1. Home
  2. Saying good-bye to cable television

Saying good-bye to cable television

[email protected] (Brian X Chen)
October 24, 2016

Consider what's faced by people who want to end their TV subscriptions — what's known as cutting the cable cord. There are multiple streaming services and bills to juggle. And there are numerous streaming gadgets to choose from.

cableSo to make moving away from cable cords easier, we teamed up with the Wirecutter, the product recommendations website, to compile the definitive guide to cord-cutting. The Wirecutter tested services, streaming devices and antennas to come up with cord-cutter bundles for different types of people in 2016: movie buffs, sports addicts, fans of premium TV shows, binge watchers and families with children.

For movie buffsFor movie buffs, plenty of cord-cutting options will make any transition painless. Netflix, Amazon and Hulu all have large film libraries for streaming — Amazon's alone holds 18,400 titles, though the selection regularly changes because of agreements with content providers.

Netflix's library has shrunk over time; the company is no longer trying to offer the glut of back-catalogue movies that every service seems to have. But Netflix has tried to compensate by focusing on movies it has exclusive licenses to, including those from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Lucas film.

Amazon focuses more on quantity, but without the exclusive titles the other services offer. Amazon, iTunes, the Google Play store and Vudu usually get digital versions of recent movies that can be purchased for $15 (Rs 1,001) to $20 (Rs 1,334), or rented for about $5 (Rs 333), even before they're available on disc.

For most people, Netflix will offer the best selection of new movies and original programming — and Google, Amazon or Apple will offer the best selection for rentals or purchases. n Best Service: Netflix plus a la carte rentals/purchases ($8 or Rs 533 to $12 or Rs 800/month)n Best Hardware: Roku Streaming Stick ($50 or Rs 3,336)n Most Affordable: Roku Streaming Stickn Also Works With: Apple TV ($149 or Rs 9,943), other Roku models

For sports addictsA subscription to either PlayStation Vue or Sling TV gets you ESPN and Fox Sports 1, depending on the package. And each system offers additional sports channels, depending on your interests.

You may also want to watch over-the-air broadcast channels, especially for NFL games. Most televisions have a built-in over-the-air tuner that brings in local major networks (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC) using your TV hardware and an inexpensive antenna, such as the Antennas Direct ClearStream Eclipse ($40 or 2,669).

n Best Service: PlayStation Vue ($30 or Rs 2,002 to $45 or Rs 3,003/month)n Best Hardware: Fire TV ($40 or 2,669 to $100 or Rs 6,673) or Google Chromecast ($35 or Rs 2,335)n Most Affordable: Google Chromecastn Also Works With: Apple TV ($149 or Rs 9,943), Roku ($50 or Rs 3,336)

Premium network showsNo problem. HBO, Showtime and Starz can all be viewed on a phone, tablet or streaming device with a direct subscription — no cable or satellite subscription or long-term contract required. That allows access to each network's original programming and the movies each is showing, and you can watch from anywhere.

n Best Hardware: Roku Streaming Stick ($50 or Rs 3,336)n Most Affordable: Roku Streaming Stick or Google Chromecast ($35 or Rs 2,335)n Also Works With: Apple TV ($149 or Rs 9,943), other Roku models

For TV binge watchersNetflix and Amazon Instant Video are your best bets to binge-watch television shows. Each offers award-winning original content, including “House of Cards,” “Orange Is the New Black,” “Master of None,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” and “Making a Murderer” on Netflix; and on Amazon, “Transparent,” “Mozart in the Jungle” and “The Man in the High Castle.”

All episodes are released online at once. Each service also carries recent TV series, like “Better Call Saul” and “Mr Robot,” shortly after the DVD release date. If you don't want to wait, you can usually purchase a “season pass” for current TV shows through iTunes, Amazon or Google Play at a cost of $20 or Rs 1,334 to $30 or Rs 2,002 per season usually. Google Play is generally the least expensive, offering savings of around 15 to 25 percent — and watch new episodes the day they're aired on TV. Hulu Plus focuses on current TV seasons, letting you watch them right after they air instead of when the season has ended. But it lacks many current popular shows.

n Best Service: Netflix ($8 or Rs 533 to $12 or Rs 800/month) or Amazon ($99 or Rs 6,606/year), or a la carte seasonsn Best Hardware: Roku Streaming Stick ($50 or Rs 3,336)n Most Affordable: Roku Streaming Stick

Also Works With: Fire TV ($40 or 2,669 to $100 or Rs 6,673), other Roku Models, Apple TV ($149 — Google and Amazon require an iOS or macOS device)

For children and familiesNetflix offers a wide selection of content, both educational and entertaining, along with original children's programming like the recent “Voltron” reboot. It also offers the option to create a children's profile that lets you limit viewing to particular ratings or age levels. In addition, Netflix has a new partnership with Disney that will make more Disney films available for streaming.

PBS Kids Now lets you stream recent episodes of PBS shows, and the selection is updated every week with the latest episodes of most shows. Amazon Instant Video also has children's content and its own custom children's programming, as well as FreeTime Unlimited, a selection of curated shows, apps and games for children for a monthly fee ($3 or Rs 200 for Amazon Prime members, $5 or Rs 333 for non members). However, FreeTime Unlimited is available only on Amazon's own hardware.

