Cordkillers 349 - Velma and the City
More info on the Snyder Cut, Netflix gets smarter downloading, and updates on the HBO's The Last of Us casting. All this and more on Cordkillers! With special guest Iyaz Akhtar.
This week on It's Spoilerin' Time: The Stand (109), WandaVision (106-107), Hannibal (112)
Next week: WandaVision (108), Raised by Wolves (101-102), Hannibal (113)
CordKillers: 349 - Velma and the City
Recorded: February 22 2021
Guest: Iyaz Akhtar
Intro Video
That's Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell
Primary Target
Roku Beats Q4 Earnings Estimates With Record Revenue, Swings to Quarterly Profit
- Roku reported a revenue rise of 58% in the fourth quarter. Roku ended 2020 with 51.2 million active accounts, up 39% over 2019. The ad-supported Roku Channel, which you can even get without a Roku device, doubled its audience, reaching an estimated 61.8 million people in Q4. Streaming hours on Roku hit an all-time high of 17 billion hours in Q4, up 55% on the year. Roku now makes most of its money on ads and subscriptions, with that business growing 81% in Q4, also doubling year over year. Roku still does make money off its devices which saw revenue rise 18%. 38% of all smart TVs sold in the US in 2020 were Roku TV models.
- The company didn't comment much on its acquired Quibi content or the prospect of ordering more seasons of that content, which it has the option of doing.
- It did mention growing traction in Mexico, Brazil, Canada, the UK and Ireland with plans to expand to more countries.
Roku job listing suggests big plans for original movies and TV shows
- Roku also published a job listing for a lead production attorney to "serve as lead production attorney for Roku's original episodic and feature length productions." Roku acquired Quibi's content library last month. The job listing was first spotted by data provider Revealera. The job description includes handling "option purchase agreements, script acquisition agreements, life rights agreements, agreements to hire writers, actors, directors and individual producers, production services agreements, below-the-line agreements including for department heads, location agreements, clearances, prop rental agreements, likeness releases and credit memos."
How to Watch
Netflix launches ‘Downloads for You,’ a new feature that automatically downloads content you’ll like
- Netflix launched a feature Monday called "Downloads for You" which will automatically choose shows to download on your mobile device, based on your tastes. When you turn the feature on you tell it whether to store a maximum of one, three or five gigabytes of content. Downloads will take place when you're connected to WiFi. It will be a mix of movies and the first few episodes off TV shows Netflix thinks you will like based on your watch history. This is different than Smart Downloads, launched in 2018, which lets you tell Netflix to automatically download shows you're in the middle of watching. The feature is aimed at those who are traveling or who live in places with unreliable connections.
Apple TV+ is now available on Google TV
- Apple TV Plus is now available on Chromecasts that run Google TV. The Apple TV Plus app lets you access any purchases, including Apple TV Plus originals, purchased movies and TV shows and added channels. Shows available in Apple TV Plus will also appear in personalized recommendations and search results on the Google TV powered Chromecast. Apple TV Plus will also appear on Google TV powered TV sets coming from Sony and TCL.
What to Watch
‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’ Full Trailer Reveals Villain Darkseid
- A full trailer for the Snyder cut of Justic League was released February 14th, featuring Darkseid and Jared Leto's Joker. Snyder told Vanity Fair he is not being paid for the Snyder Cut, adding “I didn’t want to be beholden to anyone, and it allowed me to keep my negotiating powers with these people pretty strong.” Zack Snyder's Justice League comes to HBO Max March 18.
Zack Snyder Won’t Get Paid for HBO Max’s ‘Justice League,’ Hasn’t Seen Joss Whedon’s Version
Pedro Pascal To Star As Joel In ‘The Last Of Us’ HBO Series Based On Video Game
- Pedro Pascal has been cast as Joel in the adaptation of the game The Last of Us for HBO from Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. The game tells the story of Joel smuggling a 14-year-old girl out of a quarantine zone
NBC Plans Break in Olympics Tradition With A.M. Broadcast of Opening Ceremonies
- NBC has decided it will air the opening ceremonies of this summer's Tokyo Olympic Games live starting at 6:55 AM Eastern July 23rd. That will be followed by the Today show, three hours of afternoon coverage and then a rebroadcast of the opening ceremonies.
Marvel's WandaVision is getting a making-of documentary on March 12
- WandaVision wraps up on March 5 and Falcon and the Winter Soldier premieres March 19. Disney Plus will fill the gap with a making of WandaVision episode to premiere March 12. This will be the first of a series of Behind the Scenes of Marvel properties that will arrive shortly after series finales and theater releases.
HBO Max signs “adult” cartoon series based on Scooby-Doo’s Velma
- HBO Max announced several adult animation series including one called Velma about the origins of the Scooby Doo character. It will be Velma's origin story and be voiced by Mindy Kaling. And Phil Lord and Christopher Miller will bring back Clone High (which aired on MTV in 2002-2003) for two new seasons on HBO Max.
Oscars Will Air Live From “Multiple Locations” Including The Dolby, Academy Says
- The Academy Awards will happen at its latest date ever, April 25th and air live from multiple locations, including the Dolby Theater where it has usually taken place in recent years. No word on a host or where the other locations will be.
Korean zombie hit movie Train to Busan has named Indonesian director Timo Tjahjanto to direct a remake for New Line cinema.
Amazon released a full trailer for Invincible, based on the Robert Kirkman comic, coming to Prime Video March 26th.
Variety's sources say Ronald D. Moore is developing a universe of TV projects set in Disney's Magic Kingdom for Disney Plus.
