New Onn box is coming

A couple of years ago, I tested the Walmart streaming devices. I was less than impressed.

In recent months, word was that Walmart was discontinuing the devices. They became hard to get as the stock dwindled and the items were not replaced.

There was speculation that Walmart was moving to the Xumo device, as they had partnered with Xfinity and Spectrum to carry those.

The other speculation was that a lineup refresh was coming.

Well, why not both?

Why not indeed.

Turns out that while plans for the new Xumo device are still in the works, a new lineup of Onn streaming devices have been announced. And while the devices have some upgraded hardware, they're still pretty skimpy in regards to the specs:

Under the hood, the new 2023 Onn 4K Streaming Box is powered by an Amlogic S905Y4. This is a very minor update over the 2021 model which used an Amlogic S905Y2. The only real difference between the two is the addition of AV1 video decoding on the newer model. It’s still a quad-core CPU and still has a Mali-G31 GPU. Like the old one, the new Onn streamer still has 2GB of RAM and, unfortunately, still has only 8GB of internal storage.

I'll probably get one to test it -- it is pretty cheap, after all -- but don't have high hopes about it. My Streaming Life is just fine without it. If I want a good Google TV device, I have an NVIDIA Shield.

Google TV expands live coverage

Google TV has integrated more live TV into its interface.

A post on the Google Chromecast blog give the details about the addition of live streaming channels from some of the most popular free ad-supported television (FAST) services:

... we’re integrating access to free channels from Tubi, Plex and Haystack News directly into the Live tab, alongside the existing lineup of channels from Pluto TV. We’re also launching free built-in channels from Google TV that you can watch without even downloading or launching an app. In total, you can now browse over 800 channels and premium programming, including news channels from NBC, ABC, CBS and FOX. You can also tune in to channels from around the world, with programming in more than 10 languages including Spanish, Hindi and Japanese.

The post says it's available for Sony TVs. Well, if that's the case, it hasn't rolled out to mine yet. I saw the post and ran a check for updates on my TV. I did it again this morning, and I still haven't received the update.

Maybe I'm missing something. I'll keep playing with it. It looks like a good thing, but I've not seen content from the new services yet. My Streaming Life is good, but this just might make it better.

Does everybody have a smart TV?

I have a smart TV. I've had a smart TV for years. It's not always been the same smart TV, but several years ago, I got a smart TV and when I replaced it, I got another smart TV to replace it.

Here's the thing: I don't use my smart TV.

Oh, to be sure, I use my TV. I just don't use the "smarts" in my smart TV.

It's a good TV. It's a Sony, with a really good picture, and a Google TV interface. But I don't use the Google TV interface that comes with my Sony smart TV.

Why is that, you ask?

No really, go ahead and ask.

Well, since you asked, here's why I don't use the smarts in the smart TV.

First among the reasons is that I already had a Roku device. And an Apple TV device. And a Fire TV device. And a Chromecast (Google TV) device. And an Nvidia Shield (Google TV) device.

I have the best streaming platforms there are. My personal preference is Roku, but I find the others to be good devices as well.

Another reason I don't use the Google TV interface is I don't like the remote on the Sony TV. It's not bad. Well, it is, but it's better than some I've seen and used. But I like the remotes with the Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast with Google TV, and Nvidia Shield better. All of them are superior remotes to the Sony remote.

Another reason is that I want the same interface on all my TVs. Sure, I could put Chromecast or Nvidia Shield on my secondary TV, and I do have a Chromecast on it, in fact. Actually, I have a Chromecast, Fire TV, and Roku device on my secondary TV. But the remote figures into this again. I want the same experience on all my TVs. Unless I replace my TV in the bedroom with a Sony TV, I will still have a difference experience, even if I use a Google TV interface. And I'm not going to replace the TV in the bedroom. Not any time soon, anyway.

So, the only way to get the same experience is to use the same platform and same remote. And that means a separate streaming device.

Since I had these streaming devices on my old TV, it was a simple matter to put them on my new Sony TV and keep using them.

Right now, my platform of choice is Roku. So, I use Roku on both my main living room TV, and on my bedroom TV. If I want to change to Fire TV, I can do that easily enough, as I have that platform on both TVs as well. And I have Chromecast with Google TV on both TVs. I don't have two Nvidia Shield devices, and while I have a second Apple TV, I'm out of HDMI ports on the bedroom TV. Apple TV got the boot while I try out Fire TV on it.

According to a recent report, 80% of homes in the USA have smart TVs. Ryan Downey from The Streaming Advisor nailed it, though. People are buying smart TVs because that's what the stores carry:

While this is being lauded as some kind of milestone it is simply a reflection that consumers really have no choice but to buy a smart TV when they get a new set. There is no doubt that people are enjoying the features and apps. But the fact that they are buying them does not mean that they prefer them. They are the only choice. There will soon be a day when over 90 percent of TV sets in the us are smart TVs. People will buy new ones to replace non-smart TVs as they go bad or need to get replaced for one reason or another.

I didn't buy a new smart TV because I wanted a new smart TV. I wanted a new TV. What they had was a smart TV. So, I got a smart TV. Then I put a Roku on it. I didn't want a smart TV, and I bought the TV based on how the picture looked, and my previous experience with a Sony TV. So it's a TV with a Roku attached. Nothing more.

My Streaming Life includes a smart TV, but only as far as it is a TV. The smarts are from my platform of choice, Roku, and not the platform that came with my TV of choice, Sony.

Disney Bundle Basic on Hulu at last

I've subscribed to Hulu for years. Ever since Hulu started a paid subscription plan, I've been a subscriber.

