Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Hulu for $1/month again

Hulu has done this for the last few years. For Black Friday, the service is available for 99¢/month for 12 months. Naturally, there's a catch.

To take advantage of the deal, you must not have been a Hulu subscriber for one month prior. If you are an existing subscriber in any form -- standalone Hulu or part of any Disney Bundle -- you are not eligible. Well, unless it's been a month.

How long will the sale last? I don't know. It's usually for around a month. I don't know if you have time to cancel and then take advantage of the deal a month later.

Are there any other catches? Not really. It's pretty straight forward. It's the standard $8/month Hulu service for $1/month for a year.

I know of people who have taken advantage of the deal on consecutive years by using a different email address, essentially rotating accounts year to year. In one year, they use the original email address, in the next, they use a second address. Then back to the first address. And so on. I'm not advocating that. I just know it's been done.

My Streaming Life has used Hulu since I began streaming regularly in January 2011. I used the free version (yes, there was a free version), them moved to the subscription service later in that year. I've stayed with the service ever since. It's a worthwhile service to me. And this is a great bargain.

Monday, November 20, 2023

Motorola modems going away?

There is a report that the manufacturer of Motorola modems may be closing down. Or may have already closed down.

Light Reading reports that Minim, the company that makes the Motorola branded modems, is in serious financial trouble, having laid off a large number of staff, and having reported to the Securities and Exchange Commission that it was in danger of shutting down.

Minim, which sells Motorola-branded cable modems and gateways at retail alongside a software-powered home network management platform, laid off about 78% of its staff in September amid a severe cash crunch.

It's not clear what's next for the Manchester, New Hampshire-based supplier, but its website is down as of this writing. Minim's phones are still ringing (though no one is answering), and its products are still being sold online at outlets such as Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart and via a section dedicated to cable modems at Motorola.com.

In recent weeks, Minim has alerted the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that there's "substantial doubt" that the company can go on without an influx of fresh capital.

This is disappointing to me. When I first cut the cord, I did so to save money. When I continued to look for more ways to save money, I discovered that I could provide my own modem, which while an upfront expense, would save money in the long run. I bought a Motorola modem. It served well, and I'm not sure why I replaced it. Probably went out of date due to technological changes. And the replacement was not a Motorola.

My Streaming Life utilized Motorola modems early on. I'll be sad to see them come off the market, if all this goes as it looks like it's going.

Sunday, November 19, 2023

No Antivirus?

Internet Privacy Guy Rob Braxman doesn't use an antivirus program on his computer. So why should you?

Well, maybe you shouldn't. Maybe. Don't change your behavior until you watch the whole thing. Nothing is ever simple, and Rob Braxman covers a lot of territory.

[YouTube]

If you drop your antivirus protection, make sure you know what you're doing.

Saturday, November 18, 2023

Watching College Football in 2023: Week 12

Week 12 of college football for 2023 has begun. There are 68 Division 1-A/FBS games on tap this week, with eight already played (three Tuesday, two Wednesday, one Thursday night, and two last night).

Today, there are 60 games scheduled. There are four games that feature two Top 25 teams playing each other:

  • Georgia (1) at Tennessee (18)
  • Utah (22) at Arizona (17)
  • Kansas State (21) at Kansas (25)
  • Washington (5) at Oregon State (11)

All ranked teams are in action this weekend, with the rest of the Top 25 all play unranked teams.

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 16 games involving Division 1-A/FBS teams, with nine ranked teams (at least, by this week’s poll) playing. Those games will be broadcast on:

  • ABC
  • CBS
  • CBS SN
  • ESPN
  • ESPN2
  • ESPNU
  • Fox
  • FS1
  • NBC

It’s possible that before the season ends, 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 ($77/month)
  • YouTube TV ($73/month)
  • Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
  • DirecTV (Entertainment) ($85/month)

ACC Network

  • Sling TV (Orange + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
  • Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
  • Hulu+Live TV ($77/month)
  • YouTube TV ($73/month)
  • Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
  • DirecTV (Choice) ($116/month)

Big Ten Network

  • Sling TV (Blue + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
  • Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
  • Hulu+Live TV ($77/month)
  • YouTube TV ($73/month)
  • Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
  • DirecTV (Choice) ($116/month)

CBS

  • Antenna (free)
  • Paramount Plus (Premium) $12/month
  • Hulu+Live TV ($77/month)
  • YouTube TV ($73/month)
  • Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
  • DirecTV (Entertainment) ($85/month)

CBS Sports Network

  • Hulu+Live TV ($77/month)
  • YouTube TV ($73/month)
  • Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
  • DirecTV (Ultimate) ($146/month)

CW

  • Antenna (free)
  • Not available streaming.

