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Roku and Google kiss and make up, bringing YouTube TV back to smart TVs and dongles
Brinksmanship bites again
Carriage disputes from the bad old days of cable TV are still alive and well in the age of streaming, but at least the one that's been brewing between Roku and Google's YouTube TV has been quashed. The two sides have agreed on a multi-year contract.
Roku's new $15 streaming box has its sights squarely on Black Friday shoppers
Unless you can get one online, you're gonna be in the crowds at Walmart
In announcing its Black Friday deals that have already started, Roku is teasing a $15 streaming box exclusive to Walmart... but you'll have to wait until closer to Black Friday to get your hands on it.
Save $30 on Roku's best streaming box right now
Short of its soundbars, the Roku Ultra is where it's at
Over-the-top TV hardware is all over the place these days, but if you want as little physical fuss as possible — you did decide to "cut the cord," right? — the latest Roku Ultra box might just be for you. And for the next couple weeks, you can save a good chunk of change on one.The box features 50% better Wi-Fi reception than its prior iteration to help pipe in payload from Netflix, Hulu, and all the like in 4K with Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision to the TV all the way in your garden shed. It's still got Ethernet if you need it plus HDMI and USB ports for the direct connections to your set. The Ultra is also able to display video from casting device (which you may need if you're dealing with YouTube TV) and connects with your Alexa, HomeKit, and Google Assistant setup as well.
We appreciate an Easter egg every now and then, but what if the egg hatched, became necrotic, and then amputated a limb? If you're a fan of "The Walking Dead" airing on AMC and are watching it through YouTube TV, you should probably pick up on this nice little touch.
Discovery+ streaming service launching in January with up to a free year for Verizon subscribers
Series from Food Network, Trvl Channel, others available from January 4
Discovery, the name behind broadcast brands like the Food Network and Animal Planet, has announced that it will launch a non-fiction streaming catalogue of more than 2,500 programs called Discovery+ starting January 4. In the U.S., Verizon customers who sign onto new home and wireless internet plans will get up to 12 months of viewing for free.
Roku Premiere 4K streaming box hits its lowest price of $25 ($15 off)
And there are more than 30 new free channels to watch on it
Cable may be overrated for a lot of people, but the same people end up asking themselves which streaming box they want to land on. Perhaps the price tag speaks the loudest for you? If so, you can grab the Roku Premiere, 4K- and HDR-capable, for its lowest price yet.The latest discount comes at the same time the company is expanding its catalog to include more than 30 new linear channels. They include:
T-Mobile's TVision goes nationwide with 7 bundles of channels
Three tiers, three premium channel packages, and another bundle for the HGTV and Food Network types
After testing in eight markets last year, T-Mobile is rolling out its TVision over-the-top TV service across the nation starting November 1. Starting with T-Mobile customers, cable-cutters will be able to compile a personal line-up from three tiers of a conventional package, a secondary package focused on specialized entertainment, and three premium add-on channels.
Google Play Movies adds support for DC Universe, Epix Now, and Pluto TV
Look your show up on Play Movies, watch it on those apps with the tap of a button
One of the good things about Google Play Movies is that if you have a whole bunch of OTT apps or streaming subscriptions, the app will actually link you to those services if the shows you're looking for are available there. Three new services are now being recognized: DC Universe, Epix Now, and Pluto TV. But those services won't be prompted for everyone at the same time.
We're not far from the days when Amazon and Google were feuding over how YouTube was shown on Echo Show displays and not selling Chromecasts on the Amazon marketplace — in the course of the saga, both companies pulled services from their counterpart's platform. However, the pair came to terms earlier this year with an agreement that resulted in YouTube services coming back to Fire TV devices in July. Now, Amazon has taken one step further forward by welcoming YouTube TV into the fold.YouTube TV offers over 70 channels, including local stations, with unlimited cloud-based DVR and simultaneous live viewing on up to three screens per account. If one of your screens happens to be coupled with a Fire TV Stick (2nd Gen), Fire TV Stick 4K, Fire TV Cube, or if it's an OEM-made Fire TV edition set, YouTube TV is now available on it. Get the app here.The last YouTube service Amazon has yet to adopt is YouTube Kids. It's expected to do so by the end of the year.Source: Amazon (Medium, Appstore), Google Support
Disney+, the company's announced premium subscription service, now has launch dates in five countries and distribution agreements with major over-the-top platforms. And if you don't live in the United States, we now know what you'll be paying per month in your region.
Dish-owned AirTV came out in 2017 with a 4K HDR Android TV streaming box that can plug into an antenna for local over-the-air broadcasts — thus combining local TV with over-the-top services ranging from Netflix to YouTube to Sling (another Dish property) in one input. But what if you have other TV sets you'd like to hook up? Surely you'd want to avoid the hassle of getting another AirTV box, right? Well, the company has come out with a new stick that acts as an OTT streamer on its own, but can also relay OTA with the help of an existing AirTV unit. All of this comes in the form of the AirTV Mini.