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Better Late Than Never: CBS Adds $9.99 Ad-free Option to Its All Access Pass

Phillip Dampier August 31, 2016 Consumer News, Online Video Comments Off on Better Late Than Never: CBS Adds $9.99 Ad-free Option to Its All Access Pass

cbs all accessViewers hoping to see their last Cialis ad while watching 60 Minutes online now have that option as CBS announces the introduction of a commercial-free plan for its All Access subscription service.

For an extra $4 a month, CBS will remove all online advertising from its current run and new shows.  Those who don’t mind the ads can continue to pay $5.99/month, which includes an ad free experience for older content the network calls CBS Classics. Current CBS programming includes a heavy load of advertising and it is often repetitious. For some, $9.99/month is not too much to pay for the complete removal of commercials.

“The foundation of CBS All Access is not only about giving CBS fans access to more of the content they want, but also giving them more choice in how they watch their favorite CBS programming,” said Marc DeBevoise, president and chief operating officer of CBS Interactive. “The addition of a commercial-free plan gives our subscribers even more ways to customize their CBS viewing experience – from which devices to whether they watch in or out of the home, and now with commercials or without.”

Current subscribers will have the option to move to the commercial-free plan by logging on to their account through CBS.com.

For the commercial-free plan, CBS All Access’s live-streaming offering of local CBS Television stations, available throughout the U.S. in more than 150 markets, will continue to feature the same commercials as the over-the-air broadcast, and select on-demand shows will include promotional interruptions.

CBS All Access is available online at CBS.com, on mobile devices and tablets via the CBS App for iOS, Android and Windows 10, and on Roku Players, Apple TV, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Chromecast, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, with more connected device platforms coming soon.

36 New Schools Join Xfinity on Campus Program; Now Includes Cloud DVR

Phillip Dampier August 31, 2016 Comcast/Xfinity, Consumer News, Online Video Comments Off on 36 New Schools Join Xfinity on Campus Program; Now Includes Cloud DVR

Comcast has expanded its online video service Xfinity on Campus to 36 new schools, allowing college students who live on campus to watch live and on-demand TV at no cost.

XOC-Logos

The cable operator pitches the service to universities that are trying to move away from traditional coaxial cable networks and get cable TV wiring out of the dorms. Comcast’s program is essentially an investment for the future. Students exposed to Comcast’s cable TV service might become accustomed to having it, increasing the possibility they will stay with Comcast after they graduate.

Participating colleges set up a Metro Ethernet connection to the Comcast network and agree to support both an on-campus network that can support IPTV and a joint authentication solution that allows students access to the service by logging into their university accounts. The service is only available over the college’s campus network.

Comcast claims the service requires little or no equipment and students use their own devices — IPTV-ready televisions, as well as PC’s, notebooks, tablets, and smartphones to access the content.

New this year is free cloud DVR service, letting each student record up to 20 shows to view later. Comcast has also consolidated the on-campus service with traditional on-demand viewing available to all Comcast customers through the Xfinity TV app.

Roku Preparing 5 New Models for Late 2016

Phillip Dampier August 30, 2016 Consumer News, Editorial & Site News, Online Video 3 Comments
HBO NO GO on Time Warner Cable & Bright House Networks

New models for 2016

Roku is preparing to completely overhaul its current lineup of streaming video set-top boxes with five new models designed to support higher quality video and more features.

Dave Zatz from ZatzNotFunny was able to correlate a redacted filing with the Federal Communications Commission and a not-so-redacted heads-up given to Canadian electronics suppliers preparing to inventory the newest models to analyze what Roku plans to offer this holiday season.

The biggest change is the end of Roku’s numerical designations for its units. No more confusing Roku 2 or 3, supplemented with the exact model year to account for production changes along the way. Instead, Roku is naming its newest units similar to a multi-level rewards program. With units ranging from Roku Express to Roku Premiere, to the top of the line Ultra, there should be something for everyone.

