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SongCatcher Names the Tune Stuck in Your Head—And Then Plays It
Barb Gonzalez  |  Oct 12, 2022
Can’t remember the name of that catchy song stuck in your head? No worries, Deezer’s updated SongCatcher feature will not only find it for you but it will play the song, too — a first in the app world.
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SmartStream
Google’s New HD Chromecast Streamer Costs $30
Barb Gonzalez  |  Sep 28, 2022
Affordable streamers are what's new this fall. Following the announcement of the Roku Express value-priced player, Google has released an HD version of its Chromecast with Google TV streamer.
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SmartStream
Roku Announces OS11.5 Upgrade & New Products for Fall
Barb Gonzalez  |  Sep 14, 2022
Roku just announced the Roku OS11.5 update to its operating system. This update includes improved discovery features for users to find and stream what they want to watch from the home screen. The fall virtual press conference also brought news of a lower-priced Roku Express player and wireless subwoofer.
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SmartStream
Google TV Updates Improve Performance
Barb Gonzalez  |  Aug 24, 2022
Google TV has rolled out updates to improve the Chromecast and TV’s operating system. The changes shorten boot time and make switching between tabs and launch apps faster. While some avid users have complained about Google TV’s performance, the improvements will likely be only subtly noticeable for most.
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SmartStream
Will Free Ad-Based Streaming Replace Broadcast TV?
Barb Gonzalez  |  Aug 10, 2022
Free Ad-Supported TV (FAST) has become the focus of streaming services and studios. More channels are being added to free linear “live TV” services like Pluto, Tubi, Xumo, PLEX, Roku Channel, and others. Established stream-on-demand services like Netflix, Disney+, and Warner Bros. Discovery are exploring lower-priced ad-supported tiers. Streaming is beginning to look more and more like traditional broadcast TV.
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SmartStream
Netflix Will Offer an Ad-Supported Subscription Tier
Barb Gonzalez  |  Jul 27, 2022
Commercials are coming to Netflix, one of the last of the major streaming services to offer a low-priced ad-supported tier. Now that Netflix has partnered with Microsoft's Xandr digital video advertising arm, it's clear that the streaming giant is preparing to include advertising.
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SmartStream
Amazon Aims to Improve Streaming Experience with Fire TV Stick 4K Max
Barb Gonzalez  |  Jul 06, 2022
Amazon has released a new “Max” version of its 4K Fire TV Stick that promises improved performance over previous generations. See how it differs.
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SmartStream
Sling TV: Get Premium Channels Free on Weekends
Barb Gonzalez  |  Jun 22, 2022
Sling TV is offering free weekends for premium channels and deals to attract new subscribers. Each weekend from Friday, June 24th through the end of August 2022, will be "Freeview Weekends" where all Sling TV subscribers can watch premium channels without signing up or paying for them.
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SmartStream
OS Update Will Expand Apple TV’s HDR Capabilities
Barb Gonzalez  |  Jun 08, 2022
While Apple didn't directly discuss updates to its Apple TV streaming device at this week’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), there are new features to look forward to this fall.
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SmartStream
Roku's OS11 Upgrade Is Here at Last
Barb Gonzalez  |  May 25, 2022
After a two-month rollout, the new Roku OS11 operating system upgrade has finally arrived. It brings new customization features, including new content discovery and recommendations on the home screen, a voice keyboard for login, a slideshow screensaver featuring your photos, and new sound modes. The features may seem subtle, but they change and enhance the Roku experience.  
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Netflix May Soon Charge for Sharing Passwords
Barb Gonzalez  |  May 11, 2022
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HBO Max and Discovery Plus to Merge Into One Service
Barb Gonzalez  |  Apr 21, 2022
The WarnerMedia and Discovery merger has been finalized. The new company, dubbed Warner Bros. Discovery, will bring significant changes to HBO Max and Discovery+ streaming and will likely affect the CNN+ streaming app. It’s expected that all the content will be aggregated into one streaming service, but it won’t happen immediately.
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SmartStream
Plex Update Brings Superb Discover and Universal Search
Barb Gonzalez  |  Apr 06, 2022
Plex continues to improve and reinvent itself with the goal of becoming the one app that you turn to first for all streaming. Its most recent addition is Plex Discover (in public Beta). Plex Discover finds trending and popular shows on all of your subscription services.
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LCD TV Reviews
Netflix Adds to List of Interactive Videos
Barb Gonzalez  |  Mar 16, 2022
On April 1, Netflix will launch the newest in its line of interactive videos. A new episode of the game/show Trivia Questwill be released every day during April. Over the past four years, Netflix has offered a spattering of interactive titles, each with its own interpretation of what interactive videos should be.
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SmartStream
NBC Shows May Leave Hulu
Barb Gonzalez  |  Mar 02, 2022
Fans of NBC’s TV shows may soon need to subscribe to Peacock to stream current episodes. In February, Comcast had a window to get out of a content licensing agreement with Hulu that would allow them to remove NBC shows from the service.
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