Cordkillers 400 - Don't Smoke in the Hallways
Netflix tests features to discourage password-sharing. Amazon's acquisition of MGM is complete. 3D basketball and Squid Game 2 casting. All that and more on Cordkillers!
This week on It's Spoilerin' Time: Picard (203), Raised By Wolves (208)
Next week: Picard (204), Miami Vice (301, "When Irish Eyes Are Crying"), Our Flag Means Death (Season 1)
CordKillers: 400 - Don't Smoke in the Hallways
Recorded: March 21 2022
Guest: None
Intro Video
Return to Space
Primary Target
Paying to Share Netflix Outside Your Household
Netflix Will Prompt Subscribers to Pay for Users Outside Their Households in New Test to Address Unauthorized Password Sharing
Netflix Is Testing Log-In Warnings to Curb Unauthorized Password Sharing
- Netflix made a post on its website last Wednesday called "Paying to Share Netflix Outside Your Household."
- They are launching two new features as a test in Chile, Costa Rica and Peru.
-”Add an extra member" lets Standard and Premium subscribers add up to two people they don't live with for around $3 a month extra. Those people get their own logins and passwords.
- The other is called "Transfer Profile to New Account." Basic, Standard and Premium subscribers can let people who use their account keep their profile and recommendations and view history when they move to a new account, including one of the "extra member" accounts just launched.
- This is a very soft way to encourage folks to start paying for their own account if they don't live in the same household. It's cheaper than just getting your own account. And you can keep your history and such, which before was a barrier to "doing the right thing."
- Netflix has been testing ways of notifying people if it thinks they're not using their own account. These notifications will now come with the new options in test markets.
- Netflix has not taken to forcing people off accounts. In fact even if it detects something odd it gives the option to "verify later".
How to Watch
Amazon Closes $8.5 Billion Acquisition of MGM
- Amazon closed its acquisition of movie studio MGM Thursday. There's no word on how MGM will be integrated into Amazon Studios. But MGM makes content that include James Bond, Rocky, and the Pink Panther movies, as well as The Handmaid's Tale, Vikings: Valhalla and Fargo, among many others.
- First off, don't jump to the conclusion that all this content will go right to Amazon Prime. Studios often make content for partners and the contracts usually keep the content there for awhile. See the slow unwinding of Netflix's deal with Disney over Marvel shows, or the bouncing of Harry Potter movies between Peacock and HBO Max.
- In fact, Variety reported that the EU approved the merger without conditions because “MGM’s content cannot be considered as must-have.”
- MGM will certainly make more content for Prime Video, but Amazon has indicated it'll still operate as a studio making content for other clients .
- The back catalog will probably be the bigger boon to Prime Video. MGM holds the rights to nearly 4,000 films and 17,000 TV episodes.
- That's part of why Protocol's Janko Roettgers argues that while some extra content for Prime Video won't hurt, the bigger win for Amazon is the advertising money.
- FAST services, AKA Free Ad Supported Television, is a hot growing streaming market and Amazon owns one of the tops in IMDB TV with 120 million viewers a month viewing its ads. And while Prime Video subscribers can watch IMDBTV content, they have to watch the ads. There is no ad-free version of IMDBTV. So injecting a bunch of MGM library content into IMDBTV should raise ads. James Bond movies have only been available for rental or purchase for instance.
With MGM, Amazon will double down on ads
Amazon didn't buy MGM for the content. It bought MGM to help its ad business.
- IMDBTV has originals like a Bosch spinoff
- Goes under the name miniTV in India and rumors it may change the name domestically. Renewed a trademark for Fireview recently.
- MGM runs the Epix movie streaming service.
What to Watch
ESPN will broadcast NBA action tonight with game-like volumetric video
Live From NBA All-Star: Canon Free Viewpoint To Make U.S. Broadcast Debut
- Last Wednesday's NBA matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and Brooklyn Nets was broadcast on ESPNNews as 3D volumetric video. It was the first time a full game was broadcast that way. ESPN Edge, Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution's Technology team (aka BAM Tech) all collab'd on the venture, with NBA and Canon. Canon used its Free-Viewpoint Video (FVV) system with more than 100 data capture cameras positioned around the basketball court to create a live sports broadcast merged with multi-dimensional footage — something that looked like you were watching a real-life video game. The Brooklyn Nets had previously used dimensional footage for replay clips and other post-production content.
Netflix Sets Feature Take Of ‘Irredeemable’ & ‘Incorruptible’ Graphic Novel Series With Jeymes Samuel Directing, Kemp Powers Writing, Jay-Z & James Lassiter Producing
- Mark Waid's comic series Irredeemable and Incorruptible are set in the same universe and time period. One is about a superman-like hero who goes bad and the other about a supervillain who turns to good. Netflix is developing a live-action feature based on the books Jeymes Samuel (The Harder they Fall) directing. Kemp Powers, who wrote "One Night in Miami" will write. Shawn Carter- JayZ and James Lassiter are producing.
'Obi-Wan Kenobi' on Disney Plus: Trailer, Release Date and Everything to Know
- Marvel released a trailer for the Ms. Marvel series. It's a high-school romance comedy. Ms. Marvel is Kamala Khan who in the comics can shapeshift. The series premieres June 8th for a 6 episode run.
