Watching College Football in 2023: Week 5

We're now in the fifth week of college football for 2023. There are 59 Division 1-A/FBS games on tap this weekend, counting the seven already played (three on Thursday night and four last night). The only big game so far was last night's matchup between Number 10 Utah and Number 19 Oregon State.

Today, there are 52 games on the schedule. There are 15 games involving ranked teams today. Three of those match-ups involved both teams being ranked: Number 3 Texas hosts Number 24 Kansas, Number 13 LSU plays at Number 20 Ole Miss, and Number 11 Notre Dame visits Number 17 Duke. Ohio State (4), Florida State (5), North Carolina (15), Washington State (16), and Miami (18) all have open weekends.

Today's games will be broadcast over several networks. Here are the channels or networks you'll need to watch all the games:

• ABC
• ACC Network
• Big Ten Network
• CBS
• CBS Sports Network
• CW
• ESPN
• ESPN2
• ESPNU
• ESPN+
• Fox
• Fox Sports 1
• Longhorn Network
• NBC
• NFL Network
• Pac 12 Network
• Peacock
• SEC Network

Note: No games are on Longhorn Network this week.

Between this weekend's games and next Saturday, there are six games involving Division 1-A/FBS teams, none involving ranked teams (at least, so far; that could change depending on the outcome of todays games, as some "on the cusp" teams could move up). Those six games will be broadcast on:

• CBS Sports Network
• ESPN
• ESPNU
• Fox Sports 1

Later in the season, there may even be another network or two that carries games, but these are the ones that are confirmed as the season begins. Here's how to get all the networks:

ABC

• Antenna (free)
• Sling TV (8 markets only) ($45/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

ACC Network

• Sling TV (Orange + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

Big Ten Network

• Sling TV (Blue + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

CBS

• Antenna (free)
• Paramount Plus (Premium) $12/month
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

CBS Sports Network

• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Ultimate) ($139/month)

CW

• Antenna (free)
• Not available streaming.

ESPN, ESPN2

• Sling TV (Orange) ($40/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

ESPN+

• ESPN+ (standalone) ($10/month)
• Disney Bundle ($15/month)

ESPNU

• Sling TV (Orange + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro + Fubo Extra) ($83/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

Fox

• Antenna (free)
• Sling TV (18 markets only) ($45/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

Fox Sports 1

• Sling TV (Blue + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

Longhorn Network

• Sling TV (Orange + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

NBC

• Antenna (free)
• Peacock (Plus) ($12/month)
• Sling TV (11 markets only) ($45/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

NFL Network

• Sling TV (Blue) ($40/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

Pac 12 Network

• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)

Peacock

• Peacock is its own service, and can be used to watch NBC live programming with the $12/month plan.

SEC Network

• Sling TV (Orange) ($40/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

That's week five in college football, and covers all the networks -- so far -- that are carrying college football games in 2023. My Streaming Life focuses on college football during this time of year.

Legacy Tablo will continue to support Tablo Connect

Recently, I've been concerned about changes to Tablo. The new generation Tablo device doesn't support Tablo Connect. That's held me up from trying one of them.

I have used Tablo Connect a lot. I put up an antenna at my mother's house, and used that to watch TV at my house. I live about 2 miles from her house.

After she passed away, my sisters and I who owned the house and adjoining property, swapped some stuff, and I now no longer have any ownership of the house. I didn't take my antenna with me, and now I no longer have an antenna. They don't mind if I use the antenna, but they rented the house to others, and I've stopped using Tablo Connect.

I plan to put up an antenna at my house, and like the idea of being able to watch via Tablo Connect from another location. The new Tablo devices don't support that.

To add to that, the older devices will get the firmware update at some time in the future. I've been worried that I'd lose Tablo Connect functionality, even if I kept my old equipment. Turns out that's not happening.

Tablo clarified in a blog post recently that Tablo Connect will continue to be supported:

While nothing is changing for existing Tablo customers now, legacy network-connected Tablo devices ... will be able to use these fully redesigned Tablo apps after a firmware update coming later this year.

The firmware update won’t disable access to current features like Tablo Connect through legacy Tablo apps, so [legacy users] will still be able to use his Tablo as he does now.

The firmware update will simply give current Tablo customers with legacy network-connected devices the opportunity to try out the new app experience and switch to it if they like it.

That's good news. While the new hardware won't support Tablo Connect, the new software will. My Streaming Life misses Tablo Connect for now, but will again have that functionality. Once I put up a new antenna, that is.

Google TV Live TV

I mentioned last week that I was going to focus on Google TV more. I said Chromecast, but that's the interface it uses, so I'm essentially using Google TV more.

Just to be complete, Google TV is the interface that runs on Android TV, which is available on many different devices, including Chromecast. There are some devices that run Android TV that don't have the Google TV interface. There is a difference, but not really my focus. Think Chromecast, and how it work. Or Nvidia Shield, if you prefer. Or Walmart's Onn streaming box, if you are budget-conscious. They use basically the same interface. I'm primarily talking about Chromecast. Got it? Good.

The other day, I talked about the Google TV home screen. I had planned on talking about Live TV, but never go to that. Today, I'm going to talk about the Live TV section of the interface.

Google TV's Live TV section has content from Pluto TV, Tubi, Plex, and Haystack News, as well as its own content of (as of today) 104 live streaming channels. All together, Google TV offers over 800 channels of content.

Is that really a good thing? Yes, and no. Mostly yes, but quite a bit no. Let me elaborate.

Somewhere along the way, the amount of content is too much to dig through. Sometimes, you simply want to watch something from a manageable number. If a service offered 10-thousand channels, would you really be able to go through them and pick out what you want to watch? I think not. That's too much to navigate. By the time you went through it all, you wouldn't have any time left to watch anything.

So, if 10-thousand is too much, what about 1,000? That's a lot. If you spent 3 seconds looking at each channel, it would take nearly an hour (50 minutes, actually) to go through all 1,000 channels. So that's too many, in my way of thinking.

What about 800? That's still 40 minutes of time to scroll through, at an average of 3 seconds to look at what each channel is and what's playing on it. That seems too many.

