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Time Warner Cable tests the 'evolution' of streaming TV in NYC
Confirming plans Engadget exclusively revealed to you, Time Warner Cable is very close to publicly testing a way for its internet-only customers to get TV services. Fundamentally the big change is that until now, to get TV service and access to its streaming TWC TV app, you needed to be a "TV" customer and have a cable box. Soon, if you're a Time Warner Cable customer in New York City with just internet service, the company will also offer access to its TWC TV Roku Trial. CEO Rob Marcus told investors that the plan is an "evolution" of TWC TV, as customers eventually can get access to video without needing to rent any hardware at all. GVP & GM of Video Product Alix Cottrell told me that the focus for the test is making sure everything is "really easy and straightforward" before it's potentially rolled out to customers outside New York City.
Time Warner Cable will test internet-only TV in NYC next week
If you want cable TV without the cable box, Time Warner Cable may have something for you soon. Reliable sources tell Engadget that starting Monday, Time Warner Cable will beta test a version of its TWC TV service made available for the company's internet-only customers living in New York City. Similar to Sky's Now TV in the UK it will support a number of hardware platform but the plan is to focus on streaming TV through Roku's set-top boxes, and any participants will get a Roku 3 for free. On top of their internet service, customers can pick up a "Starter" TV package for an extra $10 per month. Another option that adds Showtime and Starz will be available for $20 per month, and for those who want all the usual channels but without a cable box, a Standard option with Showtime and Starz costs $50 per month. Judging by the usual cable packages, Starter customers should have about 20 channels, while the Standard package has more than 70.
Comcast launches its own cable-free TV with Stream
The latest (and most interesting) entrant to the cord-cutting TV wars is here: Comcast. Tonight the company announced Stream, a service that delivers TV exclusively over the internet (Correction: it is "IP-based managed network" connection, check after the break for why that matters) to phones, tablets and computers -- but now TVs. The big catch? You'll need Comcast internet service to subscribe, and the Stream TV feeds only work while you're at home. It's only available in select areas to start, and will launch in Boston this summer. For $15 a month, subscribers get about a dozen channels, including all broadcast networks and HBO (but not ESPN or any other cable channels, according to the New York Times). It also has access to the usual TV Everywhere cable authenticated-streaming for when you're away from home, plus Comcast's Netflix-like Streampix service for movies.
Hulu hooks up with Showtime to make internet TV more like cable
Showtime is following HBO's lead and launching an internet-only version of its service in July, but cutting the cable doesn't mean the bundle is going away. In a first for Hulu, it's adding the network as a premium option similar to the way it's offered with cable TV. While Showtime by itself will be available for $11 per month on Apple TV, Roku or PlayStation Vue, $8 per month Hulu subscribers (no Plus, it dropped that name a few weeks ago) can add it for $9 and stream the network's stuff to anywhere they usually watch Hulu.
TiVo Online has some web TV for everyone, more if you have a TiVo
We still haven't progressed to TiVo's cloud DVR future, but the company is jumping ahead with the launch of TiVo Online. That is the name of its new web portal that collects video from cable channels, internet sources and even your TiVo DVR (if you have one), to put TV on your computer easily. The interesting part is that it's usable by anyone, but you'll get a lot more out of it if you have cable, and/or a TiVo DVR. Also, TiVo just launched upgrades bringing Plex, iHeartRadio and Yahoo Screen to its boxes. We took TiVo Online for a spin and on the plus side, it's a welcome improvement from the web features TiVo has offered so far, but it has a few drawbacks.
Showtime's cord-cutter service will come to Roku and Sony devices
We already know that Showtime's internet-only service is coming to Apple TV, but that's not the only home entertainment platform that's been invited to the party. The company has revealed that if you own a Roku device, one of the TVs with the hardware built in or Sony's PlayStation Vue, then you're all good, and it will launch for all three on the same day. The outfit also mentions that Showtime (yes, that's what it's called) will be the only "premium" offering that broadcasts its live East and West Coast feeds to its users, just like its Anytime apps on various platforms. No matter what device you use, you'll be asked to cough up $10.99 a month for the privilege of catching the forthcoming Twin Peaks revival. The system is due to launch "early July," although given that the new seasons of Ray Donovan and Masters of Sex premiere on July 12th, we're gonna say July 11th is a good guess.
