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Plex Live TV and DVR launches for subscribers
Last fall Plex started beta testing a DVR feature for its popular media server setup, and now it's making the next big step by offering live TV and DVR for all Plex Pass subscribers. They will need to bring their own tuner(s), connected to a TV antenna or cable jack, but Plex will do the rest, providing the necessary guide data as a part of the Pass subscription if you live somewhere with DVB-T or ATSC (North America) broadcasts. . As of today, it not only supports more kinds of tuners, it's also ready to stream live TV to iOS or Android TV, with Android mobile devices and Apple TV next up.
Hulu Live TV has the potential for greatness, but it's a tough sell
Of all the streaming live TV services to launch over the past few years, Hulu's makes the most sense. After all, it's the company that managed to craft a successful business out of streaming TV and movies, despite plenty of naysayers. Live TV is simply the next logical step. And unlike Sling TV, PlayStation Vue and DirecTV Now, Hulu's live service is bolstered by its significant on-demand library, which also includes critically acclaimed, original shows like The Handmaid's Tale. But while it all sounds great on paper, Hulu still has a lot of kinks to work out before its live TV service is ready for the average couch potato.
Hulu Live TV beta launches: $40 for 50+ channels and DVR
A year after announcing its plans, Hulu is finally ready to start streaming live TV with a beta that's opening up today. Hulu with Live TV is a $40 bundle combining 50+ channels and 50 hours of cloud DVR space with the company's existing streaming service, ready to take on incumbents like Sling TV, PlayStation Vue and DirecTV Now in the battle for cord-trimming customers. In "many markets" that includes the local broadcast channels (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox) complete with live affiliate programming, but all customers can expect six individual profiles and up to two simultaneous streams at once. Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins announced the launch this morning during the company's annual Upfront presentation, mentioning that it will feature channels like ESPN, Fox Sports, FX, USA, Viceland, CNN, Fox News and more. Extra cost add-ons include boosting the cloud DVR with 200 hours of storage, or "unlimited screens" streaming that lets users watch video simultaneously on as many devices as they want at their home, as well as up to three devices anywhere else. Both features cost $15 per month on their own, or they can be had together for $20. Beyond that, no commercials on the Hulu library is still $4, while Showtime is a flat $9 add-on and other premium channels are "coming soon."
Verizon reportedly wants in on this streaming TV thing
It looks like Comcast isn't the only cable operator considering a Sling TV-like live streaming service. Verizon has also been acquiring the digital rights to TV stations like CBS and ESPN, according to Bloomberg. However, unlike Comcast, which is rumored to be offering such a service only to its internet customers, Verizon plans to launch it nationwide this summer.
Hulu adds A&E, History and Viceland to its live TV lineup
Hulu's live TV streaming service, set to debut later this spring, just got an even bigger channel selection. On Friday, Hulu announced a new partnership to add the A+E Networks family of six channels, including A&E, History, Lifetime and Viceland, but the additions come with a few tradeoffs. According to Bloomberg, Viacom has reportedly backed away from a potential Hulu deal, meaning the service could lose access to content from Comedy Central and Nickelodeon.
A first look at Hulu's radical redesign for live TV
Last May, Hulu announced plans to start streaming live TV, much like Dish's Sling TV and Sony's PlayStation Vue services -- but the company hasn't offered up many details on how this would all tie into the existing Hulu on-demand service. That's changing today, as Hulu is now showing off an entirely redesigned user experience that will debut alongside its live TV service later this year. Surprisingly enough, even though one service is now managing two different video functions, everything looks a lot more streamlined compared to the current Hulu experience. Hulu's senior vice president of experience, Ben Smith, told Engadget that the goal with the redesign was to focus on getting viewers the specific show they were looking for, regardless of whether it's on live TV or in Hulu's on-demand library.
Hulu adds CBS to its live TV service (Updated)
CBS is America's most-watched network, but it's resisted letting its channels onto platforms it didn't control. That's about to change with the news that it's signed up to Hulu's forthcoming live TV streaming service. CBS, as well as CBS Sports and Pop will be available on the burgeoning product, set to launch "in the coming months." Subscribers will also be able to watch much of CBS's content on demand, including hits like Big Bang Theory, NCIS and 60 Minutes.
Hulu's live TV options will include Fox and Disney, of course
Hulu will roll out its live TV lineup in early 2017, complete with shows from the Walt Disney Company and 21st Century Fox, two of Hulu's founding partners, the company announced today. The agreement brings more than 35 networks to Hulu's live service, including ABC, FOX, Fox Sports channels, ESPN channels, Disney Channel and XD, Freeform, National Geographic and Nat Geo Wild.