Sling TV also offers a children's package for those who want to stream Nick Jr., Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Cartoon Network and more.

n Best Service: Netflix ($8 or Rs 533 to $12 or Rs 800/month)n Best Hardware: Roku Streaming Stick ($50 or Rs 3,336)n Most Affordable: Roku Streaming Stick (except for FreeTime Unlimited), Amazon Fire TV ($40 or 2,669 to $100 or Rs 6,673)n Also Works With: Apple TV ($149 or Rs 9,943), other Roku models

Why it still isn't perfectThere are still downsides to cord-cutting. JD Power & Associates, a research firm that collects feedback on brands and products from consumers, said two factors made cord cutters less satisfied: customer care and value, according to J D Power.For customer care, cord cutters may run into problems more often than traditional TV subscribers, said Kirk Parsons, a senior director of telecommunications research at J D Power. The streaming content provider may be experiencing issues. Your Wi-Fi connection might be spotty, or your internet provider may be experiencing issues. It's tough to tell.

For value, cutting the cord isn't very cheap if you then subscribe to multiple services to gain access to a diverse set of content. For cable subscribers, paying one bill is less of a hassle than juggling multiple bills. And even after you subscribe to multiple streaming services, there is still some content that you may miss out on because it is available only via cable or satellite.

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Agencies
January 7,2020

Washington, Jan 7: Facebook will ban deepfake videos ahead of the US elections but the new policy will still allow heavily edited clips so long as they are parody or satire, the social media giant said Tuesday.

Deepfake videos are hyper-realistic doctored clips made using artificial intelligence or programs that have been designed to accurately fake real human movements.

In a blog published following a Washington Post report, Facebook said it would begin removing clips that were edited--beyond for clarity and quality--in ways that "aren't apparent to an average person" and could mislead people.

Clips would be removed if they were "the product of artificial intelligence or machine learning that merges, replaces or superimposes content onto a video, making it appear to be authentic," the statement from Facebook vice-president Monika Bickert said.

However, the statement added: "This policy does not extend to content that is parody or satire, or video that has been edited solely to omit or change the order of words."

US media noted the new guidelines would not cover videos such as the 2019 viral clip -- which was not a deepfake -- of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that appeared to show her slurring her words.

Facebook also gave no indication on the number of people assigned to identify and take down the offending videos, but said videos failing to meet its usual guidelines would be removed, and those flagged clips would be reviewed by teams of third-party fact-checkers -- among them AFP.

The news agency has been paid by the social media giant to fact-check posts across 30 countries and 10 languages as part of a program starting in December 2016, and including more than 60 organisations.

Content labeled "false" is not always removed from newsfeeds but is downgraded so fewer people see it -- alongside a warning explaining why the post is misleading.

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Agencies
May 19,2020

Cybersecurity researchers on Monday warned of a Trojan malware campaign which is targeting India's co-operative banks using COVID-19 as a bait.

Seqrite, the enterprise arm of IT security firm Quick Heal Technologies, detected the new wave of Adwind Java Remote Access Trojan (RAT) campaign.

Researchers at Seqrite warned that if attackers are successful, they can take over the victim's device to steal sensitive data like SWIFT logins and customer details and move laterally to launch large scale cyberattacks and financial frauds.

According to the researchers, the Java RAT campaign starts with a spear-phishing email which claims to have originated from either the Reserve Bank of India or a nationalised bank.

The content of the email refers to COVID-19 guidelines or a financial transaction, with detailed information in an attachment, which is a zip file containing a JAR based malware.

Upon further investigation, researchers at Seqrite found that the JAR based malware is a Remote Access Trojan that can run on any machine which has Java runtime enabled and hence it can impact a variety of endpoints, irrespective of their base operating system.

Once the RAT is installed, the attacker can take over the victim's device, send commands from a remote machine, and spread laterally in the network.

In addition, this malware can also log keystrokes, capture screenshots, download additional payloads, and extract sensitive user information, Seqrite said, adding that such attack campaigns can effectively jeopardise the privacy and security of sensitive data at the co-operative banks and result in large scale attacks and financial frauds.

To prevent such attacks, users need to exercise ample caution and avoid opening attachments and clicking on web links in unsolicited emails.

Banks should also keep their operating systems updated and have a full-fledged security solution installed on all the devices, Seqrite advised.

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Agencies
June 9,2020

Soon, you may be able to withdraw cash from an ATM without touching any part of the machine. AGS Transact Technologies, a provider of cash and digital payment solutions and automation technology, on Monday said it has successfully developed and tested a touchless ATM solution in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ‘contactless' solution, currently under demo at interested banks, enables a customer to perform all the steps required to withdraw cash from an ATM using the mobile app itself. 

The customer simply has to scan the QR code displayed on the ATM screen and follow the directions on their respective bank's mobile application. 

This includes entering the amount and mPIN required to dispense the cash from the ATM machine. 

According to the company, the QR code feature makes cash withdrawals quicker and more secure, and negates the chances of compromising the ATM Pin or card skimming.

"The new Touchless ATM solution is an extension of the flagship QR Cash solution which ensures safety of the users and will provide a seamless cash withdrawal experience with enhanced security," said Ravi B. Goyal, Chairman and MD, AGS Transact Technologies Ltd.

With minimum investment, the banks can enable this solution for their ATM networks by upgrading the existing software.

AGSTTL has so far installed, maintained and managed a network of over 72,000 ATMs across the country and also provides customised solutions to leading banks. 

The company earlier introduced UPI-QR based Cash withdrawal solution in partnership with Bank of India. 

This is how the solution works.

Open the Bank mobile application on your smartphone and select QR Cash Withdrawal. Enter the amount you wish to withdraw on the mobile app and scan the QR code on the ATM screen.

Next, confirm the amount by clicking on ‘proceed' in the app and enter the mPin to authenticate the transaction. Now collect the cash and receipt and you are done.

"The seamless, cardless and touchless withdrawal method is designed to provide easy transaction flow, without the need to touch the ATM screen or enter the pin," said Mahesh Patel, President and Group Chief Technology Officer, AGS Transact Technologies.

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.