Pay TV providers in the US lost subscribers for the first time ever over the 12 months ending in March. Especially alarming is the slowing growth of lower-priced offers. Read more »
YouTube’s long-rumored paid channels are live: The Google-owned service started its new subscription offering with select partners Thursday. Read more at paidContent »
Can a $99 HDMI stick turn any TV into a smart device capable of AirPlay-like streaming of web content? Check out our Plair review to find out. Read more »
The TV industry knows that broadband changes its business, but it can’t adapt quickly. That’s why the CEO of Conviva expects cord cutters to suffer higher fees and less content in the short term. Read more »
Roku’s got a new box, with a surprise: The Roku 3 remote control sports a headphone jack. What’s that all about, and what else is new? Check our review for answers. Read more »
The new WD TV Play comes with a simple UI, a focus on the key apps you need and a competitive $70 price tag. Check out our review to see if that’s money well spent. Read more »
Netflix is about to launch the first season of its original drama House Of Cards. It’s like a premium cable drama – but available to cord cutters. Read more »
There’s been a flood of boxes coming from Asia that bring Android to your TV. Some of them simply blow up a mobile phone UI on the big screen. The Cloud TV Box from Sungale instead uses a dedicated TV UI, but is that enough? Read more »
Just in time for your holiday shopping, here’s our Cord Cutters gift guide. Use it to buy friends and family members gifts that will help them to get rid of cable and have more fun with online video, or simply buy something for yourself. Read more »
A media CEO reminded people that, despite new internet distribution platforms, content owners remain in the drivers seat. He played down the idea of “cord cutters” but did acknowledge the emergence of people who have never had cable at all. Read more at paidContent »
Here’s another sign that live, over-the-air broadcast TV is heating up: The WD TV Live line of devices just got support for over-the-air tuners, enabling users to watch free HD TV and even record shows with a basic DVR feature. Check out our first look. Read more »
The DVR is back – and this time, it’s all about cord cutting: Simple.tv wants to get consumers to ditch cable with its DVR for over-the-air broadcast content that can be streamed to Rokus and iPads. But how well does the device actually work? Read more »
One of the best things about Apple TV is now available on Google TV: Check out this Cord Cutters quick tip for a demo of AirPlay video streaming from an iPad to a Google TV device. All you need is the right app. Read more »
Jon Stewart’s Daily Show could soon be available live on the internet, if Dish Network has its way. The pay TV operator is reportedly in talks with Viacom about making its live feeds available online. The question is: how much would you pay for it? Read more »
Vizio’s Co-Star is the company’s first Google TV device. How does it stack up to Roku, Apple TV and other media streamers, and how well does it work for cord cutters? Check out our video review for a detailed look at the device. Read more »
Many cable TV operators still argue that cord cutting doesn’t exist, but Verizon’s FIOS TV director Maitreyi Krishnaswamy thinks it’s real, and growing. But that’s not all: Krishnaswamy is also arguing that it might change the industry by putting pressure on studios. Read more »
Some media streaming devices have hundreds of apps, but most people just use three or four. Don’t care for the extra clutter, and the price tag that comes with it? Then you may want to check out the MovieNite, a barebones $38 media streamer. Read more »
NBC requires viewers to verify they are pay TV subscribers before accessing any of the live streams of the London Games. So what’s a cord cutter to do? Luckily, there are plenty of perfectly legal ways to watch the coverage without cable. Read more »
Google’s Nexus Q music streaming device officially went up for sale on Google Play this week. The device wants to compete with Sonos, btu also stream videos from YouTube and Google Play. How well does it work? Check out our video review. Read more »
Second screens don’t have to always be tablets: A new Chrome extension called Chromemote turns your computer’s browser into a remote control for any Google TV device. Especially neat and useful: You can fling websites you’ve opened on your laptop to your TV. Read more »
A new study predicts $200 bills for the pay-TV portion of your cable bill by 2020. Here’s how the cable companies are using both a carrot and a stick to keep pay TV necessary in an IP age. Can government or consumers stop them? Read more »
