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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

Your next TV could be completely free, but there might be a huge catch by John Callaham The cost of big-screen televisions has gone way down in the past decade. 10 years ago, a 50-inch flat-screen TV would have cost well over $1,000. Now you can get a 50-inch UHD smart TV for $250 or lower. But what if you could get a big-screen TV and it would cost absolutely nothing? That's apparently what a stealth startup company called Teevee Corporation is planning to do. According to a report from the Lowpass newsletter (via The Verge), this company is going to release this TV sometime in 2023. You would think there would be a big catch with giving away a TV, and you would be right. According to the report, this TV would have a secondary screen that would constantly show ads. Lowpass says this second display would have the height of a standard smartphone, but would stretch across the width of the main TV screen. The story says the second screen would also show things like the local weather, sports scores, and news headlines. The main TV would not actually be a smart television, but the company might bundle a streaming TV stick like the ones that Roku, Amazon, and others have made to turn it into a smart TV. The report does say some of this product's details could change before it officially launches. The company does have a teaser website, which proclaims, "Before has never been so jealous of after" inside what looks like the outline of a TV screen. The name of the TV itself will reportedly be called Telly, and it has its own teaser site, with the message, "The biggest thing to happen to TV since color." The rise of free, ad-supported streaming services like Pluto TV, Tubi, and others has made the concept of an ad-supported television set more than possible (indeed, the report says Teevee Corporation was first started by Pluto TV co-founder Ilya Pozin). However, some details would need to be addressed, such as the company convincing potential advertisers that their content is actually being seen by the Telly owner. Hopefully, we will learn more about this startup and its ad-based TV soon. Source: Lowpass

Disney+ will launch a cheaper, ad-supported, tier from late 2022 by Paul Hill Disney has announced that it will be rolling out an ad-supported subscription tier for its Disney+ streaming service from late 2022 in the United States and in international markets from 2023. With so many streaming platforms, Disney will be hoping to win over more customers by offering its service at a low, but still undisclosed, price. For those who want to continue watching the service without ads, that option will still be available but the ad-supported tier will be more affordable. The company said that it viewed the planned tier as a building block for achieving its long-term target of getting 230-260 million Disney+ subscribers by the 2024 fiscal year. Commenting on its plans, Kareem Daniel, Chairman, Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution, said: “Expanding access to Disney+ to a broader audience at a lower price point is a win for everyone - consumers, advertisers, and our storytellers. More consumers will be able to access our amazing content. Advertisers will be able to reach a wider audience, and our storytellers will be able to share their incredible work with more fans and families.” As mentioned earlier, Disney has not yet revealed pricing detail about the ad-supported Disney+, though, it has said that the tier will be cheaper so it’s still likely to carry a price tag rather than be free like Spotify. It said it will release pricing details as well as the exact launch date later in the year.

Canadians have turned to Roku for streaming content according to a new study by Paul Hill Roku has announced that it’s the number one TV streaming service in Canada based on data from a study carried out by the Hypothesis Group. Roku said that the findings come after a year where it expanded its original content and released new streaming players as well as TV models that are intended to be easy to use. Commenting on the findings, Arthur van Rest, VP International at Roku, said: “We are proud to lead the Canadian TV streaming market. The Roku brand is growing in Canada with introductions to new streaming devices, original content, and new Canadian entertainment with partners like CBC, Global News, and Crave. Providing simplicity, entertainment, and value is clearly resonating with Canadian consumers, who are choosing our platform to stream TV.” According to Roku, the Hypothesis Group survey was based on responses from 2,510 who filled it out in October 2021. The assertion that Roku is number one in Canada is based on the fact that respondents spent the most hours streaming content on this platform. In 2021, Roku shared what content people were watching through Roku, the titles included Yellowstone, TSN Originals, CBC Tokyo 2020 Replay, Rick and Morty, Paw Patrol, Grey’s Anatomy, Game of Thrones, South Park, Friends, and CBC News Live. If you’d like to learn more about how Canadians consume Roku content, be sure to check out another report from Roku that was released last year containing a plethora of content.

