Author Archives: Barb Gonzalez

As the world slowed to a stop in 2020, it accelerated streaming adoption and innovation. Sparked by theater closures and social distancing requirements of the pandemic shutdown, we had to find new ways to watch movies together with friends and family.

Discovery+ will launch on January 4th as the newest aggregated subscription streaming service. Drawing on 17 of Discovery’s channels, the service will offer the largest inventory of unscripted and non-fiction programming.

WarnerMedia has announced that all of the studio’s 2021 theatrical movies will be available to stream on its HBO Max service the same day they get released in theaters. That may be a welcome decision to those of us who either don’t want to spend two hours in a closed room with strangers or where theaters are closed. But it is also causing concern for those in the movie industry. How will this decision alter how we see new movies in the future?

In a year when the world is crazy, a holiday movies binge may be the best way to keep spirits bright. New streaming services have made it harder to find classic titles as content is shuffled from one app to another when licensing rights expire. If you’re growing tired of the same movies, you’ll find Netflix has created sequels to last year’s Holiday hits originals. And if live performances have been your family tradition, you can share some holiday culture via virtual streaming events.

The 2020 Roku Ultra brings improved performance over its predecessor, and it offers new features following the RokuOS 9.4 upgrade. Read how to set up Apple’s AirPlay and HomeKit, and also get some fun Fandango browsing tips.

For those who have limited space but want better sound than what their TV speakers can deliver, the Roku Streambar may be the solution.

The Chromecast with Google TV is a complete 4K/Dolby Vision and Atmos-capable streaming player, and it’s about to give Roku and Amazon Fire TV some stiff competition.

This year’s Roku fall lineup is a bit more interesting than in the past as the company has added new products and OS features aimed at A/V enthusiasts. The Roku Ultra streamer has been redesigned for better sound, video, and overall performance. The new Streambar is a hybrid Roku player and TV soundbar in a compact form. And updates to Roku OS 9.4 add some useful features. 

Netflix is offering a small number of titles to stream for free without a subscription. Streaming is immediate and does not require that viewers create an account or login.

Disney’s Mulan will be available to buy on September 4th but there’s a catch.