Hulu Takes Page From Live TV Playbook, Sets 3-Hour Stream Of Plane Stunt
- In the 1970s, ABC's Wide World of Sports would gain viewers by televising stunts like Eval Knieval jumping canyons.
- In the 2020s, Hulu is partnering with Red Bull for a three hour live stream April 24th in which two solo pilots will swap planes mid-flight. How? Vertical nose drive, skydive out of one plane into the other. At 14,000 feet.
‘Squid Game’ Season 2: Creator Hwang Dong-Hyuk Says HoYeon Jung Might Come Back As A Twin
- At the PGA awards, Deadline asked Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk if cast members from season one would return, Hwang said “No, because most of them are dead. ” He then gestured to Squid Game star HoYeon Jung who played Sae-byeok, the North Korean defector. "I’ll try something to bring them back to Season 2. Let’s say maybe she has a twin sister, you’ll see.”
Eyes On
Brian: Eye Wonder on Disney Plus
Tom: Turning Red
On the Lookout: Servant of the People
Front Lines
Apple TV app on Android TV no longer allows rentals, purchases, or subscriptions
- The Apple TV app for Android TV no longer lets you buy or rent TV shows and movies from in the app. Instead directing you to tv.apple.com or another platform. No official word, but we suppose Apple doesn't want to give Google its 30% cut any more than most companies want to give Apple its 30% cut not the app store platform.
‘The Mandalorian’ Season 3 Adds Christopher Lloyd
- Deadline's sources say Christopher Lloyd will guest star in season 3 of the Mandalorian. Production is beginning for the season, but there's no announcement yet on when we can expect it.
‘True Detective: Night Country’ In The Works At HBO From Issa López & Barry Jenkins
- HBO is working on a fourth season of True Detective. Deadline says it is tentatively called "True Detective - Night Country. Moonlight director Barry Jenkins is on board as is writer Issa Lopez. No word on whether series creator Nic Pizzolatto is involved.
Netflix Set to Shoot ‘The Crown’ Season 6 This Summer, Looks to Cast Teenage Prince William and Harry
- Netflix is getting ready to shoot season 6 of The Crown and put out a casting call for actors who look like teenage versions of princes William and Harry. No previous acting experience is required.
HBO Max Releases ‘The Flight Attendant’ Season 2 Trailer, Sets April Premiere Date
‘Derry Girls’ Season 3 Reveals First Look Image, Trailer
Bill Hader Seeks Forgiveness in ‘Barry’ Season 3 Trailer
Tom Hiddleston, Claire Danes Series ‘The Essex Serpent’ Sets Apple TV Plus Release Date, Unveils New Image
- A few more notes:
- HBO Max released a trailer for season 2 of The Flight Attendant, coming April 21st.
- Channel 4 has a trailer out for the 3rd and final season of Derry Girls, no launch date yet.
- There's a trailer for season 3 of Barry , coming to HBO April 24th.
- Apple TV Plus set May 13th as the date for The Essex Serpent, a Victorian period pieces starring Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston.
Dispatches from the Front
Hi Gents!
I got to listen to this week's show much earlier than I normally do, which was exciting. and you talked about cloud dvr, something i have spent a ridiculously stupid amoutn of time working on through the years.
So Bryce, legally by law in the US, when you watch a DVR'd item in the US, regardless or where it's stored, it is supposed to be a private copy (as opposed to what is called a common copy).
All of this dates back to court rulings in the US about how time shifting of content and recordings of content can be used. Cable companies (and now OTT platforms) are supposed to follow the letter of the law and therefore use private copy in the US. it is widely speculated as to who is followig the rules and who might not be and i won't comment there. I will however tell you that from a public cloud perspective (as in AWS, Azure, and GCP), it is virtually impossible to design a cloud DVR system that follows the US regulations and is actually cost effective. Most "cloud" DVRs that are private copy run in private data centers. Common copy is something that can be done at scale in a public cloud and a number of companies have explored this. I will however in closing say that this is but one example of governments who don't understand a technology creating rulings on it that have extremely long lasting implications. We have moved well beyond the infrastructure the courts thought they were protecting and they are now in fact hindering our growth.
your fan as always,
- Andy
Hey Bryce,
I got an email yesterday offering Disney+ for $2.99/month as an add-on to my Hulu with no ads subscription. It looks like a custom URL, but maybe you got the same offer, or will soon. That should make paying for Disney+ a little more palatable. I already subscribe to Disney+, so I kind of reflexively ignored the offer, but I think it's cheaper than what I'm paying now, so I'll have to do some math and reconsider.
- Alan
This merger business and consolidating stuff we may not want consolidated and increasing the prices *reeks* of "we're going to charge you more because ESPN ... even if I don't WANT ESPN, even if I never WATCH ESPN."
If I don't ditch DiscoveryMaxHBOProPlusUltimaChargesTooMuch before the price increase, I will surely do it THEN.
I don't watch the Discovery stuff and I don't want to pay extra for stuff I don't want to watch.
But, that's just me.
YMMV!
- Michael
P.S. I like Bryce's idea of "pay a few bucks for the 'slices' you want of their content." I might pay five-bucks-ish for the DC stuff and new releases of movies (say within the last year). But, let me get a discount for "opting OUT of all that other stuff."
Links
patreon.com/cordkillers
doghousesystems.com/v/rogue
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