Netflix is coming to Spain, Italy and Portugal in October
Netflix wants to grow from servicing its current list of 50 countries to 200 in the next couple of years and now we know three of the new ones coming soon. Earlier this week it added Spain to the list, followed up by Italy, and today it announced Portugal too. Already available in 13 European countries, Netflix will come to all three of those in October. Four years ago Netflix was just staffing up for its rollout in Canada, and now a plan to cover much of the world is within reach, it's funny how time flies.
Sling TV launches a standalone service for Latinos
Last month, Sling TV introduced a couple of channel packs for the Spanish-speaking audience in the US. But now the company's taking that one step further with Sling Latino, a standalone service for people who are only interested in having access to channels en Español. The main package, called Paquete Total, is $12 per month and features 22 of the most popular networks in Spanish, including Azteca America, Galavisión, beIN Sports en Español, Univision, UniMás, Univision Deportes Network, Univision tlnovelas and many more. That said, there is a cheaper option for just $7: Paquete Esencial, which comes with Azteca America, Cinelatino, beIN Sports en Español, Univision tlnovelas and 12 other channels, although it's missing most of Univision's properties.
Recommended Reading: The internet can't handle streaming big TV events
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. The Internet's Clearly Not Ready to Stream Big TV Events by Brian Barrett Wired Last weekend's NCAA Final Four provided some of the most-watched college basketball matchups in years -- unless, of course, your Sling TV stream didn't work. The newfangled internet TV service buckled under the weight of a wave of new subscribers looking to opt in for the big games. It was just the latest in a line of live-event-related issues web streamers encountered, and it shows that maybe major television events aren't ready to be viewed on the web. So, Sunday's Game of Thrones premiere should be... interesting.
Sling TV's $20 cord-cutter package comes to Xbox One
From the start, Microsoft intended for the Xbox One to be at the center of both games and TV watching. With today's launch of Sling TV on the game console, it can bring those two parts together properly for gamers in the US. With standard cable, the Xbox One relies on its HDMI passthrough and IR blasters (apps for FiOS and Time Warner Cable are either missing channels or have no live TV at all) to make sure you get everything, but with Sling, it's designed from the ground up for internet delivery so there's nothing missing. Its launch on Xbox is just in time, too -- PlayStation's Vue TV service is coming soon and rumors indicate Apple will have something similar later this year.
Sling TV opens its doors to all cord-cutters
If Sling TV piqued your interest after bagging our Best of CES award, you no doubt paid close attention to our recent preview, too. Well, now you can dive right in yourself without jonesing for an invite. Sign-ups for the $20-a-month internet TV service are now open to everyone. If you're still a little shy, then Dish is hoping that a 7 day free trial might help lubricate your decision-making process -- even then, don't forget you can cancel any time. Of course, while we reported that the service seemed fluid and robust during our trial, we're about to find out if that stays true once the service is used en masse. Have at it.
Sling TV preview: Does this $20-a-month cord-cutter service work as promised?
Sling TV, a $20-a-month service for cord-cutters, made quite the debut earlier this month, winning our Best of CES award amid a flood of attention from press and customers alike. But can the app really live up to its promise to "Take Back TV"? I've had access to the beta for a few days, allowing me to get an early look before the first batch of invitations for pre-registered customers goes out tonight at midnight ET. As far as I can tell, the answer is both yes and no. Internet TV is finally real, but it has a lot of strings left over from the old days of pay-TV, and not just because it's coming from the folks at Dish Network. Getting must-have content from the likes of ESPN has its costs, and those might make the $20 entry fee higher than you're willing to pay.
DirecTV launches internet TV for $8 per month, but it's all in Spanish
Our world isn't quite ready for internet TV providers that compete with traditional cable and satellite packages, but what about markets that aren't as well served? DirecTV is diving right into internet TV, beating Dish Network and Sony's PlayStation Vue to the punch with its new Yaveo streaming service that exclusively features Spanish-language programming for customers in the US. Currently it's available on PCs, Macs and Android, with clients for iOS, xbox 360 and other platforms soon. So what can you watch? It sources content from beIN sports, MTV and its Spanish-language network Tr3s, Univision and several others, all for $7.99 per month. There's even live TV feeds from beIN Sports en Español, Cine Sony Television and ¡Hola! TV. The only thing stopping us from breaking out Rosetta Stone and opening an account is it current lack of the Breaking Bad remake Metástasis. But if you do speak the language, then the future of TV is here, and there's evne a free trial month to start.