What about 100? That works out to five minutes. That's still a long time to figure out what you want to watch, but it's 10 times faster than 50 minutes. That's manageable.

Well, maybe Google thinks so as well. Remember I said Google TV has its own content along with content form Pluto, Tubi, Plex, and Haystack News? Google TV has 104 of its own channels. Many, if not all of them, are also available on Plex, Pluto, Tubi, and Haystack News. Google TV's channels are a "best of" it seems.

These are channels with which Google has worked out a separate agreement. It includes content from other services, such as Xumo, Filmrise, and more. My two favorites, two channels that I can always go to and enjoy, Mystery Science Theater 3000 and Classic Doctor Who, are there. They're also on Pluto TV, Plex, and Tubi, but Google TV has its own agreement to carry them. And many other channels, some of which I enjoy as well.

I really like the lineup. It's manageable, and has my favorites. I like what they've done. They've picked quality over quantity. Of course, if I didn't like those, and liked other content that Pluto TV has that Google TV doesn't, then that would make a big difference. But, as it is, I like how they've implemented this.

My Streaming Life has had a lot more Google TV in it lately. That's by design. And it may continue after this trial period is over.

New Tablo devices don't support Tablo Connect

I really like Tablo Connect. That's the name of the functionality where Tablo allows watching of TV from a remote location. That means I could connect to my Tablo device from anywhere on the Internet and watch TV from my Tablo device.

Not only could I do that, I did that. After I put up an antenna at my mother's house, I simply watched local TV that way.

Recently, though, Tablo announced new devices. I wasn't sure if I wanted to spend the money for a new device. Well, after finding out that Tablo Connect isn't supported by the new Tablo devices, I won't be getting one.

So, why isn't Tablo Connect supported? Tablo answered that question on its blog recently.

Legacy network-connected Tablo units transcode all live TV and recordings in real-time at several different video quality and bandwidth settings. This ensures that you can get a smooth stream at almost any connection speed.

The new Tablo device however streams and records everything in full MPEG2 quality. This creates a fairly large and bandwidth-heavy file.

Most modern home networks can handle streaming this content between rooms. However, streaming such a large video file over a mobile network is more difficult and may result in a poor experience.

That is disappointing. My Streaming Life has used Tablo Connect for some time. It's a feature I really like. And I don't expect to purchase a Tablo device that doesn't support it.

Amazon to launch an ad-free tier of Prime Video

Wait. What?

Isn't Prime Video already ad-free?

Why yes it is.

So, how is Amazon launching an ad-free tier?

Remember how Disney and Netflix and HBOMax/Max all added lower priced ad-supported tiers? Well, Amazon is doing the same thing, only in reverse. They're making the current plan ad-supported, and will charge extra for an ad-free tier. Links: Cord Cutters News, TV Answer Man, AFTV News.

But that's not right!

Okay. But they're Amazon. What are you going to do? Didn't you see that episode of South Park? You have no choice.

But that's not right!

And ...?

That was fun! Well, maybe not. But less fun is Amazon's decision to start pushing commercials to Prime Video, then charging more to not have commercials. That would mean the $140/year you're paying would go up $36/year to $176 for the same service you have today.

If it bothers you, think about it like this: Amazon is raising prices by $36/year, and offering a lower-priced ad-supported tier where you can save $36/year. Is that better? No. Well, again, too bad.

This is another price hike for a streaming service. We've had a lot of those in the last 2-3 years. My Streaming Life may end up being Amazon-free. I've been thinking about it for a while, but haven't worked out how to do it and keep the level of service from alternatives. Amazon has me over a barrel, and knows it. Just kidding. I'm not even on their radar. I'm not important enough for them to care about. But you know what? Neither are you. None of us are.

Google TV interface

Last week, I decided I would use my Chromecast more. I've actually followed through on that.

Perhaps it's actually the Google TV interface on the Android TV platform running on the Google Chromecast with Google TV. But that's way too much to say, so I'm just calling it "Chromecast." meaning the device, focusing on the interface.

There is something about the device itself to discuss, particularly the remote. I like the remote that comes with Walmart's Onn streaming box better. But, that's a discussion for another day. Right now, I'm talking about the Google TV interface. I'm using my Chromecast HD device.

I don't like the busier interfaces that are found on Google TV, as well as on Fire TV. I prefer the simplicity of Roku. There is a list of apps, and I launch the one I want.

That brings up something I like about Google TV. I can use the system in an apps-only mode. That is, it will work a lot like a Roku device. Well, there is the big ad with suggestions that takes up 3/4 of the home screen, but a row of five apps is visible, and scrolling down to that shows all the apps on the device.

I actually like that compromise. It's a profile setting, meaning that if you have multiple profiles on the device, one can be in apps-only and another in standard mode, with suggetions and such. The focus is getting you to watch specific content, not the actual apps.

That's really a good way to watch TV. In fact, is an excellent way to watch TV. It's how everyone used to watch TV. The shows, specific content, was what we were after.

Today, when people consider cutting the cord, they want to know about specific channels to watch, not specific content on the channels. It's the content that's important, and that's the focus of the standard Google TV interface.

Of course, I realize that here I am talking about how good it is to focus on content, and I prefer the streaming device that focuses on apps. I am aware of the incongruity. And that's why I'm actually using the standard mode for checking out Google TV.

I gotta admit, I see why they do it that way. It is a good thing to focus on content, because that truly is what it's all about.

The Home screen looks pretty good. The ad at the top takes up 1/2 of it, compared to about 3/4 of the apps-only mode screen.

That's the top. There is the main ad, then some "top picks," followed by the list of installed apps. That's a pretty decent layout.

I can see how the listing of popular videos, including videos for sale, would be a good thing for some. Google is using it as a way to push sales of content. If it's content you want, then good. If not, it's pretty much spam.

The section where the user can select Movies, Shows, Family content, and so on can also be quite useful. Following that row are several rows of different genre of content, both movies and TV shows.

My Streaming Life has always been primarily focused on Roku. I think I could get use to this. After a month of using this platform, I'm wondering how easy it will be to return to Roku. Or if I'll want to.

