Many people know that Hollywood is a powerhouse of an industry, but this infographic from Wyoming LLC Attorney makes it clear just how powerful these big 5 studios are. The big 5 major studios have a history of absorbing the competition as we can see on this timeline illustrating the major mergers that have happened over time.
In a recent press release, Apple has announced that AppleTVs
with tvOS 17 will have native VPN app support as part of the new OS version. While
a native VPN app has been available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac, this is the first
time that it will be accessible on AppleTV.
To install a VPN on AppleTV generally requires installing it
on your router, which is something that not all routers provide the capability
for.
As a result of the native VPN integration, users will be able to stream shows that aren’t available to watch in their country, as well as have access to platforms that are banned in their region; TikTok, for instance.
Google has announced that its $35 streaming stick Chromecast
(1st gen) will no longer be receiving software or security updates,
as the company is ending support for the device. The notice further warns owners
of potential degradation of performance of their Chromecast devices.
Chromecast is a small device that can be plugged into a TV’s HDMI port and enables a user to stream content from their phone, tablet, or laptop on their TV. The latest model of the device, the 2020 Chromecast with Google TV, came with its own remote too.
Through a new tag option on TikTok, users will now be able
to select movies or TV shows to link within their TikTok clips. The feature is developed
in collaboration with IMDb.
The tagged movies / TV shows will contain their IMDb links, which will provide more information regarding the content, such as release date, cast notes, etc. Users can find these tags above the video captions.
YouTube has merged its two most used functionalities: the short-form video creation tool Shorts and Connected TV (CTV)
viewing. As a result, users will be able to view Shorts in full screen on their
TVs.
YouTube reveals that it had been testing the development of the best presentation format for Shorts for a while and found the large-screen viewing to be worthy. Explaining the initiative, YouTube says, “It was important that the Shorts experience on TV felt consistent with what the community sees on mobile and also natural on the bigger screen.”
After receiving considerable success with its short-form
video feature ‘Shorts’ that collects over 30 billion views in a day, YouTube is
planning to grow Shorts even more, by launching an exclusive Shorts player within
its smart TV app.
The Shorts player will display the videos vertically at the centre
of the screen, hence creating a more immersive experience for viewers. Details pertaining
to the clips, including title and name of the music track will be shown on the side,
along with quick access buttons to scroll up and down through the videos.
YouTube’s initiative is not really original however, as its competitor, TikTok, has already incorporated the same approach that enables users to access its TV app on the LG and Samsung smart TVs.
Netflix has decided to suspend its service in Russia over
the country’s ongoing invasion in Ukraine. A Netflix spokesperson confirmed the
news.
The video streaming company, which has about 1 million subscribers in Russia, made this major decision after refusing to comply with a new Russian law that requires large streamers to host 20 Russian propaganda channels, including NTV and Channel One. Netflix later announced that it would suspend all its productions and acquisitions in Russia.
TikTok introduced its TV app for Samsung’s Smart TV in
Europe last year, followed by the US, and is now launching a new extension of
its TV app for users and subscribers of Google and Android TV, Android Fire TV,
LG TV, and Samsung Smart TV.
According to TikTok, users can enjoy watching TikTok content
including the For You and Following feeds from a wide range of categories on
their big screen with the TV app. Users can enjoy the TikTok TV experience by
logging into the TV app using their existing account details.
Google’s new "4K Plus" plan for YouTube TV
subscribers has been launched. Now users can stream in 4K on a compatible TV
and set-top box, while also being able to download shows to watch offline and stream
unlimitedly when connected to home WiFi.
The standard YouTube TV streaming price starts at $65, and the price of the 4K Plus plan per month is an additional $19.99.
Ever since the coronavirus pandemic hit the world, social
media has observed a major rise in its usage as people turned to it more than
ever during the lockdowns. Among the social platforms that received the most
attention last year was YouTube, whose viewership jumped from 100 million in
March 2020, to 120 million in December 2020.
It was also revealed that a lot of people prefer watching YouTube on their TV screens. It was found out in December that over a quarter of logged-in YouTube CTV viewers viewed content mostly on their TV screen in the U.S. Moreover, data from the U.S. Census Bureau showed that people in the U.S. spent 791 billion dollars in 2020 on YouTube merely, which is an amount 30% greater as compared to that from 2019. The total CTV ad spending in the U.S. alone was more than 8 billion dollars in 2020.
Google is bringing a new feature to Google TV that is meant
to provide simple access to live TV and HDMI inputs. The feature is called Basic
TV Mode and will be particularly helpful for those who prefer an external
streamer or value privacy.
Moreover, Google TV is expected to be introduced as built-in software for TCL as well as Sony’s upcoming TVs. Earlier, it was available only on the new Chromecast, where it offered a new interface built on Google’s existing Android TV software.
Samsung Electronics and TikTok have announced a new
partnership to bring TikTok on Samsung Smart TVs. The service will be available
to users in Europe for now, starting from the UK.
The new TikTok app has been specifically designed to provide
a home-viewing experience with the For You and Following feeds, along with the
most liked and viewed TikTok content. There will be 12 categories of the
content, including Gaming, Comedy, Animals, Food, etc. Moreover, people can watch
#LearnOnTikTok videos for the latest cooking hacks, health and fitness tips, and
other fun and educative things.
The service will be available for all Samsung Smart TV models
from 2008-2010 onwards, says Samsung. This will also include Samsung’s award
winning 4K and 8K TVs, The Smart Monitor, The Premiere, The Frame and The
Serif.
The new app will be available to download on the Samsung Smart TV App Store and if you purchase a new Samsung TV, it will have the app pre-installed onto it. The content, whether one owns a TikTok account or not, will be available to watch for everyone.
Streaming service Hulu rolled out a new option called Watch Party during the coronavirus pandemic, to allow multiple users to watch shows and movies together at the same time. The feature was, however, only available to those who paid for the ad-free plan, but Hulu is now making it accessible for all its Watch Party subscribers.
Watch Party can be accessed on Hulu’s website from an icon displayed on a title’s details page. You can then share a Watch Party link from there with friends or family members who are Hulu subscribers. Up to seven people can be included. There is also a chat function available within Watch Party, so you can have real-time conversations with each other while watching shows or movies together.
Subscribe Our Newsletter
