698 replies to this topic

[RShack]

It would also be a huge blow to MLB 

 

I wonder if the antitrust exemption might loom large here...

[Matt_P]

I wonder if the antitrust exemption might loom large here...

 

No. Not in the slightest.

[Mark Carver]

It will be time to buy me a Amazon Prime gift card for myself as I'm good through December 15th.

 

 

Amazon Prime is widely known as the best deal in tech, even at $99 a year. Now you'll be able to save big, but the sale will only last for one day. That one day is Friday, September 25, and Amazon Prime memberships will be $67 for one year.

 

http://www.komando.c...campaign=buffer

[BSLMikeLowe]

It will be time to buy me a Amazon Prime gift card for myself as I'm good through December 15th.

 

 

 

http://www.komando.c...campaign=buffer

 

If you shop a lot on Amazon, the free 2-day shipping alone is worth it. The Prime Video is just icing.

[RShack]

It will be time to buy me a Amazon Prime gift card for myself as I'm good through December 15th.

 

 

 

http://www.komando.c...campaign=buffer

 

Last time they did something like this, if you were already a Prime customer, you could gift it to yourself, turn off auto-renew, then use the gifted code to get the discounted price the day after your existing membership expired... (guess how I know)...

 

So far, it looks like you cannot do that with this one... it's clear they specify  "new customers only"... also clear that means that if you ever had it before you can't use this, even if you don't have it now...

 

What we don't know is whether they have mechanisms to enforce that against the obvious workarounds, e.g. same USPS addr but using different email addr plus different credit card...

[You Play to Win the Game]

It will be time to buy me a Amazon Prime gift card for myself as I'm good through December 15th.
 
 
 
http://www.komando.c...campaign=buffer

 
If you shop a lot on Amazon, the free 2-day shipping alone is worth it. The Prime Video is just icing.

I really only buy perishables at the store anymore. Everything else is Amazon. They probably hate me. If they ever do use drones for delivery... I'll be the first accidental Amazon drone strike.

[Mark Carver]

Last time they did something like this, if you were already a Prime customer, you could gift it to yourself, turn off auto-renew, then use the gifted code to get the discounted price the day after your existing membership expired... (guess how I know)...

 

So far, it looks like you cannot do that with this one... it's clear they specify  "new customers only"... also clear that means that if you ever had it before you can't use this, even if you don't have it now...

 

What we don't know is whether they have mechanisms to enforce that against the obvious workarounds, e.g. same USPS addr but using different email addr plus different credit card...

 

That's interesting. My yearly ends Dec 15th. What if I didn't renew until after the 1st of the year. Have to see come the 25th.

[McNulty]

I really only buy perishables at the store anymore. Everything else is Amazon. They probably hate me. If they ever do use drones for delivery... I'll be the first accidental Amazon drone strike.

 

I dropped about 3 grand on them this week buying stuff for my new apartment.

[RShack]

That's interesting. My yearly ends Dec 15th. What if I didn't renew until after the 1st of the year. Have to see come the 25th.

 

I don't think that matters... if it will work on 1/1, I bet it will work on 12/16... we don't know if it will work on either... (unless you try workarounds like a different email addr...)

 

Not sure if we'll know on the 25th either...

 

On the plus side, amazon customer service is good about not screwing you... so, I'm pretty sure that the worst case is that they'd apply it towards the standard renewal cost...

 

BTW, they've nuked the old thing where you could share a Prime with 4 other people... if you have it, you're grandfathered in... but if you let it expire so you can sign up for cheap the next day, you lose that... now, it's just 1 other adult in your household and you have to share credit card authorizations with them...

[Matt_P]

Last time they did something like this, if you were already a Prime customer, you could gift it to yourself, turn off auto-renew, then use the gifted code to get the discounted price the day after your existing membership expired... (guess how I know)...

 

So far, it looks like you cannot do that with this one... it's clear they specify  "new customers only"... also clear that means that if you ever had it before you can't use this, even if you don't have it now...

 

What we don't know is whether they have mechanisms to enforce that against the obvious workarounds, e.g. same USPS addr but using different email addr plus different credit card...

 

If you are able to do that, keep in mind that you'll be under current rules of Amazon Prime and won't be able to share your account with as many people.

[Mark Carver]

A new Chromecast is here, and it's still dirt cheap.