Secure messaging apps

When it comes to messaging apps, it's difficult to find one that's secure. Well, one that's secure that most people you want to message use.

Internet Privacy Guy Rob Braxman has some thoughts and comparison of apps.

[YouTube]

My Streaming Life is part of my life, and I want my life to be secure.

Watching College Football in 2023: Week 4

It's Week 4 already for college football in 2023. There are several Division 1-A/FBS games on tap this weekend. There have been five games so far: one on Thursday night and four last night. No ranked teams played either night.

Today, there are 52 games on the schedule. There are 19 games involving ranked teams today. Six of those match-ups involved both teams being ranked.

Today's games will be broadcast over several networks. Here are the channels or networks you'll need to watch all the games:

• ABC
• ACC Network
• Big Ten Network
• CBS
• CBS Sports Network
• CW
• ESPN
• ESPN2
• ESPNU
• ESPN+
• Fox
• Fox Sports 1
• Longhorn Network
• NBC
• NFL Network
• Pac 12 Network
• Peacock
• SEC Network

Note: No games are on Longhorn Network, NFL Network, or Peacock this week.

Between this weekend's games and next Saturday, there are seven games involving Division 1-A/FBS teams. Those will air on:

• CBS Sports Network
• ESPN
• ESPNU
• Fox Sports 1

Later in the season, there may even be another network or two that carries games, but these are the ones that are confirmed as the season begins. Here's how to get all the networks:

ABC

• Antenna (free)
• Sling TV (8 markets only) ($45/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

ACC Network

• Sling TV (Orange + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

Big Ten Network

• Sling TV (Blue + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

CBS

• Antenna (free)
• Paramount Plus (Premium) $12/month
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

CBS Sports Network

• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Ultimate) ($139/month)

CW

• Antenna (free)
• Not available streaming.

ESPN, ESPN2

• Sling TV (Orange) ($40/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

ESPN+

• ESPN+ (standalone) ($10/month)
• Disney Bundle ($15/month)

ESPNU

• Sling TV (Orange + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro + Fubo Extra) ($83/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

Fox

• Antenna (free)
• Sling TV (18 markets only) ($45/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

Fox Sports 1

• Sling TV (Blue + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

Longhorn Network

• Sling TV (Orange + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

NBC

• Antenna (free)
• Peacock (Plus) ($12/month)
• Sling TV (11 markets only) ($45/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

NFL Network

• Sling TV (Blue) ($40/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

Pac 12 Network

• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)

Peacock

• Peacock is its own service, and can be used to watch NBC live programming with the $12/month plan.

SEC Network

• Sling TV (Orange) ($40/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

That covers this weekend in college football, and covers all the networks -- so far -- that are carrying college football games in 2023. My Streaming Life revolves around college football during this time of year. It shouldn't, probably. But it does.

Netflix and Disney are not cable services

The Georgia Supreme Court let stand a ruling that denied Gwinnett County, the City of Brookhaven, and the Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County the ability to tax Netflix, Disney, Dish, and DirecTV.

Those governments in north Georgia tried to use a state law from 2007 to tax the streaming services from those companies. Essentially, they were claiming those were the essentially cable TV services. A court dismissed the suit, and the governments appealed.

The court of appeals agreed, and the governments again appealed. Now the state supreme court upheld the ruling without comment. Courts have ruled and unless there's a way for the governments to somehow make this a Constitutional issue, that's it. Streaming companies are not cable companies.

My Streaming Life doesn't have to deal with more taxes. I like that.

Maybe more Chromecast

I've been firmly in Team Roku for many years. My first streaming device was a Roku, though we also got an Apple TV around the same time. This was when there was a large difference in the apps available on the two platforms. And there was no Fire TV or Android/Google TV at the time.

I've used all four of the major platforms, and like Roku best overall. However, some family members seem to really like Fire TV. Lately, I've used more Fire TV, but still stick with Roku when it's just me watching TV.

This has come at the expense of my familiarity with Android/Google TV and Apple TV. I'm not comfortable with that. Beginning this weekend, I'm going to start using more Android/Google TV. Chromecast will be the the primary device I use. I have Chromecast attached to all my TVs already, so it'll be a matter of setting out the Chromecast remote in place of the Roku remote.

Speaking of the remote, the remote for the Chromecast has quite a different layout than the Roku remote. This will take some getting used to.

My Streaming Life is primarily Roku, but I want to stay up to speed on the other platforms. Android/Google TV will be my focus for the next month or so. We'll see what I think then.

YouTube TV away from home

I tried something the other day that I hadn't tried in a while. I tried using YouTube TV away from home. And, I ran into a small issue.

Yeah, I know. I keep saying I don't use live TV streaming services, and here I am talking about YouTube TV. Well, I subscribe to a service that carries ESPN during football season. Usually, it's Sling TV, but right now, it's YouTube TV. I covered the reason for the change earlier. In a nutshell, local channels, which aren't available on Sling TV, are needed because of an antenna situation (or lack of antenna at the moment).

I usually spend weekends at another location. This location is outside my home area. I live in the Savannah area, but this other home is in the Jacksonville area. I have a Roku connected to a TV there, and when we're watching TV, we'll sometimes use it.

Normally, I don't use the YouTube TV app to watch ESPN. I'll use the account to authenticate ESPN service in the ESPN app and simply use that. However, there was a game on ABC that I wanted to check on. When I tried that, it told me I was outside my home area and needed to connect in my home area. What's happening is that YouTube TV recognizes that some people travel with a device, and they'll let them use the service, as long as they connected at home with it every so often.

Well, I hadn't done that, since I only just recently subscribed to YouTube TV. I hadn't connected from home with that device, since it stays at the weekend place.

What I'll have to do is take the device with me to the house, use it, then take it back on the weekend. I only use the device on the weekend, so this won't be a problem.

Oh, I was able to watch ABC anyway. There is no antenna at the weekend place, but there is an ABC app for Roku, and I was able to authenticate the service using the YouTube TV account, and watched in the ABC app.

