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Vimeo to shut down all of its TV streaming apps later this month by Aditya Tiwari The video hosting service Vimeo announced that its TV apps will be discontinued later this month on June 27. Vimeo said it will shut down its streaming apps across all supported platforms, including Android TV, Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV. These apps will be removed from the respective app stores and Vimeo will no longer push any security updates or provide technical support for its TV apps. According to a support document spotted by Engadget, the latest change doesn't apply to "branded apps available to Vimeo OTT enterprise sellers." Vimeo is displaying on-screen notifications on users' TV screens informing them about the upcoming shutdown. Vimeo's streaming apps for TV were launched back in 2016, around the time when the company positioned itself as a rival to YouTube. But over the years, Vimeo transformed itself into a business-focused streaming platform. "Today, Vimeo is much more than a viewing destination. It's an all-in-one video experience platform giving creative professionals, businesses, and organizations everything they need to make and market amazing, impactful videos," Vimeo said explaining why it's pulling the plug on its TV apps. Nevertheless, the shutdown of the Vimeo TV apps isn't the end of the road. Users can still cast their Vimeo content on the big screen with the help of its Android and iPhone apps. Vimeo said it retires legacy products that are no longer in line with its standards, adding that casting via its mobile apps can provide a "better ongoing experience" to the viewers. To cast their favorite videos on compatible TVs, users can simply look for the Chromecast or AirPlay icon in the Vimeo apps for Android and iOS. As of now, Vimeo doesn't support casting videos from a Chrome web browser but users can AirPlay Vimeo content from the Safari browser on Apple devices. Via Engadget

Disney+ and Hulu will pull many original series, including Willow, off of streaming services by John Callaham Credit: Lucasfilm If you have a TV show, movie, or special that you have always wanted to check out on Disney+ or Hulu, you might want to do so right now. A new report says Disney is planning to remove a number of its original series, films, and other content from those streaming services very soon. Deadline reports that the reason for such a move is the usual one; to save some money. Taking down these films and shows from Disney+ and Hulu will help Disney cut costs. The titles are supposed to be removed from the streaming services on May 26. The article has a list of some of the titles that will be affected by this move. The Mysterious Benedict Society [Disney+] Big Shot [Disney+] Turner & Hooch [Disney+] Willow [Disney+] The Making Of Willow [Disney+] Just Beyond [Disney+] The World According To Jeff Goldblum [Disney+] Pistol [Hulu] Dollface [Hulu] The Quest [Hulu] The Hot Zone [Hulu] Y: The Last Man [Hulu] Maggie [Hulu] Little Demon [Hulu] The Premise [Hulu] Love In The Time Of Corona [Hulu] Everything’s Trash [Hulu] Best In Snow [Hulu] Best In Dough [Hulu] The One And Only Ivan [Disney+] Timmy Failure [Disney+] Be Our Chef [Disney+] Magic Camp [Disney+] Earth To Ned [Disney+] Foodtastic [Disney+] Stuntman [Disney+] Disney Fairy Tale Weddings [Disney+] Wolfgang [Disney+] It’s a Dog’s Life With Bill Farmer [Disney+] Perhaps the biggest title on this list is Disney+'s Willow. The 10-episode sequel to the 1988 fantasy film from producer George Lucas and director Ron Howard was heavily hyped by Disney+ before it dropped. However, when the show debuted in November 2022 it failed to reach a wide audience. One of the problems with removing these original shows and movies is that they are not available anywhere else to watch, either as a digital rental or purchase or via physical DVD or Blu-Ray. Disney has not addressed how these series and films might be available to consumers in the future. This is not the first time a streaming service has removed content that was made specifically for that service. HBO Max also took down a number of original shows and films back in August 2022. Other services like AMC+, Starz, and Showtime have also taken down original content from their streaming services in the past year. Update: May 19 - Deadline now reports that Howard, the documentary about The Little Mermaid lyricist Howard Ashman, will not be removed from Disney+ after all. It added that Disney is still finalizing the list of shows, movies, and specials that will be taken down from Disney+ and Hulu.

Netflix ad tier has five million monthly active users six months after launch by Paul Hill Netflix’s ad tier now has five million monthly active users, The Hollywood Reporter has said. The streaming company revealed that the median age of users on the ad tier is 34 and that its ad tier customer numbers have doubled since the start of this year. According to the company’s Co-CEO Greg Peters, more than 25% of sign-ups in countries where the ad tier is available are to the ad tier. He also confirmed that, despite the ad interruptions, the levels of engagement on the ad tier were about the same as on other tiers. Commenting, he said: “The signals are promising: engagement on our ads plan is similar to our comparable non-ads plans. That’s critical because it all starts and ends with consumers. It’s why, despite all the competition out there, Netflix is the most popular streaming service today. To be the one to watch, you need everyone watching. And that’s what sets Netflix apart. he One to Watch.” The company announced the ad tier figures on Wednesday afternoon. After the markets closed, there was a spike in the share price to $341.25 but it has since retreated back to $340.20. It’ll be interesting to see tomorrow when markets are open to see whether there’s any more price reaction to this development. Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Disney+ and Hulu will combine their content into one single app as well by Aditya Tiwari The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger announced during the Q2 earnings call that Disney+ and Hulu will merge their content into a single streaming app in the U.S. Disney owns two-thirds of Hulu and is currently in talks with Comcast to acquire the rest of it. Iger said that "it's clear that a combination of the content that is on Disney+ with general entertainment is a very positive, is a very strong combination from a subscriber perspective, from a subscriber acquisition, subscriber retention perspective, and also from an advertiser perspective." However, the fate of the acquisition hasn't "been fully determined." The single app featuring content from Disney+ and Hulu will arrive by the end of the calendar year but Iger said the integrated app experience is for consumers who have "subscribed to both services for now." Walt Disney will continue to offer Disney+ and Hulu as standalone apps as "this is a logical progression of our DTC offerings that will provide greater opportunities for advertisers while giving bundle subscribers access to more robust and streamlined content, resulting in greater audience engagement and ultimately leading to a more unified streaming experience," the CEO said. One of the reasons why the new app is coming into the picture is to provide more real estate for advertisers. The company has a total of 5,000 advertisers across its streaming platforms. Iger said the company also has plans to launch an ad-supported tier in Europe by the end of this calendar year. He added that the ad-free tier is also planned to get a price bump "to better reflect the value of our content offerings." This comes at a time when the total Disney+ subscribers declined by 4 million at the end of the second quarter. While there was modest growth for Disney+ core service, there was a steep 4.6 million drop in the subscriber count of the India-focused Disney+ Hotstar. On the flip side, Walt Disney managed to shrink its quarterly losses by $400 million. Earlier this year, the company reported a loss of 2.4 million subscribers as it announced mass layoffs affecting 7,000 employees. Source: Walt Disney