Both the “Express” and “Premiere” series have “Plus” models as well, which seems to include additional connection options.

roku-premiere-1

(Image courtesy of Dave Zatz)

Basic Lineup: Roku Express/Express Plus

The new entry-level Roku model will likely replace the Roku 1. A processor upgrade is likely because some applications and services have historically stopped supporting older model Roku units. Introducing a more robust basic product will protect its usefulness to owners in the years to come. We’re not certain what the Plus features will include on this model.

Mainstream: Roku Premiere/Premiere Plus

This will likely be the best value for money option for a lot of Roku users. Both models will include support for 4K video. The Plus version is suspected of including support for High Dynamic Range (HDR), a big improvement over the 2015 model. Other Plus features are expected to be an Ethernet port for direct wired connection and a microSD slot.

High End: Ultra

For the person who wants it all, the Roku Ultra will replace the Roku 4. In addition to all the features found on lesser models, the Ultra is expected to include a remote control finder, optical out, and a USB port.

The anticipated price points of the different models seem to be similar to current Roku pricing: Roku 1/Express: $50, Roku Premiere/Roku 2: $70, Roku Premiere Plus/Roku 3: $100, Roku Ultra/Roku 4: $130.

Dave Zatz offers additional insight if you’re interested in more technical details on his website.

Cablevision, Time Warner Cable, Bright House Customers Can Keep Wi-Fi Roaming

cablewifiComcast has confirmed new Altice USA and Charter Communications customers that used to subscribe to Cablevision, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House Networks will be able to continue accessing the free nationwide Cable WiFi roaming service, even though Altice and Charter are not members of the consortium that runs it.

“The Cable WiFi consortium remains in place following the recent merger and acquisitions activity,” a Comcast spokesperson told FierceCable. “Subscribers of each [company] that were previously entitled to use the CableWiFi hotspots continue to enjoy access. Access points that were made available by each [affected cable operator] continue to provide CableWiFi service.”

The network allows any Comcast, Cablevision/Altice USA, Charter/Time Warner Cable, Charter/Bright House Networks, and Cox Communications broadband customer to access a network of 500,000 nationwide Wi-Fi hotspots run by the five cable operators. Customers will know if they are in range of a hotspot by finding CableWiFi as an available connection. Broadband subscribers can log in using the same credentials they use when logging into their cable operator’s website.

It is unknown if Charter Communications or Altice USA will join the consortium directly, which would expand the network to cover legacy Charter customers and those signed up with Suddenlink, another Altice-owned operator.

FCC Surrenders on Municipal Broadband; Won’t Appeal Pre-Emption Loss to Supreme Court

Slow-Road-Sign-378pxCommunity broadband advocates will have to redouble their efforts to overturn state laws that restrict or prohibit municipal broadband, because the Federal Communications Commission today signaled it will no longer be a part of that fight.

The federal regulator chaired by Thomas Wheeler sought to preempt state laws that restrict or ban publicly owned broadband networks, but municipal broadband opponents challenged the FCC in court and won in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. The judges found the FCC had exceeded its authority.

“The FCC will not seek further review of the Sixth Circuit’s decision on municipal broadband after determining that doing so would not be the best use of Commission resources,” agency spokesperson Mark Wigfield told Motherboard.

In short, the FCC will let stand that court’s decision overturning the FCC’s preemption of state laws that restrict or prohibit municipal broadband, handing a major victory to Comcast, AT&T, Verizon, and Time Warner Cable (now Charter).

“Sometimes you’ve got to know when to fold ‘em,” Harold Feld, senior vice president of Public Knowledge, told Motherboard. “This case was always something of a long-shot, but now it’s too much of a long-shot to put money on.”

The decision not to appeal will require broadband advocates to battle in each impacted state to overturn the restrictive laws, which could be a long and arduous process. The alternative is voting in a majority of Democrats to the U.S. House and Senate. Democratic Sen. Cory Booker (NJ) introduced the “Community Broadband Act” — legislation to end anti-broadband state laws. Critics of the laws contend they are often written and lobbied for by incumbent telecom companies that don’t want competition. But the legislation has no chance of passage as long as Republicans maintain their House and Senate majority.

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