I do ESPN that way anyway, since I only subscribed for ESPN. Well, until the antenna situation arose, and I needed a service with local channels. But, using the ABC app worked. I suppose I could do the same for the other networks as well. Or I could simply take the Roku to the house, use it, then take it back on the next weekend I'm at the weekend place.

My Streaming Life is usually pretty simple. I'm probably complicating it more than necessary, but I'm just wanting to watch a little TV. I get why they have the restrictions they have. They don't like password sharing between households. But, this is me using it at a weekend location. I'll play by the rules.

New Amazon devices coming?

If you're a fan of Amazon's Fire TV devices, you may be interested to know that new devices are expected to be announced this week. Cord Cutters News has a nice wrapup of what's known and what's expected:

[YouTube]

My Streaming Life will often involve Fire TV devices. If you're looking for a new Fire TV device, we sure hope this helps you get what you need.

Roku rules

Roku is, again, the king of the streaming platforms.

A report from Beachfront, an advertising company, Roku is the top platform for streaming, with nearly 40% of ads viewed. That's over double the number two platform, Amazon's Fire TV.

Does this mean there are more Roku devices than Fire TV devices? Maybe. Roku has been selling streaming devices longer.

Does this mean there are more people using Roku devices than using Fire TV devices? Probably. Advertising is where the money is, and more views of ads means more views overall. That assumes the number of available ads is the same. That may or may not be true, but it's highly unlikely that Roku has twice as many ads available than other platforms.

Does it mean Roku is a better platform than Fire TV? No. I think it is, but that, like so many things, is really up to the individual. What works for me doesn't necessarily work for someone else. My sisters prefer Fire TV to Roku, but I prefer Roku to Fire TV.

The truth is there is no "best" platform. There is "best for me" and "best for you" and those may or may not be the same thing.

But, when it comes to ad views, the numbers show that there are more eyes on Roku devices than other devices. My Streaming Life has included Roku from the beginning. I understand why so many people use it. It's a great streaming platfrom.

De-Googled Phones

You may have noticed from several weekend posts that in addition to being a cord cutter, I'm a fan of Internet privacy. I firmly believe your Internet experience, to include your streaming content, should be private.

I'm not suggesting that I promote viewing questionable content. Rather, I'm wanting a return to the privacy that was the default when I first started watching TV. And when that privacy was something we didn't have to think about.

In those days, everything was received via an antenna. You pointed the antenna toward the TV towers and watched what you wanted on your TV. Nobody knew what you watched. On Sunday nights in 1965, nobody knew if you watched Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, or Ed Sullivan, unless you told them. You chose with whom you shared your viewing habits.

Today, if you stream TV, they all have that information. They can use it to figure out if you likely have kids, are a fan of science fiction, or enjoy listening to music, without you telling them. They gather this data, sell it to others, making money of off you, and then you get bombarded with advertising that matches your profile.

As bad as TVs and streaming devices are about that, smart phones are worse. And I don't like how Apple and Google get all that data about their customers. But what can you do about it? More than you realize:

[YouTube]

My Streaming Life is exactly that: mine. And I want to keep it that way.

Watching College Football in 2023: Week 3

It's Week 3 in college football, and there are several Division 1-A/FBS games on tap this weekend. There have been five games so far: two on Thursday night and three last night. One featured a ranked team, who won.

Today, there are a lot of games on the schedule. There are 23 games involving ranked teams today. There are no match-ups of ranked teams facing each other.

Today's games will be broadcast over several networks. Here are the channels or networks you'll need to watch all the games:

• ABC
• ACC Network
• Big Ten Network
• CBS
• CBS Sports Network
• CW
• ESPN
• ESPN2
• ESPNU
• ESPN+
• Fox
• Fox Sports 1
• Longhorn Network
• NBC
• NFL Network
• Pac 12 Network
• Peacock
• SEC Network

Between this weekend's games and next Saturday, there are five games involving Division 1-A/FBS teams. Those will air on:

• CBS Sports Network
• ESPN
• Fox Sports 1

Later in the season, there may even be another network or two that carries games, but these are the ones that are confirmed as the season begins. Here's how to get all the networks:

ABC

• Antenna (free)
• Sling TV (8 markets only) ($45/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

ACC Network

• Sling TV (Orange + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

Big Ten Network

• Sling TV (Blue + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

CBS

• Antenna (free)
• Paramount Plus (Premium) $12/month
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

CBS Sports Network

• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Ultimate) ($139/month)

CW

• Antenna (free)
• Not available streaming.

ESPN, ESPN2

• Sling TV (Orange) ($40/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

ESPN+

• ESPN+ (standalone) ($10/month)
• Disney Bundle ($15/month)

ESPNU

• Sling TV (Orange + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro + Fubo Extra) ($83/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

Fox

• Antenna (free)
• Sling TV (18 markets only) ($45/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

Fox Sports 1

• Sling TV (Blue + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

Longhorn Network

• Sling TV (Orange + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

NBC

• Antenna (free)
• Peacock (Plus) ($12/month)
• Sling TV (11 markets only) ($45/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

NFL Network

• Sling TV (Blue) ($40/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

Pac 12 Network

• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)

Peacock

• Peacock is its own service, and can be used to watch NBC live programming with the $12/month plan.

SEC Network

• Sling TV (Orange) ($40/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

That covers this weekend in college football, and covers all the networks -- so far -- that are carrying college football games in 2023. My Streaming Life revolves around college football during this time of year. I'm not the only one.

Fire TV removing apps (not really)

I read an article earlier in the month that talked about the Fire TV platform planning to remove apps. The comments were interesting. Some understood what was being done, and some didn't.

Here's what's going on and prompted the decision, and why it's a good decision.

Fire TV, and other devices, only have a certain amount of storage. Manufacturers use as little as possible in order to keep costs down. But they put more than necessary so that users can add app and other personalized data and content on the device. But people want more.

People are correct in that more is better. Some allow expansion with a USB or microSD card. These are often helpful, but there are problems that come along with them.

Roku has always removed apps from a device when storage is a premium. They'll leave the listing of the app and it's configuration data. That way, it's not like you removed it and it took out of your lineup. It appears as if it's still there, and everything about the app is still there. The app itself isn't.

