TV & movies

The latest news and reviews of TV shows and movies.

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Fire TV Recast offers both DVR and streaming on the go
At Amazon's launch event today in Seattle the company announced its first DVR called the Fire TV Recast. There's no cable TV tuner built-in, so the channels available will be the ones you can access with a connected over-the-air antenna (like ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, PBS or the CW). Also, since the Recast doesn't plug directly into a TV, you can place it anywhere in your house to get the best reception, which the app can also help you determine. It then beams your recorded shows or live TV anywhere through your home to an Echo Show, Fire tablet, mobile device (iOS or Android with the Fire TV app) or a Fire TV device. You can also take your recordings on-the-go with the Fire TV app.
'Daredevil' season three premieres October 19th
It's been a long, long wait for a third season of Daredevil, but it's very nearly here. Netflix has confirmed that the next installment of its landmark superhero show will debut October 19th. The teaser trailer is wonderfully cryptic, but makes clear that Matt Murdock (aka Daredevil) is tired of subduing evil only to watch it bounce back -- the only way to stop evil is to "finish it for good," he said. The teaser and accompanying tweet also make nods to Murdock's conflicted Catholicism, referencing Deuteronomy 30:15 ("see, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction").
American Airlines offers free live TV through Dish
You might not be stuck watching a handful of mediocre movies (or your offline copies of streaming shows) the next time you're on a long-haul flight. American Airlines and Dish recently started offering free live TV for domestic US flights aboard 100-plus aircraft with Gogo's 2Ku satellite access. It won't match your service back home, but you will have access to a dozen major networks including CNN, ESPN, NBC and Telemundo. And you don't have to squint at a small seatback display -- you can stream the channels directly to your laptop or mobile device.
Netflix picks up hit BBC drama ‘Bodyguard’
Netflix has purchased the streaming rights to Bodyguard -- a six-part BBC One series that has been raking in viewers in the UK. The show had a strong premiere, drawing in 10.4 million viewers, which is the highest launch figure for any new drama on any UK channel in the last 12 years. The fourth episode reportedly drew 11.1 million viewers and the series has consistently attracted more viewers than any other BBC show outside of World Cup coverage. Netflix now holds the rights outside of the UK and Ireland and will debut the show on October 24th.
'Avatar: The Last Airbender' returns as a live-action Netflix series
That sound you heard was legions of Avatar: The Last Airbender fans squealing with glee. Netflix has announced that it's releasing a "reimagined," live-action Avatar series on its service in partnership with Nickelodeon. Production will start in 2019, and the animated show's creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko will executive produce the new run. Details are unsurprisingly scarce at this early stage, but DiMartino and Konietzko stressed that the Netflix production would include a "culturally appropriate, non-whitewashed" cast.
Comcast's X1 set-top box helps you buy concert tickets
Comcast isn't stopping at offering movie tickets through the X1. It's using Ticketmaster's platform to sell Kelly Clarkson tickets with the help of its set-top box. Say "Kelly Clarkson Tour" to the remote and you'll go to a promo screen that will show you nearby concert dates and start the ticket purchasing process if you just have to see a show. Unfortunately, you can't complete the purchase on your TV -- you'll instead receive a text code on your phone that you use to finish the process. Still, it might be easier to browse on the big screen if you've already been curled up on the couch.
iTunes headache is a reminder purchases might not travel with you
Anders Gonçalves da Silva recently had three movies disappear from his iTunes library and a letter he received from Apple stated that it was because those titles were no longer available from the iTunes Store. Naturally, the response caused outrage at the idea that Apple can delete movies you've paid for just because the provider doesn't want them on iTunes any longer. But as CNET reports, it turns out da Silva's situation was a little more complicated than that and it's one that highlights the headaches digital content -- and the licensing rules that go along with it -- can cause for people moving to a new region.
Sinemia's $30 unlimited plan tries to fill a MoviePass-shaped hole
MoviePass attracted a lot of users with its $10 one-movie-per-day subscription plan, but as the last few months have shown, that price point was rather unsustainable. As its money troubles mounted, the company hit its subscribers with a number of sudden plan changes including surge pricing, limited film selections and, recently, a reduction to just three allowed viewings per month. However, MoviePass rival Sinemia is bringing back the unlimited plan and subscribers in the US, the UK, Canada and Australia can get it for $30 (£30) per month.
AMC’s A-List subscription service now supports Fandango and Atom
AMC is making it even easier for you to use the Stubs A-List subscription program, as members will now be able to get movie tickets through Fandango and Atom Tickets. The company launched A-List, its answer to MoviePass, in June, and though the three-movies-per-week plan cost more than what MoviePass was offering at the time -- one movie per day for $10 per month -- it also featured a few perks that MoviePass lacked, such as IMAX and 3D showings, repeat viewings and booking in advance.
OnePlus is building its own smart TV