Roku announces plans to expand into its second big European market by Paul Hill The TV platform, Roku, has announced (via Reuters) its intention to expand into Germany later this year, making it the second big European market that it’ll be present in. Unlike the UK expansion, where it started out as the software partner for Hisense, it will immediately launch its own hardware in the German market. Speaking to Reuters, the executive leading Roku’s international expansion, Arthur van Rest, said that there’s a ‘very big secular shift to streaming’ and that this trend is only being sped up by the pandemic that gripped the world last year and is still making itself known with rising case numbers in many countries. He went on to say: 'TV and the way that it's being consumed are shifting dramatically - and we are right at the heart of that.' When Roku launches its hardware in Germany, it will come with apps and content from local partners including Seven.One Entertainment Group, RTL Deutschland, and Sky Deutschland. Of course, other services such as Netflix, Amazon’s Prime Video and Disney+ will be available for those who subscribe to those services. In the UK, Roku's streaming players come in four variations: Express, Express 4K, Streaming Stick+, and Streambar. Prices range from £29.99 to £129.99 which works out to around €35 and €150 respectively – these are the prices we could see when Roku arrives in Germany later this year.

Netflix will reportedly enter the gaming space next year by Usama Jawad A couple of months ago, rumors started floating around that Netflix is getting into the video games space. Although the company did not confirm the report, it did not deny it either like it did in 2018 when similar rumors emerged. Today, another report has claimed that the firm will be entering the gaming scene as early as next year and has also signed on a leadership role for the venture. Bloomberg (paywall) says that Netflix has hired Mike Verdu as the "vice president of game development". The executive has previously worked at Electronic Arts and was also the managing director of augmented and virtual reality at Facebook. The title of the designation implies that Netflix will be developing its own games rather than just licensing titles from third-parties, although this has not been confirmed yet. While the report claims that Netflix will enter this space in 2022, it does not indicate what kind of experience the firm is planning. The distribution format of video games is also unclear, but sources close to the matter have suggested that the company does not plan to charge more for this capability. Although some may find it odd that the TV streaming giant is venturing into video games, it is important to note that the firm competes for leadership over media content being played on TVs, which doesn't necessarily have to be traditional movies and TV shows. Further evidence of this experiment can be seen in 2018's release of interactive thriller Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. That said, it is important to note that none of these plans have been officially confirmed by the firm, so they are susceptible to change, if they ever do come to fruition. Source: Bloomberg (paywall) via Kotaku

Get a 1-year subscription to SelectTV at 36% off - pay only $19 by Steven Parker Today's highlighted deal comes from our Apps + Software section of the Neowin Deals store where you can save 36% off a one-year subscription to SelectTV by FreeCast. Score a bonus HD TV antenna with purchase: The world's largest entertainment library isn't on Netflix Or Hulu - it's on SelectTV. What's the deal? More and more people are cutting the cable cord and looking to alternative TV and movie viewing methods. Netflix and Hulu are cool, but only one service offers all the perks of both cable and web-based streaming - while simultaneously dwarfing any other library. That's SelectTV, where you can access over 300,000 TV episodes, 200,000 movies, 50,000 radio stations, and 5,000 live channels all from the same, simple browser interface. There are many reasons to cut the cord, but none are as convincing as SelectTV. Access a massive library of TV shows, movies, live channels, radio stations & more from over 150 countries Watch 300,000+ TV episodes (250,000 free) & 200,000 movies (10,000 free), plus unlimited video on demand from any device Streamline your options with Pay-Per-View deal finder Save your favorite shows & movies for easy access Enjoy over 2,000 curated channels, with latest episodes from top networks, as well as classic TV from the last 50 years Stream over 50,000 world radio stations Compare & save on thousands of movie rentals using the Comparison Shopping Engine Broaden your horizons with thousands of on-demand TV shows Unify your entertainment by combining all of your subscriptions into one easy to use guide Access a full calendar of live events, sports, concerts & more, all streamed live via the web Watch 100+ live local channels in HD with a free HD antenna Search across 100+ popular streaming services/networks simultaneously, seeing content from various apps all in one place Play thousands of free online games - Arcade, Puzzle, Multi-Player, Sports, Casino & more Connect to your home TV via Google Chromecast or HDMI cable International Customers: Certain content may be restricted depending on the content provider and their permissions within the country in which you are trying to watch. Good to know Instant digital redemption Antenna offer valid only to US customers Must pay shipping and handling ($7.99) through your SelectTV dashboard after purchase of SelectTV subscription Antenna redemption offer available for a limited time How do you benefit? A 1-Year subscription to SelectTV normally costs $29.99, but you can pick it up for just $19 for a limited time, that's a saving of $10.99. Although this is an international offer, the HD TV antenna is valid only to U.S. customers. You can also opt for the 3-year plan at $29 or lifetime plan at $59. >> Learn more or Purchase now << See all discounted Apps + Software on offer This is a time-limited deal, scheduled to end in 3 days. Save even more! Stick with Neowin Deals and earn credit or even deeper discounts. For every $25 spent, you get $1 credit added to your Neowin Deals account. Refer the deal for $10 credit via social media or email and if it results in a purchase of at least $10, you'll get $10 credit added to your account. 10% off for first-time buyers: be sure not to dismiss the popup offer to subscribe to email updates on the deals page in order to profit! Not for you? If this offer doesn't interest you, why not check out our giveaways on the Neowin Deals website? There's also a bunch of freebies you can check out here. Or try your luck on The Super NES Classic Giveaway. Relive your favorite classic games for free! All you have to do is sign up here to enter this giveaway. Miscellany and the fine print! In some cases, such as with Online Courses, a store credit refund within 15 days of purchase is possible if you are unhappy with it; this does not apply to all deals, so please do check the terms on the page before making a purchase. Check our other recent deals, before they expire, or our preferred partner software. How can I disable these posts? Click here. Disclosure: This is a StackCommerce deal or giveaway in partnership with Neowin; an account at StackCommerce is required to participate in any deals or giveaways. For a full description of StackCommerces privacy guidelines, go here. Neowin benefits from shared revenue of each sale made through our branded deals site, and it all goes toward the running costs. *Values or percentages mentioned above are subject to StackCommerces own determination of retail pricing.

