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YouTube makes thousands of TV show episodes available to stream for free
For the first time, YouTube is letting users in the US stream thousands of free, ad-supported TV shows like Hell's Kitchen, Heartland and Unsolved Mysteries.
Apple TV+'s Mythic Quest is 'Silicon Valley' but for game devs
Mythic Quest shouldn't work. The new Apple TV+ comedy, created by the folks behind It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and co-produced by Ubisoft, dives into the day-to-day adventures of a gaming studio behind an incredibly popular MMO. But who needs another workplace comedy, especially one about game development? And can we trust a show sprung from a giant publisher like Ubisoft to portray the gaming world fairly -- warts and all? Yet somehow, despite everything going against it, Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet is phenomenal.
Plex launches its free movie and TV streaming service
We've known for a while that Plex, a company best known for helping people organize their own media collection, is getting into streaming. In September, it announced that it had teamed up with Warner Bros. to deliver ad-supported content by the end of 2019, with the promise of more partnerships to come. That has now come to pass, as from today, thousands of "free movies, TV shows, extreme sports films, music documentaries, Bollywood musicals" have been unlocked inside the Plex app.
Syfy cancels George R.R. Martin’s ‘Nightflyers’
Nightflyers, the space drama based on George R.R. Martin's 1980 novella, could be grounded for good. Just a few months after Syfy released all 10 episodes simultaneously in an attempt to appeal to binge viewers, the network has chosen to forgo a second season. Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter both say that the show has been cancelled.
Hulu's free, ad-powered shows are heading to Pluto TV
Up until now, Hulu has limited free videos to its desktop website and Android devices. But now, thanks to Pluto TV, a startup that offers an internet television service at no cost, Hulu's taking its ad-supported streaming content to more places. According to Variety, Pluto TV landed a deal that gives it access to everything available on Hulu's site, including shows from ABC, NBC, FOX and other TV networks, as well as movies. The partnership is a big win for Hulu too, since it will be able to deliver its free, ad-powered programming through Pluto TV's web (and, in the future, Android) application -- along with its own. There's no specific timeline on when Pluto TV plans to roll this out, but it is expected to happen "soon."
Holy shit snacks! Redditors find massive 'Archer' Easter egg
I'm not sure which is more impressive: the fact that the Archer series creators went through so much trouble to create such an elaborate Easter egg or the fact that someone was actually able to crack the multiple mind-bending puzzles needed to reveal it. And from the looks of things, we haven't even come close to the bottom of this rabbit hole.
How cable networks speed up shows to squeeze in more ads
If you're still watching cable, it turns out that channels like TBS and TNT are now speeding up syndicated programs, classics films and other shows by as much as 7 percent. We hadn't noticed it much ourselves, but the trend was spotted by Snopes and others thanks to a YouTube user who compared the same programs aired now and several years ago. A Seinfeld episode that originally ran 25 minutes was nearly 22 after the process, letting the broadcaster fit in about six extra spots. As the WSJ pointed out, ads now run an average of 15.8 minutes per hour on cable, and one unnamed cable exec said that "it's a way to keep the revenue from going down as much as the ratings."
Apple giving away TV shows and music with 'Free on iTunes'
Free stuff is always great, especially if people actually want what's on offer. Apple now has a special section called "Free on iTunes" where you can find TV shows and music freebies if you've already blown through your monthly entertainment budget. It features TV episodes from 12 Monkeys, Eye Candy and others, as well as music from bands like Purity Ring and Houndmouth. As 9to5 Mac points out, Apple offered a similar service before, but this time, the focus seems to be less on hits and more on material that's still looking for an audience.