When you go to launch the app, Roku will download the app from it's Channel Store and play it. It's a fairly quick process, and some don't notice. It allows Roku to manage the space on your device.

Other platforms don't do that. They keep everything on the device. If you run out of space, it tells you that you are out of space and need to remove something. Here's an example.

Understand first that I'm making up numbers simply to show how this works. If you have, say, 20 apps on your device, and that's all you have room for, you can't add a 21st app. It will tell you to remove something. And, if App 21 is really large, it may tell you to remove two or three apps. You have to choose which apps to remove to make room for App 21. This can be a problem for some people, and can lead to frustration. Some accept it as "that's the way it is."

Roku has always does it differently. If this was a Roku device we're talking about, it would see that App 21 was too big, but then it would look at the apps you have, see which ones you haven't used in a while, and remove them for you. It left all the data about the app -- logins, preferences, etc. -- and left the app listed in the menu. The part left is pretty small, but the main app itself was removed, making space for App 21.

If you later went to the removed app (which you still see and still have your logins and preferences) and launched it, Roku would repeat the process if space was low. It would download the removed app, launch it, and play it as if it was always there. The process works well.

Now, Amazon is doing the same thing.

When a Fire TV app is offloaded, as opposed to just uninstalled, the app itself will be removed but the user data of the app will remain on the device. This means that if you reinstall the app in the future, it should, theoretically, be immediately ready to use without you needing to sign in or configure the app. I say theoretically because if the app has been updated in a significant way since you last had it installed, there’s always a chance the newer version of the app might be incompatible with the old user data that was left on the Fire TV when the app was offloaded.

The writers of the article aren't too keen on the idea, but if implemented properly, it'll work. That's one of the reasons Roku works so well, after all.

My Streaming Life has benefited from the way Roku does it. And now Fire TV doing the same thing will make it that much better. I don't use Fire TV as much as Roku, but when I do, it'll be a much better experience.

LocalBTV, part 2

Last week, I installed the LocalBTV app on my Roku device. I said I would give a check out over the next few days.

Well, it's been a few days. I'm not impressed. Well, a little maybe, but not a lot.

It's a great idea. Find local stations that will allow you to offer their content streaming. They focus on the minor stations, the ones carrying the minor networks, such as Retro TV, get TV, Cozi TV, Right Now TV, and so on.

While that's good, it's not really all that much. It's not that there aren't some good channels, it's just that the overall total is quite limited. And the on-screen guide isn't that helpful. I think that's actually a bigger problem.

I should mention that there are no local channels available for me. I'm in the Savannah market, and LocalBTV doesn't have any agreements with the Savannah stations. However, for those in my situation are provided a national feed. That's certainly better than nothing, and in many cases has nearly as much content as some markets. That is, while you get more if there is a local viewing market, there isn't a whole lot more. The national feed is okay.

The national feed has 34 channels. There are channels with older programming, some news, some sports (no major sports channels), some music programming, and the like. Think the local minor networks you can get over the air. That's what you would expect from LocalBTV is there are local agreements, and what you get with the national feed in other areas.

The service is good insofar as what it is, but the channel guide is the real problem.

Only seven of the channels have proper programming information. Only those seven tell you the actual episode or movie details. The rest don't provide any level of information.

To be fair, for the news channels, that's to be expected. For music channels, that's also to be expected. But allowing for those, you still have at least 2/3 of the channels with no details on the content.

I can't really blame LocalBTV for that, as they can only provide what the channels provide. But LocalBTV is providing channels that don't offer that level of detail, so it really does fall back on them.

My Streaming Live will only have LocalBTV on an occasional basis. It's good, it's just not good enough.

Longer ads on YouTube

Google plans to have longer ads, or at least longer ad breaks, on it's YouTube videos. And they're making out like it's good news.

Okay, in fairness, maybe it is. I mean, I don't think so, but maybe you'll like it.

According to a recent blog post, Google will have fewer ad breaks, but the ad breaks will be longer:

Viewers expect a different ad experience depending on the content they are watching. When it comes to long-form content on TV screens, 79% of viewers would prefer video ads that are grouped together instead of distributed throughout a video. Based on this preference, we are evaluating new options that minimize average interruptions for viewers, such as fewer, longer ad breaks, to create a more seamless viewing experience on the big screen.

Maybe that is good news. I mean, if you regularly skip the ads, and have to do that six times in a video, you'll now only have to do it three times, right?

Well, maybe it's not that simple.

Last year, we refreshed the ad experience as part of YouTube’s more modern look, and in May of this year, we announced CTV-first formats, including 30-second, non-skippable ads and Pause experiences. We also launched shoppable ads on CTV and an industry-first send-to-phone mechanism to allow people who use a second screen while watching TV — over 80% of viewers — to engage with ads.

Recently we’ve brought feed ads to the big screen, so viewers can interact with ads and take action while they’re streaming without interruption.

You saw that part about non-skippable ads, right? Now that doesn't mean that all ads will be unskippable. But it sure seems to me that more will be. If you find that to be a good thing, then yes, good news everyone. I'm not quite so happy about it.

Of course, I can pay for YouTube Premium and omit the ads entirely. I think Google probably makes more money from ads than they do for YouTube Premium subscriptions. If so, they want to minimize the number of people subscribing, but at the same time, keep that subscription revenue stream. They probably have enough information on everyone that they know how many ads they can play and maximize their income.

My Streaming Life can tolerate ads. Just how many, I'm not sure. I have a feeling I'm about to find out.

Disney and Spectrum kiss and make up

It took a week and a half, but Spectrum and Disney finally settled their differences and ended the blackout.

At the start of the month, Disney channels, including ESPN, were removed from Spectrum. Things got nasty, mean things were said, and Spectrum customers did without ESPN for a week and a half.

That's over now. They're playing nice. Mostly.

Disney gave a little, Spectrum gave a little, and Spectrum TV customers now have ESPN again. But they didn't get everything back.

Spectrum customers will no longer get access to Baby TV, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Freeform, FXM, FXX, Nat Geo Wild and Nat Geo Mundo under the deal announced Monday.