Dish reportedly launching internet TV service this summer
How do you fight cord-cutters? Offer an internet streaming service with all of cable TV's best content. It sounds like a bit of a stretch, but it could be happening: the distribution deal that settled Disney and Dish's ad-skipping dispute also gave the TV-provider the rights to stream Disney-owned channels over the internet. Sources close to Bloomberg are now saying that Dish is hoping to launch the service before the end of the summer.
Verizon and DirecTV's internet TV hopes perk up thanks to Dish, Disney
Rumors that existing satellite and cable TV providers would launch full internet streaming services have circled for years, but the new agreement between Dish Network and Disney has suddenly stirred the pot. Between a deal that could actually put ESPN on an internet-only TV service, Verizon buying Intel's abandoned OnCue effort plus live TV streaming to Xbox One (pictured above) and Sony's plan for an IPTV package it seems like we'll actually see something arrive in 2014. Reuters reports Verizon and DirecTV are negotiating with content providers for similar access, as Verizon CEO Lowell C. McAdam told investors he would "love to partner with (content providers) to see how we can take FiOS contact mobilely across the country." Meanwhile, Bloomberg's unnamed sources suggest a Dish Network internet TV service could launch for around $20 - $30 per month once enough content deals are in place.
Microsoft officially pulls the plug on MSN TV
The time has come: As announced earlier this summer, Microsoft is shuttering MSN TV, a service it's operated since 1997. Originally known as WebTV, the box (naturally) brought the internet to many a living-room set -- it was something of a pioneer back in the day, really. Nostalgic types can still turn to the Xbox 360 and the PS3 for their browser-on-the-big-screen needs, of course, and MSN TV holdouts will want to switch their email addresses to Outlook and copy saved content to SkyDrive, stat. For more details, hit up the ultra-comprehensive FAQ page via the link below.
Felix Baumgarter breaks YouTube record as 8 million viewers watch his space jump (video)
Felix Baumgartner might not have broken Joe Kittinger's world record for the longest time spent in freefall, but he did smash a fourth milestone during his dive. In addition to records for the highest ever jump, longest distance fall and fastest downward speed, the stunt was watched by eight million YouTubers at the same time. While the site hasn't divulged exact stats, that figure is apparently higher than those who watched President Obama's inauguration. That said, if you weren't one of the eight million, you can head on past the break to watch the highlights reel -- unless you're already bored of watching a man fall, unaided, you know, from space.
BT to offer free YouView box with one-year broadband contract, £49 for existing customers
If you're not quite comfortable shelling out £299 for BT's YouView box, then you're in luck. Starting October 26th, the hardware will be free for new Infinity broadband subscribers who ink contracts that are one year or longer. Instead of relying on cable, the Humax-built device uses both aerial and internet connections to deliver content from more than 100 digital TV and radio channels including Channels 4 and 5, the BBC and ITV. With the IPTV box, users can sift through content that's aired in the past seven days, watch on-demand programs and record up to 300 hours of standard definition television or 125 hours of high-def video to a built-in 500GB hard drive. Current British Telecom subscribers pining for the subsidized box will be able to get their own for a £49 activation fee and a £6.95 delivery charge. Those eager for the gratis set-top solution will be able to order it online starting October 19th if they register interest with BT's website beforehand. For more details, check out the press release below.
TV Catchup for Android arrives on Google Play
TVCatchup, the excellent little TV-watching service has brought its app over to Android. The service, which we've found to be much more reliable than the BBC's live streams on our flaky connection, lets you watch nearly 60 free-to-air channels available in the UK. The ad-supported app is available for free on Google Play right now -- as long as you've paid your license fee, folks.
GameStop's cloud streaming will spurn consoles, hang with PCs, tabs and TVs only
When GameStop bought Spawn Labs, it was clear that some sort of cloud-based game streaming was on deck, to compete with the likes of Sony's Gaikai and Onlive (now allied with Ouya). However, the company has just announced that the service will exclude consoles, and work only on tablets, PCs and internet enabled TVs -- a change from the original plan. The decision was made "based on consumer feedback" after a private beta, according to the retailer, who hinted earlier that consoles may be a non-starter on the service. It also cited its "success in selling mobile devices, and the imminent launch of new consoles" to justify the change. The program's launch is still planned for next year, but for now the console streaming path is clear for others.