Delta's new iPad app lets you watch movies, shows on flights
Ever since the FAA decided to be more flexible about personal electronic devices on planes, things have changed quite a bit. Now, as an effort to make things even better for travelers, Delta has rolled out a new initiative called Delta Studio, which focuses on adding more in-flight entertainment options to its fleet. As part of this, the Atlanta-based airline revamped the Fly Delta app for iPad, and it now lets passengers use it to stream movies, TV shows and other media -- in addition to the destination info and interactive live-map view features that were already there. Delta Studio is free for Economy Comfort, First Class and international flyers; those on Economy, meanwhile, will also have access to stuff at no charge, but most of the decent content (like newly released films) is going to cost extra. Not surprisingly, you have to wait to reach 10,000 feet before streaming anything, since it does require an in-flight WiFi connection. Still, that's something you should be used to by now.
60Hz makes it easy to follow your favorite TV shows and movies
There are several apps in the App Store that'll help you explore and track your favorite TV shows and movies. One title that is worth an extra look is 60Hz from M2D2. The app was recently updated with a new iOS 7 look that makes it even easier to follow your favorite TV shows and movies. It provides an attractive front-end to TV-tracking service Trakt.tv. You don't need to sign into the service to use 60Hz, but enabling Trakt.tv enhances your experience by providing you some extras like being able to check in to Trakt.tv or comment while you are logging an episode in 60Hz. The app has a visually driven interface that allows you to add TV shows and movies to a library. This library is your watchlist, where you keep track of all TV episodes and movies you watch. You can mark off the episodes that you've seen and read upcoming episode descriptions as you work your way through a series. If it is an older show, there are even stills taken from the show. I've been using 60Hz to track Lost, and I find it very helpful to keep track of the episodes I've watched as I revisit the series 10 years after it debuted. There is also a wishlist, which is your repository for TV shows and movies that you want to watch in the future. Once I am done with Lost, I plan to watch Breaking Bad as I missed half of the series for one reason or another. For those who like to plan, there is a TV scheduler section that'll remind you when the next episode of a show or a movie is about to air. Though you can't watch actual TV episodes or full-length movies from within the app, 60Hz does include trailers. You can watch movie trailers as well as TV trailers if the show produces them. The app is available for the iPhone and the iPad. The iPhone version is available for US$1.99 from the iOS App Store. The iPad version is available for $3.99. You can sync your library, wishlist and other content if you use Trakt.tv.
Apple posts 'Best of 2013' section on iTunes, highlights the year's best apps, songs, movies and more
Apple has posted its annual Best of 2013 list across all media types, including music, movies, TV shows, apps, books and podcasts. According to Apple's seasoned editors, the iPhone App of the Year went to Duolingo, a free app designed to teach users new languages via clever mini-games. iPhone Game of the Year was given to Ridiculous Fishing - A Tale of Redemption, a "handcrafted game about fishing with guns, chainsaws & toasters." Though not an official category, I also think this game should be in the running for App Title of the year. On the iPad side of the fence, App of the Year went to Disney Animated. Though priced at US$9.99, the app, by all accounts, offers a lot of bang for the buck. The app description reads: Discover how Walt Disney Animation Studio films are brought to life. Dozens of top animators, artists, technicians and designers contributed to making Disney Animated an unprecedented hands-on experience. Disney Animated, presented in English, captures the original storytelling of all Disney animated films, allowing you to browse never before seen concept art, visual effects and more. iPad Game of the Year was awarded to the universally acclaimed BADLAND, an action-adventure game that also won an Apple Design Award at WWDC this year. Per usual, there's a whole lot of data to digest with Apple's best of 2013 lists. For instance, here are the top five paid iPhone apps of 2013. Minecraft - Pocket Edition Heads up! Temple Run: Oz Angry Birds Star Wars. And below are the five top-selling free iPhone apps: Candy Crush Saga YouTube Temple Run 2 Vine Google Maps Turning away from apps and to music, Apple bestowed Artist of the Year upon Justin Timberlake, Album of the Year to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' The Heist, Song of the Year to Lorde's "Royals," and its Breakthrough Artist award to Kendrick Lamar's Good Kid, M.A.A.D City. The top 10 selling albums and songs are as follows: How impressive is it that Beyoncé took the number two spot when her album hasn't even been out for a full week? If you head on over to iTunes, you can access many more award categories broken down by genre. Movie-wise, Best Movie went to Gravity, while Best Animated Movie went to Despicable Me 2. On the TV front, TV Show of the Year deservedly went to Breaking Bad, while the Best Breakthrough award was given to ABC's hit show Scandal. If you're a fan of the written word, the Best Fiction Book award was given to George Saunder's Tenth of December, while Best in Nonfiction was awarded to Bill Bryson's One Summer. And finally, we come to Podcasts. In that category, the Best New Video Podcast award went to AsapScience, while the Best New Audio Podcast was given to the Adam Carolla-produced The Adam and Dr. Drew Show. Score one for the Aceman! Again, if you head on over to Apple's Best of 2013 section on iTunes, you'll find much more detailed info about the kinds of music, movies, TV shows, apps, books and podcasts that really caught people's attention this past year. You can also peruse listings of top sellers across every medium and specific rankings across multiple genres within each category.
