TV & movies

The latest news and reviews of TV shows and movies.

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Streaming subscriptions overtook cable in 2018
Cable companies have been nervous about streaming services for a while, but now they have a particularly good reason to be jittery. An MPAA report citing IHS Markit data has shown that there were more subscriptions worldwide to online video services (613.3 million) than there were for cable (556 million) in 2018, reflecting a 27 percent jump in streaming over 2017. Cable subscriptions dropped two percent in that period. IP-based TV overtook satellite, too, indicating a larger overall shift to the digital realm.
Alamo Season Pass will offer unlimited movies for $20 per month
Alamo Drafthouse is getting ready to officially launch its subscription service. After several months of beta testing, CEO Tim League told Business Insider the company is going to make its Alamo Season Pass available to the public before the end of the year. The service will let subscribers view an unlimited number of movies at Alamo Drafthouse theaters across the country starting at $20 per month. Engadget has reached out to Alamo Drafthouse to confirm the details of the plan and will update this story if we hear back.
Netflix's latest interactive series for kids is 'Battle Kitty'
Netflix's growing catalog of interactive shows now includes another aimed at the younger crowd. The service has unveiled Battle Kitty, an animated series where kids help its namesake warrior fight monsters on an island and become a champion. Its origins are as unusual as the format, too. It's based on Instagram posts from animator Matt Layzell (known for work on titles like Sanjay and Craig and Pinky Malinky), who'll be a showrunner for the first time.
MoviePass to offer its original $9.95 unlimited plan for a limited time
The monthly movie ticket subscription service MoviePass is switching back to the $9.95 per month uncapped plan that proved highly popular, but was ultimately unsustainable. There's a catch, though. Subscribers must pay for an annual subscription upfront, bringing the total to roughly $120 for a year's worth of unlimited movie tickets.
PlayStation Vue's multi-picture mode comes to Apple TV
You don't have to pick up a PS4 to take advantage of PlayStation Vue's multi-picture mode in your living room. Sony is introducing the multi-view feature to the Apple TV (not pictured here) on March 18th through an update, and it'll even one-up the PS4 version by supporting four channels at once instead of three. If you absolutely have to keep tabs on news and sports, you won't have to feel like you're missing out.
Neil deGrasse Tyson will continue with 'Cosmos' after investigation
Fox and National Geographic have completed their investigation into Neil deGrasse Tyson over alleged sexual misconduct, and have decided to give both Cosmos: Possible Worlds and StarTalk the go-ahead. While the channels didn't reveal their findings (they have "no further comment"), they now expect to find a new air date for Cosmos after a last-minute delay and will return Nat Geo's remaining 13 StarTalk episodes in April.
Fan uses AI to remaster 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine' in HD
Unfortunately, you're highly unlikely to see an official remaster of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Its special effects were shot on video rather than added to film, making an already daunting remastering process that much more difficult -- and since it's not a tentpole show like The Next Generation, CBS might not consider it worth the effort. Machine learning might make it easier for fans to fill the gap, however. CaptRobau has experimented with using AI Gigapixel's neural networks to upscale Deep Space Nine to 1080p. The technology is optimized for (and trained on) photos, but apparently works a treat for video. While you wouldn't mistake it for an official remaster, it provides a considerably cleaner, sharper look than the 480p original without introducing visual artifacts.
Facebook helps you host viewing parties for live TV
Facebook's Watch Party won't just help you help watch online videos with friends -- it'll soon help with old-school TV. The social network is launching a new Watch Party experience that will let you host live TV shows, starting with sports. Start a party and you can cheer in chat, create polls and offer trivia questions based on player stats. It's not going to compare to gathering around the couch, but it should deliver more of a thrill than everyday group discussions.
Sony fixes bug that prevented Kodi installs on its TVs
The furor over Sony TVs allegedly blocking Kodi appears to be over. Sony told Engadget it's rolling out a firmware update for some of its Android-powered sets that fixes a bug preventing Kodi from installing. While it didn't say just what the fix entailed, it had previously mentioned that it had incorrectly flagged Kodi as a "kernel object" -- Kodi would go on to specify that a "certain letter combination" in its package ID sparked the confusion.
Get ready for targeted ads on your smart TV
By now, we're all used to targeted ads on social media. And whether you're comfortable with having your interests shared with advertisers or not, it looks like "addressable advertising" is coming to your smart TV too, sooner rather than later. Several top media companies -- including Disney, Comcast, NBCUniversal, CBS and Discovery -- announced they're teaming up with smart TV company Vizio to develop a new standard that might make commercials feel eerily personal.
