Video

Channels DVR Now Records Streaming Cable & Satellite Television

The Channels app and DVR software have become my go-to solution for watching live OTA TV and recording local channels. When you pair Channels with an HDHomeRun tuner, you have instant access to stream local stations to any supported applications on iOS, FireTV, or Android devices. If you choose to pay for Channels Plus, you … Read more

Apple TV Makes It Personal

As Apple prepares to launch its streaming video service this fall, a number of Apple TV enhancements were unveiled at WWDC. Anyone who’s gritted their teeth at Netflix and Amazon autoplaying content probably won’t care for the refreshed Apple TV homescreen (which hopefully can be customized for a quieter experience) and the incoming Apple Music … Read more

Caavo Wants Your Whole Home, Starting With Sonos

Caavo Control Center, something much more than a universal remote despite having just replaced my Harmony, is out with a humongo update today. First and foremost, beyond managing the connected television devices that they continue to iterate on, the company has picked up TiVo’s original whole home torch and is expanding control deeper into our … Read more

Comcast Wants To Be Your Apple TV

Love streaming apps but don’t love cable? Your friendly (ahem) neighborhood Comcast cable franchise would like to rent you a streaming set-top for $5/month. Of course, most cord cutters aren’t exactly interested in the ongoing fees and platform limitations associated with hardware rentals. Hence, the meteoric rise of Apple TV, Fire TV, and Roku. Yet, … Read more

Time Runs Out for T-Mobile TV in 2018

After scooping up startup Layer3 TV earlier this year, T-Mobile’s plans to launch a disruptive online video service in 2018 appear to have faltered. The delay may not be a long one, but it follows years of bold claims by the Layer3 TV team that have amounted to very little in the consumer market. Bloomberg … Read more

Unboxing DirecTV Now Android TV Streamer

Beta testers, such as a well-connected associate, have begun receiving AT&T’s DirecTV Now Android TV streaming box. Both the packaging and startup sequence prominently display that “beta” designation – and with good reason. While DirecTV Now fires up fast, a subset of cloud DVR programming is conspicuously unavailable. As full-on Android TV, the Google Assistant … Read more

Amazon Fire TV Update Closes Gap On Roku

Folks routinely ask for streaming box recommendations. And, for a few years, I took the position that Roku and Fire TV were largely equivalent and indicated the decision should come down to content and app preferences. Need Kodi? Amazon is the answer. YouTube? Roku. Etc. However, the math changed last fall when Roku refreshed its lineup with smartly integrated volume-control capabilities. For many with streamlined configurations, a Harmony is unnecessary or overly complex (with additional clutter) — whereas simply adding some CEC and IR control to an expensive streamer may be exactly what the doctor ordered for increased efficiency. Well, today, Amazon ups the ante with similar from the $50 4K Amazon Fire TV Stick… and then some.

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The Skinnier $15 OTT Bundle Has Arrived

Hot on the heels of Philo announcing plans for Fire TV and Apple TV apps comes testimony word that AT&T will soon launch Watch. To hit the $15 price point, these two over-the-top streaming services provide fewer channels and do away with sports-centric programming that drives up licensing costs. For comparison, Sling TV starts at $20/mo … Read more