Streaming

Today the BBC launched a new online store where its back catalog of programming can be found. Featuring classics such as Doctor Who, Sherlock, and Orphan Black, the BBC Store provides a way to buy digital copies of your favorite shows... if you're in the UK, at least.

At the moment the store includes around 7,000 hours of viewing, but more of the BBC archive will be added over time -- and there are more than four million items for the corporation to add. Although the store is run by the license fee-funded BBC, content is not free of charge. Box sets start at around £8, while one-offs can be bought for much less.

This American Life has become a bit of an icon on US radio. Few people haven't at least heard of the show or its host Ira Glass. While episodes vary from humorous to hard-hitting news and rather harrowing true stories, the show has been a success.

Now the producers have added another show, titled Serial, and it takes the approach a step further. This show carries on one story throughout the season, continued from one episode to the next. Season one covered a murder investigation in Baltimore.

If you have a lot of stored media, such as music, photos and DVDs, and would like to get access to it through your home theater, then you need a bridge. That means a media server and an end-solution, and there is perhaps no better choice than Plex for this. The server is free and it can run on almost any computer platform. Then all you have to do is spare a bit of money for the app, which is also platform agnostic.

Now Plex is announcing that its software is arriving on the new Apple TV. That's good news for those who have shelled out the money for the set-top box out of Cupertino. This is the first time Plex is on Apple TV, as it wasn't available on the previous versions. At least not directly -- there were tricks for getting it running on the box, though they were not easy to pull off.

True to its word, Amazon has made good on an earlier promise (or threat, depending on your point of view) not to sell Apple TV. In what will be widely regarded as an aggressive marketing move, the online retailer has cut out Apple TV like a cancer. The block on sales comes just as Apple launches its latest streaming device, and the sanctions also affect Google's Chromecast.

Previous links to such product now 404, but there are still a few accessories scattered through the store. But the ban does feel like a case of Amazon cutting off its nose to spite its face. While it does means that Amazon is able to take steps to fight the competition, it does so at the cost of hurting its customers.

We're starting to see companies experiment with modern release methods for media. For instance we've seen movies debut on DVD the same day as they hit theaters and TV shows be available online before airing on networks. We can now add one more to the list.

National Geographic Channel and GE are teaming up to bring the "highly anticipated" new science show Breakthrough to viewers before it airs.

Wow, and weird, is my reaction to YouTube Red, which is live starting today. The experience is so different from the regular service, I am stunned. Fast-loading is the first thing, so be careful what you click—or turn off autoplay. Videos on Facebook feel like a moped racing a Lamborghini compared to YT Red.

Using this 2012 MissFender video as example: Pressing the stopwatch on my Nexus 6P at the same time I click to enter the URL, 9 seconds passes before I can start watching the vid. The time includes the auto-loading ad, how long it plays before YouTube permits me to skip, and lag caused by my own responsiveness dismissing the advert.

It's that time of year when the ghosts, witches and various other ghouls and monsters begin prowling our neighborhoods. We pretend to be scared, and some people genuinely are afraid around this time of year, but really it's all in good fun, which makes a good scary movie a must-see.

Hulu has you covered, announcing the availability of the three part The Enfield Haunting series. The show is based on "real" events (just suspend disbelief) that took place in Enfield, located in London, England.

This is one of the easiest reviews to write—and the shortest, too. If you own an Android or iOS device, buy the new Chromecast. Nothing more needs to be said, but I am obliged because you do want to know why. Right?

Google opened up the streaming stick category with launch of the original Chromecast, in July 2013. Release of its successor, on Sept. 29, 2015, makes an already compelling platform better. I see two benefits that matter: WiFi AC support and the hanging dongle design. Wireless update primps the device for faster routers, like Google's own OnHub. The other is more crucial. Some people needing or wanting to plug into one of a TV's rear HDMI ports may find the original Chromecast won't fit. The new design, puck hanging from HDMI cable, solves that problem.

James Bond is one of the longest running movie series of all time. From Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, Timothy Daulton all the way up to the present with Daniel Craig. The franchise has provided movie-goers with some of the greatest thrills to hit the big screen.

Now 007 is landing on Hulu beginning November 1st. Classics such as Live and Let Die, Goldfinger, Octopussy, A View to a Kill and number of others. The most recent in this release is 1989's A License to Kill.

Apple Music has managed to retain just 6.5 million subscribers willing to pay for the service four months after launch. Tim Cook has revealed that there are 15 million users in total at the moment, meaning that 8.5 million are making use of the free trial period.

Apple has previously claimed that it was managing to hang onto 79 percent of free trial users, converting them to paid subscribers, but these latest figures -- direct from Cook -- are at odds with this. But the real question is, how many of these paying subscribers simply forgot to cancel their subscription at the end of the trial period?

This past week, streaming service TuneIn Radio announced it had gained rights to NFL games. You can now listen to the broadcast of your favorite team's game. Granted, it's not video, but it's better than nothing and a lot cheaper than NFL Sunday Ticket.

So how does it work? First you need to sign up for a Premium plan, which will run you $7.99 per month, though you'll get a seven day free trial. This requires all the usual things -- username, password and credit card information.

If you've cut the cord on your cable or satellite TV  then you have an increasing list of choices for things you can still watch. One of the newest players is Sling TV, which had a number of channels available right from the start and has since been adding more. In fact the service managed to score HBO right before Game of Thrones began its 2015 season run.

Now, as a reward for customers, this weekend Sling TV will be offering free HBO to everyone. Of course these sorts of offers are also a hope that some people will decide to keep it. In that case, you can expect to add $15 to your monthly bill.

Streaming video services are frequently tied to specific countries and steps are taken to prevent people in other parts of the world using them. This is nothing new, and there has been something of an on-going battle between service providers and users who try to find a way around any blocks that may be put in place.

Now the BBC is going to war, and it has VPNs in its sights. VPNs are frequently used by those outside of the UK to view programmes on BBC iPlayer -- but they are also used by security-conscious users. But the BBC is not concerned about the security side of things, just that the tools can be used to bypass geo-restrictions. TorrentFreak reports that UK-based VPN servers are now detected and blocked.

Music has always been a part of late night television, regardless if it's the shows own group or a special guest performing live. To catch most of these acts you need to watch live or on demand and obviously need a TV. But now you can catch some of it right on your computer.

Yahoo is announcing the addition of concerts on Jimmy Kimmel Live and it kicks off tonight. If you tune into the site you can watch Duran Duran beginning at 11:35pm CT. The band just released its 14th studio album titled "Paper Gods".

The National Football League season is in full swing and there have already been some surprises. Teams expected to compete have floundered, while those considered underdogs have managed to thrive. But what if you can't watch your team? Some folks live "out of market" and some have cut the cord. Well, there's radio right? No, not if you aren't in market.

Now TuneIn Radio aims to change that, bringing broadcasts of all 32 teams right online. You can listen to the play-by-play call from home, even if your favorite franchise is a thousand miles away.