Over 100 Amazon Prime Video Originals will soon be free to stream on Freevee by Aditya Tiwari Amazon announced today that it's bringing more than 100 original movies and TV shows from Prime Video to its free, ad-based streaming service, known as Freevee. The list includes popular titles such as Reacher, The Summer I Turned Pretty, The Wheel of Time, A League of Their Own, LuLaRich, and Late Night. Freevee is an ad-supported free streaming service that offers a collection of original content and 300+ live streaming channels. It's a rebranded version of an older streaming service known as IMDB TV that's available in multiple locations, including the US, UK, and Germany. Amazon said that more than 50 out of these original movies and TV shows are already available on the platform. The company plans to add more titles in the coming months. On May 26, users will be able to stream the first three episodes of The Summer I Turned Pretty, A League of Their Own, The Terminal List, and Paper Girls. Freevee will also get full seasons of Homecoming, Upload, and The Vast of Night in May. The entire first seasons of Reacher and The Wheel of Time will be added later this year. In addition to Prime Video's catalog, Freevee has some original titles of its own, including Bosch: Legacy, Judy Justice, Hollywood Houselift with Jeff Lewis, Sprung, and more. The streaming service is supported on a variety of platforms, including Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, FireTV, PlayStation, Xbox, LG Smart TVs, iOS, iPadOS, and Android. While Freevee offers its entire catalog for free, the Prime Video standalone subscription starts at $8.99/mo ($139 annually as part of Amazon Prime) where all the Amazon Originals are available without ads.

Spotify crosses 500 million monthly active users, beats its own expectations by Aditya Tiwari One of the world's biggest music streaming services Spotify has now reached 515 million monthly active users witnessing a 22% year-over-year growth. The company said in its Q1 2023 earnings report that it was the strongest first quarter it has seen since going public back in 2018. It notes that the increase in the numbers exceeded its guidance by 15 million. Speaking of premium users, Spotify now has 210 million paying subscribers which has grown by 15% year-over-year. The subscriber gain has boosted the company's total revenue by 14% to €3 billion, it said. However, the increased numbers share the stage with the cost-cutting done by the company, which includes lowering marketing spending. Spotify also confirmed earlier this year that it would be laying off 6% of its workforce. The Stockholm-based streaming service introduced a number of features during the quarter such as AI DJ to create personalized playlists, a new mobile UI, NFT-enabled playlists, discovery mode, and more. More recently, the company also rolled out a new iPhone lock screen widget and added Strava integration. However, there is no word about when its HiFi lossless audio tier will arrive on the market. At the time of writing, Spotify stock was trading at $138 per share, up 5.19% since the open. This suggests investors are reacting favorably to the growth in users that it reported.

Razer's Stream Controller X is now available to rival Elegato at $150 price point by Usama Jawad Streaming decks are quite popular, especially among their target audience. While most are familiar with Elgato as a major player in this market, Razer is trying to take a slice of that pie too. The firm has now launched the Stream Controller X, its latest streaming deck. If you are wondering why the Stream Controller X in the header of this article looks so familiar, that's because it is. It bears an uncanny resemblance to Elgato's popular Stream Deck, but one could also argue that there isn't enough room for innovation with such a niche device anyway. The Stream Controller X has 15 LCD switchblade keys and a swappable faceplate. It is powered by LoupeDeck, just like its predecessor, the Stream Controller (which was actually just a white-labeled version of LoupeDeck Live). With Stream Controller X, streamers can program multiple actions in a single button press by using the custom action editor. These actions can be configured to trigger consecutively or simultaneously. The deck is also compatible with "leading" streaming tools such as Twitch, Adobe Photoshop, and Illustrator. As a bonus, these tools come with a ready-made profile so you don't have to create one manually. Alternatively, you can also enable Dynamic Mode, which can also create custom profiles for various tasks and automatically switch between them based on the program that is currently open. Razer's Stream Controller X is available right now with an accompanying price tag of $150. Notably, this is the same price point targeted by Elgato's Stream Deck. Via: Engadget

Workout app Strava finally gets in-app Spotify integration by Aditya Tiwari Popular fitness app Strava has announced that it's having a "first-of-its-kind" integration with the music streaming giant Spotify. A new in-app widget now allows users to stream Spotify music, podcasts, and audiobooks from within the app. The company said in a press release that the Spotify integration is available to both free and premium Strava users and eliminates the need for jumping back and forth between the two apps during workouts. Users will be able to access Spotify directly from the record screen in the app using a dedicated button in the bottom left corner, as visible in the screenshots. Strava's VP of Connected Partnerships Mateo Ortega said: "We're excited to partner with a global leader like Spotify to seamlessly integrate music and movement on the platform. This new feature further solidifies Strava's position at the center of connected fitness and continues to demonstrate the power of the global community of active people on Strava." For the uninitiated, Strava was founded back in 2009 and combines the likes of GPS-based workout tracking and social networking. The app currently has over 100 million users in 190 countries across the globe. Strava also said it's taking control of the popular Workout playlist on Spotify and users will be able to listen to Strava-curated music in the playlist from April 20.

