Articles about Streaming

When I cut the cord and switched from cable TV to streaming with YouTube TV, I was beyond happy. The interface was modern, there were many quality channels, I could watch live TV on the go, and best of all, it was less expensive than cable. Fast forward to today, and after some price increases, the cost savings have all but disappeared. And yet, I remain a loyal YouTube TV subscriber, as the service is only getting better, making the increased monthly charge worthwhile.

While I have no experience with PlayStation Vue -- another streaming TV service -- I am sure it has its own loyal fans. Whether or not they tolerate price increases is another story, and sadly, as of today, they are facing a higher cost for all tiers of service. Thankfully, it isn't too large of a price jump.

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Smart televisions are kind of... stupid. While TV makers love to advertise all of the integrated streaming services, the truth is, the interfaces are often slow and clunky. Ultimately, it is a much better experience to use a streaming device, such as Amazon Fire TV, Roku, or Apple TV. Hell, connecting your smart TV to the internet could even put your home network at risk!

The best thing about streaming media boxes and sticks, however, is they are typically very affordable. Well, with the exception of the pricey Apple TV. For instance, you can buy a quality Roku Streaming Stick for less than $40. You know what’s better than spending a little money? Spending no money. You see, Roku is giving away five devices (one per winner) to celebrate the summer.

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YouTube CBO Robert Kyncl has confirmed that all of the company's Originals content will be made available free of charge.

Currently locked behind a paywall, Originals will become free and ad-supported. At the moment, it is not clear exactly when the change will happen, but it is certainly in the cards, meaning shows like Cobra Kai should reach a larger audience.

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If you are having trouble accessing TVCatchup  via its mobile app or through its website, you are not alone. The UK TV streaming service has gone dark, and it could be a permanent closure.

The service has been no stranger to controversy and managed to attract the attention -- and the wrath -- of numerous broadcasters, and became embroiled in a legal battle. Having managed to stay online for longer than many would have imagined, it seems you’ll now have to seek out an alternative to TVCatchup.

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Hulu has bought back the minority share AT&T held in the streaming video firm. The two companies have come to an arrangement which sees Hulu purchasing AT&T's minority stake for $1.43 billion.

Buying the 9.5 percent stake at this price values Hulu at $15 billion. The deal gives even greater control to Walt Disney Co, which holds a 60 percent stake in Hulu as part of a joint venture.

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The entertainment industry and in particular streaming services is among the biggest targets of credential stuffing attacks according to a new report.

The study from digital delivery platform Akamai, unveiled at the NAB Cybersecurity and Content Protection Summit in Las Vegas this week, focuses on credential abuse attacks against online video and music streaming services.

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Citing "technical limitations", Netflix has dropped support for AirPlay from its iPhone and iPad apps.

Attempts to use AirPlay via the Control Center result in an error message, and Netflix has updated its support pages to indicate that the feature is no longer available. With AirPlay having been supported for a number of years, it's not clear quite what technical issues may have suddenly arisen, but the change does come shortly after the launch of Apple TV+.

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BitTorrent Inc has announced plans to launch a new social media platform for live streaming. It will be called BitTorrent Live and -- at least initially -- it will be centralized rather than decentralized, meaning that it is not based on the BitTorrent protocol or other P2P technology.

The first beta version is expected to launch in the coming quarter, and it will compete with the likes of Facebook Live. BitTorrent Live will enable users to stream content to mobile devices, or broadcast live, and will include social media elements.

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Downloading and installing is just so passé, and Google knows it. It is with this fact in mind -- and an eye firmly on the future -- that the company today announces its new game streaming service, Stadia, at GDC 2019.

The audience at this year's Game Developers Conference were treated to a preview of the cloud-based gaming service that can be accessed from mobiles, desktops, laptops, TVs and more. Google is hoping that the allure of cross-platform, instant-play gaming will attract droves of gamers to the platform.

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The battle between Apple and Spotify continues, with the streaming music company labelling the iPhone-maker a "monopolist".

The spat started when Spotify filed a complaint against Apple, saying that the company is stifling competition and limiting user choice with rules it puts in place. Apple responded, poo-pooing the claims, and now Spotify has responded in turn not only accusing Apple of having a monopoly, but also saying that the company's response to the complaint was "entirely in line" with what it expected.

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Having enjoyed huge success in other parts of the world -- and despite currently fighting a legal battle with Warner Music Group over licensing -- Spotify has now launched in India.

To cater for the various tongues spoken in the country, the recommendation engine can be set to multiple languages. Subscription pricing has also been tailored to the Indian market, and while it is not possible to make direct comparisons across currencies, a year's subscription costs 1,189 rupees (under $17).

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Spotify has updated its Terms of Service agreement, implementing an explicit ban on the use of ad blockers.

While the music streaming service has a decent number of paying users, a large percentage of the userbase stick with free, ad-supported accounts. A proportion of these free users turn to ad blockers, and this is something Spotify has been increasingly trying to clamp down on.

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To help bring in more money to fund new shows, Netflix is increasing its prices in the US with immediate effect.

The cost of plans is jumping by between 13 and 18 percent, and new users will have to pay the new prices straight away. Existing customers can expect to see their subscription fees going up at some point over the next three months.

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If you were hoping to get your hands on a Chromecast Audio, you're out of luck: Google has stopped manufacturing the device.

More than this, the audio-only version of Chromecast is out of stock pretty much everywhere, so your only hope of getting one now is probably to pick one up second hand. Google says it has a range of products that users can turn to if they want to enjoy music, so Chromecast Audio was deemed surplus to requirements.

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Netflix has millions of users around the world, but how many of these are actually paying customers? Many of us either know (or are) people who share their Netflix account with friends and family, or leech off the one person they know that's willing to pay for a subscription.

But Netflix free rides could be coming to an end. At CES, UK-based firm Synamedia revealed artificial intelligence software that could be used by Netflix and other companies to detect and block the sharing of account credentials.

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