BBC to offer 30-day catch-up and more online shows as part of iPlayer revamp
The BBC believes it's only just getting started with its iPlayer catch-up service and has laid out new plans for it to become the corporation's primary source of digital content. Led by Director-General Tony Hall, the BBC says it will commit to more exclusive content for online audiences, focusing on popular brands like Doctor Who and Eastenders, while extending the availability of catch-up shows from seven to 30 days so you can watch them back at a more convenient time. Hall's new "vision" will also include the launch of "BBC Store" -- an online marketplace that allows you to buy TV shows and keep them forever (if you live in the UK). Currently, TV shows can be downloaded to a number of devices, but are subject to time restrictions. The broadcaster wants to double its online audience by 2022 -- reaching 500 million users a week by the time it celebrates its centenary. In order to do this, the BBC wants to change the perception of iPlayer as a catch-up service and position it as destination that allows you to curate your own TV viewing schedule. With access to more content before it is on TV, the BBC will provide options to pause and resume viewing on one screen to another, also letting you provide feedback on the shows that you'd like to see more (or less) of. The BBC plans to relaunch iPlayer in the first half of 2014, putting it on a level footing with its traditional TV channels.
Apple TV outage: TV shows menu not visible (Updated)
According to a recent tweet, since verified by our staff, there's an issue with Apple TV in the US at the current time. The TV shows menu, which is normally accompanied by the Movies, Music, Computers and Settings menus, is AWOL. The first sign of this issue appeared in a series of tweets by @CraigGrannell: Apple's System Status web page doesn't cover Apple TV, so there's no sign of the outage on the Apple site. We'll update this post as news becomes available. UPDATE: The outage is also affecting the TV shows tab in iTunes -- rather than going straight to the listings of TV shows, clicking on the link at the top of iTunes returns users to the home page. Here's a tip from @moiseschiu on Twitter. UPDATE: As of 6:20 PM EDT, it appears that all of the issues are resolved.
USA network brings streaming shows to iPad, iPhone
The USA network has released an iOS app that allows users to stream shows to their iPhones and iPads. USA is owned by NBC Universal and like other NBC television streaming apps, USA Anywhere Plus allows viewers to watch full episodes of USA shows, including new episodes available the day after they air and back episodes for some shows. For most of the content, the app does require users to login with their cable-television credentials. However, if your current cable package does not include the USA network, you can still take advantage of some limited features of the app including some full television episodes. In addition to full TV episodes, the app also offers special clips, interviews and behind-the-scenes video. USA airs many popular shows including Psych, Suits, Covert Affairs and Graceland. USA Anywhere Plus is a free download.