Getflix lifetime subscription is now 90% off by Steven Parker Don't let a little geo-restriction stand between you and your favorite show. Today on offer via our Web Services section of the Neowin Deals store, and for a limited time only, you can save 90% on a Lifetime Subscription to Getflix. Watching Netflix, Hulu or other streaming services can unfortunately be difficult while traveling outside the US. Rather than bypass these restrictions with the help of a complex and slow VPN, choose a faster and simpler solution with Getflix. Instead of rerouting all your Internet traffic through a different server, this handy service only routes the traffic needed so you can still enjoy top Internet speeds. Getflix unblocks more than 100 streaming channels around the world so you can watch movies, TV, sports, and more wherever life may take you. Access popular global streaming services from anywhere around the world Enjoy a fast & reliable solution for watching TV, listening to online radio & more Benefit from easy-to-use Smart DNS technology Get a free, optional VPN account to encrypt all your traffic Use with all of your favorite devices Utilize the services without needing to install any software Here's the deal A lifetime subscription to Getflix would normally cost $540 when purchased in yearly subscriptions, but you can pick it up for just $49.99, that's a saving of $490 (90%). For terms, specs and license info, click the link below. Getflix lifetime subscription for $49.99 (normally $540) More Neowin Deals. Although priced in U.S. dollars, this deal is available for digital purchase worldwide. We post these because we earn commission on each sale so as not to rely solely on advertising, which many of our readers block. It all helps toward paying staff reporters, servers and hosting costs. Other ways to support Neowin The above deal not doing it for you, but still want to help? Check out the links below. Check out our partner software in the Neowin Store Buy a T-shirt at Neowin's Threadsquad Subscribe to Neowin - for $14 a year, or $28 a year for an ad-free experience Disclosure: An account at Neowin Deals is required to participate in any deals powered by our affiliate, StackCommerce. For a full description of StackCommerce's privacy guidelines, go here. Neowin benefits from shared revenue of each sale made through our branded deals site.