Save 36% off a one-year subscription to SelectTV by FreeCast by Steven Parker Today's highlighted deal comes from our Apps + Software section of the Neowin Deals store where you can save 36% off a one-year subscription to SelectTV by FreeCast. Score a bonus HD TV Antenna with purchase: The world's largest entertainment library isn't on Netflix Or Hulu - it's on SelectTV. What's it all about? More and more people are cutting the cable cord and looking to alternative TV and movie viewing methods. Netflix and Hulu are cool, but only one service offers all the perks of both cable and web-based streaming--while simultaneously dwarfing any other library. That's SelectTV, where you can access over 300,000 TV episodes, 200,000 movies, 50,000 radio stations, and 5,000 live channels all from the same, simple browser interface. There are many reasons to cut the cord, but none are as convincing as SelectTV. Access a massive library of TV shows, movies, live channels, radio stations & more from over 150 countries Watch 300,000+ TV episodes (250,000 free) & 200,000 movies (10,000 free), plus unlimited video on demand from any device Streamline your options with Pay-Per-View deal Finder Save your favorite shows & movies for easy access Enjoy over 2,000 curated channels, with latest episodes from top networks, as well as classic TV from the last 50 years Stream over 50,000 world radio stations Compare & save on thousands of movie rentals using the Comparison Shopping Engine Broaden your horizons with thousands of on-demand TV shows Unify your entertainment by combining all of your subscriptions into one easy to use guide Access a full calendar of live events, sports, concerts & more, all streamed live via the web Watch 100+ live local channels in HD with a free HD Antenna Search across 100+ popular streaming services/networks simultaneously, seeing content from various apps all in one place Play thousands of free online games - Arcade, Puzzle, Multi-Player, Sports, Casino & more Connect to your home TV via Google Chromecast or HDMI cable International Customers: Certain content may be restricted depending on the content provider and their permissions within the country in which you are trying to watch. How do you benefit? A 1-Year subscription to SelectTV normally costs $29.99, but you can pick it up for just $19 for a limited time, that's a saving of $10.99. Although this is an international offer, the HD TV Antenna is valid only to U.S. customers. You can also opt for the 3-year plan at $29 or lifetime plan at $59. >> Learn more or Purchase now << See all discounted Apps + Software on offer This is a time-limited deal, scheduled to end in 5 days. Save even more! Stick with Neowin Deals and earn credit or even deeper discounts. For every $25 spent, you get $1 credit added to your Neowin Deals account. Refer the deal for $10 credit via social media or email and if it results in a purchase of at least $10, you'll get $10 credit added to your account. 10% off for first-time buyers: be sure not to dismiss the popup offer to subscribe to email updates on the deals page in order to profit! Not for you? If this offer doesn't interest you, why not check out our giveaways on the Neowin Deals website? There's also a bunch of freebies you can check out here. Or try your luck on The Samsung Galaxy S9+ Giveaway. Enter to win the game-changing new Android phone from Samsung. All you have to do is sign up here to enter this giveaway. Miscellany and the fine print! In some cases, such as with Online Courses, a store credit refund within 15 days of purchase is possible if you are unhappy with it; this does not apply to all deals, so please do check the terms on the page before making a purchase. Check our other recent deals, before they expire, or our preferred partner software. How can I disable these posts? Click here. Disclosure: This is a StackCommerce deal or giveaway in partnership with Neowin; an account at StackCommerce is required to participate in any deals or giveaways. For a full description of StackCommerces privacy guidelines, go here. Neowin benefits from shared revenue of each sale made through our branded deals site, and it all goes toward the running costs. *Values or percentages mentioned above are subject to StackCommerces own determination of retail pricing.

