Articles about Digital Media

Roku has become one of the most popular streaming media platforms, leading more people to get rid of cable and satellite services. It's a mixed bag because it requires some work and a bit of paying for services, though cheaper than the alternative.

Now the manufacturer is bringing its desktop app to Windows 10 in two more countries. Both Canada and the United Kingdom will be receiving the new app for Windows 10.

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Amazon has been actively pursuing improvements to its line of products, be it Echo, Fire TV, Kindle or Fire tablet. Of all of the products, perhaps the most updated one and the one which gets the most attention, is the Echo, often referred to as Alexa.

The latest improvements are to Fire TV, gaining Alexa-like features. This isn't technically an Echo update, but an update to the set-top box.

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Despite competition from the likes of Vimeo, YouTube has remained at the top of the heap for streaming videos, mostly because of content that comes from its users. While it's hard to see it being toppled anytime soon, it will have a new rival trying to do just that.

Amazon, which already runs its Prime Video service filled with TV shows and movies, is expanding its footprint, adding user content.

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When things go wrong in your home, and they seem to do so at an alarming rate sometimes, then you can hire a repairman and suffer the charges for labor, or you can learn to fix it yourself for the cost of parts and your own sweat.

The question is, how do you learn these things? Well, the obvious answer is the internet, but that isn't always as hands-on as you may need. It helps to really see things being done, as opposed to following what amounts to a user manual.

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You may well have heard the popular radio show This American Life. It's broadcast out of Chicago, but syndicated around the US, and perhaps has an even greater footprint thanks to its podcast. Host Ira Glass has taken his idea for a little show and turned it into a force in media.

Despite the name, the shows are very much international, though they usually involve Americans, even in foreign locations. Glass also covers all sorts of incidents from the financial crisis to crimes. Now the long-running show is coming to Pandora, a platform known for its music streaming system.

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If you play PC games, you surely know of Steam. If you aren't such a gamer, please know that it is a video game delivery and management platform for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It is a great way to purchase games, and unlike using Microsoft's Windows Store, games can take full advantage of your hardware.

Valve is not satisfied with Steam only being for games, you see, and the company is focusing on other media too. Today, Valve announces that Lionsgate movies will be distributed through its delivery solution. More than 100 films, including the wildly popular Hunger Games series, will be available on Steam for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

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It may not be big in the United States, but cricket equates to baseball in other parts of the world -- a sport with huge crowds and a somewhat similar method of play. The sport is very big in India and the Premier League is what the people want to watch.

Now Roku can bring all of the action to you with ESPN Cricket Pass. The set-top box maker brags that it is the only connected device offering this option for the 2016 season.

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With the release of the Roku 4, 4K arrived on the tiny set-top boxes. The company has also announced partnerships with set makers to create smart TVs using the Roku platform to power them. The new standard isn't prevalent, but it's coming around as more and more content becomes available.

This partnership was announced back in January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Now it is coming to fruition, six new models are set to begin shipping.

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Despite the publicity that music service Tidal has received recently thanks to the exclusive release of the Kanye West album, it has continued to struggle. Rumors the past few weeks have swirled around a potential sale of the streaming service, with Samsung being front and center among the candidates as a possible buyer.

Samsung has already shuttered its video service and there's a chance its Milk Music service is on the chopping block. While Milk has seemingly gained some footing with the free version of the Pandora-like radio, it has little in the way of paid subscribers.

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The History channel is one of those networks that many people either love or hate. While it provides good incite into many things, it can also go a bit off the rails at times. On the whole though, it's a solid viewing choice much of the time.

History Vault promises to provide hundreds of hours of "curated" content to viewers and to do so commercial-free. Content is divided up by categories including world leaders, inside the presidency, ancient discoveries and more.

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Training for that big marathon? You have a lot of work to do and plenty of long training runs in your future, but it can be done, it just takes some ambition and fortitude. But those long training runs? It's good to have some company to keep you going. Since a partner isn't always possible, music can be your next best option.

In running, the Runkeeper app comes in handy for tracking your workout and music can be supplied from a good streaming service such as Spotify. Now the two are teaming up to keep you moving out there.

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You could always watch Hulu on your PC or Mac, or for that matter, on multiple other mobile devices. Now the streaming service wants to integrate much deeper, using Windows 10 as its launchpad.

This doesn't mean it will cease to be accessible in all of the previous ways, it just adds one more option for customers of the service.

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When Sling TV launched it already had a number of deals with major networks such as ESPN and CNN, bringing real-time TV viewing over an internet connection, and doing so for a reasonable price, especially compared to cable and satellite providers. There were also a number of add-on packages for such things as extra sports and news channels.

Last year, just in time for Game of Thrones, the service landed HBO, and now it has another prize in its lineup, one that may attract even more customers.

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We're now counting down the hours to the kickoff of Super Bowl 50, which begins at 6:30PM EST when the Denver Broncos meet with the Carolina Panthers in Santa Clara, California. The fact that the big game is carried by network TV was a problem a few years ago for anyone who had cut the cord, but those days are changing and doing so quickly.

These days you have options that weren't available in those earlier times. In fact, it's not even just the game, but the halftime show and even the commercials, which sometimes become the real star of the game.

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Sunday is it. The big day will be here as the Denver Broncos take on the Carolina Panthers. Peyton Manning squares off against the up and coming Cam Newton in a showdown for the coveted Lombardi Trophy, first hoisted into the air by the Green Bay Packers back in 1967, three years before the legendary namesake passed away.

Fast-forward 40-plus years and we've arrived at that day again, though this time the game will be held in a more temperate climate, as that is now the way the league wants it to be. No more frozen tundra, but weather more suitable to fans and media.

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