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Layer3 vows to fix cable TV, not replace it
The prevailing wisdom among the internet literati is that old-school TV is on the way out. When even the incumbents are catering to cord-cutters, surely internet-only video will be the way of the future, isn't it? Don't tell that to Layer3 TV. It's revealing plans for an upcoming cable TV service that, theoretically, tackles some of the biggest problems you run into with conventional providers like Comcast or Time Warner Cable. For a start, Layer3 wants to avoid the overly compressed video that you typically endure -- it's using efficient HEVC (H.265) encoding and a fiber optic backbone to keep bandwidth use in check and maintain the highest quality possible. You're also promised very precise service appointment windows (within one hour) and set-top box installation so simple that you'll eventually get to do it yourself.
Starz launches its own streaming service with offline viewing
The home of Blunt Talk, Outlander and Black Sails is copying HBO and Showtime by launching its own streaming service. Priced at $8.99 a month, Starz is letting its users watch the channel's original series and licensed movies on-demand. The big difference between Starz and rivals like HBO and Netflix is that this service will let users download and watch titles offline. That way, you'll be able to marathon the latest Disney movies like Age of Ultron and The Force Awakens on a long haul flight. In addition, if you already pay for Starz through your cable subscription and aren't ready to cut the cord yet, you'll be able to get free access to the app.
AT&T offers unlimited data on U-verse, with a catch
AT&T's U-verse internet service has had data transfer caps for years, but they're about to come off... if you're fiercely loyal to the company, anyway. The telecom is re-introducing unlimited data on May 23rd that will be free of charge, but only as long as you're also subscribing to either DirecTV or U-verse TV on the same bill. Determined to cut the cord? Unfortunately, it'll cost you $30 extra to get that same privilege.
Nielsen starts breaking down TV streams by device next month
Nielsen already tracks what you're watching via gizmos like Apple TV, Roku and PlayStation, but has always lumped those viewing statistics together. That changes come April 25th when the ratings-minded folks start breaking over-the-top viewership data (Netflix or Hulu, for example) down by device, according to Variety. The "brand-level" connected device data will pull from Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast and Xbox in addition to the ones mentioned above. This should give content owners a better idea of what platforms their programming is being watched on most.
DirecTV streaming services won't require a satellite dish
AT&T isn't about to sit on its thumbs while Dish's Sling TV scoops up people eager to ditch conventional TV. It's introducing a trio of DirecTV streaming services in the fourth quarter of this year that won't require a satellite dish or existing AT&T services -- your phone, PC or media hub will be fine. The core service is DirecTV Now, which will offer "much" of DirecTV's regular live and on-demand content. If you're only interested in handheld video, DirecTV Mobile will offer a mix of "premium" videos and digital content on phones. And if you just want a peek, DirecTV Preview will give you a free, ad-supported slice of content from the networks and Otter Media, AT&T's online team-up with the Chernin Group.
Add Cinemax to your Sling TV lineup for $10 a month
Sling TV customers could already add HBO to their streaming lineups, and now the service for cord cutters is adding another premium network. Cinemax is now available on Sling TV, bringing its library of movies and original series to the service for $10 a month. As part of that fee, you'll be privy to both live and on-demand content, the latter being the same stuff you'd find on Max Go. And there's all that After Dark entertainment, too. The main subscription costs $20 per month on its own, so if you want both HBO and Cinemax, you're looking at a $45 monthly fee.
ESPN exec: Sling TV 'significant' but Apple is 'frustrated'
ESPN has come of age in the cable era, but as internet TV grows and cord-cutting continues, its future is suddenly fuzzy. President John Skipper talked to the Wall Street Journal and commented a bit about the state of streaming and how it's affecting his business. He says the stats show Dish Network's Sling TV (which carries ESPN as part of its bundle of channels) is bringing "significant" numbers of new TV customers in, without pulling viewers away from cable or satellite.
Tablo gives your Apple TV a DVR for live video
By itself, the new Apple TV's full-fledged app support only partly fulfills cord-cutting dreams. You can subscribe to loads of streaming services, but you can't quite recreate the experience of watching live broadcasts. However, the makers of the Tablo DVR have an answer to that dilemma. They've unveiled a version of their streaming app for the Apple TV, giving you a way to both watch live over-the-air TV and record it for posterity. This solution isn't cheap -- you're looking at a minimum $200 for the box, and that's before the subscription ($5 per month, $50 per year or $150 lifetime) you'll need if you want programming guide data. Nonetheless, the app will probably be your best bet at unifying internet and OTA TV when it shows up this spring.
Sling TV redesign makes it easy to find your favorite content
Since launching at last year's CES, Sling TV has focused on supporting more devices and expanding its content portfolio. Now, the cord-cutter-friendly service is revealing a major redesign, one that's all about putting your favorite movies and TV shows front and center, rather than fixating on specific network channels. The new myTV tab, for example, lets you easily access your most recently watched programming and other favorited items, which blends nicely with that newly improved guide. Sling TV says the fresh UI boasts is more contextually aware too, as it can adapt to your behavior based on time of day, location and platform you're using.
Amazon lets you attach other video services to your Prime account
Those rumors of Amazon letting you attach other video services to your Prime subscription? They're true. The internet giant just kicked off the Streaming Partners Program, an alliance that makes it easier for you to sign up to multiple video services. So long as you have that Prime subscription, you only need your one Amazon account to handle everything. The option even gives you a multi-service watch list and integration with other Prime features, like ASAP playback, voice search and X-Ray. You also receive a discount on pricing, such as the $9 per month you'll pay for early launch partners Showtime and Starz.
