Apple is throwing its hat into the arena of original programming in hopes of capturing a piece of a very lucrative market pioneered by Netflix and more recently capitalized on by Hulu and Amazon. Details have been emerging about production deals for which Apple has budgeted $1 billion.
Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC) kicked off with a preview of the long-awaited Vision Pro, an AR (augmented reality) headset featuring micro-OLED display technology that has the potential of changing the way we experience entertainment in the future.
New original series are being produced by Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and more streaming video companies. Are we making the from broadcast and cable TV to streaming entertainment. Find out more and where to sample non-Netflix subscribers can view "House of Cards."
In a recent article by Patrick Nelson on the Tech News World blog, he makes the case that Smart TVs are a dumb idea and that they will go the way of the LaserDisc. For anyone unfamiliar with the term, a "Smart TV" refers to a TV that connects to the Internet and your home network, using built-in apps for streaming video, music, photos, games, and more.
This past year has seen the maturing of many features that were formerly only hopeful ideas. Streaming 4K, streaming live broadcast TV, cloud-based DVRs, and voice control are all readily available.
Black Friday deals on streaming subscriptions may be the best way to try out new apps. Many channels and apps have dollar deals that give you enough time to watch those titles that you didn't want to spend full price to see. This is a push by the streaming services to get more subscribers (that equates to more advertising dollars for ad-supported services). And they are hoping that once you subscribe, you'll stay with the service. Between Thanksgiving day and midnight on Cyber Monday is the best time to sign up for deals on Hulu, AMC+, and many add-on channels, as well as streaming player/streaming software bundles.
Take advantage of the Black Friday streaming deals if you need a new streaming device or want to try a streaming service. Significant savings are available on Roku, Amazon, Apple, and Chromecast, and even the Nvidia Shield is on sale. With prices about to go up on many streaming services, the Black Friday deals are the best time to lock in lower rates or get substantial discounts.
Redbox now offers the Redbox Instant subscription streaming movie service to go along with its kiosk rentals. But can it compete with the Netflix powerhouse?
A new crop of streaming video apps have been added to the Chromecast including streaming video apps for kids and games. Family game night will never be the same.
The addition of Android mirroring and other features to the Chromecast streaming media dongle will level the playing field with other (more expensive) media players.