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Sony's PlayStation TV service comes to Mac and PC browsers
After coming to Android TV last week, PlayStation view has arrived on Mac and PC browsers, meaning it's available on just about every device you can think of. It'll work on Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Microsoft Edge and even Internet Explorer 10+ browsers, Sony says. The web service has some "unique features," including a mini-player that you can shrink to the corner of a browser window while you look for more content.
Sling TV just added even more kids programming
It seems like every other month, at least, Sling TV brings new content to its video-streaming service. That's great for those of you who pay $20 (or more) for the monthly subscription. The latest update, announced today, focuses on adding even more programming to the Kids Extra bundle. You'll now find over 200 on-demand TV shows and movies from Kabillion, Kaboom and Splash, in addition to what's been available from Disney Junior, TeenNick, NickToons and other similar channels.
PlayStation Vue is on Android TV now, Mac and PC later
Sony keeps getting more serious about its cord-cutter service, PlayStation Vue. After announcing support for Android mobile devices in June, the company has revealed that its streaming app is now available on Android TV. If you have a set-top box powered by Google's platform, or a compatible TV, you just need to make sure you're running Android OS 4.4 or higher and you'll be good to go.
AT&T's internet-only DirecTV service launches in November
You don't have to sit on pins and needles wondering when AT&T will launch DirecTV Now, its flagship internet-only streaming service. As part of a discussion of the Time Warner acquisition, AT&T chief Randall Stephenson has revealed that DirecTV Now will be ready in November. It might be a bargain, too -- Stephenson vows that it will carry a price "radically lower" than competing offerings. Just what that means isn't certain (which services and tiers are included in this comparison?), but it's promising.
YouTube challenged TV in the second presidential debate (updated)
Did you choose to watch coverage of the second US presidential debate on your computer or phone instead of your TV? You're not alone... in fact, you might have plenty of good company. YouTube reports that round two of Clinton versus Trump racked up 124 million worldwide views across live streams and on-demand videos, compared to 'just' 63 million TV viewers. That's a roughly 40 percent jump over what YouTube saw in the last debate, although it's notable that there were fewer concurrent viewers -- the town hall debate saw a peak of 1.5 million versus 2 million the last time.
The CW's shows will be available on streaming devices next week
Reports surfaced in January that CBS and Time Warner were planning a streaming service for The CW network. So far, those plans haven't come to fruition, but starting next week, it'll be a lot easier to stream shows that air on the the channel. The CW's series were already available for in-season streaming on the web and its mobile apps free of charge, but based on a tweet from the network's Supergirl account, those shows are also headed Apple TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, Roku and Xbox next week. And they still won't cost you a dime.
Recommended Reading: Gaming's gender problems continue in VR
With VR mode, 'Dead or Alive' goes from creepy to harassment Allegra Frank, Polygon Earlier this week, we caught a glimpse of Dead or Alive Xtreme 3 in virtual reality that's set to launch the same day as PlayStation VR. The game allows the user to continually touch a female character in a bikini even after she repeatedly asks them to stop. Dead of Alive has already garnered its share of attention for how it depicts and treats women, but now it rekindled the debate about what is and isn't okay when it comes to these virtual worlds.
CBS All Access commercial-free option costs $4 more a month
CBS announced that its All Access streaming service was making the leap to Xbox One last week and now the network has another subscription option. If you like to watch the likes of Madam Secretary, Blue Bloods and more without the interruptions of commercials, you can pay more to get rid of them. CBS now offers a $10 monthly subscription that will allow you to stream all of that on-demand content commercial-free. That's $4 a month more than the regular option that has been available since late 2014.
NFL Network launches on PlayStation Vue ahead of football season
Last month, Sony announced that NFL Network and its RedZone channel for keeping up with scoring plays would arrive on PlayStation Vue before the start of the season. Well, the time has come. The company announced today that those two channels are now live on the service for Core and Elite subscribers. Those two tiers are priced at $35 a month and $45 a month, respectively, but if local channels are available in your area you'll have to pay $10 more. If you're interested in that RedZone add-on, you'll need to hand over $40 for the entire season.
ESPN will roll out a streaming service that bypasses cable
Today The Walt Disney Company released its quarterly earnings report, but the most interesting news has to do with ESPN. Disney confirmed reports it's making a $1 billion investment in BAMTech, a spinoff from MLB's Advanced Media business that, among other things, works on technology for streaming video services like HBO Now. The big news, however, is that BAMTech is working on ESPN with a "direct to consumer" (read: you won't need cable or satellite to get it) "ESPN-branded multi-sport subscription streaming service."
NFL Network and RedZone are coming to PlayStation Vue
PlayStation Vue just became much more enticing if you're a fan of American football. Sony has announced that both NFL Network and NFL RedZone will be available by the time the regular NFL season kicks off this fall. It's not clear what packages will include the channels, but you will get typical Vue features (such as a cloud DVR and simultaneous streams) and access through the NFL's dedicated apps and websites. Combined with ESPN and other sports coverage on Vue, you may not have much reason to hold on to a conventional TV subscription if you're all about the gridiron.
