Cordkillers 378 - Cropping the Hole
Netflix has some new hot games for subscribers like...uh Card Blast. Seinfeld move from Hulu to Netflix, but not without a well-timed controversy. And is Squid Game going to be Netflix's biggest thing ever? They say so! All that and more on Cordkillers!
This week on It's Spoilerin' Time: Ted Lasso (211), What We Do in the Shadows (306), Star Trek: Lower Decks (208)
Next week: Ted Lasso (212), What We Do in the Shadows (307), Star Trek: Lower Decks (209)
CordKillers: 378 - Cropping the Hole
Recorded: October 4 2021
Guest: None
Intro Video
Maya and the Three
Primary Target
Netflix's latest mobile games have nothing to do with its shows
- I have been saying that Netflix just wanted to make games that extended the experience of its official video properties, which seemed to be borne out by the first games being themed around Stranger Things.
- I was wrong. Last week, subscribers in Spain, Italy and Poland can play Shooting Hoops, Teeter Up and Card Blast, accessible from a games tab in the Android Netflix app.
Netflix buys 'Oxenfree' developer Night School Studio
- Then later in the week Netflix acquired its first game studio, Night School Studio, the maker of narrative-driven titles like “Oxenfree” and "Afterparty." Oxenfree shares a lot of thematic similarities with Stranger Things and Night School did work on a canceled Stranger Things game.
- Netflix says it intends to add “exclusive games designed for every kind of gamer and any level of play” that will be included with its membership, with no ads or in-app purchases. Night School will continue to work on Oxenfree II as well as new game worlds.
Netflix abandons Qwikster, games on hold
- So I think we see the first move toward Netflix branching out from video, for certain. It tried to do this once when it announced it would ship console games as part of its DVD service (you know, the one briefly named Qwikster-- brief side note, Netflix started calling the the DVD rental part of its business DVD.com - years ago without causing the havoc its Qwikster name change did -- but it didn't add games)
dvd.netflix.com
How to Watch
'Seinfeld' hits Netflix, but some jokes have been cropped out of view
- Seinfeld moved from Hulu to Netflix last week and suddenly the larger user base meant people noticed the library of episodes is in 16:9 not 4:3. Not because they restored the footage from wider-shot masters. Because they cropped it.
- Most of the time you won't probably notice. But every so often something important to the story is left off screen. The one getting all the attention is an episode from Season 8 about a pothole that has been ripped out of the shot.
- Seinfeld was on Hulu for six years this way and the cropped episodes are also shown on reruns on cable.
- Has no one learned from the Simpson's? When you move a show to a new platform and make a BIG deal about the fact that you have it on the new platform everyone will complain about the cropping.
- Disney had to go back and redo the library of the Simpson's to show in 4:3 as originally aired.
What to Watch
Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’ Is the Dystopian Hit No One Wanted—Until Everyone Did
- We mentioned Squid Game last week -- the show about broke adults joining a series of deadly kids games to try to win money and get out of debt -- and buzz around the Netflix original has only got bigger.
- A reminder that at a conference last Monday, Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos said the series was on track to become the platform's most popular non-English show and possibly it's most popular show ever.
- Sarandos said it was "No. 1 in the world, like everywhere in the world."
- Bridgerton is Netflix's most watched series followed by Lupin which is Netflix's most watched non-English series. We got this off those slides for the most popular series that Netflix showed off last week.
- Fast forward to Friday where the buzz has built big enough for the Wall Street Journal to do a deep dive on the development of the series. Netflix's head of creative for Asia-Pacific, Minyoung Kim told the WSJ Friday, “It’s still trending up. We’ve never seen anything grow as fast and aggressive as ‘Squid Game.’”
- Squid game's creator - Hwang Dong-hyuk, came up with the idea more than a decade ago. Back then it was considered too violent and too unrealistic. By 2019, the story feel a little less fantastic, and Netflix picked it up.
- Netflix encouraged the colorful visuals and simplification fo the games to make it easier for non-Koreans to follow.
Squid Game may become Netflix's most watched show yet, co-CEO says
‘The Book Of Boba Fett’ Gets A Premiere Date From Disney+
- Disney announced the Book of Boba Fett series will arrive on Disney+ December 29th, starring Temuera Morrison as Boba Fett and Ming-na Wen as Fennec Stand. Jon Faverau and Dave Filoni will Ep alongside Robert Rodriguez.
Dave Chappelle to Release Sixth Netflix Special ‘The Closer’ in October — Watch First Teaser
- Netflix released a teaser for a new Dave Chapelle special called The Closer premiering October 5th. It sounds like this is the last chapter of the specials Chapelle has done for Netflix. Though he may come back for another round.
- The teaser includes highlights from the previous 5 specials and has Chapelle saying “Comedians have a responsibility to speak recklessly. Sometimes the funniest thing to say is mean. Remember, I’m not saying it to be mean: I’m saying it because it’s funny.”