Norman Lear Sets Two Projects At IMDb TV Including Laverne Cox & George Wallace Comedy ‘Clean Slate’
- Norman Lear has two projects in development for Amazon's iMDB TV. One is the comedy Clean Slate starring Laverne Cox and George Wallace which originally as headed to Peacock. And the other is called Loteria, set in Mexico and based not the card game.
‘Chappelle’s Show’ Returns To Netflix After Dave Chappelle Makes Peace With Comedy Central: “I Got My Show Back”
- Chapelle's Show is back on Netflix. Chapelle says he got his credit and license back for the show and got paid for it. He thanked fans who stopped watching it for putting the pressure on ViacomCBS for the deal.
HBO is in talks with new writers for a fourth season of True Detective without creator Nic Pizzolatto.
And Netflix will launch an anime based on Dota 2 called Dota: Dragon's Blood, arriving March 25th.
Eyes On
Iyaz:: Half in the Bag by Red Letter Media
Brian: 1917 , Kim's Convenience
Tom: Vincenzo
On the Lookout: Raised By Wolves
Front Lines
YouTube TV is adding offline downloads and 4K streaming
- YouTube TV will get an option for 4K streaming of available shows, offline viewing of recordings, and unlimited concurrent streams at home. The "add-on package" will cost something but we don't know how much yet.
YouTube TV offering HBO Max, Showtime, and Starz for $5 less in new entertainment bundle
- YouTube TV will also offer a discount if you add HBO Max, Showtime and Start to its basic package. The amount to buy all three channels would normally cost $35 but if you choose all three, YouTube TV will charge $30.
NBCUniversal’s Streaming Strategy Raises Prospect of WarnerMedia Merger
- The Information's sources say Peacock has been talking with ViacomCBS about offering streaming services in a bundle. Imagine something like Paramount Plus, Showtime and Peacock available at a single discounted price.
Donald Glover’s reported Amazon deal could lead to a more curated Prime Video
- Donald Glover has signed a deal with Amazon to work on a series of projects including a series based on the Mr. and Mrs. Smith movie with Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Amazon will reportedly create a content channel to highlight Glover's work as well as other curated content. Atlanta will continue on at FX where it is approved for seasons 3 and 4.
Disney+ Hits 94.9M Subscribers, But Revenue Per User Drops To $4.03 Due To Hotstar Combo
- Disney announced it has reached more than 146 million streaming subscribers across its streaming services. Disney Plus has 94.9 million, Hulu has 39.4 million and ESPNPlus has 12.1 million. Overall it's an increase of 100 million subscribers in a year. Netflix last reported a total of 203.7 million global subscribers.
Discovery Surpasses 11 Million Streaming Subscribers
- Discovery announced that its Discovery Plus streaming service has passed 11 million paying subscribers. Discovery had projected 11 million by the end of March. Discovery Plus launched January 4th for $4.99 a month or $6.99 a month without ads.
HBO Max is ordering way more kids’ content to compete with Netflix and Disney Plus
- HBO Max will make Cartoon network its core family brand by producing more kids and family content. HBO Max has ordered new shows, specials, and movies from Ben 10, Teen Titans Go!, and The Amazing World of Gumball among others. Warner Media also plans to launch HBO Max across 39 Latin American and carribean markets in June. HBO branded services in the Nordic countries, Spain, Central Europe and Portugal will be upgraded to HBO Max later this year.
HBO Max Set For Latin America and Caribbean Launch in June, Europe Services to Get Upgraded
- Warner Media also plans to launch HBO Max across 39 Latin American and carribean markets in June. HBO branded services in the Nordic countries, Spain, Central Europe and Portugal will be upgraded to HBO Max later this year.
Dispatches from the Front
Hi all. As we continue to fracture into many services, how do I keep track of what service has my shows? I have a Roku. I subscribe to Netflix, prime, Apple TV plus, Disney plus and hbo max. I also watch movies on Vudu. I know there are phone apps, but I want it right on my TV. I am forgetting what service has the show I am in the middle of and it’s frustrating. Outside of Netflix, does the Apple TV keep track of all the others in the up next feature? I have not seen a similar feature in roku.
Thanks.
- Jason
Hey Guys,
I know this is something you discuss frequently, so I thought I would share my solution.
I cut the cord a couple of years ago when I canceled Comcast and subscribed to DirecTV Now. This was just a few months before they completely trashed the packages and made them more like DirecTV. That sent me to YouTubeTV when it was $50/month, and I bought an Apple TV for the best experience.
I try not to have too many streaming services because the cost adds up. I try to limit myself to a month or two of any service where I watch all the shows I want to watch and then cancel. The exceptions that I always have are Amazon Prime because It’s only part of the Prime service, and Netflix because they always have something to watch.
Then, COVID happened. We added HBO Max when it launched for the deal. My wife bought a new iPhone, which includes Apple TV+. We moved into a new house and got Peacock premium as part of our internet. Then, we added the Hulu/Disney+/ESPN bundle to watch Hamilton and Soul. Finally, we got CBS All Access/Showtime to watch The Stand.
My wife and I watch mostly prime time network TV, and a couple of cable shows. Also, we don’t watch any sports.
I threw all this into an Excel spreadsheet and boom! My cord-cutting “cable” package is nearly $135/mo.
So, I did some analysis and number crunching and figured out the best way to get things under control, cancel YouTubeTV.
All I had to do was buy a Hauppauge 4 tuner card for my PC and subscribe to Plex Pass and I have all my live/local channels with a better DVR than any streaming service and I’m going to save over $60/month.
After the first year, where I am counting the tuner card, I finish with an overall savings of $658 a year. More than enough to buy that occasional series I can’t get on any of my services. Oh, and to up my CordKillers Patreon contribution rate.
Your boss,
- Bryan