As part of the new deal, customers will be able to purchase Disney+, Hulu or The Disney Bundle directly through Charter. Anyone who purchases Spectrum TV Select Plus will get the basic version of Disney+ included in their package. Spectrum TV Select Plus customers will also get ESPN+ and ESPN's standalone streaming service, which hasn't launched yet.

Only 1% of U.S. households watch more than 12 hours of ESPN in the average month, according to analysts from LightShed Partners. That means Spectrum's dedicated ESPN viewers could have easily picked a different avenue for watching live sports "a few clicks and a credit card," analysts said in a research note Monday.

Is this a good thing? Well, it's good for Spectrum TV customers. Personally, I'd have ... well, I can't say what I would have done. I never used Spectrum TV, and I haven't subscribed to any cable TV service since January 2011.

I dropped cable a long time ago, and really can't relate to people who still subscribe to cable. My Streaming Life works great for me. If Spectrum TV customers are happy, great. I couldn't be them.

What you can do to end the Disney-Spectrum dispute

What you can do to end the Disney-Spectrum dispute:

For more tips on how you can impact the decisions of major corporations, follow this Website.

Okay, that was my attempt at humor. I didn't say it was a successful attempt, but it makes the point.

You are a product to those people. Spectrum acts like they're looking out for you. They aren't. You are a target. Or your wallet is. Same with Disney. They both want your money.

Spectrum wants to keep more money, and not give it to Disney. If they pay Disney more, they'll up the bill to their subscribers. And they'll up it more than what Disney gets. Spectrum will make more money if they give in to Disney. Well, more money per customer. They're worried that the overall number of customers could drop, ending up being an overall loss.

Disney meanwhile doesn't care. They're giving discounts to new Hulu+Live TV subscribers, and some Spectrum customers are switching from Spectrum TV to streaming via Hulu+Live TV. In those cases, Disney gets the money anyway.

None of them really care about you. They care about getting your money. It's up to you to figure out the best way to spend your money and how to get the most out of it. My Streaming Life costs more than I would like, so I'm always on the lookout for ways to save money. Most of the time, I don't use a live streaming service such as Hulu+Live TV. I'm finding cheaper ways to watch TV. Perhaps I can help you with that. If not me, perhaps someone can, and you can keep more of your hard-earned money.

Disney discounting Hulu+Live TV

There is a dispute between Disney and Spectrum right now. I'm not impacted, as Spectrum is not my Internet Service Provider. But, a lot of people are impacted.

Right now, Spectrum isn't carrying Disney channels, to include ESPN. That's right, a cable service without ESPN. Spectrum seems to be holding the line, and Disney seems to be holding the line. This could go on a while.

It'll probably end with Disney getting its way, or mostly getting its way, and then Spectrum raising prices to pay for the new Disney agreement. I say probably, because Spectrum may not give in. I wouldn't really be shocked to see Spectrum reach an long term agreement with a streaming service for customers. Right now, they're working with YouTube TV and Fubo TV to help customers get ESPN and other Disney-owned channels.

Maybe Spectrum will decide it's not worth the hassle and get out of the TV business altogether, and focus on broadband Internet.

Disney is doing its thing too. They're offering a discount to Hulu+Live TV for the next three months. It's $50/month for the next three months. Long enough to get you through football season, as it turns out.

The only catch is you must not have been a Hulu customer for the past 30 days. I have a Hulu account, subscribing to standard Hulu ($8/month). Even though I've not used Hulu+Live TV for a long long time, I'm still a current Hulu customer, and not eligible. Bummer. That would be a cheaper way to get ESPN than YouTube TV.

My Streaming Life doesn't normally involve these live streaming services. I only use them during college football season, to get ESPN. This is what's going on now, and I'm going to enjoy the games. But I'm going to enjoy not paying those high prices for a bunch of channels I won't watch.

Watching College Football in 2023: Week 2

It's Week 2, which is the third weekend of college football in 2023. Yes, college math is hard.

There are several Division 1-A/FBS games on tap this weekend. There have been three games so far: one was Thursday night and two were last night. None of those featured ranked teams.

Today, there are a lot of games on the schedule. There are 23 games involving all 25 ranked teams today. Two are match-ups of ranked teams -- #20 Mississippi at #24 Tulane play this afternoon, and #11 Texas at #4 Alabama tonight.

Today's games will be broadcast over several networks. Here are the channels or networks you'll need to watch all the games:

• ABC
• ACC Network
• Big Ten Network
• CBS
• CBS Sports Network
• CW
• ESPN
• ESPN2
• ESPNU
• ESPN+
• Fox
• Fox Sports 1
• Longhorn Network
• NBC
• NFL Network
• Pac 12 Network
• Peacock
• SEC Network

NOTE: Longhorn Network is not broadcasting any games this week.

Between this weekend's games and next Saturday, there are five games involving Division 1-A/FBS teams. Those will air on:

• ACC Network
• CBS Sports Network
• ESPN
• Fox Sports 1

Later in the season, there may even be another network or two that carries games, but these are the ones that are confirmed as the season begins. Here's how to get all the networks:

ABC

• Antenna (free)
• Sling TV (8 markets only) ($45/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

ACC Network

• Sling TV (Orange + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

Big Ten Network

• Sling TV (Blue + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

CBS

• Antenna (free)
• Paramount Plus (Premium) $12/month
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

CBS Sports Network

• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Ultimate) ($139/month)

CW

• Antenna (free)
• Not available streaming.

ESPN, ESPN2

• Sling TV (Orange) ($40/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

ESPN+

• ESPN+ (standalone) ($10/month)
• Disney Bundle ($15/month)

ESPNU

• Sling TV (Orange + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro + Fubo Extra) ($83/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

Fox

• Antenna (free)
• Sling TV (18 markets only) ($45/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

Fox Sports 1

• Sling TV (Blue + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

Longhorn Network

• Sling TV (Orange + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

NBC

• Antenna (free)
• Peacock (Plus) ($12/month)
• Sling TV (11 markets only) ($45/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Entertainment) ($80/month)

NFL Network

• Sling TV (Blue) ($40/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

Pac 12 Network

• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)

Peacock

• Peacock is its own service, and can be used to watch NBC live programming with the $12/month plan.