OBS now blocks rogue Windows DLL files, gets improved AV1 support on AMD and Nvidia by Sayan Sen Open Broadcaster Software (OBS), the highly popular open-source streaming and recording software, has received its latest beta update earlier today. The new beta releases of version 29.1 brings improved AV1 codec support on AMD as well as on Nvidia. Aside from that, version 29.1 has a new capability that blocks problematic Windows DLL files too. Such files are known to cause freezes and crashes. You can find the full changelog below: Fixed a crash when attempting to start an NVENC encoding session when using the FFmpeg encoder [RytoEX] Fixed an issue where Properties would scroll incorrectly when toggling options [derrod] Fixed an issue where Game Capture would display compatibility notices unnecessarily [derrod] Fixed various issues with remuxing & auto remuxing the new fragmented video formats [derrod] Fixed CBR padding when using NVENC AV1/HEVC [derrod] Fixed AV1 padding data being removed from RTMP streams [notr1ch/derrod] Fixed an issue where replay buffer and automatic file splitting would not work when using fragmented video formats [derrod] Added AMD AV1 encoder to simple output mode [notr1ch] Improved default buffering behavior for most Elgato video capture devices on Windows [FBirth] Various improvements and fixes to Decklink performance [jpark37] Fixed transparent windows capturing incorrectly on Wayland using PipeWire [asahilina] Fixed an issue where the Settings window could be closed without selecting a video encoder [gxalpha] Fixed macOS build not packaging correctly [PatTheMav] Added more applications to the DLL blocklist on Windows [notr1ch] Fixed an issue with the source rotation handle when source is flipped [cg2121] Fixed an issue with FFmpeg NVENC producing invalid DTS when using b-frames [RytoEX/flaeri/derrod/tt2468] Fixed an issue with Qt where incompatible encoders could still be selected on macOS [gxalpha] Added codec logging for the QSV encoder [RytoEX] Fixed an issue where loading an SRT stream in Media Source could cause rendering/UI freeze [tt2468] Fixed HEVC encoded RTMP streams not playing back correctly when b-frames are enabled [YouTube] New Features Added a DLL blocking feature for Windows. This allows OBS to block problematic DLLs from attaching to OBS and causing freezing or crashes, for example 3rd party overlay hooks and outdated video capture devices. [notr1ch] This blocks old versions of popular VTubing software virtual cameras that are known to cause freezes when accessing video capture device properties. If you are affected, please update to the latest version of your VTubing software. Added Update Channels on macOS and updated Sparkle for smaller and faster updates going forward [derrod] Added settings to select the audio encoder for streaming and recording [tytan652] Added an option to preload media sources used in Stingers to memory, to avoid frame skips during transitions [Jim] Added compatibility notices in the Window and Game Capture sources for Windows [derrod] Added the ability to zoom browser docks with Ctrl - and + and the right click menu [WizardCM] Added a setting to record in fragmented MP4 and MOV formats [derrod] These offer greater compatibility than MKV while providing similar resilience against data loss due to crashes, running out of space, etc. Fragmented MP4 and MOV files can be remuxed to regular MP4/MOV in cases where the former may not be read correctly (e.g. in older editing software) The default recording format has been tentatively changed to fragmented MP4/MOV, please submit your feedback on Discord or the Forums if you run into any issues! Added support for surround sound for AJA capture cards [paulh-aja] Added ProRes 4444 (XQ) support for VideoToolbox encoder on macOS [jpark37] Added lossless audio recording options (FLAC/ALAC/PCM including 32-bit float) [derrod] Added indicator if an audio source is unmuted, but not assigned to any audio tracks [derrod] Added support for streaming AV1/HEVC over RTMP [YouTube/yuriy-chunak] Currently only supported by/enabled for YouTube HDR is not yet supported, this restriction may be lifted during the OBS 29.1 beta testing period Added support for multiple audio tracks in Simple output recording [pkv] Changes Output rescaling is ignored if the scaled resolution matches the current video output resolution [notr1ch] NVENC error messages now include more details [notr1ch] Changed the default FFmpeg AAC encoder to twoloop which has higher quality [norihiro] Allow symbolic links for VST paths [tuduweb] Implemented QVBR for AMF encoders [flaeri] Expanded support for subtitle tracks in VLC source (up to 1000) [jjm2473] The Hotkeys tab in settings is no longer loaded until switched to, resulting in the Settings window opening much faster for large scene collections [derrod] Switched various internal data structures to use hash tables for lookups, resulting in significant performance and loading/saving time improvements with large scene collections [derrod] Exported scene collection JSON is now pretty-printed and sorted, allowing for easier tracking via git or other versioning mechanisms [derrod] Added a "What's New" entry in the help menu to manually open the post-update changelog dialog [derrod] Clicking the "Defaults" button in properties will now ask for confirmation before resetting [derrod] Improved Windows OBS updater speed and reduced download size by using Zstandard compression [derrod] Added platform-specific "What's New" notifications to better communicate changes or issues not affecting all operating systems [derrod] Added option to force SDR Window Capture capture in Windows 10+ mode [jpark37] Improved YouTube thumbnail preview by using bilinear scaling [derrod] Incompatible audio/video encoders will now be disabled based on the selected format [derrod] Added HEVC and HDR support to VA-API encoder [yuriy-chunak] Added HDR capture support for DeckLink sources [jpark37] Video-related items in the right click menu of audio sources in the Sources list will no longer appear [cg2121] Native macOS dialogs now respect OBS being set to dark themes [gxalpha] Significantly improve screen capture performance on Intel dedicated GPUs on Linux [kkartaltepe] JACK inputs on Linux will now display "OBS Studio" in their name to clarify their origin. This may cause existing configured devices to stop working until updated by the user [univrsal] The system color selection dialog is now used on macOS [gxalpha] Various improvements to the t-bar for a more predictable user experience [gxalpha] Plugins installed system-wide are no longer loaded when OBS is run in Portable Mode [gxalpha] Hardware Decoding of Media Sources can now use CUDA [rjgtav] Improved DeckLink performance [jpark37] Python 3.11 is now supported in Scripting [RytoEX] Added FDK AAC support on Flatpak [tytan652] Browser docks now provide a "Copy page address" option [WizardCM] Increased the maximum resolution of browser sources to 8192x8192 [fungiboletus] OBS Websocket has been updated to 5.2 [RytoEX] Bug Fixes Fixed output silently not starting when using multi-track audio at higher frame rates [kkartaltepe] Various fixes for monitoring when using PulseAudio [kkartaltepe] Fixed a crash on shutdown with virtual camera on Linux [kkartaltepe/norihiro] Fixed an issue in the V4L2 source on Linux where a capture device's frame rate could be invalid, resulting in incredibly large log files [9p4] Fixed the listing of PulseAudio monitoring devices incorrectly listing inputs [jp-bennett] Fixed Screen Capture crashing in the Flatpak with old versions of PipeWire server [tytan652] Fixed encoder settings not being updated if the encoder is changed in settings [tytan652] Fixed Windows-only RTMP options (e.g., Network Optimizations) causing issues if the profile was imported on non-Windows with those enabled [tytan652] Fixed security software status logs showing as blank when running on non-English locales [notr1ch] Fixed a crash that could occur when using a video source that frequently changed its resolution (e.g. a VLC playlist) [notr1ch] Fixed an issue with RTMP timeouts that could cause a server to think OBS has cleanly ended the connection instead of it disconnecting due to an error, and not activating features like "disconnect protection" [notr1ch] Fixed dynamic bitrate changes not working when using NVENC presets p6 or p7 [pkv] Fixed AAC encoding of 2.1 audio [pkv] Fixed an issue with negative gain in upward compressor [pkv] Fixed several bugs in FFmpeg custom output related to color conversion [flaeri] Fixed UI unresponsiveness when searching for hotkeys and duplicate key assignments in large collections [derrod] Fixed properties being cut off until window is resized [derrod] Fixed portable Windows versions not restarting in portable mode after an update [derrod] Fixed updating of an install being blocked by unrelated OBS instances running [derrod] Fixed excessive config reads when sources are selected in the preview [derrod] Fixed audio track assignments of sources provided by third-party plugins being reset when the plugin could not be loaded [derrod] Fixed invalid rescaled resolutions being allowed when they shouldn't be [tuduweb] Fixed presets in the Expander filter not applying changes immediately [tuduweb] Fixed the virtual camera on Windows reporting the incorrect resolution to external apps, resulting in stretched images [exeldro] Fixed the ability to drag and drop scenes after clicking Rename and not changing the name of the Scene [cg2121] Fixed a crash on macOS that would occur when an external display with an active Projector was disconnected [PatTheMav] Fixed an issue where remuxing a .ts file would fail [tuduweb] Fixed an issue with the VLC source where large videos (e.g. 4K) would get squashed horizontally [CoalZombik] Fixed spacing helpers appearing incorrectly when a source is rotated and flipped [cg2121] Fixed an issue where the preview would display incorrectly when zoomed too far in either direction [cg2121] Fixed the macOS virtual camera potentially crashing external apps and recordings to be the wrong length [mac-cain13] Fixed the preview having the ability to scroll infinitely out of view when scaled manually [cg2121] Fixed the Async Filters list showing incompatible async filters for synchronous sources [gxalpha] Fixed an issue where the cursor would not properly disappear in certain games on Wayland [rmngr] Fixed an issue where certain filters would not properly update when clicking the Defaults button [gxalpha] Fixed an issue where pressing Space would unexpectedly pause the active media source when the main window was focused [cg2121] Fixed an issue where duplicating scenes would lose colour coding on sources [cg2121] Browser dock Inspect will now remember settings and customizations [WizardCM] You can download OBS Studio 29.1 Beta 2 from GitHub, or you could also wait the final version.

