Cordkillers 271 - Don't Make Me Like Comcast (w/ Eklund)
Hunger Games gets a prequel. Is it time to back off of sequels? Samsung says your TV might get a virus! All this and more on Cordkillers! With special guest Eklund.
CordKillers: 271 - Don't Make Me Like Comcast
Recorded: June 17 2019
Guest: Eklund
Intro Video
GLOW season 3 trailer
Primary Target
The Hunger Games is getting a prequel next year, set 64 years before the first book
- Suzanne Collins announced a new novel in the Hunger Games universe, coming out May 19, 2020, set 64 years before the events of the first book. Collins said it will be set in “The reconstruction period 10 years after the war, commonly referred to as the Dark Days." Lionsgate chairman Joe Drake said the studio communicated with Collins during the writing and looks forward to working closely with her on the movie.
Box Office: ‘Men in Black: International,’ ‘Shaft’ Add to Summer Sequel Slump
- Meanwhile Variety has the headline "Box Office: ‘Men in Black: International,’ ‘Shaft’ Add to Summer Sequel Slump" Men in Black did $28 million in US $74 million overseas.
How to Watch
Samsung accidentally makes the case for not owning a smart TV
- Samsung's US support account tweeted that Samsung TV owners should run the built-in virus scanner every few weeks to “Prevent malicious software attacks on your TV."" The tweet, which included an instructional video, has now been deleted.
- Many news outlets are running the story with the slant that this accidentally made the case of why you wouldn't want to own a Samsung smart TV.
- Our thoughts on smart TVs have evolved over the years. This seems like a good time to check in on how we feel about them.
Comcast will soon let customers change TV channels with their eyes
-Comcast is adding eye tracking to its X1 platform as an accessibility feature. It will let customers change channels, pull up the programming guide, set DVR recordings, and navigate through other menus using their eyes. Comcast will support multiple eye-tracking hardware and software products including Tobii devices, Sip-and-Puff switches and other assistive technologies. Customers sing into Comcast's web-based remote control and link it to their cable account.
What to Watch
Netflix puts a 'Patriot Act' episode about bad internet access on DVD
- The latest episode of Netflix's Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj, called "Why Your Internet Sucks" looks at problems with broadband speeds and coverage in the US. Acknowledging that people most affected but he problem are least likely to see the episode, the company is putting it out on DVD and making it available through the Netflix DVD by mail service. They also put the whole episode on YouTube.
‘The Dark Tower’: Michael Rooker Co-Stars In Amazon Pilot
- Amazon's Dark Tower series has cast Michael Rooker alongside Sam Strike as Roland and Jasper Pääkkönen as the man in black. Deadline says the series will likely focus on Roland's origin story (Wizard and Glass). This could put Rooker as possibly Eldred Jonas.
Pluto TV Launches Free Channels for ‘Doctor Who’ Classic, BBC’s ‘Antiques Roadshow’
- Pluto has added a Doctor Who Classic channel with around 200 episodes from the first seven Doctors. There's also a new Antiques Roadshow channel with more than 300 episodes. Other BBC shows on Pluto TV include “Being Erica,” “Bedlam,” “Primeval” and “Robin Hood.”
Amazon will debut 'The Report' in theaters before it hits Prime Video
- Amazon will release a move it acquired at Sundance, The Report, in theaters September 27th. It will start streaming on Prime Video October 11th. That's only two weeks, which is unusual for Amazon which often plays by the 90-day window rule required by large theater chains.
Netflix has picked up an 8-episode second season of Russian Doll.
Don Cheadle has been cast in a scifi drama called "Don't Look Deeper" coming to Quibi when it launches next year. The show tells the story of a teenager in Merced, California who believes she's not human.
Netflix is in production on a UK-Spanish crime drama called White Lines about the discovery of the body of a legendary Manchester DJ 20 years after he disappeared from Ibiza. Showrunner is Money Heist creator Alex Pina.
NBC announced September 26 for the final season premiere of “The Good Place.
Eyes On
Brian: 12 Angry Men, 2/3 Black Mirror, The Office, ep 1 Chernobyl, finished 3 Good Omens, Cobra Kai
Tom: The Stanley Cup Finals
Eklund: Rifftrax, Sports Night, Movie Before We Go
On the Lookout: Technotise: Edit and I.
Front Lines
Shockingly, Cable TV and Broadband Customer Satisfaction Is Still The Worst In America
- The latest Consumer Satisfaction Index is out. Cable as a whole stayed at 62. As a comparison the US Postal Service got a 70, Fixed-Line Telephone Service got a 71, and Social Media Companies a 72. U-Verse the best of the subscription TV bunch at 69, down 1.4, followed by FIOS, Dish and DirecTV.