SEC Network

• Sling TV (Orange) ($40/month)
• Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
• Hulu+Live TV ($70/month, $77/month after October 12, 2023)
• YouTube TV ($73/month)
• Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
• DirecTV (Choice) ($114/month)

That covers this weekend in college football, and covers all the networks -- so far -- that are carrying college football games in 2023. My Streaming Life revolves around college football during this time of year. I'm not the only one.

LocalBTV

There is another live streaming service with local channels, and it's free. But didn't Aero try that and fail? Didn't Locast try that and fail? So what's the catch?

There is no catch. Not really. It's just ... well, it's not Aero or Locast, and is going about things in a different way.

Is LocalBTV illegal? No, they have agreements with the local channels they carry.

Is it everywhere? No, it's only in a few markets. Aero and Locast were both in select markets, and were expanding when they were shut down. But LocalBTV has agreements with the stations. And LocalBTV isn't opening markets where they don't have agreements in place.

Does it have all the local stations? No, and if there is a catch, this is the catch.

LocalBTV has agreements with some of the local stations in the markets where they operate. They don't have agreements with all of them.

For example, I'm in the Savannah, GA market, but LocalBTV doesn't have any agreements with Savannah stations, so I don't get LocalBTV. Not locally (more about that in a minute). But in Columbus, GA, where I lived for a nearly 20 years, LocalBTV is available.

The service only has a few stations there. None of them are the major broadcast networks. That's true overall; none of the LocalBTV service areas include agreements with ABC, CBS, Fox, or NBC affiliates. They do have Get-TV, Cozi TV, and those kind of networks, but not a lot of them.

In my area, there is nothing. Well, that's not exactly true. For those outside the service area, they do grant access to a "national" feed. Oh, and that national feed? It has plenty of the same type of content, including Cozi TV, GetTV, iSciFi, and more.

It's not a slam dunk, but it is an interesting service. I'm going to be checking it out over the next several days to weeks, and get a better grasp on not just what it offers (which does look good) but the overall experience, to include how easy and reliable the service is.

My Streaming Life doesn't really need another free live streaming service, but this might be a good thing. I'm looking forward to it.

Goodbye Google Play Movies & TV

Google is, once again, removing services. This time it's Google Play Movies & TV.

This week, I got an email from Google about this. It gave a bunch of details, but the wording could be confusing to some. I had to read it a couple of times, but I got it. I think I got it.

Based on comments I've seen online, this has caused confusion for some people. Here's the email:

Google Play Movies & TV app is going away on 05 October 2023

Google Play Movies & TV app will no longer be available on your Android TV device from 05 October 2023. You can continue to buy or rent movies directly through the Shop tab on your Android TV.

You can find your existing purchases, including active rentals, on the Shop tab on Android TV, Google TV Android and iOS mobile apps, and YouTube.

Please visit Google TV Help center or Youtube Help Center if you need help accessing your previous purchases.

Some seem to think that Google TV is being shut down. It's not. The functionality appears to be splitting among a couple of apps and services.

Google Play Movies & TV was a place to both purchase and play content from the Google Play store. The purchase portion is inside the Shop tab on the Google TV app. But what if you don't have the Google TV app? Well, there's also the YouTube app. I don't see a way to get your purchases if you don't have the Google TV app, or the YouTube app, or a Google/Android TV device.

If you have a Roku platform device (streaming stick, Roku TV, Roku set top box, etc.) you actually lost the Google Play Movies & TV app a couple of years ago. You needed YouTube to watch your Google Play purchases, so nothing Google is about to do will impact Roku users. They got impacted in 2021.

I'm not sure that this will impact me. My Streaming Life uses content purchased from Google, but I watch it on YouTube, or on a Google TV device. If you're worried about this, I think you don't really need to be. Fire TV and Apple TV both support YouTube, and if those are your platforms, you still have ways to play your content.

More illegal IPTV services shut down

Recently, a family member asked about an illegal IPTV service. The family didn't realize that's what was being asked, and was slightly taken aback when I suggested as much.

Many people that are new to streaming don't realize what's legal and what's illegal. And the thing is, many people I know that don't realize the difference are actually pretty sharp people. They're just not familiar with everything.

If you're not sure, here's what I use to help determine if some service I've not heard of is an illegal IPTV service.

First, the fact I haven't heard of it is a good indicator. However, I make an effort to keep up to date on these things. If it was all new to me, would I know the difference? Maybe. Maybe not.

Next, is it "too good to be true?" If so, then it's not true. Ever buy a Rolex out of the trunk of someone's car? If so, do you think it was a real Rolex? Hint: it wasn't. The trunk of Mr. Bashir's car is not one of the authorized distribution channels. (Before you get your panties in a wad over that last sentence, I knew a Mr. Bashir that sold fake Rolex from the trunk of his car. So there.) Mr. Bashir's "Rolex" watches were not legitimate, and you can pretty much guarantee that an IPTV service that offers everything for a cheap price, or a one time fee, is not legitimate.

Then, some people really don't care if the service is legitimate or not. They just want to watch TV cheaply. After all, unlike Mr. Bashir's "Rolex" watches, the TV channels are real. The service is what's illegitimate. And what's wrong with wanting to save some money?

There is nothing wrong with wanting to save some money. But where do you draw the line? Would you walk into Walmart and shoplift because the company makes a lot of money and shoplifting is cheaper? No? When why would you steal TV service from someone?

Not the same thing? Really? Why not? They are legally entitled to receive compensation for their property aren't they? If you wrote a book, wouldn't it be wrong for someone else to copy it and sell those copies and not go through the proper publishing channels?

There are a lot of illegal IPTV services, and the content owners are pushing for crackdowns on them. This happened recently in Egypt:

In synchronized arrests on August 28 and 29, the Egyptian police and the Egyptian Ministry of Internal Affairs took action against two operators of the ring of live sport, TV series and movie sites livehd7 and 3sktv in Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt. The ring of sites was logging an average of nearly 18M visits monthly, with most of the traffic coming from Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and Saudi Arabia. Police noted that the operators grossed nearly 1M USD from their illegal activities.