Startup promises a legal alternative to Aereo's TV streaming
TiVo may have dreams of becoming the next Aereo and giving you access to over-the-air TV in the cloud, but one startup isn't willing to wait that long. FreeAir.tv is crowdfunding CloudAntenna, an attempt at recreating Aereo's TV streaming model (it even copied the signature "A" logo) without angering broadcasters. As before, you're streaming free-to-air TV shows that you can save to the cloud for later -- the big difference is that you're buying an antenna box that sits at home, rather than access to a company-owned, legally dodgy antenna like Aereo's. You can even pay for a World TV package that gives you 600-plus international stations, in case local programming just isn't enough.
Amazon Prime will reportedly offer access to other video services
Normally, signing up for a streaming video service only gives you the content from that service, leaving you heading elsewhere when a TV network decides to hoard all its shows. If rumors are true, though, Amazon Prime Video may soon offer a lot more in one place. Bloomberg sources hear that Amazon will give you the option to add other subscription services to your account, and show their video libraries alongside its own. Just who's interested isn't clear, but Amazon is reportedly lining up "major, well-known" movie and TV channels for a launch that could happen as early as December.
CBS' streaming video service comes to Amazon's Fire TV
Your Fire TV (or Fire TV Stick) just became much more useful as a cord-cutting device... at least, if you watch a lot of CBS shows. The TV network has launched an Amazon-native app for its All Access service, giving your Fire TV the same mix of live and on-demand viewing that CBS is offering on rival set-top boxes. You're still paying $6 per month and don't get any hardware-specific features, but look at it this way: you'll definitely be ready when the new Star Trek series begins streaming in a couple of years.
Comcast's $15 Stream TV service launches in the Boston area
On the heels of Time Warner Cable's streaming test for its internet customers, Comcast's Stream TV is live in the Boston area. That's if you're paying for Xfinity internet service, of course. Announced back in July, the service gives cord cutters who still use Comcast for web access the ability to stream all of the live television from major networks, HBO and a library of on-demand options for $15 a month. Sorry sports fans, it doesn't include ESPN, and you can only watch live broadcasts from the comforts of home. However, the on-demand movies and TV shows can be streamed while you're on the go.
Comcast leak shows that data caps aren't about congestion
Many internet providers with data caps (especially in mobile) will tell you that those limits exist to prevent network congestion -- that's not necessarily true, but it's the official line. However, Comcast isn't even trying to make that claim. Leaked support documents show that the cable giant's customer service reps will deny that the expanding internet caps are about congestion in any form. Instead, the ceilings are about "fairness" and offering a "more flexible policy" to subscribers. Also, Comcast is telling agents to avoid describing cap-free areas as having unlimited usage. Instead, staffers are supposed to tell you that unfettered areas are still subject to Comcast's longstanding 250GB soft cap -- the company just isn't "currently enforcing" the limit. In other words... it's unlimited.
Time Warner CEO: DC Comics shows could be slow to hit Netflix and Hulu
If you're waiting to catch up on Gotham or Arrow, the wait could get even longer. Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes told analysts this week that past seasons of DC Comics television shows could be slow to arrive on Hulu and Netflix. Why? Well, the chief executive said that the company would give preference to cable customers first, making those older seasons available elsewhere several years after they air. In case you didn't know, Time Warner owns DC Comics. Bewkes explained that Time Warner is set on "delivering even more value to consumers, especially those who subscribe to the traditional bundle." Eight DC Comics shows are now on the air, including the recent addition of Supergirl on CBS.
Sling TV shows off its improved guide for the Xbox One
As great as Sling TV is, the user interface isn't the best. One of the biggest problems is that it isn't easy to find the content you're looking for, but the company's well aware of this and has been working on a fix. Today, Sling TV announced the first of "several" planned updates to its UI, starting with the app for Xbox One. Aside from bug fixes and under-the-hood improvements to the streaming quality, Sling TV is refreshing the guide on Microsoft's entertainment console -- which should make it less tedious for you to quickly come across the live and on-demand shows you want to watch. For example, when you're browsing the guide and set on a channel, hitting up on the Xbox One controller's d-pad or joystick now brings up all the content available for each network. You'll also find better imagery throughout the app, with a focus on cast, crew and episode artwork.
Cablevision will sell streaming CBS, Showtime to cord-cutters
Need more evidence that cable TV is giving way to internet TV? Cablevision just announced its new TV deal with CBS includes a provision for it to sell CBS All Access and Showtime streaming to its internet-only Optimum customers. Cablevision is already offering internet customers a way to bundle HBO Now or Hulu streaming with their bill, and now this adds another option. There's no pricing info for CBS or Showtime yet, but if it follows the setup for 'cord-cutting' with HBO and Hulu, we wouldn't expect any deep discounting. While Dish Network and Verizon chose one path to wrap up deals for internet TV during their usual negotiations with channels and content providers, Cablevision is going another, and even Comcast has its own plans. Welcome to the new look of cable.
Recommended Reading: Watching football without cable
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. Unbundling: Beginner's Guide to Football without Cable by Joe Ovies WRAL Sports Fan As football season approaches, live sports remains a stumbling block for fans who are eager to cut the cord. If you're looking to examine your options ahead of kickoff, this piece takes a look at the current state of streaming in regards to both college and NFL action.
HBO Now comes to Verizon's internet customers
Cablevision isn't the only big US internet provider offering HBO Now -- Verizon* is also joining the fray. Anyone with broadband on Big Red can now use their existing account to sign up for the cord cutter service, complete with the usual 30-day trial run and $15 per month subscription. It's ultimately not much different than subscribing yourself, and you've probably already done that if you were determined to watch Game of Thrones or Veep without paying for traditional TV. Look it at this way, though: if nothing else, it's a token kindness from a telco that's known for trying to stifle net neutrality and otherwise limit the success of internet video services.