Twitch now has a tougher stance against broadcasting deepfake porn by Justin Luna via Ella Don on Unsplash Deepfakes, or synthetic media wherein a person in an existing image or video is replaced with someone else's resemblance, have been around for quite some time now. While there are some benefits to the technology, many people have been exploiting it to create deepfake porn. This forced many platforms like Reddit, Twitter, and Facebook to ban such media on their websites. Video live streaming service Twitch is now also taking a harder stance against deepfakes. In a recent post, the service announced that it will no longer tolerate "synthetic non-consensual exploitative images" (NCEI). The company is now emphasizing that the intentional promotion, creation, or sharing of synthetic NCEI can result in an indefinite suspension on the first offense. Even if NCEI is shown briefly, it will be removed and result in a punishment. These updates will roll out later this month, according to Twitch. This development comes after a Twitch streamer in January streamed a browser window that showed the faces of fellow streamers QTCinderella, Pokimane, and Maya Higa attached to the bodies of naked women. The streamer later apologized, saying that he "clicked on a ###### link at 2 AM," and his morals didn't catch up to him. As part of its crackdowns on NCEI, Twitch has consulted with safety expert, law professor, and Vice President of the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative Danielle Keats Citron and experts from the UK Revenge Porn Helpline. "By learning from experts with years of experience, we can borrow from the industry’s best standards and practices when deciding how to protect our community," Twitch stated in its blog. The platform is also conducting a Creator Camp on March 14 to understand the harms of NCEI, how to spot it, what to do if you find it, and how to protect yourself online.

Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 (G70NC) becomes available in U.S. for $1,000 by Paul Hill Samsung has announced the availability of the Odyssey Neo G7 (G70NC) in the United States. The Korean company said the product adds a new form factor to the Odyssey line-up with its flat 43-inch display. The monitor has a 3,840 x 2,160 4K resolution with VESA Display HDR600 and HDR 10+ certifications. To ensure “richer blacks, more expansive color expression and more detail”, Samsung has opted to use Quantum Mini LEDs. To help you see the impressive picture being produced, Samsung has opted for a matte display to reduce the light reflection on the screen. One of the aspects touted about the monitor is its 144Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time making it good for gaming. It also includes AMD FreeSync Premium Pro support. With the built-in Gaming Hub, you’ll be able to stream games from various platforms like NVIDIA GeForce NOW via Wi-Fi. If you prefer to watch TV, you can use apps like Prime Video, Netflix, and YouTube via the Smart Hub. Whether you want to watch TV or play games, there’s no need to boot up your PC or console. The monitor is now available for $999.99 from Samsung.com and retailers around the U.S.

Getflix lifetime subscription only $39.99 until March 5 by Steven Parker Don't let a little geo-restriction stand between you and your favorite show. Today on offer via our Web Services section of the Neowin Deals store, and until March 5, you can save 92% off this Price-Dropped Lifetime Subscription to Getflix. Watching Netflix, Hulu or other streaming services can unfortunately be difficult while traveling outside the US. Rather than bypass these restrictions with the help of a complex and slow VPN, choose a faster and simpler solution with Getflix. Instead of rerouting all your Internet traffic through a different server, this handy service only routes the traffic needed so you can still enjoy top Internet speeds. Getflix unblocks more than 100 streaming channels around the world so you can watch movies, TV, sports, and more wherever life may take you. Access popular global streaming services from anywhere around the world Enjoy a fast & reliable solution for watching TV, listening to online radio & more Benefit from easy-to-use Smart DNS technology Get a free, optional VPN account to encrypt all your traffic Use with all of your favorite devices Utilize the services without needing to install any software Here's the deal A lifetime subscription to Getflix would normally cost $540 when purchased in yearly subscriptions, but you can pick it up for just $39.99 until March 5, that's a saving of $500.01 (92%). For terms, specs and license info, click the link below. Getflix lifetime subscription for $39.99 (normally $540) More Neowin Deals. Although priced in U.S. dollars, this deal is available for digital purchase worldwide. We post these because we earn commission on each sale so as not to rely solely on advertising, which many of our readers block. It all helps toward paying staff reporters, servers and hosting costs. Other ways to support Neowin The above deal not doing it for you, but still want to help? Check out the links below. Check out our partner software in the Neowin Store Buy a T-shirt at Neowin's Threadsquad Subscribe to Neowin - for $14 a year, or $28 a year for an ad-free experience Disclosure: An account at Neowin Deals is required to participate in any deals powered by our affiliate, StackCommerce. For a full description of StackCommerce's privacy guidelines, go here. Neowin benefits from shared revenue of each sale made through our branded deals site.