Want to watch live TV on your Roku without subscribing to cable? Then you should take a look at Skitter, which is rolling out a low-cost live TV service for connected devices. Simliar efforts have failed in court in the past, but Skitter is completely licensed. Read more »
Want to watch YouTube videos on your Roku? Then you might want to check out the new Plex channel for Roku, which brings a whole bunch of online content as well as personal file sharing to the device. Check it out in this week’s Cord Cutters. Read more »
Simple.tv is targeting cord cutters with its low-cost, bring-your-own-storage DVR that’s slated for release by the end of spring. We have the first screenshots of the HTML5 app that the company will use to target Boxee, Google TV and other connected devices. Read more »
Good news for Plex users: The next version of the company’s media center server software will have support for DLNA devices, which brings Plex to the PS3, connected TVs and a bunch of other devices. Check out this episode of Cord Cutters for an exclusive preview. Read more »
Thought online video was just about short clips? Think again: Netflix and Hulu are both premiering online-exclusive TV shows this month, and Sony is airing the third episode of its reality TV show on the PlayStation Network. We are taking a first look at these shows. Read more »
Boxee’s new Live TV dongle combines free over-the-air HD TV with social sharing and an electronic programming guide. The device is specifically being marketed to cord cutters and people interested in ditching their pay TV subscription – but is it worth $50? Check out our review. Read more »
Netgear is trying to compete with Roku, Apple TV and Boxee with its own streaming media player. The NeoTV has a few hundred apps, including Vudu, Netflix and YouTube, but lacks local playback capability and Hulu Plus. Should you buy it? Check out our review. Read more »
Still looking for the perfect present? Then look no further: We have compiled seven gifts for cord cutters and TV junkies alike, and we are showing off three of them in a special gift guide episode of our Cord Cutters web series. Read more »
Channel Master is squarely targeting cord cutters with its new DVR product, which promises TiVo-like time shifting functionality and online video content without any monthly subscription fees, for a price: The device costs a whopping $400. Is it worth the money? Check out our review. Read more »
A weak economy is putting pressure on the pay TV industry, but a bigger issue is the number of young people opting for online services instead. That’s an issue faced by Dish Network, which is trying to figure out how to win over those possible subscribers. Read more »
Google has updated its Google TV platform with a new UI, a bunch of interesting apps and access to the Android Market. The update is rolling out this Sunday, but we already have a first look at the next version of Google TV right here. Read more »
WD revamped their entry-level media player, giving it a new UI as well as integrated WiFi and access to Spotify. How does the music service look like on your big screen TV? Check out this episode of Cord Cutters to find out. Read more »
Have your kids taken over your Netflix queue? Does your recently watched list look like the broadcast schedule of Nickelodeon? Then check out this episode of Cord Cutters for a closer look at a service that promises to sort your family’s Netflix favorites into separate queues. Read more »
The LG ST600 set-top box doesn’t just offer access to Netflix, VUDU and Amazon VOD, but also integrates with Plex, the media center solution of choice for many cord cutters. Check it out in this episode of Cord Cutters. Read more »
Boxee’s new iPad app aggregates videos from your Twitter and Facebook contacts, plays videos files stored on your computer and beams videos straight to the Boxee Box or an Apple TV. Check out a detailed walk-through in this week’s episode of Cord Cutters Read more »
Most major public cable, satelleite and IPTV providers have announced earnings, and it’s clear that the second quarter was a weak one in terms of net subscriber additions. That will cause many to once again question whether online video services are causing viewers to quit cable. Read more »
Roku just came out with a new generation of streaming media players, complete with support for Angry Birds and other casual games as well as advanced Netflix streaming. Want to see it in action? Then check out this week’s episode of Cord Cutters. Read more »
People who have cut the cord aren’t doing so because they think Netflix provides a good alternative to their local cable TV company. In fact, those that go broadband-only are only slightly more likely to watch online video than those with pay-TV subscriptions, according to LRG. Read more »