The latest version of Google's popular streaming dongle offers a host of improvements, to better allow users to "cast" video, audio and other apps from their phones and tablets to their TVs.

It's available today in 17 countries for the same $35 US price as the old Chromecast.

Instead of an integrated "stick," the new Chromecast is a round puck with an integrated HDMI cable attached. This design keeps it very compact, but attachment to the cramped rear panels of many TVs should be easier. It also comes in a choice of colors, including red, yellow and black.

One of the chief complaints about the old Chromecast was balky Wi-Fi connectivity, but Google says the new version is much better. It works with the latest 802.11ac standard via both 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks. Google touts the new adaptive antenna system, complete with three antennas, said to drastically improve streaming stability over a range of conditions.

 

 

http://www.cnet.com/...s/chromecast-2/

[You Play to Win the Game]

Love these updates Mark. Thanks. I've bought a few things from this thread. Very helpful.

[RShack]

BTW... not saying you should do this, this is just an FYI... if you get the right model of TIVO (a version of the cheaper ones), it can not only get OTA channels, but in addition you set it up by telling it what streaming services you have access to (HBO, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, whatever)... then, you tell it whatever you want it to find for you, and it will do it... if it's on OTA it will record it... if it's on a streaming service, it will have a link directly to it... doesn't matter if it's OTA or streaming, either way, whatever it finds will be in your list of shows...

 

Personally, I think it's a great idea... S-in-L cut the cord and has about 4 streaming sources, but it's a PITA to find stuff because you gotta look in 4 places... and even those 4 places aren't exactly elegant about their search tools... the TIVO does it right... the main obstacle IMO is the crazy amount they want for lifetime channel service (which you need for it to work, and paying monthly is even worse), but there are legit ways to get it for way cheaper than what they ask...  plus, if you go back to cable it will work for that too (but it can't do cable and OTA at the same time, you gotta pick one or the other...)

 

Then again, if all you care about is mlb.tv and Netflix, it's probably overkill...

 

If anybody cares about the TIVO that can get OTA or Cable (but not both at once) plus has great support for finding-and-streaming online stuff, TIVO has a deal that cuts the Lifetime service from $500 to $250 if you get one of the 4-tuner boxes.  (This doesn't seem to apply to the 6-tuner boxes.)

 

The $50 box is only good for streaming and nothing else.  The $150 box does that plus can do either OTA or Cable, but just one at a time, not both.   They also had refurbs of the $150 box for $50 which, combined with the $250 Lifetime, is a screaming deal.  At the moment, the refurbs are sold out, but this deal has been going on for a while, maybe they'll get more refurbs in stock (or not, beats me).

 

Either way, this is as good as it gets, price-wise, for a TIVO.  The $150 box plus $250 Lifetime is a good deal, the $50 refurb of the $150 box plus $250 Lifetime is beyond absolutely great.

 

(Be careful to not do the regular $50 box with Lifetime unless you really want online streaming with no ability to get either OTA or Cable.)

 

I didn't see the deal on their website just by nosing around, but you can get to it via this link: https://www.tivo.com...mo/supersavings

[Mark Carver]

It’s a big news day for our friends at Google. Among the many announcements shared during their press event this morning, you may have heard the words “Sling TV.”

What does Sling TV have in common with Google today? One word: Chromecast.

Chromecast has been one of our most requested devices since we first launched Sling TV in February. And today, I’m happy to officially announce that we plan to add Chromecast to Sling TV’s supported device lineup in the coming weeks.

 

http://www.cutcablet...-tv-chromecast/

[Mark Carver]

It took almost a year to get here, but Tribeca and film distributor Lionsgate have finally launched their paid video-streaming service. Shortlist, as the on-demand product is called, will have a $5 monthly subscription fee and give users access to over 150 "critically acclaimed" movies. Among them are Crash, City of God, Chasing Amy, Fargo and The Producers, to mention a few. Right now, Tribeca Shortlist is only available on the web and for iPad, although we're told it'll be available on the iPhone, Fire TV and Roku later this year, as well as Apple TV and Android in 2016. Tribeca, which is the company behind the Tribeca Film Festival, says the $5 price is set to stay until the end of 2015, but then it plans to increase it to $6.

 

http://www.engadget....beca-shortlist/

[Mark Carver]

Hmmmm... more companies involved means goods news to the consumer.