YouTube TV extended to 34 additional markets in the U.S. by Dreyer Smit Your browser does not support video. Several companies have offered a slew of options to those who wanted to ditch the decoder in the past few years, as consumers moved online. In the U.S., YouTube TV offers subscribers access to 40 TV networks, along with unlimited DVR cloud storage. Up to now, 50 cities in that country were covered by Google, but now it is becoming available in an additional 34 cities, according to an official announcement made via Twitter. YouTube TV, which runs at $35 a month, will now be available in the following cities as well: Albany, Baton Rouge, Buffalo, Cedar Rapids, Chattanooga, Colorado Springs, Des Moines, Flint, Fresno-Visalia, Ft. Myers-Naples, Ft. Smith-Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers (Arkansas), Grand Rapids, Green Bay, Greenville, Huntsville-Decatur (Florida), Jackson (Mississippi), Knoxville, Little Rock, Madison, New Orleans, Omaha, Paducah-Cape Girardeau-Harrisburg, Portland-Auburn (Maine), Providence, Roanoke-Lynchburg (Virginia), Rochester, Savannah, Shreveport, South Bend-Elkhart (Indiana), Spokane, Springfield (Missouri), Toledo, Tucson, Tulsa, and Waco. In October, Google announced that the service will launch apps for the Xbox One, Apple TV, and smart TVs running Android TV. Currently, YouTube TV offers live streaming of CBS, ABC, ESPN, and many more. For those who are still on the fence, we made a handy guide that should make the choice easier, by detailing the pros and cons of all major streaming services. Via PhoneArena

PlayStation Vue TV service drops all Viacom channels, including Comedy Central and MTV by Andy Weir Sony has been expanding its PlayStation Vue streaming TV service in recent weeks, bringing it to Android TV, along with PCs and Macs via the web. It's also added high-profile new channels, such as HBO and Cinemax in September. More new channels are on the way, but Sony has announced the loss of some existing channels in its line-up. From 12:01am ET on November 11, all Viacom-owned networks will be dropped from PlayStation Vue, including Comedy Central, Spike and MTV. "As part of our ongoing evaluation of the PlayStation Vue offering," Sony said, "we have determined that removing the bundle of channels from Viacom is the best way for us to continue to offer the most compelling value to our fans." But while those channels are on the way out, Sony also announced that it is adding BBC America and NBA TV from today. VICE and more local broadcast stations from CBS and Fox are said to be "coming soon". Sony added that it will continue to add further channels, as well as supporting more devices, "that are highly requested by our fans". Source: PlayStation Blog

Apple's TV subscription service on hold after failed negotiations with media companies by Vlad Dudau Apple’s rumored plans for overhauling the TV industry have long been hyped by industry watchers and dependable sources. But it looks like said plans are now on hold, and Apple is having a much harder time than expected getting media companies on board. According to two independent reports from Bloomberg and Business Insider, Apple has currently dropped its plans to launch a long-rumored subscription service. The service was supposed to allow users to bundle the cable channels they wanted and stream live TV to their Apple TV devices. The interesting part is that the two reports mentioned above seem to disagree as to what actually happened to bring this plan to a halt. According to Bloomberg, which cites undisclosed sources, Apple’s plan to sell monthly subscriptions around the $35 price point clashed with the industry’s desire to charge more. But according to Business Insider, which is quoting CBS CEO Les Moonves, Apple was the one who pulled the plug on this partnership. Still, not everything is lost. Though Apple’s plans may have suffered a setback, the company is moving forward with its strategy based on apps for the Apple TV. The Cupertino-based company is hoping that opening up the TV App Store to developers will push its platform forward, the same way the iOS App Store did. Meanwhile, the live TV streaming plans may have been put on ice for now, but even Les Moonves said that sooner or later this transition is bound to happen. Source: Business Insider, Bloomberg