For those that don't remember, or never knew, originally Hulu was a free Web-based service that was supported by ads. When streaming devices became more popular, around 10+ years ago, Hulu started a subscription service called Hulu Plus.

Later, Hulu dropped the free ad-supported service and it became a fully paid service, still supported by ads. Later, Hulu added an ad-free service. Then live TV. And then the Disney Bundle. And now, the Disney Bundle with ads or without.

Early on, Roku had Hulu Plus (later called just plain "Hulu") and had all the Hulu options available. Until the Disney Bundle with ads that launched a few months ago. Hulu only supported the Disney Bundle ad-free version. The cheaper "with ads" version wasn't available on Roku.

That's now changed. The Disney Bundle with Ads is now available on Roku. It's about time.

I think Disney was the holdup on this, not Roku. But, wherever the issue was, it's not an issue any longer. It's now a thing. I can watch Disney Bundle with Ads on Roku. And I'm trying it out. I've modified my subscription to the ad-supported version and will try it for a bit.

Spending on streaming is down ... but is still too much

Recently, we talked about how much people are still spending on cable TV. In that report, it was brought out that many cable and satellite subscribers also subscribe to streaming services.

I recognize that for some people, cable (or satellite) is exactly what they need. It's not for me, though.

For many streamers that cut the cord, they subscribe to several services each month. That's not for me either.

Cord Cutters News had a report recently that the average monthly amount spent on streaming services is down. They also mentioned that the average is $69/month.

According to Parks Associates, the average cord cutter now spends just $69 on streaming services, down from a high of $90 in 2021.

"Consumers are trying new services – they’re hopping in and out based on the season for sports, fresh content offerings, and the deals and bundles offered," said Elizabeth Parks, President and CMO, Parks Associates. "Currently we see 32 million US internet households hopping around with various services, and retention and churn will continue to challenge the industry."

To me, that's a lot of money. I pay nowhere near that amount.

I have Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Discovery+, Peacock, Frndly TV, Paramount+, and other services. But here's the thing: I don't have them all every month. In fact, no month has them all.

I subscribe to Frndly TV year-round, because I really like the content. I also subscribe to Amazon Prime year-round, but I do that for the shipping. Streaming is a bonus. I currently get Peacock as part of my Xfinity package. Paramount+ is included with my Walmart+ subscription, kinda like Prime Video is included with Amazon Prime.

The rest of the services? I'll subscribe to one a month. This month, say, HBO Max. Next month, Disney+. The next month, Netflix. And so on. Over the year, I watch all I want, and for a lot less than $69/month.

My Streaming Life is good, and less expensive than many others'. I'm happy with it. Very happy.

Cable TV is ... wait for it ... expensive

A new report shows just how expensive cable TV is for many people. And while it's not a shock to me that cable costs more than streaming, it still causes me to shake my head that people will pay so much for cable.

A report by Scripps, -- the company that owns Bounce, Grit, Laff, Court TV, ion Mystery and other channels -- shows that the average cost of cable or satellite TV subscriber , not counting Internet, is over $146/month.

Cord Cutters News breaks it down:

According to Scripps Networks, the average TV bill for cable TV is $103.90, but cable TV subscribers also pay an extra $42.30 a month for streaming services. This has been a growing trend recently as cable TV no longer gives customers access to everything. Now with a growing number of news shows and sports networks becoming streaming exclusives, cable TV subscribers have to pay for cord cutting services to get the shows they want.

A few big examples have been Peacock putting a growing number of sporting events behind a paywall. Paramount has put the new Star Trek shows exclusively on Paramount+.

More and more people with cable or satellite are also paying for streaming services. Once they realize that the streaming services can cover the content they want, most of the time anyway, they'll do what I did a dozen years ago and cut cable altogether. My Streaming Life is good, and I don't miss cable one little bit.

Amazon Prime Video tops streaming services

Recently, Cord Cutters News conducted a poll about video subscription services, and the results were a little surprising to me.

I've always thought of Netflix as the top streaming service. It's just something I always assumed. However, I'm not a user of Netflix, but I figured I was just different. I don't get much value from Netflix, but I assumed most people do.

Cord Cutters News says that Netflix is now number two, behind Prime Video:

According to our readers, Amazon Prime Video was the most popular subscription streaming, with 70.8% of our readers paying for it. Netflix followed Amazon at 61.5% and Paramount+ at 52.3%.

Here is a quick list of the top on-demand subscription services.

• Amazon 70.8%
• Netflix 61.5%
• Paramount+ 52.3%
• Hulu 48.4%
• Disney+ 43.5%
• HBO Max 37.6%
• YouTube 36.7%
• Apple TV 29.3%
• Showtime 11.7%
• Peacock 5.6%

Amazon seems to have been helped by the number of Americans who already have Amazon Prime for free shipping but also happen to use its video services. The integration of Amazon Prime into the Fire TV, one of the most popular streaming players sold, also likely helped its subscriber growth.

I use Prime Video because I use the shipping benefits. Netflix is something I rarely use. And I mean rarely. Paramount+ is included with Walmart+ (which may replace Amazon Prime). Hulu is something I use a lot, but am currently not using, as I wait for shows to build up again. Disney+ is part of a rotation, and I don't currently have it. HBO Max is the same way. YouTube is something I use, but not YouTube TV. Showtime isn't part of any rotation, unless it's part of a bundle. And Peacock is free with Xfinity Internet, but that is going away soon.

Maybe I'm not all that different from others. Nah. I'm not the typical streamer. I don't need all these services, and only use a few, and rotate them around. My Streaming Life is a lot cheaper because of this.