The Vikings head to the UK exclusively via Lovefilm
Yearning to watch Norsemen amass loot while raiding foreign lands? If you're in the UK, you can now watch US cable show The Vikings exclusively via Lovefilm Instant. The Amazon-owned service has made all nine episodes of the historical drama -- shown in the US and in Canada on History Channel -- available for streaming. The service's subscribers in Germany won't be left out, but as the show isn't slated to go live for them until June 15th, they have a bit of waiting to do. This new addition to Lovefilm's roster is a clear effort by the service to bolster its TV show offerings, seeing as it's struggling to catch up to Netflix UK in that area. Lovefilm also inked a deal with Warner Bros in April to air popular TV titles One Tree Hill, The West Wing and Nip Tuck, although Netflix will have its own exclusive when Arrested Development season four launches tomorrow.
Netflix announces new deal with Warner, will deliver popular content to Canadian streamers
History would kindly tell us that this isn't the very first deal Netflix and Warner Bros. have struck in past months -- and, well, chances are it won't be the last one either. Earlier today, the streaming giant announced it had reached a new exclusive agreement with the California-based studio which will bring a hefty amount of new content to subscribers in Canada. Starting January of next year, Netflix streamers in the Great White North can start watching TV shows such as The Vampire Diaries, Fringe and Pretty Little Liars, as well as films like The Hangover Part II, Horrible Bosses and even the critically-acclaimed blockbuster The Dark Knight Rises -- although these movies will come "for a limited period following their pay television window." There's still some time before the deal bears fruit, so perhaps the next few weeks could be used to start clearing that overloaded Instant Queue of yours.
Google Knowledge Graph explains related content, finds the six degrees with less Bacon
We had a bit of a laugh with Google's Kevin Bacon calculator. Not everyone needs to tie their searches to the star of Footloose, though, which is partly why Google is pushing out an update to its Knowledge Graph that explains how searches turn up related items. The effort is starting with actors, celebrities and their links to any movies and TV shows they've starred in. Looking for Orson Welles and mousing over Rita Hayworth's portrait reminds us that the two luminaries were married for years, for example. We won't know when the more intelligent searches will expand, but at least we won't be quite so confused if the animated Transformers movie appears next to Citizen Kane.
Shazam now rides shotgun with any TV show in the US, gets cozier with Facebook
Shazam doesn't want to let GetGlue control all our couch potato time -- it just rolled out an upgrade to its TV component that lets the mobile app provide social sharing, soundtrack and trivia details for nearly any TV show in the US, not just those deemed worthy of special attention. The app mirrors the program it's looking at -- we'll see stats instead of IMDb if we're watching hockey, for example. Whether or not attention is locked on the bigger screen in the living room, Shazam's little screen is making Facebook more a centerpiece of the experience. Media mavens can comment on friends' tagging habits and post their own tags to their Facebook timelines for all to see. The wider universe of TV shows should be available today, although we'll have to wait for an update in the "coming weeks" to broadcast our tastes in media with the rest of the world.
Amazon Prime Instant Video gets MGM Studios movies and TV shows, dances with a few wolves
Amazon is building steam on its Prime Instant Video additions, as it's following new Paramount content just a few weeks ago with video from the MGM Studios stable. The new movies and TV shows mostly reach deep into the back catalog with classics like Dances with Wolves or the definitive spaghetti Western, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. A few more recent titles have crept into the collection, mostly in TV: if you're a fan of the Stargate universe, you're set. MGM video is folded into the $79 yearly Prime subscription and will let you relive Thirtysomething on a raft of devices, including your PS3.
Netflix and Twentieth Century Fox ink deal to bring additional Instant content to Latin America, Brazil
Twentieth Century Fox and Netflix have announced a partnership that will bring additional television and movie content to avid streamers living in Latin America and Brazil later this year. Beginning on July 15th, TV mainstays -- including 24, Prison Break, Bones and Glee -- will be available via the movie rental company's Instant service in the aforementioned geographies. What's more, Twentieth Century's classic films division will add several movie titles, including cult-classics like Office Space and Wall Street, to the streaming menu. If you currently reside in Latin America or Brazil and are itching to know more, mosey on past the break and have a look at the full press release.
