streaming media

Went back through Google's design writeup on the TV Streamer, the one where Ivy Ross and Isabelle Olsson walk through the decisions, and one line explains the whole shape of the thing. Olsson says they were bringing it out from behind the television set, so it needed to be something people are...

This one is doing the rounds and the headline is wrong in a way worth flagging, because the real number is still interesting. The research comes from All About Cookies, surveying 1,000 US adults. The finding is that one quarter of VPN users have used a VPN to watch live sports, including...

July 24 marked thirteen years since the original Chromecast landed, which sent me rummaging for mine. Thirty five dollars, a stick about the size of a USB drive, micro-USB for power, 1080p ceiling, and no remote at all - your phone was the remote. That last part was the actual idea, and it is...

The Nielsen figures make this deal read very differently than the headline did. The Roku Channel is currently pulling 3.1 percent of all TV viewing time in the US - that is all viewing, cable and broadcast included, not streaming share. Tubi sits at 2.3 percent. Pluto TV and Paramount+ together...

Google put out its Best of 2025 list for Google TV. Most watched among films new to streaming that year were Superman, Sinners and The Pickup, which Google describes as a heist comedy. On the show side it was Reacher, The Last of Us and Love Island USA. The collection lives under the For You...

Google TV Freeplay keeps growing and I still can't work out who it's for. The additions Google called out most recently are an SNL Vault channel, a Real Housewives Vault channel and American Ninja Warrior, all running live and free around the clock. The vault format is the odd part. You have an...

Google is bolting sports briefs onto Gemini on Google TV. The pitch is narrated catch-up on whatever league you follow, starting with the NBA, NCAA basketball, NHL, MLB, MLS and NWSL, sitting in the Gemini tab on the home screen. It builds on the news briefs they added last year, and it landed...

Blade Runner 2099 finally has a confirmed premiere date, which after the delays is more than I expected this year. My first thought was not casting or plot. It was whether it will actually look like a Blade Runner thing once it goes down a streaming pipe. 2049 is about the hardest material...

Small thing that still confuses people: you no longer have to go through Apple to pay for Apple TV+. The Apple TV app on a Google TV device lets you subscribe from inside the app, MLS Season Pass included, and the same app turned up on the Play Store for Android phones and tablets. Whether you...

The Streamer has been under the TV since launch and the two features I use daily are the boring ones. Not the Gemini summaries, not the curated rows, but the programmable button on the remote and Find My Remote. That extra button can be pointed at the home panel, a specific app, or another...

Went digging after seeing a piece on where the default Google TV ambient photos come from, and the answer is funnier than I expected: most of them are shot by Google employees. The team leaned on a stock image marketplace early on, then from 2020 started asking Googlers to submit their own work...

A batch of catalog titles turned up in 4K with HDR and it is a strange spread. Con Air, Speed Racer, Sleepers, Deep Blue Sea, Eraser and Drop Zone, sitting alongside The Ninth Gate and Fight Club. That is three or four completely different problems being addressed with the same tool. The mid...

Google swapped Assistant for Gemini on the Streamer and called it an upgrade, which in my experience is the word companies use when something is being removed as well as added. The pitch is natural voice: ask for a film that two people with different taste will both sit through, ask what...

Google pushed three more Gemini things onto Google TV and I have been going back and forth on whether any of it belongs on a television. The rollout is US and Canada first, with wider device support plus Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain listed for this spring, so plenty of you will be...

For the show's tenth anniversary Netflix has posted season one of Stranger Things in a deliberately VHS-grade version - softer, blurrier and cropped to 4:3 with pan and scan, so you get black bars down the sides on a widescreen set. The Duffers framed it as how the show would have looked sitting...

In today’s world of binge-worthy series and on-demand entertainment, streaming content on a Smart TV has become the norm. But if you're wondering how streaming actually works on a Smart TV, you're not alone. Whether you're new to Smart TVs or just curious about the tech behind it, this article...

Looking to stream Yellowstone, Bar Rescue, or other Paramount Network favorites on your smart TV? You’re not alone. A common question we see from users is: Good news: there are multiple easy ways to watch Paramount Network, even if your TV doesn’t come with it pre-installed. This guide...

Want to enjoy Netflix on your older TV that doesn’t have smart features? Good news: You don’t need a smart TV to stream your favorite shows and movies. Here’s how to get Netflix on a non-smart TV in just a few simple steps. This guide covers all working methods in 2024—whether your TV has HDMI...

Want to watch your favorite Hulu shows on the big screen? Whether you're planning to binge The Bear or catch live sports, this guide will walk you through how to get Hulu on your smart TV, regardless of brand. This article covers Samsung, LG, Vizio, Sony, Hisense, Roku TV, Android TV, and more...

Wondering how to get HBO Max on your Samsung Smart TV? You're not alone. Whether you're planning to binge “The Last of Us” or catch up on blockbuster movies, this guide shows you exactly how to install, log in, and start streaming HBO Max on a Samsung TV—quickly and correctly. This step-by-step...