Starz brings its streaming video service to Roku players
Starz has made its cord cutter-friendly streaming service available on just about every major device imaginable, but what if you have a Roku player? Don't worry, you're covered. Roku devices in the US now have a Starz channel that offers all the access you'd expect to the service's mix of original programming (such as Outlander or Power) and movies like Inside Out. As usual, what you pay depends on how attached you are to traditional TV -- it's "free" if you already subscribe to to a participating TV provider, or $9 per month if you prefer to watch online.
ESPN bosses mull an online streaming package
A report over at the Information claims that ESPN is planning to take a baby step towards offering its shows direct to consumers. The Disney-owned sports broadcaster is working on a package of live programming that cord-cutters will be able to purchase without a cable subscription. Naturally, the content on offer won't include premium events from the NFL or NBA, instead you'll find "niche" sports up for grabs. Details are thin, but that could run from college sports all the way through to eSports, which the network has recently embraced. It's a toe in the water, for sure, but also shows just how far online video has come along in the last five years.
Stream PS Vue's cord-cutting service from your Android device
Sony's attempt at killing your pay-tv subscription is available on Android now -- just like the company promised. What's more, PlayStation Vue also has a few new features on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. On the former, the channel guide has a video window in the upper right now, so you can keep an eye on what you were watching as you scroll through other viewing options. It's essentially what cable and satellite guides have offered for years. If you're using your PS3 as a media machine, the addition of a quick navigation overlay, which offers a "last channel" option among other tweaks, should be welcome; it's also available on PS4.
BET gets its own mobile streaming service
Viacom is making good on its promise to parcel out its channels as individual services for cord cutters. It's launching a BET Play app that lets you watch the network's black culture programming for $4 per month on your Android and iOS devices. You'll largely end up watching shows like Chasing Destiny or Real Husbands of Hollywood on demand, but there is a smattering of live content. It has a live feed of BET Soul's music, and it'll be the only official way to livestream the BET Awards (conveniently, taking place on June 26th).
Hulu will offer live TV in early 2017
That talk of Hulu getting into live TV? It's real. Company chief Mike Hopkins has announced that you'll see live entertainment, sports and news on the streaming service in early 2017. He didn't say which networks were involved or what it might cost, but the Wall Street Journal leak had suggested that at least Disney and Fox (including channels like ESPN and FX) were signing on. You'll hear more about Hulu's plans over the course of this year, Hopkins says.
Hulu is working on a live TV service for cord-cutters
Hulu is reportedly working on a new live TV platform that's designed to tempt cable subscribers to cut the cord. The Wall Street Journal believes that Hulu has ambitions to square off against both domestic cable providers as well as Sling TV and PlayStation Vue. Rather than trying to broadcast every channel in existence, it's claimed that the company will focus on quality over quantity. Given that Hulu is part-owned by Disney and 20th Century Fox, you can assume that ABC, ESPN and Fox will be lynchpins of the new platform. The same report explains that Hulu will enable customers to record their own shows in the cloud, rather than on a DVR.
TiVo's cord-cutting DVR gets more storage and drops subscriptions
TiVo's Roamio OTA was supposed to fulfill the dreams of cord-cutters who wanted a big-name DVR without the burden of a conventional TV subscription, but it didn't quite live up to that ideal. You could only record so many shows on its 500GB hard drive, and that $15 monthly subscription hurt the appeal for the cost-conscious. Thankfully, those two problems have just been solved: TiVo has unveiled a 1TB Roamio OTA model that shakes things up. The new set-top doubles the storage, as you've no doubt guessed, but the big deal is the shift in pricing strategy. Instead of a low up-front price and a monthly fee, you pay $400 outright -- while that's expensive at first, it promises to be less costly in the long run.
Comcast isn't letting customers use Starz's video service
Comcast isn't exactly known for playing nicely with outside video services (just ask Roku owners), and that trend isn't letting up anytime soon. Multichannel News notes that the cable giant isn't letting its subscribers authenticate with the TV Everywhere side of Starz' new streaming service, which would let customers watch at no charge beyond their existing TV subscriptions. Comcast is the only big TV provider that isn't authenticating, so it's clear that this isn't a technical hurdle.
The Netflix effect: SNL to air fewer commercial breaks
Honchos at NBC have told Ad Age that Saturday Night Live is going to show fewer commercials from next season. The 42nd year of the long-running sketch show will lose two whole ad breaks compared to the current season. That time will be handed back to producer Lorne Michaels to fill with the stated intention of making it "easier to watch the show live." In exchange, the channel will let six companies pay to create "branded original content," that harnesses SNL's cadre of writers and performers. We're not sure how much paid-for programming will change the show's slightly subversive tone, but as long as Kate McKinnon's free to be Kate McKinnon, we're not sure we care.