This operation follows two successful raids conducted earlier this year by the Egyptian authorities and demonstrates their continued commitment to combating digital piracy. In February, Egyptian police, in partnership with the Egyptian Ministry of Internal Affairs, took action against the operator of Egylive.online and five other domains in the region of Edkou, Egypt. The six domains combined averaged nearly 5.9 million monthly visits, with 2.3 million monthly unique visitors originating primarily from Egypt, Morocco, Iraq, Lebanon and Algeria.

My Streaming Life doesn't involve illegal services. But I'm not paying high prices for those services either. I can do without. And I'm always going to suggest that others avoid these illegal services. My family member was caught off-guard by my comment about it likely being an illegal service. I didn't mean to cause discomfort, but I'm going to offer my best suggestion at all times. And I always suggest avoiding piracy.

Ads, everywhere ads

I do not like ad blockers. But maybe not for the reason you think.

Yes, there are ads on this Website. If you are running an ad-blocker, you might not see the ads. But that's not why I don't like ad blockers. Let me clarify what I actually mean. I don't use ad blockers.

I don't subscribe to a lot of things, and am fine with ad-supported Websites. It's true that some Websites have a ridiculous number of ads, so many that they are annoying. I skip those Websites.

If the ads are bothersome, I won't return to the Website. If the ads are not too bad, I'll return to the Website.

I understand why many Websites run ads. It's a way to make some money. I don't make much money on this Website. It would be wonderful if I did, but the traffic to the Website isn't enough to make any money. I'll support Websites that use ads. I get it. But how do I feel about your using an ad blocker.

Honestly, it doesn't matter how I feel. If you choose to allow ads, that's great. If you don't, then you don't. Maybe you'll get some benefit from the Website. That would be good. It would be better if I got some advertising revenue from your visits, but I'm not about to put up code to deny your access if an ad blocker is detected. If you allow ads, great. If not, well that's just how it is.

My Streaming Life uses a lot of free ad-supported television (FAST) services. My Web browsing uses a lot of free ad-supported Websites as well. Ads are fine. Well, for me, they are.

A new Tablo?

Tablo announced a new generation device recently. I saw an article about it recently, but didn't follow up because of family activities going on. Plus selling my mother's house and the antenna, which is more of an impact.

Right now, Tablo isn't doing anything for me, as I don't have an antenna. I need to put up an antenna. I have one, and will put it up soon.

This weekend, I took a few minutes and looked at the announcement of the new Tablo device:

The latest version of Tablo hardware has been totally redesigned inside and out, with a sleek new form factor that is flexible enough to mount on your wall or sit on a table.

Inside Tablo are two powerful ATSC 1.0 tuners which deliver full quality MPEG2 video and an optional in-line amplifier to help lock in over-the-air channels from your TV antenna. There’s also 50+ hours of onboard DVR recording storage which can be expanded by connecting a USB hard drive (up to 8TB).

Like all Tablo models, the new 4th generation device can connect to your home network via Wi-Fi or Ethernet to deliver live and recorded antenna TV to smart TVs as well as streaming and mobile devices throughout your home.

And for the first time ever, Tablo will also use its internet connection to pull in a selection of 40+ free streaming channels (also known as FAST channels), which can be streamed and recorded in the new Tablo app interface.

I was a little surprised that Tablo released a device without ATSC 3 support, but I understand why they didn't release an ATSC 3 device. I suppose I'm just surprised that they released a device at all. But they did, and now I wonder if this is something I care about.

The new Tablo apps don't support "legacy hardware," they say. Also, they're looking to upgrade the legacy devices with a firmware update so the new apps will. That would mean my current device will remain in play for some time. So I don't see a reason to upgrade at this time.

My Streaming Life has included Tablo for a while now. I'm currently without until I get a new antenna up. But I'm looking to return to Tablo use soon. I really do miss it.

It looks like YouTube TV this year, not Sling TV

Each year, since Sling TV launched, I've subscribed to the service during college football season. I don't use a "streaming cable" service during the year, but I do want to be able to watch ESPN for college football games.

Normally, what I do is wait until the first game I want to watch is about to kick off, then subscribe to Sling TV for 30 days. That covers five weekends of college football. I normally cancel at the end of the subscription, and wait until the next game I want to watch is ready to kickoff, then subscribe again for 30 days, which covers five more weekends of football.

I repeat this throughout the season, and am able to watch the full season, which 15 weeks covers, for three 30-day subscriptions. This year, the plan was:

1. August 26, which covers through September 24.
2. September 30, which covers through October 29.
3. November 4, which covers through December 3.

That's the full season. When the bowls start, a fourth 30-day subscription would cover all the bowls.

This year, things will be a little different. I didn't actually watch any games last weekend, or so far this weekend. I had other things going on. Sling TV wasn't needed. And unless something drastic happens, I won't be subscribing to Sling TV this year.

You see, I sold my interest in my mother's house, and left them the antenna. I no longer have antenna access. Long story, but briefly, I bought that antenna, and used Tablo to watch it over the Internet at my house. That's no longer happening, so until I put up my own antenna, I don't get local channels.

Well, I can get local NBC and CBS via Peacock TV and Paramount Plus, if I so choose. But that leaves ABC and Fox, both of which will carry games.

Sling TV doesn't carry ABC or Fox -- in most places; they do in a very few select places, but not here -- so while that service would get me ESPN and other sports networks, it would not get me the local stations, which I won't get until I get off my butt and put up an antenna.

So, for the start of the college football season, I'm not going to subscribe to Sling TV. I'm going with YouTube TV. That's $33 more than I should be spending, but it's my own fault for being lazy.

If I put up the antenna within the next 30 days, then I'll pick up with Sling TV on September 30. If I don't, then YouTube TV will be the service that follows that schedule.

My Streaming Life will have college football. I want the cheapest way to include the games. If I wasn't so lazy, I'd be $33 richer.