Cordkillers 110 - Oh the Humanity!
Is HBO really falling behind Netflix? Do we want Chromecast built into our TVs? Does YouTube need humans?
CordKillers: 110 - Oh the Humanity!
Recorded: February 29 2016
Guest: None
Intro Video
Primary Target
- As Netflix Soars, HBO Comes Under Increasing Pressure
- Netflix steps up proxy blocking to celebrate Oscars weekend
- Netflix Now Testing Autoplaying Trailers
- Netflix is going all in on HDR and more original content
- Netflix to spend $5 billion on content in 2016
- 10 new feature films, 30 shows, 12 documentaries, and 10 stand-up comedy specials.
- More HDR programming including Marco Polo season 1 and Daredevil season 2
-iOS app will get option to limit quality in order to save data
- Second-screen experience coming to Chromecast
- More VPN blocking complaints rolling in from Spain, Germany, Czech republic, UK.
- More autoplay trailers being tested, when hovering over a title, as you navigate, when you first launch app or open browser tab
- Matthew Ingram of Fortune wrote “As Netflix Soars, HBO Comes Under Increasing Pressure”
- Asserts HBO “lives and dies by its ratings”
- New show Vinyl off to slow start, Westworld put on hold, Pitt/Hanks miniseries shut down
- HBO hasn’t had a big hit since Game of Thrones in 2011 (John Oliver? Silicon Valley? True Detective?)
- HBO total 130mm subs Netflix 74mm
Signal Intelligence
- YouTube reduces the chances of mistaken video takedowns
- Note from YouTube's Policy Team
- Spencer from YouTube’s policy team wrote a blog post Wednesday about criticism over video takedowns and demonetization.
- No big change in overall removals
- BUT “It's led us to create a team dedicated to minimizing mistakes and improving the quality of our actions. And it's encouraged us to roll out some initiatives in the coming months that will help strengthen communications between creators and YouTube support.”
- Also promise to increase transparency over monetization claims
Gear Up
- Google to bring Chromecast-like features to TVs
- Variety reports some Vizio TVs will have Chromecast built-in.
- The TVs will ship with an Android-powered tablet as a remote, featuring apps and a program guide.
- As early as this spring
- Variety says Google has approached at least one other TV maker
Front Lines
- Finn Jones cast in lead role in Netflix's IRON FIST TV series
- Netflix has cast Finn Jones (Ser Loras Tyrell on GoT) as Danny Rand in the upcoming Marvel series Iron Fist. Rand is a New York kid trained in supernatural martial arts. It’s expected to hit Netflix in late 2016 or early 2017. - Netflix to stream original anime by 'Attack on Titan' producer
- Netflix is releasing its first original anime series in 190 countries at once. Perfect Bones is directed by Kazuto Nakazawa for Production I.G., the studio behind Attack on Titan and Ghost in the Shell. In perfect Bones, geneticists are trying to create the perfect human to maintain peace, but some are kidnapped by an evil organization. No released date was announced. - PBS to debut a free 24/7 live channel for kids this year
- PBS is launching a new 24-7 channel called PBS Kids. PBS says, “Provided by local stations, the free services include a new TV channel and live stream on digital platforms.” It will be on air, at pbskids.org and the PBS Kids video app, available on Roku, AppleTV, Amazon Fire TV, Android, TV Xbox One and Chromecast. - Amazon comedy will star Jean-Claude Van Damme as a more badass version of himself
- An upcoming Amazon pilot will star Jean-Claude Van Damme as Jean-Claude Van Johnson, a famous actor who comes out of retirement to play the lead in an action movie version of Huckleberry Finn. However the actor is also a black ops operative. EPs include Dave Callaham, Ridley Scott and David Zucker. - Oculus Has Hired Former Flipboard, Hulu Product Exec Eugene Wei to Run Video
- Oculus, makers of the Rift VR headset, has hired former Hulu SVP Eugene Wei as head of video. He’ll be in charge of the platform that hosts VR and 360-degree content from other creators.
Under Surveillance
- We get a good look at Elektra in the latest Daredevil trailer. Daredevil returns March 18.
- Reminder: House of Cards returns Friday, March 4
- Brian: Better Call Saul, Justified, Whiplash, Cooked, 11.22.63
- Tom: Flash, Better Call Saul, Fuller House, Justified (107), 11.22.63
- On the Lookout: Cooked
Dispatches from the Front
Trying to decide between Tivo vs Tablo over the air DVR as I am canceling cable and the end of February. What are your thoughts and experiences with both of them and do you have one you tend to recommend over the other? I like that Tablo has a smaller monthly fee compared to Tivo. Thanks for any help you can send my way.
- Ryan
Re: ""Better Call Saul,"" I just noticed the aftershow called ""Talking Show"" aired after S2 premier and will after finale. What do you think about the principals discussing their own show . Can you review a review? Still waiting for the transformation of Jimmy into Saul Goodman.
- Mark
Wanted to provide a little update on the NHL's streaming service. As you mentioned several months ago, it was announced that MLB's streaming arm (MLB Advanced Media) was going to be taking over the running of the NHL's ""GameCenter Live"" streaming service, spurring hopes that the more experienced MLB crew would greatly improve GameCenter Live's rather average experience.
As of February 1st, that transition has now been completed and the reviews have been... almost entirely negative. The NHL inexplicably decided to make this change right in the middle of the season, and the first day was a complete disaster. If you could even successfully launch a stream, you would experience constant buffering or, more common, the stream dropping altogether after just a few minutes. These issues continued for the better part of a week before they finally at least got the service to a point where you could (mostly) watch an entire game without having to restart the stream.
The highly-touted feature that was supposed to come with the MLB's takeover was 60fps streams, and they strongly implied this would be available on devices like the PS4 and Roku. However, it seems that no one really knows how to get those 60fps feeds. I've seen sporadic reports of people occasionally achieving 60fps with an AppleTV or an Xbox One, but never consistently. Personally, I've yet to see a single minute of a game in 60fps on my PS4, PS3, Roku, Nexus 5 or browser a month into the service.
In addition, the NHL actually removed features that people who had purchased the entire season had paid for, including NHL Vault, which provided a fairly impressive back-catalog of games from previous seasons to watch on demand. That service disappeared entirely after the transition, with no warning or explanation from the league.
To be fair, it's not entirely bad. In my experience, the PS3 and PS4 apps are improved over the GameCenter Live versions and are no longer plagued with the buffering issues they had under GCL.
However, all things considered and as a long-time GameCenter Live subscriber, the MLBAM takeover has been a pretty big disappointment, and I'm reevaluating my subscription for next season.
Take care,
- Justin
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