Amazon’s IMDb Freedive rebrands to IMDb TV, adds new content and plans European expansion
- Amazon is changing the name of its ad-supported IMDb Freedive TV streaming service to IMDb TV. The free content selection has tripled too thanks to new deals with Warner Bros., Sony Pictures Entertainment, and MGM Studios. The service is also set to launch in Europe later this year. IMDb TV is available in the Prime Video app and on the FireTV "Your Apps and Channels" row.
HDHomeRun for Roku gives cordcutters access to live TV
- HDHomeRun has a new Roku Channel called HDHomeRun OTA Live that can access an HDHomneRun's live channels, and view the guide. The company says it hopes to bring more features to the app like support for its Cable TV tuner. You'll need to have the Roku hooked up to a device that can decode Dolby Digital or AC3 audio over HDMI.
BET to Launch Streaming Service With Tyler Perry, Tracy Oliver Series
- Variety's sources say Viacom will launch a streaming service called BET+ later this year with originals from Tyler Perry and Tracy Oliver's "First Wives Club." Few details are kn own but it will supposedly pull content from across Viacom channels, not just BET.
Hulu And FX Partner For Rights To Lionsgate Theatrical Films, Succeeding Epix In 2020
- Hulu and FX will get the streaming and linear rights to Lionsgate theatrical films in 2020 and 2021. This replaces Lionsgate's deal with Epic. Films from Lionsgate's Summit will continue to go to HBO. However both these deals end at the same time making it possible to move all the films to Lionsgate-owned Starz.
On Snapchat, Original Series Are Finding Return Viewers
- The Hollywood Reporter has a story noting that Snapchat's show Endless Summer, started its second season June 15. Last season had 28 million unique viewers. Over the last year, time spent watching shows on Snapchat every day more than tripled. Snapchat's shows are around 5 minutes and shot in vertical video. Snapchat says it reaches 90 percent of the 13- to 24-year-olds in the US.
Dispatches from the Front
Dear Cordkillers crew,
On episode 270, you speculated viable reasons for The Good Place to end after four seasons. One reason discussed was the idea that the creator and/or producers may want an ending because they’ll have a ton of opportunities due of the show’s success.
Michael Schur, the creator and executive producer of The Good Place, is also the creator/executive producer of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Parks and Rec. He was also co-executive producer of American version of The Office (and played Mose). On it’s face, the concept of The Good Place likely sounded crazy to NBC’s network executives, and I venture it only got a shot because of Schur’s rep for creating hits
Most of the other producers shared in Park and Rex’s success, and collectively have many impressive credits including Veep, Master of None, Lost, The Martian (movie), 30 Rock, Seinfeld, Silicon Valley, and Broad City.
That’s not to say bigger opportunities aren’t available; I just want to believe this was a team of creatives doing what’s best to serve the story. And, I have no doubt Schur and company will go on to make other amazing entertainment.
Keep on killing dem cords!
-Jesse
Hi Brian and Tom, If you're storing your media on a NAS, then some things to consider:
1. If you run the Plex server directly on the NAS, the system on the NAS is often not powerful enough to run Plex smoothly, especially if you require format conversion. Also, the NAS probably doesn't have the latest version of Plex available.
2. On the other hand, if you run Plex on a separate computer, you need to have that computer available as a server, possibly even always on 24/7. Also, things will be smoother if the computer running Plex is connected to the NAS over a wired network, not wireless.
You should be able to stream from the Plex server to your devices either wired or wireless without problem, depending on your local network setup.
These are just a couple of things I've come across trying to set up Plex and other media servers.
Hope this helps a little.
-Alan
Hi Bryce, Brian, and Tom,
I was just listening to episode 270, and you had an email from a listener trying to set up a new Plex server. The email was a little unclear if they already own a NAS.
If so, any desktop in the house with a discreet video card can run a Plex server, and access your content on a NAS.
If they do not have a NAS already, there are a number of NAS out there which may be suitable for the job, but buyers beware many of these are under-powered for Transcoding content on the fly.
Another option I would try is the Nvidia Shield Box- as this is designed to work as a Plex Server and set top box. While I do not have personal experience with this I do believe its a good, lower cost option.
As for finding discs- Ebay is the way to go. You can find any ton of great deals on back catalog titles at around $3 a disc- and many sellers have buy 3 get one free deals.
Lastly the best part of Plex is Plexpass. I've given free accounts to my friend and family, and they can remotely stream my entire 1200 movie collection.
-Jon
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