Cordkillers 289 - Buy a Rolex, Get Seven Pop-Tarts
Our first impressions of the now-live AppleTV+. HBO Max is detailed--is it expensive or cheap?
We're off next week due to Veteran's Day in the US and will return November 18.
This week on Spoilerin' Time: Terminator: Dark Fate, The Good Place (406), Watchmen (103), Mr. Robot (405), The Larry Sanders Show (107-108)
Next episode: The Good Place (407-408), Mr. Robot (406-407), Watchmen (104-105), The Larry Sanders Show (109-110)
CordKillers: 289 - Buy a Rolex, Get Seven Pop-Tarts
Recorded: October 4 2019
Guest: None
Intro Video
Merry Happy Whatever
Primary Target
Apple TV+ now live, with one year free for new iOS, Apple TV and Mac purchases
- Apple TV+ launched Friday for $4.99 a month though you get it free if you bought a phone, table, mac or Apple TV since September 10. Launch titles are ‘The Morning Show,’ ‘See,’ ‘For All Mankind,’ ‘Dickinson,’ ‘Snoopy in Space,’ ‘Ghostwriter,’ ‘Helpsters,’ as well as documentary feature ‘The Elephant Queen’ and talk show ‘Oprah’s Book Club.’ Dickinson has the whole season, For All Mankind has three episodes and the other series vary as well. The shows are available to download for offline viewing.
Apple TV app expands beyond Samsung Smart TVs with Sony update ahead of Apple TV+ debut
- The Apple TV app is arriving for some Sony TVs through a firmware update worldwide. Sony has not specified which TVs will get it. Users can watch shows purchased from Apple and access Apple TV channels and after November 1, watch Apple TV+ shows.
Apple TV Plus is basically free because Apple’s end game is replicating Amazon Prime
Do Apple TV Plus shows have to be good to succeed?
How to Watch
Here’s what HBO Max looks like
- HBO Max will launch in May for $14.99 a month, the same price as HBO Now. Customers who pay HBO for an HBO Now subscription or who get HBO from an AT&T service will be able to log into HBO Max. HBO max will feature human curated lists as well as content grouped by source like Studio Ghibli, TNT, DC, Cartoon Network, etc. It will also let users follow actors who will post recommendations fo what to watch along with video "stories". The mobile version of HBO Max will feature show-related podcasts as well. Later next year HBO Max will let users select more than one profile as watching a show so it shows up in watched lists for everyone watching. An ad-supported version and live news and sports programming will launch in 2021.
Behind AT&T's plan to take on Netflix, Apple and Disney with HBO Max
- AT&T says it will spend up to $4 billion on content for HBO Max by 2025. Netflix is expected to end up spending $15 billion on content in 2019 alone, but HBO Max can draw on content from WarnerMedia networks including HBO itself.
-88 originals in 2021, 38 from HBO.
- Originals
- Raised by Wolves from Ridley Scott about Androids raising human children.
- College Girls from Mindy Kaling
- Jellystone - Hanna Barbera
- Tooned Out from Robert Zemeckis
- Looney Tunes (80 11-minute shorts)
- Sesame Street
- Catalog
- DC films
- South Park
- Rick and Morty - 5 months after season finale. (also stay on Hulu)
- Scooby Doo
- Looney Tunes
- Hanna Barbera
- Friends
- The Big Bang Theory
‘Game Of Thrones’ Prequel ‘House Of The Dragon’ Gets Straight To Series Order From HBO
- HBO Max will feature a series set 300 years before the events of Game of Thrones, called House of the Dragon, telling the story of the Targaryens from George R. R. Martin's book Fire and Blood. It skips piloting and got a 10 episode order. GoT Battle of the Bastards director Miguel Sapochnik will co-showrun with Ryan Condal.
Sky and HBO Strike Programming Deal
Scope Of HBO Max’s Deal For the CW Series Revealed
What to Watch
A new Mandalorian trailer is out showing a bit more of the world and letting us hear the Mandalorian himself speak for the first time. The Mandalorian arrives with the launch of Disney+ on November 12.
A full trailer for Netflix's The Witcher is out. It has a few more details about Geralt, for those not already familiar from books and video games. And it has a date. The Witcher comes to Netflix December 20.
The sequel to “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” has been scheduled for release on April 8, 2022. Joaquim Dos Santos has is directing and the script is written by Dave Callahan.
Peyton Reed will return to direct the third Ant-Man film. No date has been attached and the next untitled MCU dates previously discussed were in the mid-2020s so expect it to be sometime then or after.
Netflix to Launch ‘Daybreak’ Scripted Podcast, Making First Step Into Original Podcasts
- Netflix will launch its first original scripted podcast. “The Only Podcast Left,” the podcast is set in the world of the streamer’s post-apocalyptic series “Daybreak.” It will have six episodes branching off from season one hosted by teens from the show's world. It's launching November 7 on Spotify then come to other platforms December 12.