ESPN, ESPN2

  • Sling TV (Orange) ($40/month)
  • Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
  • Hulu+Live TV ($77/month)
  • YouTube TV ($73/month)
  • Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
  • DirecTV (Entertainment) ($85/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 ($77/month)
  • YouTube TV ($73/month)
  • Fubo (Pro + Fubo Extra) ($83/month)
  • DirecTV (Choice) ($116/month)

Fox

  • Antenna (free)
  • Sling TV (18 markets only) ($45/month)
  • Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
  • Hulu+Live TV ($77/month)
  • YouTube TV ($73/month)
  • Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
  • DirecTV (Entertainment) ($85/month)

Fox Sports 1

  • Sling TV (Blue + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
  • Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
  • Hulu+Live TV ($77/month)
  • YouTube TV ($73/month)
  • Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
  • DirecTV (Entertainment) ($85/month)

Longhorn Network

  • Sling TV (Orange + Sports Extra) ($51/month)
  • Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
  • DirecTV (Choice) ($116/month)

NBC

  • Antenna (free)
  • Peacock (Plus) ($12/month)
  • Sling TV (11 markets only) ($45/month)
  • Hulu+Live TV ($77/month)
  • YouTube TV ($73/month)
  • Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
  • DirecTV (Entertainment) ($85/month)

NFL Network

  • Sling TV (Blue) ($40/month)
  • Vidgo (Plus) ($70/month)
  • Hulu+Live TV ($77/month)
  • YouTube TV ($73/month)
  • Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
  • DirecTV (Choice) ($116/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 ($77/month)
  • YouTube TV ($73/month)
  • Fubo (Pro) ($75/month)
  • DirecTV (Choice) ($116/month)

That's this week in Division 1-A/FBS 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.

Friday, November 17, 2023

Nvidia Shield again, but wait ...

It was a year and a half ago that I got an Nvidia Shield device. Things happened, and I never finished testing it. I kinda liked what I saw during the brief time I used it, but like I said, things happened.

I want to test the Nvidia Shield as a primary streaming device, and put some serious time into it. I've been using Chromecast with Google TV, and actually like it. But, I think I'm done testing it. But, before going back to Roku, I want to finish my Nvidia Shield testing.

Well, I hooked it up, ran updates, and sat down to use it. Well, what I saw was unexpected. I really expected things to look pretty much like Chromecast. They didn't.

What I've run into is that Android TV and Google TV aren't the same thing. Google TV was -- was, mind you -- a platform. Android TV replaced it. Then Google decided to update the interface. The updated interface is called Google TV. Confusing? Yeah. That's Google for you.

Anyway, it was unexpected. Two days later, the interface had changed. Not the same as what Chromecast uses, but closer. Maybe it'll change again. This is gonna take a while.

My Streaming Life uses four major platforms: Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, and Android/Google TV. They all work well, but the devices can make a big difference. I am putting more time and effort into the Nvidia Shield. I have to. I hate to think I spent all that money for nothing.

Thursday, November 16, 2023

Pay TV services shrink, except for YouTube TV

A recent report shows that despite traditional pay TV services -- cable and satellite -- are losing customers, YouTube TV continues to get more customers. Not only that, the rate of growth of YouTube TV, combined with the traditional services shrinking, means that YouTube TV will soon be the 4th largest pay TV service.

A report this past Spring from Leichtman Research Group says cable TV customers such as Comcast and Spectrum lost over 2-million customers in the first quarter of the year alone. A recent report shows that traditional pay TV services dropped 2-million in the second and third quarters combined.

Top cable providers had a net loss of about 1,015,000 video subscribers in 3Q 2023 – compared to a loss of about 985,000 subscribers in 3Q 2022

Other traditional pay-TV services had a net loss of about 780,000 subscribers in 3Q 2023 – compared to a loss of about 700,000 subscribers in 3Q 2022

Top vMVPDs added about 1,325,000 subscribers in 3Q 2023 – compared to a gain of about 1,300,000 subscribers in 3Q 2022

Combine that with the information that showed YouTube TV growing by 600,000 in the third quarter, and that streaming service is on track to be the fourth largest pay TV provider. It is already the fifth largest, according to Cord Cutters News.