Get a 1-Year Subscription to MagellanTV for just $35.99 by Steven Parker Your source of great documentaries with new weekly content, 4K videos, and 1 year of ad-free streaming. Today's highlighted deal comes via our Apps + Software section of the Neowin Deals store, where you can save 39% on a 1-Year Subscription to MagellanTV. MagellanTV offers documentary collections that are deeper and broader than just about any other streaming service available. It’s the place to dive deep into shows about war, ancient history, science and technology, crime, and culture. MagellanTV is an Ad-Free documentary streaming service dedicated to telling the great stories of History, Science, and Civilization. Watch over 1500 high-quality movies and series from the world’s best filmmakers. Unlimited streaming anytime, anywhere, on multiple devices Extensive genre collections in History, Nature, Science, Space, Crime, & more Exclusive playlists that dive deep into people and events that shaped our world New content is added weekly No advertising or other interruptions ever Cast MagellanTV programs from your iOS device to a Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast, or smart TV Here's the deal: A 1-Year Subscription to MagellanTV* normally costs $59 but it can be yours for just $35.99 for a limited time, a saving of $14.01. For specifications, and license info please click the link below. Get a 1-Year Subscription to MagellanTV for just $35.99 More Neowin Deals. * Additionally a 2-year, 3-years and a lifetime subscription is also available at up to 88% off. We post these because we earn commission on each sale so as not to rely solely on advertising, which many of our readers block. It all helps toward paying staff reporters, servers and hosting costs. Other ways to support Neowin The above deal not doing it for you, but still want to help? Check out the links below. Check out our partner software in the Neowin Store Buy a T-shirt at Neowin's Threadsquad Subscribe to Neowin - for $14 a year, or $28 a year for an ad-free experience Disclosure: An account at Neowin Deals is required to participate in any deals powered by our affiliate, StackCommerce. For a full description of StackCommerce's privacy guidelines, go here. Neowin benefits from shared revenue of each sale made through our branded deals site.

Amazon might buy Indian video streaming giant MX Player, says report by Aditya Tiwari One of India's biggest streaming service MX Player might become an Amazon subsidiary. TechCrunch reports, citing sources, that the e-commerce giant is in talks with Times Internet, which currently owns a majority stake in MX Player, in an attempt to explore the possibilities of a takeover. However, the report adds that the chances of the purported acquisition actually happening any time soon are thin. But if it goes through, it will help Amazon tighten its grip in the video streaming space. The company also has a huge market presence with Prime Video and mini TV. MX Player started as a video player app for smartphones and a major stake in its parent company was acquired by Times Internet back in 2018 for a sum of $140 million. But after the online streaming boom started, the app pivoted and turned itself into an OTT streaming platform in 2019. In the same year, MX Player also received a big investment from Tencent Holdings. Since then, the app has expanded its presence overseas and developed original web series in various Indian languages. Investing its resources in local-language content has allowed MX Player to reach a user base of around 300 million globally. The sources also said that two other buyers have shown interest in taking home MX Player. Let's see where the streaming app lands in the future. Source: TechCrunch

Disney loses 2.4 million Disney+ subscribers, announces layoffs by Justin Luna Disney has just announced its financial results for the fourth quarter of 2022. The company recorded a total of 161.8 million subscribers for its Disney+ streaming service, a decrease of 2.4 million subscribers compared to the previous quarter. It is also the first time that Disney's streaming service saw a loss in subscribers since it was launched in 2019. Disney mainly attributes the subscriber decline to a decrease in Disney+ Hotstar subscribers, an over-the-top streaming service available in India and some parts of Southeast Asia. As Forbes points out, it lost streaming rights last year to the Indian Premier League, a popular cricket league in India. This forced Disney to lower its growth projections for Disney+ Hotstar. Currently, the service has 57.5 million subscribers, a 3.8 million decrease from the previous quarter's 61.3 million. Disney+'s subscriber loss will make it difficult for Disney to reach its target of 215 million to 245 million subscribers by the end of fiscal year 2024 (via CNBC). The company even expects Disney+ to become profitable by the same period. Despite this setback, Disney+ subscriptions were up by 200,000 in the U.S. and Canada. Meanwhile, subscribers of the company's other streaming services, Hulu and ESPN+, increased by 800,000 and 600,000, respectively. The company's revenue in the fourth quarter also rose 8% to $23.5 billion, barely beating analysts' expectations of $23.3 billion. As a move to make Disney+ profitable, Disney is planning a significant restructuring and job cuts that will affect 7,000 employees. This is equivalent to 3% of the company's global workforce. "I have enormous respect and appreciate for the dedication of our employees worldwide," Disney CEO Bob Iger said during the earnings call. "While this is necessary to address the challenges we face today, I do not make this decision lightly."

That announced HBO Max-Discovery+ merger might not happen after all by John Callaham In 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery announced plans to merge its HBO Max and Discovery+ streaming services. Now, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal, those plans have changed, and both services will remain separate, at least for now. What happened? According to the article, which uses unnamed sources, the company felt that current Discovery+ subscribers, who pay $4.99 a month for the service with ads and $6.99 a month without ads, would obviously not like it if they had to pay a lot more money per month if it merged with HBO Max. Warner Bros. Discovery has already been making preparations for the merger, adding in Discovery+ content to HBO Max and vice versa. It also got rid of a number of movies and TV shows from HBO Max in 2022, including some that were exclusive to the service, in order to save money from paying out royalties. The new plan, according to the WSJ, is to keep Discovery+ as a separate streaming service. HBO Max will reportedly be renamed to Max as part of a spring revamp of that service, which will allegedly still combine content from that service and Discovery Plus. HBO Max currently charges subscribers $9.99 a month with ads and $15.99 a month without ads. It's also available at no additional cost for people who include HBO in their cable and satellite TV plans. Warner Bros. Discovery has also sent a number of its streaming shows to free streaming outlets like Tubi and The Roku Channel, and it also plans to launch a free, ad-based, streaming service later this year.