'The Atomic Tree' explores the bonsai that survived a nuclear blast
Filmmakers don't accidentally make a movie for virtual reality headsets. Creating VR media is a multi-step process involving specialized cameras and equipment, not to mention an entirely new approach to storytelling. Creators tell a story in VR because they crave a deeper human connection than the one offered by a static, 2D screen, even if it means their work will be seen by fewer people.
'Doom: Annihilation' trailer teases a pretty bland movie
After the critical and commercial flop of the original Doom movie in 2005, many fans of the early-90s' first-person shooter game agreed the Doom universe was probably best left as that: a game. But if Hollywood is good for anything, it's bleeding a once-popular franchise dry, and with the game series' recent revival, someone somewhere decided we needed a movie reboot. Now the trailer for Doom: Annihilation has dropped, and it's a bit... meh.
NCAA March Madness Live streams on Oculus Go
It'll be particularly easy to stream NCAA March Madness games this year, especially if you'd rather watch matches in total privacy. The NCAA and CBS are making the March Madness Live app available on 17 platforms for 2019, including first-time support for Android TV (shown above) and Oculus Go. That last addition could be particularly helpful if you live in a packed household -- you could have a big-screen game experience (including the 21 VR-native broadcasts) without monopolizing the TV or your phone.
AT&T is increasing DirecTV Now prices by $10 per month
If you subscribe to AT&T's DirecTV Now, keep an eye on your bill -- prices are going up again. Last July, AT&T increased the cost of its live TV streaming bundles by $5 per month. And according to Variety, beginning in April, AT&T will add another $10 per month. That means the cost of a monthly subscription has gone up more than 40 percent in less than one year. In addition to the price changes, AT&T will streamline its DirecTV Now plans offering just two, rather than its current five (though existing customers will not be kicked out of their packages).
Steven Spielberg denies campaign to stop Netflix from winning Oscars
Steven Spielberg is no fan of streaming services winning Oscars when they only have tiny presences in theaters, but is he really campaigning to change the rules? Not necessarily. Movie industry veteran Jeffrey Katzenberg told Hollywood Reporter in a chat that Spielberg "absolutely did not" say he was pushing for longer theatrical release requirements or otherwise trying to prevent services like Netflix from qualifying for awards. Katzenberg claimed instead that IndieWire "heard a rumor" and, when it received a statement from Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, "twisted it around."
Sinemia is terminating accounts and users don't know why
Something strange is going on at Sinemia, where customers are reporting their accounts are being wrongfully terminated. Beginning last week, subscribers of the discounted movie ticket company took to Twitter and Reddit, where they report their accounts have been closed for suspected fraudulent activity. To make matters worse, Sinemia's response has been vague.
Sinemia's new movie ticket discount doesn't require a subscription
From discounted weekday-only movie subscriptions to $30 unlimited passes, rollover tickets, debit cards to avoid online fees and direct ticket sales, it seems like Sinemia has tried just about everything to get people to buy movie tickets. Apparently, Sinemia has another trick up its sleeve in its battle against MoviePass: you can now purchase $100-worth of tickets for just $70.
Hulu and YouTube's live TV services are small, but growing fast
Internet-based live TV appears to be thriving after some of the novelty has worn off -- at least, in some cases. Bloomberg sources claim Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV have grown dramatically in the past year, reaching a combined 3 million subscribers. Hulu reportedly grew the quickest, jumping from 450,000 users at the start of 2018 to nearly 2 million, but YouTube might not complain after surging from 300,000 viewers to more than 1 million. But what prompted the growth?
'Mewtwo Strikes Back' CG remake shows off its first trailer
Pokémon The First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back debuted in 1998, and now we have a trailer for the CG-rendered reimagining that's coming to theaters in Japan on July 12th. A post on the official site revealed that Masaomi Ichimura will return as a voice actor on the project, while the English account promised "a Pokémon experience like you've never seen before" and said details for its international release will come soon. This is a movie that's entirely separate from the Ryan Reynolds-voiced Detective Pikachu movie that we'll see in May. Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution has a very different look from the original's 2D animation, but it appears the plot is sticking closely to the original's theme of the cloned psychic creature seeking revenge against humanity.
Netflix UK uploaded 'The Notebook' with an alternate ending
If you're a Netflix UK subscriber with a penchant for romantic movies, you probably got a rude surprise in recent days. Netflix has confirmed that it inadvertently uploaded an "alternate version" of The Notebook in the UK that makes a major change to the ending -- it's not just a slight edit. Suffice it to say this could leave you fuming if you've memorized the Nicholas Sparks adaptation by heart.

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