BBC iPlayer will let you 'restart' live shows on your phone
Sometimes you'll race home and boot up BBC iPlayer, only to find that you've missed the start of your favourite show. Fiddlesticks. It's an important week on The Great British Bake Off. Never mind, at least you can press "restart" on a laptop, PC or smart TV, rewinding the programme in an instant. Now, wouldn't it be nice if you could do that on a smartphone too? Well, soon you will. The BBC says the feature is coming to its iOS and Android apps "shortly," complimenting its new pause and rewind buttons.
Twitter kicks off sports streaming with Wimbledon
Twitter paid a reported $10 million for the rights to live stream NFL broadcasts, and now we have an idea as to what that will look like. The social network is livecasting its first sports event, Wimbledon, from the tournament's "Live @ Wimbledon" feed, which features interviews, match replays and other secondary content. It isn't streaming any live match coverage, though, and is using the tennis tournament as a trial run. "This livestream is an extremely early and incomplete test experience, and we'll be making lots of improvements before we launch it in its final form," the company said in a statement to Recode.
Windows 10 update message interrupts live weather report
Microsoft made Windows 10 a recommended upgrade for previous versions, and users have reported the desktop operating system asking about a download without warning. There have even been reports of the software installing itself without user consent. It can be rather annoying, and a meteorologist at KCCI in Des Moines observed that first hand. During a live weather report, a pop-up appeared prompting the control room to update to Windows 10. As you can see, these messages are bit more intrusive than the notifications on other platforms, like Apple's OS X for Mac.
ABC's 'Good Morning America' takes you on a live VR safari
If you're a fan of ABC's morning show, the network is offering viewers a rather unique take on remote reporting this week. From 7:00 AM to 9:00 ET tomorrow (February 23rd), Good Morning America will broadcast live in 360-degree VR from the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. ABC News' Amy Robach will be on location as the network captures footage from the Great Migration which includes the largest concentration of Africa's big mammals each February. Robach's report on the dangers the animals face from poachers will be presented alongside the immersive visuals. In fact, ABC says this is the first time on network television that VR cameras and gear will allow viewers to pick their adventure live and in real time.
Amazon reportedly plans to build its own live video service
Amazon has found pretty significant success with some of its original shows -- particularly the Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning Transparent -- and it seems the company's TV ambitions don't stop with on-demand programming. According to Bloomberg, Amazon is considering an online TV service that broadcasts live and includes programming from major players like CBS and NBC. Dan Rayburn of the Streaming Media blog posted a similar report yesterday, noting that Amazon has been talking to multiple players in the content space to find out how much it would cost to license the content it wants. Rayburn says that its possible Amazon's just looking to know more about the economics of the market rather than make its own product, but either way it seems Amazon is interested in learning more about how it could launch its own live streaming video platform.
MLB Network starts streaming live broadcasts on mobile devices
If you're a baseball fan, chances are you're already aware of the Major League Baseball's At Bat app for streaming live games with a MLB.tv subscription. Now, the league is bringing it's 24/7 news, analysis and more from the MLB Network to your computer and mobile device, too. As Forbes reports, this is the first time that a league-owned TV network has offered a live authenticated stream of its around-the-clock broadcast on the desktop, iOS and Android. All of the network's studio shows, original programs, game telecasts and more will stream to the At Bat app, but there's a catch: you'll need a cable subscription to access it.
Sling TV will have HBO before 'Game of Thrones' premieres
Add another one to the slate of Sling TV options: subscribers to the streaming TV service will be able to get HBO soon. There's no word on an exact launch date, but Sling says it will be in time for the new season of Game of Thrones and Silicon Valley, which launch on April 12th. It's not the (still Apple-exclusive for online providers) HBO Now service, it's just regular HBO, with one live channel and video on-demand access. According to the Wall Street Journal, the deal is the result of negotiations between Sling's owner Dish Network and HBO's owner Time Warner that will also keep channels like TBS, TNT and TruTV on the satellite TV network. Adding the channel to Sling's $20 per month base package with AMC, TNT, ESPN and a few others will cost subscribers an extra $15 once it's available.
NBC is streaming live to iOS and Android, but not 'Everywhere'
ABC was the first big network first out of the gate with a 24/7 live streaming app, but CBS and now NBC are close behind with their own versions. NBC rolled out "TV Everywhere" streaming on its website in December, and tonight it's pushed upgrades on Android and iOS that bring the network channel directly to mobile screens -- but only if you have a participating cable or satellite provider's login. Even that's not enough, unfortunately, since it's only available in areas where NBC owns the local station. Where I live the affiliate (WDIV) is owned by someone else, so the feature is not available until the two parties work out some kind of arrangement.
