Cordkillers 233 - Giving Up on Being a Completionist

Amazon theaters, Verizon 5G rollout, and a new Star Wars trailer. All this and more on Cordkillers!

CordKillers: Ep. Magic for Humans trailer
Recorded: August 20 2018
Guest: None

Intro Video


Primary Target

  • Amazon in Running to Acquire Landmark Movie Chain
    - Amazon is in the running to buy Landmark Theaters, sources tell Bloomberg. Landmark, which is owned by Wagner/Cuban, which is backed by billionaire Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner, is reportedly considering mulitple offers from other companies. Amazon acquiring Landmark would give Amazon a theater chain showing independent and foreign films with more than 50 theaters in 27 markets like New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Cuban and Wagner also own Magnolia Pictures, the production company 2929 Productions, and the networks AXS TV and HDNet Movies.


How to Watch


What to Watch


What We're Watching


Front Lines

  • Streaming TV services now reach 5% of U.S. Wi-Fi households, up 58% since last year
    - ComScore reports US households watching streaming services has risen 58% in the last year. Comscore defines them as pureplay vMVPDs which stands for virtual multichannel video programming distributors. That means Sling TV, DirecTV Now, Playstation Vue, fuboTV, and Philo. "pure-play” streaming services made up 10% of all the time spent streaming shows and movies in April 2018. Up 53% from last year. They also show more older viewers signing up.
  • Amazon May Challenge TiVo with DVR That Works with Fire, Streams to Smartphones
    - Bloomberg has sources who say Amazon has worked on a DVR that records live TV and can stream to smartphones and Fire devices. Amazon has not decided to release the DVR. The project's internal name at Amazon is "Frank."
  • Netflix tests video promos in between episodes, much to viewers’ dislike
    - Netflix confirmed to TechCrunch that it's testing playing promotions in between episodes. The promotions are chosen based on the kinds of shows and movies Netflix would suggest to the user. The promos replace the preview info for the next episode. The promos can be skipped but it apparently confused a few people how to do it.
  • Facebook Bans 'Promotion' Of Kodi Boxes, Even If They're Perfectly Legal
    - Cordcutter news notes that Facebook has banned users from promoting "the sale or use of streaming devices with KODI installed." KODI is a legal piece of software for media management. Some people use add-ons to enable copyright infringing uses of KODI. But KODI itself does not enable infringement nor does it encourage it.
  • Netflix Has Turned Off—And Deleted—User Reviews
    - Netflix turned off the ability top post user reviews to its site on July 30 and now all the reviews have been deleted. Netflix said it removed the feature because of "declining use." We reported on this depreciation about a month ago on episode 227.
  • CBS All Access Reduced-Ad Version Hits Amazon Prime Video Channels
    - Amazon has added the ability to get CBS all Access's cheaper tier as an add-on channel to prime video. Earleir this year Amazon added the $10 a month commerical free version but now you can also choose to add the $6 a month version of CBS All Access that includes commercials. CBS says there are more than 2.5 million CBS All Access subscribers and Digiday estimates 25-45% of them come through Amazon.


Dispatches from the Front
Hi guys,

I am not sure how I found this but this Friday, August 24th, selected Imax theaters will be showing the greatest science fiction film of all time, 2001: A Space Odyssey. There has not been a lot of promotion of this that I can tell, and it is one day only, so if you snooze, you will lose. I imagine the Imax experience will be as close as the numerous times I have seen this on the huge Cinerama screen at the Uptown theater in DC, where the film had it's world premiere 50 years ago. I realize this isn't a true cord killing event, but it is a rare chance to see this great film in all it's big screen glory.

- Dave

 

 



I grew up in the country without cable TV and always envied the other kids in school who had it. When I got married, I got my MTV and I was hooked like it was heroin. Now 28 years later and 2 years of showing my wife how cable TV can be replaced with over the top services, I proudly walked into the cable store last week and turned in two cables boxes. It was like saying goodbye to an old friend.

I am now free. Looking forward to having an extra $102 each month (after paying for DirectTV Now) to save or pay for other services. I am proudly using the Roku methadone for DirectTV Now and Netflix.

Keep fighting the good fight for what you want, when you want, and whatever damn device you want!

- Jim

 

 


Hey CK crew,
I recently cut the cord and moved to PS Vue for my TV. I knew I'd be giving up my local baseball, basketball and hockey teams, but thought I'd be able to keep the local NFL team, Denver, since they are on CBS, which is broadcast live through Vue.
Now I'm not so sure. I tried to watch the Broncos pre-season game last Saturday through Vue on the NFL Network, but it was blacked out. I was finally able to access through the NFL app, authenticating with my Vue account.
As the regular season fast approaches, I'm concerned I'll have the same problem, with no solution since NFL network doesn't show Sunday games.
Do you know....does the NFL and/or Vue black out regular season games on network? If so, other than an antenna, are there any other streaming options for in-market NFL games?
Love the show, and thanks for your help!
- Pat M.

 

 

 

It seems we are now entering an era where existing networks are holding their “premium” properties back in order to prop up their new streaming services. So now CBS gets my money TWO ways, through my DirecTV for their broadcast channel and $10/mo for their Star Trek channel. Same goes for Disney when they role out their streaming service. ... This is on top of Prime, Netflix, HBO, etc. And we even have Hulu, which is owned by broadcast networks, making Handmaid’s Tale and Castle Rock…

Lots of great things to watch but WHEN DOES THIS END?! That’s like $60 a month just in streaming services, and that’s not counting something to get you live TV! I am ready for Brian’s concierge service that automatically unsubscribes me from things once I am done with the shows I like! There’s only so much dough to go around! Am I gonna end up paying MORE after the dust settles?

Keep up the good work, fellas!

- Evan


Links

2018 Summer Movie Draft
patreon.com/cordkillers
 

Bryce CastilloComment