Netflix claims it accidentally published controversial password-sharing rules in the U.S. by Usama Jawad A few hours ago, there was a massive uproar (at least on social media) following reports that Netflix would restrict passwords-sharing by forcing subscribers to sign in to their home network at least once a month. Snippets from Netflix' policy as seen on its U.S. website can be seen below: the absolute ghetto https://t.co/3tJSKtZnvQ pic.twitter.com/nJEn1SL2zZ — cheye (@wumbooty) February 1, 2023 Following major backlash from consumers, Netflix has now reverted the change on its U.S. website and also issued a statement claiming that the new rules were published for U.S. customers by accident. A Netflix spokesperson told The Streamable that: For a brief time yesterday, a help center article containing information that is only applicable to Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru, went live in other countries. We have since updated it. Although Netflix says that this was an accident, seeing that the new regulations are applicable to some countries already, it does seem like the company backtracked on their rollout primarily due to the backlash it received. Regardless, Netflix' intentions to curb password-sharing aren't exactly unknown. Since 2021, the firm has been exploring the "right model" to monetize this activity, and one possibility includes charging an additional fee to enable it. It remains to be seen when its restrictions against password-sharing will officially kick in and if the public will respond favorably to them. Via: The Streamable

Spotify confirms layoffs, to let go of 6% of workforce by Justin Luna It was reported yesterday that Spotify was set to announce layoffs this week as a way to cut costs. Not long after this, the music and podcast streaming company has officially confirmed that they are letting go of some of their employees. In a memo posted on Spotify's website, CEO Daniel Ek announced that the company will lay off about 6% of its workforce. According to Ek, they are making this decision because Spotify's operational expenditures outpaced its revenue growth by 100%. "That would have been unsustainable long-term in any climate, but with a challenging macro environment, it would be even more difficult to close the gap," he stated. The CEO also said that while the company made significant efforts to control costs, it still wasn't enough. "Like many other leaders, I hoped to sustain the strong tailwinds from the pandemic and believed that our broad global business and lower risk to the impact of a slowdown in ads would insulate us. In hindsight, I was too ambitious in investing ahead of our revenue growth." Those who are getting the pink slip will be entitled to five months of severance pay, immigration support, healthcare benefits, and outplacement services for two months. Spotify's human resources business partner will also work with laid off employees whose immigration statuses are connected with their employment. Spotify's dismissal announcement follows the recent wave of layoffs in the technology industry. In November of last year, Meta and Twitter let go of a significant number of their employees. And just this month, Microsoft, Amazon, and Google announced huge layoffs as a way to significantly reduce costs.

AirParrot 3.1.7 by Razvan Serea AirParrot allows you to wirelessly beam your screen or media files to a variety of media receivers. Easily share your screen, videos, audio, presentations and so much more. AirParrot is designed to send content to a number of media receivers, even simultaneously. Broadcast to multiple devices like Apple TV and Chromecast, or share audio around the house to AirPlay-enabled speakers. Use AirParrot in combination with Reflector to create a seamless mirroring experience to any computer or device. Never worry about compatibility issues again; share from any device, to any device! Share wirelessly with everyone in the room without the need for cables and adapters. AirParrot gives anyone the ability to share and engage the classroom, boardroom or beyond. Focus on what matters most and send content from any device to a receiver connected to a television or projector. Just select any media file in AirParrot to begin watching on your TV—even control playback from your remote control. Streaming media is quick and results in no audio or video quality loss. Beam media in 5.1 surround sound for a theatre experience, at home. AirParrot effortlessly handles the headaches of different video formats so your videos always play right where you want them, regardless of receiver compatibiity. AirParrot 3.1.7 changelog: Fixed an issue that prevented users from playing videos with the media function Technical maintenance Download: AirParrot 64-bit | AirParrot 32-bit | ~ 70.0 MB (Shareware) Download: AirParrot for Mac | 40.0 MB View: AirParrot Home Page | AirParrot Screenshot Get alerted to all of our Software updates on Twitter at @NeowinSoftware

Netflix to start streaming Nike Fitness Club classes next week by Justin Luna Have you ever wanted to exercise using your mobile device and then jump straight to one of your favorite TV series or movies without having to leave your app? You can do that soon with Netflix, as the streaming platform recently announced that it’s going to start streaming fitness content from Nike Training Club next week. For those unfamiliar, Nike Training Club is a service where users can access an online library of workouts and personal coaching from Nike's certified trainers to help them achieve their fitness goals. The service is similar to Apple Fitness+ or Peloton. Netflix will release 30 hours of exercise sessions in two batches. The first batch of fitness classes will launch on December 30 and include the following programs: Kickstart Fitness with the Basics (13 episodes) Two Weeks to a Stronger Core (7 episodes) Fall in Love with Vinyasa Yoga (6 episodes) HIT & Strength with Tara (14 episodes) Feel-Good Fitness (6 episodes) The second batch of content will arrive sometime in 2023. All content will be available in multiple languages on all Netflix plans. To access Nike Training Club, Netflix members can search “Nike” on the app. This move shows Netflix branching out from its typical business of distributing movies and TV shows. Back in 2021, the streaming service entered the gaming industry with its release of mobile games. The company also showed interest in launching its own cloud gaming service to compete with the likes of Xbox Cloud Gaming, GeForce Now, and Amazon Luna.