Apple unveils trailer for TV+ movie 'The Banker' with Samuel L. Jackson
- Apple released a trailer for The Banker starring Anthony Mackie and SamuelL. Jackson. It's based on a true story about entrepreneurs Beranrd Garr and Joe Morris trying to create a real estate and finance business to help African-americans in the 1950s and 1960s. The Banker arrives in theaters December 6 with plans to release on Apple TV+ in January.
Eyes On
Brian: Terminator; Dark Fate, Mr Robot, Larry Sanders, Watchmen
Tom: Terminator: Dark Fate
On the Lookout: Violet Evergarden
Front Lines
Sony’s PlayStation Vue Pay TV Service Is Shutting Down
- Sony will shut down its PlayStation Vue live TV subscription service on January 30. In a blog post, Sony said, "The highly competitive Pay TV industry, with expensive content and network deals, has been slower to change than we expected." PSVue launched in 2015. Sony sold its Crackle video service to CCSE last year.
Vudu could be up for sale, if Walmart finds an interested buyer
- The Information has sources who say Wal-mart is considering selling Vudu. No word on how seriously. Wal-Mart told The Information "We're constantly having and [are] open to conversations with new and existing partners." Vudu has a movie and TV show that is connected to Movies Anywhere, a free ad supported streaming service and a few originals like a new take on Mr. Mom.
NBC's Peacock streaming service may be free for everyone
- CNBC's sources say NBC is considering making its Peacock streaming service available for free with ads. A paid subscription to get rid of ads is also being considered. Pay TV subscribers might get extra benefits like original content. Peacock is planning originals from Mike Schur and Lorne Michales along with reboots of Punky Brewster, Saved but he Bell and Battlestar Galactica.
‘Star Wars’: ‘Game of Thrones’ Creators No Longer Attached to Oversee Trilogy
- David Benioff and DB Weiss say they will no longer write and produce a trilogy of Star Wars movies. The two recently signed a deal with Netflix and cited scheduling as the issue. The first Star Wars movie from he team had been scheduled for Dec. 16 2022.
Disney Plus Leads HBO Max, Apple TV Plus and NBCU’s Peacock on Awareness, Intent to Subscribe
- A study by Hub Entertainment Research indicates Dinsey+ has the highest awareness among consumers amongApple TV+, HBO Max and Peacock. It also has the highest 'intent to purchase.'60% of consumers have heard of Disney+ and 50% of Apple TV+. 24% said they'll definitely or probably buy Disney+. 16% said definitely or probably for Apple TV+. 12% said the same of HBO Max and Peacock. 29% said they'd drop an existing streaming service when they sign up for a new one and 37% said they would eventually do so after evaluating them. A recent survey by Magid found that people generally keep about 4 streaming services.
Amazon will pull its movies from theaters to Prime faster
- Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salk told the Hollywood Reporter that the company is working on ways to get theatrically released movies toPrime subscribers "as soon as possible." Amazon is prepared to take a hit on contracts for theatrical releases if they think it will pay off later. The movie Late Night was a bomb in theaters but Amazon claims tens of millions of people have watched it on Prime.
Dispatches from the Front
Good day killers.
I need you to help settle a debate between a friend and I. I would like to get Disney plus and split it with a buddy. I have spectrum Internet only, and he uses AT&T for his cable and internet. I feel that Disney won't be able to really stop sharing of passwords because of their mobile app ability. And that it will be closer to Netflix's model of no more than 2 screens available at 1 certain price tier, 4 screens at another price tier. My buddy is convinced the everything will somehow be GPS enabled or though remember your IP address or log information off of each device and somehow put limitations that way. I'm sending a link from wired talking about this but can't really determine if anyone has any real information. What do you think the odds are of password sharing with Disney plus?
https://www.wired.com/story/disney-streaming-account-sharing/
Thanks for taking the time to read this and get back to work you lazy slackers!
All the best,
- Mark C
I loved the mention of finite vs. infinite games, and found the mention of Microsoft particularly interesting as they've transitioned from playing a finite game to an infinite game. Nearly forty years ago Bill Gates said he wanted a computer on every desk and in every home running Microsoft software (I'm paraphrasing). They more or less did that as Windows dominated computing, but the stock remained flat for a decade as the landscape evolved beyond Windows to mobile and the web. New CEO Satya Nadella said no, we're in business to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more, shifting them from a finite game (selling Windows) to an infinite game (enhancing productivity). They're now bringing their software anywhere their customers are and partnering with everyone they can. Revenue and profits have been climbing ever since and the stock has more than doubled.
Anyway, thanks for the book tip; I'll have to check it out. Keep up the great work.
Your boss,
- Chris
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