A full trailer was released on Monday voiced by Morgan Freeman
‘The Boys’ Spinoff Series Greenlighted By Amazon With Michele Fazekas & Tara Butters As Showrunners
- ‘The Boys’ Spinoff Series set at a college for superheroes has been approved By Amazon With Michele Fazekas & Tara Butters As Showrunners
Apple TV+ will debut a new Peanuts special about New Year's called "For Auld Lang Syne" debuting December 10.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s ‘Mr. Corman’ Canceled By Apple TV+ After One Season
‘Archer’ was Renewed for a 13th season on FXX
Eyes On
Brian: American Crime Story: Impeachment, Reservation Dogs
Tom: MLB Network on Sunday afternoon over DirecTV Stream, Star Wars Visions
On the Lookout: Gaming Historian
Front Lines
YouTube TV keeps NBC, won’t have to bundle Peacock as companies strike new deal
- You did it folks. I'm sure NBCUniversal will give YOU the YouTubeTV subscriber fill credit for the deal it struck with Google that avoided NBC channels disappearing from YouTubeTV. After all, NBC created a website for viewers to pressure Google to stop being greedy and give NBC what they anted. What NBC actually said was "YouTube is a valued partner and we never want to involve our fans in a dispute, but we felt obligated to let them know what was at stake. We thank our viewers for their loyalty and promise to continue bringing them the networks and programs they love." That's pretty much the same thing right? Oh and in case you wondered, YouTubeTV will not add Peacock to its offerings as part of this deal.
NBCUniversal And YouTube TV Reach Carriage Deal, Avoid Blackout; NBCU Says It Felt “Obligated” To Warn Viewers – Update
Scarlett Johansson, Disney settle Black Widow lawsuit
- Hey speaking of peacemaking, Disney and Scarlett Johansson's people have settled the lawsuit alleging Disney broke its contract when it released Black Widow on Disney+ at the same time as in theaters. Nobody admitted what brought about the settlement, but -- I don't know-- I'm going to guess money?
ViacomCBS and Pluto TV Fined $3.5 Million by FCC for Violating Closed-Caption Rules
- The US Federal Communications Commission's enforcement bureau found that PlutoTV violated accessibility rules over closed captioning. It's the first time the FCC has enforced the 2012 rules lining out when closed captioning was required on internet-based services. Basically any program that was previously aired on TV with captions has to also be offered on the Web with captions. Pluto applied for a waiver but fell afoul of the rules when it didn't file its paperwork to support the waiver on time. ViacomCBS will pay a $3.5 million fine and agree to a compliance plan for PlutoTV as a result.
Netflix Brings ‘Play Something’ Randomized Shuffle Feature to Mobile
- Netflix's Play Something" feature on TV platforms lets Netflix take what it knows about your viewing history and pick the next thing you watch. That feature is now available on Netflix's Android app.
Sling TV coming to all existing Echo Show devices
- Amazon announced SlingTV will soon be available on all its Echo Show smart displays. Amazon Echo Show already supports Netflix, Hulu and of course Amazon Prime Video.
Crunchyroll and Fuji TV Strike Anime Production Deal
- And Crunchyroll agreed to a deal with Fuji TV to develop and produce anime content for streaming. The two companies have partnered before. This new deal is the first signed since Sony acquired Crunchyroll from AT&T in August.
Dispatches from the Front
Hey Fellas!
I've been listening to you guys for a few years now - I was finally able to pay you back!
My daughter and her boyfriend are graduate students here in the US and were 3 weeks away from going to Spain for a semester when his laptop died. They know I'm a computer geek so they reached out to me for recommendations. He told me he used his laptop for gaming and wasn't afraid to spend up to $2000 for a rig. I pointed him to the usual suspects, helped him on specs, but most of them were out of stock and/or couldn't deliver in time before they left for Spain. Then one of your podcasts dropped and a bell went off in my head - I had him call Doghouse Systems. Not only did they have a system that met his specs at a VERY competitive price, they also gave him a free SSD upgrade when he mentioned Brian, they also promised to have it for him before his trip. They delivered a great laptop at a great price and in time to get it configured and loaded up with games before they flew out, saving his semester abroad.
Great sponsor that will be at the TOP of my list next time I'm in the market.
LTS
- RE
Tom and Justin, (Let's give Iyaz some love too)
The ""give me a two syllable response to the following show info"" bit was some of the funniest podcast work I have experienced in years. I was driving to work today enjoying hearing my favorite informative cord cutting show turn into an amazing comedy routine.
I feel like this should be a repeating bit the next time Iyaz is there. The whole time I kept thinking and sometimes saying out loud to myself ""Did they write this out? It's so perfect, there's no way it's improv,but then again Justin is pretty light on his feet when it comes to stand up."" Then Iyaz was just hanging on for dear life the whole time. ""Wait, that wasn't two syllables, who cares it was funny!" Man, I could kiss you (in a workplace safe manner of course)
Thanks,
Your Grateful Boss, (and recently an actual boss)
- John
Hey gang,
I thought I'd update you on the promos I'm being fed before being able to get my tickets. I'm using the Marcus Theatres App and it happened again when purchasing my tickets to Venom. These are 100% a cost saving measure taken by the theatre.
Anyway, thank you guys for all your hard work. Especially Bryce.
- Ander
Links
patreon.com/cordkillers
doghousesystems.com/v/rogue
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