U-Verse app gets more live TV channels, launches on Amazon devices
AT&T is making U-Verse more appealing with each passing day. After the carrier revealed it would beat Google to the punch on bringing gigabit internet to Silicon Valley, now U-Verse is getting a great deal of fresh content and making its way to additional mobile devices. Aside from launching on Amazon's Kindle Fire HD and Fire HDX, as well as the Fire phone, the U-Verse app today also welcomed over 50 new channels to its catalog of live TV streaming channels. This includes Cartoon Network, CNN, EPIX, ESPN, GolTV, HBO, HGTV, TBS, TNT and Travel Channel, plus many others -- most of which you can watch even if you're away from your home network. All in all, definitely a boost for U-Verse subscribers, and if you aren't, it's at least good to know that U-Verse looks to be a solid choice, especially now that DirecTV is joining AT&T's ranks.
United activates ViaSat's blazing-fast satellite WiFi on select 737s
JetBlue's Fly-Fi satellite internet has been online since November, but while a handful of United's 737s have been equipped with the necessary components to launch its own version of the service for the same period of time, that legacy carrier has kept passengers in the dark. Until this week. According to travel blogger Wandering Aramean, United has since flipped the switch on its latest WiFi effort. But unlike the Gogo available on its transcontinental 757s and the Panasonic satellite-based service aboard select A319, A320 and 747 aircraft, this latest version connects to the ultra-fast ViaSat-1 satellite, letting you surf at 30,000 feet with speeds you'd normally only find on the ground. We tested the same connection aboard a JetBlue A320 in November, and unlike United's existing connectivity options, which are often sluggish and spotty, this service flies. Unfortunately it's not clear where to find the Ka-band-equipped aircraft today, but if you're on a United 737 with DirecTV, there's a small chance it'll also have ViaSat satellite WiFi onboard. We're also not sure of pricing -- JetBlue is charging an introductory rate of $9 per hour for faster service, with basic connectivity available for free for the next few months, but United has yet to confirm its own fee structure. Based on the airline's current satellite WiFi pricing, we'd expect the new service to run between $10 and $15, depending on the length of your flight. We're of course eager to get onboard, so if you happen upon a United 737 with super-fast internet, please mark the tail number and give us a holler.
Amazon reportedly considering live TV channels for new pay-TV service (updated: Amazon denies report)
If the rumors surrounding Amazon's forthcoming set-top box are any indication, the company's betting big on online video delivery. It's a move Amazon may even be hinting at with its latest recruitment event in Boston. But as the Wall Street Journal reports, access to third-party streaming apps via a set-top box and original programming aren't the only parts of Amazon's online video strategy -- it reportedly wants to get into live TV streaming, as well. The company has allegedly met with major content providers in the hopes of inking licensing agreements for this new cable-like service, though current talks are said to be preliminary. It's not clear if this new pay-TV initiative would be bundled into Amazon's Prime Instant Video service or offered as a standalone package. What's certain is that Amazon would need to price the service competitively so as to stand out amongst its competition -- a somewhat daunting task considering existing carriage agreements. Content providers currently rely on lucrative licensing agreements with cable operators and, typically, balk when those terms aren't favorable (exhibit A: CBS' recent dispute with Time Warner Cable). It remains to be seen if Amazon would be able to lock down agreeable terms for live TV channels and how that would impact subscription packages. Like most of Amazon's rumored projects, however, this could end up being just another exploratory project that may not see the light of day. Regardless, we've reached out to Amazon for comment and will update when we hear back. Updated: Amazon has since responded to our request for comment, saying that the Wall Street Journal report is untrue and that the company has no plans to license TV channels or build out a new pay-TV service. You can read Amazon's official statement below. We continue to build selection for Prime Instant Video and create original shows at Amazon Studios, but we are not planning to license television channels or offer a pay-TV service.
Xbox One cuts out the middle man, gets live TV directly with Verizon's FiOS app
The Xbox One is built to blend with its owner's existing TV-watching setup thanks to the HDMI-in, but customers with Verizon FiOS TV can sidestep that entirely. FiOS has launched a version of its app -- already available on the Xbox 360 and mobile devices -- for the Xbox One that promises 74 live channels streamed over the internet. Already announced as part of the first wave of entertainment apps for the Xbox One, Verizon's app makes it the first TV provider to stream live TV directly to the box. TV viewing with the Xbox One is unusually seamless with the passthrough, but with FiOS, it's just another app like Netflix or Hulu Plus, complete with built-in Kinect support for voice and gesture controls. If your FiOS cable box is already plugged into the Xbox One, it means the two can be used together for picture-alongside-picture with the snap feature, or that you can use the Xbox somewhere in the house without the cable box at all. Features we'd like to see are access to video on-demand, and integrated control/awareness for DVR recordings so we can ditch the remote entirely, and the ability to pin shows directly to the OneGuide, but so far, it's just live TV. The app is live in the Xbox One store but -- at least for now -- it's only useful if you live in a FiOS area and have the service.
