For a long time, my mother kept cable even after she started watching TV via streaming exclusively. She had a hard time dropping cable, although she had no trouble not watching cable. To her, it was her insurance policy. She had a difficult time realizing that if Comcast Internet went down, Comcast TV would be down as well, but it was her decision, and I helped her with it, so she could watch what she wanted, when she wanted. She eventually cut back on cable, keeping only local channels -- this was before I put up an antenna at her house -- and saved a lot of money. But until she did that, she was paying a shipload of money for cable TV. A lot of people pay a lot of money for cable TV, even today. A recent report from U.S. News & World Report says that the average cable TV customer pays over $200/month for the service : Using data from a variety of public sources, the site foun...

Word came out last week about Max cracking down on password sharing. According to a report from Bloomberg, Max has begun a "lot like Netflix" password crackdown : Their plan starts with increasing the number of people paying for Max. The company plans to start cracking down on password sharing as soon as this fall, timed to one of the strongest programming slates in recent memory. Max will release a new season of House of the Dragon in June and debut The Penguin and Dune: Prophecy later this year. The playbook looks similar to the one already being employed by Netflix. It will allow account holders to add extra members for less than the $9.99 price of Max with ads, according to people familiar with the company’s plans. Those extra members will have their own credentials and log-ins. They’ll be able to set that up without losing their viewership history. The reports also says that Netflix has posted strong gains since the crackdown on password sharing, and Max wants the same. ...

Apple has made their iCloud service more secure and private. Well, potentially. Naomi Brockwell explains: [ YouTube ] My Streaming Life doesn't depend on any iCloud content. Online security and privacy is very important anyway. If you use iPhone, make sure you're doing what you can to keep things secure and private.

The Kentucky Derby is this afternoon. It's kind of a big deal, and has been for a while. If you are interested, and if you are a streamer, you will probably want to know how you can watch it. Or even if you can watch it if  you're a streamer. Of course, you can. NBC is, again, carrying the race. While USA carried the Kentucky Oaks yesterday, the Derby is on NBC and Peacock. Coverage begins at 2:30 pm, with the actual race a few minutes before 7:00 pm. The fastest time in the Kentucky Derby was set by Secretariat in 1973, at 1:59.4. The second fasted time in the Derby was Sham, at an estimated 1:59.8. Why was Sham's time an estimate? Because they don't normally keep as accurate records on second-place horses. Sham set his time in 1973, when he lost to Secretariat. Had Sham run that time, and Secretariat not run in the race, Sham would be the record holder. That was quite a race. Will any records be set today? Find out. Watch the Kentucky Derby on NBC or on Peacock TV and...

A recent article in Cord Cutters News says that most streamers spend less than $50/month on streaming services. Earlier this week, the Website published results from a recent survey regarding the amount of money streamers spend for TV . According to survey, more than 66% of cord cutters spend $50 or less on services each month. Only 23.5% of our readers pay $51 or more each month. Here is a full breakdown of how much our readers spend on TV content each month. 5.7% spend $0 to $10 a month. 10.1% spend $11 to $20 a month. 12.5% spend $21 to $30 a month. 19.9% spend $31 to $40 a month. 23.9% spend $41 to $50 a month. 23.5% spend $51 or more a month. 4.5% declined to answer or said they don’t pay anything for video services. (This group was not included in the 66% of cord cutters who pay less than $51 a month.) The article also mentions the top streaming services, and it might surprise you. ... what would four streaming services cost every month for the average cord cutter? (Why ...

New "net neutrality" rules are back. Well, that's not right. It's the old rules that were challenged in court before the Trump administration canceled the effort. And there will be challenges. But what does this so-called "net neutrality" mean to you? Well, nothing. Not for now, because of the legal challenges, according to Luke Bouma of Cord Cutters News : The rules, first introduced in 2015, designated Internet service providers as Title II companies, which are akin to gas and electric companies, with heavier oversight. They made it through a legal challenge in court before the following administration ordered their dismantling (read the full history of net neutrality here ). The new take on the rules is like the 2015 version and will probably be challenged in court again. So, what’s next? In short, legal challenges long before this will ever take effect. Already a growing number of Internet providers have stated they will fight net neutrality. “The FCC’s ...

Comcast recently updated its TV fee rate card for some areas. Mine was updated on April 1, and I just this week got around to looking at it. The total I would pay for local channels is: per month. Here's the breakdown: Limited Basic: $24.00 (Requires TV Box, TV Adapter, or compatible customer owned device with Xfinity Internet service. Limited Basic does not qualify for Multi Product discount or Autopay and Paperless Billing discount. Cannot be combined with Xfinity TV multichannel services.) Broadcast TV Fee: $25.70 (Applies to Limited Basic, Choice TV and Seasonal Xfinity TV service.) HD Technology Fee: $9.95 (Required for HD programming if HD programming not included with service.) Yikes! That adds up to $59.65 per month. And that's just for local channels. If I want DVR or other functionaltiy, that's more, and requires a bigger (more expensive) TV package. Regional sports networks? More, and a bigger (more expensive) TV package is required. My Streaming L...