UK government agency says sharing streaming platform passwords is illegal by Paul Hill Sharing passwords to your streaming service accounts is illegal according to the UK government’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO), the BBC has reported. Sharing your account with others in your home is fine and doesn’t breach terms of service agreements but sharing outside your home is against the terms and the IPO says it’s also a violation of copyright protections. Commenting on the matter, the IPO says: "There are a range of provisions in criminal and civil law which may be applicable in the case of password sharing where the intent is to allow a user to access copyright-protected works without payment. These provisions may include breach of contractual terms, fraud or secondary copyright infringement, depending on the circumstances. Where these provisions are provided in civil law, it would be up to the service provider to take action through the courts if required." While you may be breaking the law by sharing accounts, the chances of action actually being taken against you don’t seem that high. In fact, Netflix has said that it’s going to roll out sub-accounts where you pay a small fee of $2.99 per month to share your account outside of your household. The phenomenon of password sharing is quite high in the UK with a quarter of UK Netflix subscribers doing so. One high-profile person that was reported to have done this was Nadine Dorries MP, the former Culture Secretary. She said that she shares her account with her mother and kids, and they’re not all under the same roof. Netflix’s focus has turned to password sharing this year because it saw a loss of subscribers in April for the first time in more than a decade. People's cost of living is rising meaning Netflix subscriptions are one of the first things to be axed and Netflix wants to limit this loss of subscribers. Source: BBC News

Amazon adds Fire TV support to Echo Show 15 for free by Karthik Mudaliar Amazon has released a free update that brings the Fire TV interface to its Echo Show 15 smart display, making it useful as a small TV. You can stream content from a variety of apps, including Netflix, Prime Video, and YouTube, using an on-screen carousel to browse and resume shows. The design of the Echo Show offers a few variations on the Fire TV interface, which should be familiar to anyone who has used a basic Fire TV Stick. It allows you to use Alexa to open apps or stream specific content, and you can navigate using a paired Alexa Voice Remote or the controls in the mobile Fire TV app. The 15.6-inch smart display also has a virtual remote on the screen, so you don't need a separate controller for apps that don't support touch input. In addition to its new streaming capabilities, the Echo Show 15 also offers the standard features of an Echo Show, such as the ability to control smart home devices, make to-do lists, listen to podcasts, and interact with Alexa. Normally, the Echo Show 15 costs $250, but Amazon is offering a limited time bundle that includes the display and an Alexa Voice Remote for $194.99. If you already own an Echo Show, you can buy the remote for $10 (which is $20 off). Source: Amazon As an Amazon Associate, Neowin may earn commission from qualifying purchases.

UK competition regulator says intervention unlikely to boost income of artists by Paul Hill The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has found that there are no interventions it could take to boost the incomes of artists releasing music onto streaming platforms like Spotify. It did say that the government might be able to do something via a Departments for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport Select Committee inquiry that’s looking into the economics of music streaming. The CMA’s job is to ensure that there’s competition between music streaming companies, so customers get the best service and artists aren’t being deprived. The CMA said there is competition and that between 2009 and 2021, prices for music access have fallen by 20% and in some cases, music is free to listen to as it’s supported by ads. It said in the UK, there are 39 million people streaming music and 138 billion tracks played each year. While consumers have a good deal, things are a lot less rosy for artists. The CMA found that 60% of streams were of music recorded by just 0.4% of artists. Additionally, the CMA found that musicians would earn around £12,000 from 12 million streams in the UK in 2021, but less than 1% of artists are hitting these streaming figures. Producers of chart-topping music will be raking in the money, while lesser known artists are probably making much smaller amounts. “Streaming has transformed how music fans access vast catalogues of music, providing a valuable platform for artists to reach new listeners quickly, and at a price for consumers that has declined in real terms over the years,” Sarah Cardell, Interim CEO of the CMA, said on the matter. “However, we heard from many artists and songwriters across the UK about how they struggle to make a decent living from these services. These are understandable concerns, but our findings show that these are not the result of ineffective competition - and intervention by the CMA would not release more money into the system that would help artists or songwriters.” It’s important to point out that while smaller artists may not be paid as much, the introduction of streaming services has led to an increase in the number of musicians and money from streaming is being shared out more widely. The CMA also found that there is a greater choice of deals with record labels available, which could help musicians.

Plex adds Discover Credits so you can easily find what films and shows actors have been in by Paul Hill The Media Centre and streaming platform, Plex, has announced the launch of Discover Credits, a nifty feature that lets you see what other films and shows your favourite actors have starred in. If you see anyone who looks familiar but can’t remember what film they were in, Discover Credits allows you to quickly check. Using the feature is very easy, just check the details page of a film or show, or do a search for an actor by name. Clicking on the actor will bring up their profile page and if you scroll down, you’ll get a list of titles that they appear in. If you want to watch any of the titles, just tap the one you want, and you’ll be shown locations where you can view it. If you’re lucky, Plex will have the show available for free. The new Discover Credits feature is available now on Roku, Fire TV, Smart TVs, Apple TV, Android TV, Android, iOS, and web. If you’re not sure how to update the Plex app on your device, you can find the appropriate download on the downloads page. As a bonus, if you find a title you want to watch while you’re looking up actors, you can add them to your watchlist to view the films later when you have time. Just go to the film’s details page and click the Add to Watchlist button. You can view the Watchlist from the Plex sidebar later on.