In this week's collection of recent cord-cutting news items from around the web: Everything coming to Netflix, Amazon Prime, and HBO Now in December; Plex streams Tidal music; AT&T details WarnerMedia streaming services; Discovery Channel, TLC and more are now on Sling TV; Amazon has a new way to record TV shows; the 9 best free streaming movie services, and more!
Everything coming to Netflix, Amazon Prime, and HBO Now in December
The Verge says that it's "a big month for Netflix original movies with Roma, Bird Box, and Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle... The service will also be adding Avengers: Infinity War to its lineup, along with The Lobster and the 11th season of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown." Amazon Prime brings "the second season of the Emmy award-winning The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, the new series Vanity Fair, and... some incredibly impressive film library titles, including All the President's Men, Boogie Nights, David Fincher’s The Game, and one of the best — and scariest — films of the year, Ari Aster's Hereditary." And on HBO Now, "customers will get a number of films this month, including Inception, The Hangover, and Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One. The service will also be adding the documentary Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland, as well as the season finales for Camping, My Brilliant Friend, and season 2 of Room 104, amongst others."
Plex now streams cheap Tidal music subscriptions
Also from The Verge, we find that "Plex users can now stream Tidal music directly from the Plex app. Moreover, subscribers can save up to $60 a year on the price of both Tidal and Plex Pass subscriptions. Tidal's entire music catalog (including music videos and podcasts) is available on Plex. Better yet, it promises to integrate with your existing Plex music library."
AT&T Details Three Tiers of 2019 WarnerMedia Streaming Offering
"AT&T delivered its post-merger pitch to a roomful of Wall Street analysts, and shedding new light on its direct-to-consumer OTT service launching in late 2019," says Deadline Hollywood. "The still-unnamed WarnerMedia streaming service will include three levels, the company said. It will have an entry-level movie-focused package; a premium service with original programming and blockbuster movies; and a third service bundling content from the first two plus an extensive library of WarnerMedia and licensed content." No word on pricing.
Discovery Channel, TLC and More are Now on Sling TV
Sling TV has launched nine Discovery networks, including Discovery Channel, TLC, Investigation Discovery (ID) and more. "Discovery networks bring popular domestic and Spanish-language channels and diverse content for all age groups to Sling TV, and pricing for all service offerings remains the same. Plus, Sling TV will continue to add Discovery titles to its on-demand library in the future." Other networks, available in the base Orange or Blue or Sling Extras packages, include MotorTrend (formerly Velocity), American Heroes Channel, Destination America, Destination America, and Spanish networks Discovery en Español and Discovery Familia.
Americans are streaming 8 billion hours of content per month on connected TVs
"Today, more than two-thirds of U.S. homes have devices that are able to stream video," according to Nielsen and reported by Cnet. Nielson noted that "Americans are now streaming nearly 8 billion hours per month on connected TV devices like Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV. What's more is that consumers ages 13 to 34 will spend twice the time streaming when watching on connected TV devices, compared with watching on the computer or mobile devices."
Amazon has a new way to record HD TV shows even if you don't pay for cable
CNBC reports on the Amazon Fire TV Recast that launched earlier this month. "It's meant for folks who no longer want to pay a cable bill but still want to record and watch TV shows from broadcast networks including ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, PBS and The CW. Recast lets you record local TV shows that you can get for free over the air with an HD antenna, and then watch them on any TV with a Fire TV stick connected to it, or on your phone or tablet. "
AT&T May Sell 10% Stake in Hulu, Potentially Giving Disney More Control
"Disney might be set to gain even more control over Hulu," reports Variety. "AT&T said it is considering selling WarnerMedia's 10% stake in the streaming venture — which is worth as much as $930 million — as part of shedding nonstrategic assets to pay down its massive debt load... If AT&T sells the WarnerMedia stake in Hulu, that could bulk up Disney’s ownership in the streaming TV company — giving the Mouse House even more incentive to invest in Hulu and expand it to international markets."
‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer,’ ‘Angel’ And ‘Firefly’ Come To Facebook Watch
If you prefer to get you video entertainment through social media, you might like Deadline Hollywood's report that "Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Firefly are coming to Facebook Watch through a deal with 20th Century Fox Television, as the social network looks to use the lure of nostalgia to attract viewers and spark conversation... Facebook users can host 'watch parties' from their Timeline, and virtually gather together a group of friends to watch episodes together." Every episode from every season will be available beginning today.
Watch movies for free: The 9 best streaming services
From Cnet, "[h]ere are nine services offering totally free -- and totally legal -- movies you can watch online. Just be prepared to sit through commercials, because that's how many of these services stay in business."
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