OnePlus, known for making budget-priced phones with flagship specs, plans to shake up the TV segment in a similar way. Founder and CEO Pete Lau told Business Insider that it will launch the OnePlus TV, possibly by 2019, with a focus on design, image quality and sound. "We feel the current market of TVs is still feeling quite traditional in their functionality and experience," said Lau. "And they haven't really well-integrated the internet ... making the experience match with what would be expected in today's connected society."
Streaming services in talks to release movies in IMAX theaters
Outside of Netflix's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon sequel, streaming movies haven't really had a chance to shine on IMAX screens. They might make a regular appearance before long, though. IMAX chief Richard Gelfond told investors that his company is in "active discussions" with "all" streaming services about IMAX releases. It's not certain how close the two sides are to a deal, but Gelfond saw it as just a matter of time. If streaming firms were going to have a giant "opening day" for their releases, the executive argued, the best way to do it was on an equally giant IMAX screen.
YouTube greenlights documentary on the LGBTQ Pride movement
YouTube has greenlit a documentary that will focus on the impact the gay pride movement has had on the LGBTQ community. State of Pride will be directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman -- who worked together on The Celluloid Closet and the Academy Award-winning Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt -- and will feature interviews conducted by Raymond Braun, former YouTube LGBT marketing lead. He'll travel across the US, attending Pride events in major cities and smaller towns and interviewing individuals about how the movement has impacted them.
The BBC has 'solved' the lag between live streams and TV
Live streams often lag behind TV, sometimes by half a minute or more -- and that's a big problem when you may hear your neighbors cheer a goal or story event you haven't seen yet. The BBC might have licked the problem, however. Its researchers have developed a streaming method that could dramatically reduce the gap between online coverage (such as through iPlayer) and TV. The solution, according to the broadcaster, is to manage the rate at which you receive chunks of the video feed.
Vudu adds Sony TVs to its list of compatible 4K devices
Vudu users with Sony 4K TVs can now watch hundreds of movies in ultra HD, thanks to an update to its Android TV app. If you've got auto-updates enabled, you don't need to do anything to enjoy a clearer, crisper picture -- it's ready to go. If you don't, just update to the new app from the Google Play Store.
CBS chief Les Moonves to step down amid new sexual assault claims (updated)
After weeks of swirling sexual misconduct allegations, CBS chief Les Moonves appears to be on the way out. CNN's executive sources have claimed that Moonves is about to step down now that an exit deal is effectively complete. CBS could announce the departure by the morning of September 10th, according to the insiders. Just how he'll leave isn't clear, but he may not have a gentle departure due to a follow-up exposé from The New Yorker detailing more claims of sexual assault and harassment.
Apple's latest show acquisitions include an elephant documentary
Apple's future streaming video service will have more to offer than a wave of dramas and comedies. The tech giant has bought rights to both the nature documentary The Elephant Queen as well as the animated movie Wolfwalkers. The documentary, from award winners Victoria Stone and Mark Deeble, has narration from 12 Years A Slave's Chiwetel Ejiofor and follows the story of a matriarchal elephant facing a dangerous journey when escaping a drought. Wolfwalkers, meanwhile, comes from Oscar nominee Tomm Moore and follows the story of a young hunter who learns to appreciate wolves after befriending a native girl.
MoviePass product chief leaves after six months
If MoviePass was hoping that recent talent additions would help it escape its financial woes, it might want to put those dreams on hold. The company has confirmed to Variety that Chief Product Officer Mike Berkley has left the company about six months after he joined. It's not certain why he left, although MoviePass had recruited him to improve the user experience at a time when its subscriber count was growing at a breakneck pace.
Your Vizio smart TV might tell you if it spied on you
Vizio smart TVs might display a strange notification in the near future -- one telling you if the company collected and sold your data. Back in 2015, a ProPublica exposé revealed that Vizio installed software on its smart TVs that allowed it to track and sell your viewing habits to advertisers without explicit consent. That unsurprisingly spawned class action lawsuits, and a judge ruled back in 2017 that the company has to pay $2.2 million to settle with the government.
Amazon poaches Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn for new fashion series
Project Runway is set to return to its original network, Bravo, after 11 seasons on Lifetime, but when it does, it will be without stars Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn. Instead, the two will be working on a new fashion-focused series for Amazon Prime Video. The duo will develop, produce and headline the series, according to Deadline.
Netflix’s ‘Narcos: Mexico’ premieres November 16th
Netflix has released a trailer for its new series Narcos: Mexico, a follow-up to its three-season series Narcos. With Narcos: Mexico, the show moves out of Colombia and away from the Cali cartel, focusing instead on the rise of Mexico's Guadalajara cartel in the early 1980s. In the short trailer, we see what we've come to expect from the Narcos title -- drugs, battle and the rise of an empire. We also see the two new stars. Diego Luna (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Y Tu Mamá También) will play cartel leader Félix Gallardo and Michael Peña (Ant-Man and the Wasp, End of Watch) will play undercover DEA agent Kiki Camarena, the man tasked with bringing Gallardo down. Narcos: Mexico premieres November 16th.

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