 

Amazon.com Inc. is exploring the creation of an online pay-TV service to complement its existing video offerings and has reached out to major media companies including CBS Corp. and Comcast Corp.’s NBCUniversal about carrying their channels, according to people familiar with the matter.

http://www.bloomberg...evision-service

[Mark Carver]

Fears about cord-cutting sparked a massive media industry-wide stock sell-off earlier this summer, but a new report highlights a burgeoning group that could pose an even bigger threat: “cord-nevers.”

The study, from Forrester Research, found that cord-nevers – people who have never subscribed to a traditional pay-TV service – make up 18% of the U.S. population. While most cord-nevers are age 32 and above (people who have grown up in the familiar pay-TV paradigm but eschewed it anyway), about 7% of the U.S. population are cord-nevers between the ages 18 and 31.

That figure is larger than the 6% of the population who are cord-cutters, or people who have cancelled their cable or satellite subscription, Forrester said.

http://www.wsj.com/a...vers-1444151008

 

[RShack]

If anybody cares about the TIVO that can get OTA or Cable (but not both at once) plus has great support for finding-and-streaming online stuff, TIVO has a deal that cuts the Lifetime service from $500 to $250 if you get one of the 4-tuner boxes.  (This doesn't seem to apply to the 6-tuner boxes.)

 

The $50 box is only good for streaming and nothing else.  The $150 box does that plus can do either OTA or Cable, but just one at a time, not both.   They also had refurbs of the $150 box for $50 which, combined with the $250 Lifetime, is a screaming deal.  At the moment, the refurbs are sold out, but this deal has been going on for a while, maybe they'll get more refurbs in stock (or not, beats me).

 

Either way, this is as good as it gets, price-wise, for a TIVO.  The $150 box plus $250 Lifetime is a good deal, the $50 refurb of the $150 box plus $250 Lifetime is beyond absolutely great.

 

(Be careful to not do the regular $50 box with Lifetime unless you really want online streaming with no ability to get either OTA or Cable.)

 

I didn't see the deal on their website just by nosing around, but you can get to it via this link: https://www.tivo.com...mo/supersavings

 

Well, not only is the deal dead-dead-dead, but it's worse than that... it appears TIVO has decided to focus on people who want low upfront costs and are willing to get hosed on monthly fees... so, they completely killed the old Lifetime Plan, then rebirthed it as the "All In" plan... with a price increase of $100 to $200... plus, they introduced a goofy looking new box that replaces the 4-tuner ones that could do OTA.... the 6-tuner cable-and-streaming-but-no-OTA boxes are unchanged but their cost with the life-of-the-box service plan just got ramped up...

 

The last gasp of good deals is the OTA-and-streaming only 4-tuner box that you can get with Lifetime for a $299 delivered.... while TIVO killed Lifetime as of the end of September, it seems that amazon bought a truckload of the OTA-and-streaming-but-no-cable boxes with Lifetime at the old close out price... so, if you want one of those, it's now or never... because once they're gone, they're gone... once that happens, just the Lifetime All-In service plan alone is $600 on top of whatever the box costs... 

[BSLMikeLowe]

Time Warner Cable's Roku TV test starts in NYC for $10 per month

 

To sum up, if you are among the customers who qualify, you can get a free Roku 3, the OTA networks, and a few other channels for $10/mo (if you do a 1 year contract). However, since the Roku also supports Sling TV, for another $20 month you can add that package on. The only duplicity I can see between the two (TWC doesn't list all the channels in the package) is TBS. So for $30/month you can get a pretty good lineup of basic channels....kind of like the old days of cable TV. And of course you have access to all the other services Roku offers. All in all, not a bad deal, if you qualify.

[Mark Carver]

I'll stick with my $35 a month Virgin Mobile, but I do like it another option for consumers.

LOS ANGELES — No. 3 wireless carrier T-Mobilesays it will let customers watch more online video from Netflix, HBO and others without paying for it.

However the free video streams will be in lower, 480p resolution.

At a splashy “UncarrierX” event here Tuesday, T-Mobile introduced a new addition to its monthly wireless plan: watching video doesn’t count in data coverage.

 

As part of T-Mobile's BingeOn program, the carrier is working with 24 video networks, including Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Showtime and WatchESPN for free video streaming. Missing in action--the world's biggest video network, Google's YouTube.

 

http://www.usatoday....aming/75522858/