Streaming

Why the HBO-Amazon Deal Is Good for Everyone (Except Netflix)

HBO and Amazon just put a ring on it with a giant, multi-year deal that will put HBO originals on Amazon Prime exclusively. Woooooo! That means you don’t need an HBO subscription to watch old episodes of everything from the Wire to Eastbound & Down. And in this game of everything-but-Game-of-Thrones, everyone wins; Amazon, HBO,…

HBO Is Bringing a Ton of Its Shows to Amazon Prime

Amazon just announced an agreement that makes Prime Instant Video the only place you can watch HBO originals online without an HBO subscription. Starting May 21st, Prime members will get exclusive, unlimited streaming access to pretty much every HBO original you’re interested in except Game of Thrones. Right out of the gate, Prime members will…

At long last, Roku finally is getting a YouTube app. That closes one of the few streaming holes it had left, and only goes further to make it more important than ever.

AT&T is teaming up with an investment company called The Chernin Group to launch a Netflix competitor. The firms are spending $500 million collectively to build the streaming service. Maybe that amount of money will buy better things to watch than Netflix offers.

What’s The Most You’d Pay For Netflix?

Netflix will be raising its price in the not-s0-distant future, CEO Reed Hastings announced yesterday in a letter to shareholders. It’s only going up by a dollar or two, but an increase is an increase. But what’s the most you’d pay for Netflix? To be clear, Hastings said that existing subscribers would get to hang…

Netflix Is Going to Raise Prices for New Users

Bad news: Netflix will be hiking its prices for new subscribers. Per a first quarter letter to shareholders, CEO Reed Hastings says: Our current view is to do a one or two dollar increase, depending on the country, later this quarter for new members only. Hastings added that the $8 rate for existing customers will…

Chromecast just keeps getting better. You can now cast livestreaming baseball through the MLB.TV app. The only catch is that you’ll have to have a premium subscription. If you do, it’s time to play ball!

Weirdly Enough, Comcast Thinks Its TWC Buy Will Be Great For Customers

Monopoly? What monopoly? At least that’s one of the pillars of the 180-page document Comcast just filed with regulators in defense of its pending $45 billion purchase of Time Warner Cable. It is a big fat load of bull. Comcast executive vice president David Cohen claims that Comcast and TWC only compete in one small…

How Much Better Is House of Cards in 4K?

Netflix announced at CES that it would begin shooting original series in ultra high-def 4K, and now British site HDTVtest has caught the first glimpse of the streaming giant’s 4K content in the wild. How much more evil does Kevin Spacey look? Here’s what HDTVtest had to say: The opening shot of Frank Underwood (Kevin…

Sesame Workshop has launched Sesame GO, which is basically an all-you-can-Elmo web-based Netflix for Sesame Street for $4/month or $30/year. This message has been brought to you by the letter A for adorable.

If You Want to Watch Game of Thrones, Maybe Just Pay For It

Last night, Game of Thrones fans flocked to HBO Go as soon as the season four premiere was available. They were met with error after error, taking to the internet to complain about the shoddy service. What they should have done instead? Actually subscribe to HBO. Crazy, I know. Richard Lawson made a similar point…

Oh Hey, Android TV Was All Over CES Three Months Ago

Google TV has been dead in the water for a while now, but rumor has it that a flashy new successor, Android TV, is on the way. There are rumors, and also it was hiding in plain sight atCES three months ago. Turns out that while Android TV hasn’t been officially announced or acknowledged by…

Microsoft Has Six Original TV Series in Production

Amazon and Netflix are doing it in style, Yahoo’s clamouring to join in, and now Bloomberg reports that Microsoft has at least six original series in production, too. Bloomberg reports that Xbox’s TV studio, which is headed by ex-CBS exec Nancy Tellem, is working hard. The report explains that among the projects are a Sarah…

WSJ: Yahoo Is Planning to Make Its Own Original Web TV Shows

The Wall Street Journal reports that Yahoo is planning to take on Netflix and Amazon, with ambitions to produce its own original web-series programming. The newspaper cites “people briefed on the company’s plans” who reckon that Mayer & Co. are “close to ordering four Web series.” Seems they’re not messing around, either, with those same…

Amazon Fire TV Review: A Fast Ride That’ll Cost You

Take your pick of streaming devices—there are already plenty out there. Amazon says its new Fire TV can best every Roku, Chromecast, and Apple TV in the land on speed, ease of use, and a treasure box of extras. In most cases, Fire TV delivers on those promises. But it comes at a price. What…

Amazon Fire TV Teardown: Rock Solid Guts But Expect Some Heat

So, you have your eye on Amazon’s shiny new $100 streaming box, which may just be the fastest smart TV you’ve ever met. But what lurks beneath its sleek exterior? Thanks to iFixit, you don’t need to wonder any longer. The guys have gotten hold of the new Fire TV streaming box and torn it…

Streaming Device Showdown: Who Wins the Battle for Your TV?

So you want to stream stuff to your TV. These days you have plenty of options, but which of them is best? After Roku announced its upcoming $50 HDMI-ready streaming stick and Amazon trotted out its new $100 Fire TV streaming box, we put this chart together to show you how it stacks up to…

Amazon Fire TV Hands On: The Fastest Smart TV You’ve Ever Met

Amazon pitched its Fire TV as a streaming device to end all streaming devices. The company touted its simple and effective search, and its open ecosystem boasting enough apps to burn your eyes out. We spent some time messing with the Fire TV and found that for the most part, it makes good on those…

Fire TV: Everything You Need to Know About Amazon’s $100 Streaming Box

Amazon has kicked off its arrival to the streaming party with the announcement of new $100 device called Fire TV to satisfy all your TV watching needs today in a popcorn-scented New York event. Here’s everything you need to know about it. Amazon used three pillars of what competitor devices like Roku, Apple TV, and…

Amazon’s Streaming Device: Everything We Think We Know

Amazon is hosting a TV-centric event in New York on Wednesday, where it will most likely reveal a streaming device. So what’s that lil’ thing going to look like? Here are the mostly likely answers to your biggest questions. What will it look like? Most signs point to a dongle, a la Chromecast or Roku’s…