YouTube TV now reportedly has about 6,500,000 TV customers. This would put it in 5th place, just behind DISH, which has 6,720,000 subscribers. Comcast is still in first place with 14,495,000, followed by Spectrum at 14,379,000 and DIRECTV with 11,850,000.

At this rate of growth and with DISH’s recent declines in subscribers it is very likely that YouTube TV by the end of 2023 will become the 4th largest live TV service in the United States. This includes both streaming and cable TV companies.

This is good news for streaming services, and bad news for cable and satellite. My Streaming Life grows stronger every day.

Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Streaming service loyalty

A recent study from Parks Associates says that streaming customers are sticking with Netflix and Prime Video. It also indicates that the service most likely to be dropped is Peacock.

Of course, the results of the study don't match up with me, but then perhaps I'm not average. I don't know if I'm above average (I would like to think so) or below average (others probably think so) or just different (everybody thinks so).

The full study is available for purchase, and I didn't purchase. I did see write-ups from The Desk and from Cord Cutters News, so what I'm writing about now is based on those articles. As they pretty much agree, I'm going to assume the reports are accurate in summing the results of the study.

The streaming services mentioned are all service to which I have subscribed.

The retention durations reflect the established status of each service in the consumer landscape. Despite challenges such as price increases and password-sharing crackdowns, Netflix thrives, fueled by its extensive content library. Prime Video, bundled with the Prime subscription, maintains a low turnover, but the introduction of commercials next year may impact subscriber behavior.

Hulu secures the third position in subscriber loyalty, with a notable drop in retention for the subsequent tier, featuring Starz, Paramount Plus, and Disney Plus in fourth, fifth, and sixth places, respectively. Max and Apple TV Plus follow closely, marking another drop in retention before reaching the bottom tier, occupied by Peacock.

Of those, I would have to admit that I've been with Prime Video ever since there was a Prime Video. You see, I have been a subscriber to Amazon Prime for many years, before Prime Video was ever a thing. As I've continued to subscribe, but for the other benefits, not for Prime Video. If I could get Amazon Prime without Prime Video, I would, and drop Prime Video. So, I'm not a loyal subscriber to Prime Video.

Netflix is a service I dropped years ago as well. Yes, I've subscribed for a month at a time a few times to watch MST3K when new seasons dropped, and to test they new pricing tier, so I could talk about it with experience. Otherwise, I don't watch it. It's not worth the cost to me.

I've been with Hulu from the time it was free (yes, it once was free). I will put the subscription on hold for periods of time when seasons of favorite shows end, but I don't cancel and return. I don't pay year-round, but I do stick with them overall. Half loyal, maybe.

Starz? I have subscribed, but only when there is a really low price and only for a short period. Not loyal.

Paramount Plus? I get it with Walmart Plus, but I would likely subscribe to it. Half loyal, perhaps.

Disney Plus? Not really loyal. It's only $2/month if it's bundled with Hulu, so maybe loyal. I include it in rotation, but not full time. I would not pay full price for it. Not loyal.

Max? If they offer a great price, which they do from time to time, I may include it in my rotation. Otherwise, no. Not loyal.

Apple TV Plus? When it comes with another purchase, I'll use the service. I won't pay for it. Not loyal.

Peacock? It comes with Xfinity rewards. I don't personally use it, but a family member likes it, so if I didn't get it free, I would subscribe for her, but not for me. Half loyal.

None of them are services to which I am loyal. Yes, Amazon gets my money, but not for the Prime Video. Like Paramount Plus and Peacock, it comes with another service, and I would likely not use it by itself. Only Hulu is one that I would pay for by itself, and then only part time. However, for more than any of the others. I watch it the most, and if I had to pick one, it would be Hulu.

AMC Plus was not listed, but I would put it in the same category as Starz. If there is a really really low price, which there is from time to time, I'll subscribe and add it to my rotation.

There is one service to which I am loyal that was not listed. I've subscribed to Frndly TV since it launched. I don't watch it that much, but I like to have it there. It's good, family friendly content.

My Streaming Life isn't much like the average, as determined by the study. But yours probably isn't either. After all, it's yours, just as mine is mine. It's individual, and how we want to do it. That's one of the major reasons I enjoy streaming television. It's what I want to watch, not what someone spoon feeds me.