TV shows

Snapchat launching original TV shows lasting between 3-5 minutes long

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 4, 2017

Snap Inc. is gearing up to launch original TV shows on the service that would last between three and five minutes long. As per the Wall Street Journal today, the company has partnered with a bunch of content owners on the initiative, including NBCUniversal, Turner, A+E Networks, Discovery, BBC, ABC, ESPN, Vice Media, Vertical Networks, NFL and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Snap is aiming to air between two and three new episodes of original TV shows per day by the end of 2017. The company is looking for scripted dramas, daily news shows, horror, documentaries, animated shows and more.

Snap is also in discussions with CBS and Fox, said people familiar with the matter.

They could soon reach a deal with Scripps Networks Interactive, which owns Food Network and HGTV. According to the report, HGTV could produce offshoots of its current TV shows for Snap, including House Hunters and Chopped.

TV companies “are flocking” to create original shows for Snap because its executives “embrace certain old media values” like scarcity and promoting a select group of premium content above user-generated fare.

“I don't want to be a TV killer,” said a former News Corp. executive who works for Snap.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

To this extent, Snapchat might change some fundamental aspects of the social network in order to encourage binging and catching up with its shows, instead of sticking to its ephemeral content strategy which removed some past shows from the service after 48 hours.

For the new slate of TV shows, it's still unclear when exactly Snapchat plans to begin the launch, but users can at least expect them to begin debuting by the end of the year.

TV shows will be provided in the Stories tab of the mobile Snapchat app.

Snap has now launched an interactive audition experience akin to “The Voice” in its mobile app.

NBC's “Saturday Night Live” has already created original shows for Snapchat, like an episode pictured top of post where a couple tries to boycott all things related to Donald.

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Hulu’s $40 per month Live TV service launches, app hits App Store

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 23, 2018

Hulu's long-expected live TV service has gone official with today's launch of the Hulu Live TV app on App Store. Designed for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Apple TV, the software lets subscribers access the entire Hulu streaming library and more than 50 top live and on-demand channels, including FOX, ABC, NBC, CBS, ESPN, FX, NBCSN, FS1, History Channel and TNT.

In addition, live sports from top pro and college leagues, as well as regional sports networks, are available in certain areas. As a bonus, you'll get to stream national news with local feeds in select cities, popular kids shows, can’t-miss events and thousands of popular on-demand shows and movies from many of these channels.

You can choose to subscribe to Hulu with ad-supported Live TV for $40, or an additional $4 per month to get rid of advertising. Advanced features are available for extra money, such as Cloud DVR which lets you record live TV to watch your favorites on your own time, the ability to watch concurrent streams on multiple devices, as well as track and record games from your favorite teams with a My Teams feature.

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For an additional $15 per month, you can upgrade Cloud DVR functionality with up to 200 hours of cloud storage and the ability to fast-forward through commercials. Unlimited simultaneous viewing on as many screens as you want is an additional $15 per month. And if you purchase both add-ons, you'll save a cool $10.

As soon as you launch the app, you're greeted with all-new onboarding experience.

Firstly, you're asked to log in with your Hulu subscription credentials. The app cannot be used unless you're a subscriber. The setup procedure then takes you on a quick tour of the app's main features such as your personal live TV lineup, a My Stuff section and more.

Next, you can optionally tell the app about the kinds of shows you prefer to watch, helping it recommend content that's tailored to your needs. Finally, you can add your favorite shows and movies to the My Stuff section, or skip this step and set up these items at a later stage.

The app lets you create up to six personalized profiles so everyone in your household gets to enjoy their own personalized Hulu experience with their own collection of shows, movies, networks and more. Like with other services, the more you watch, the smarter the system gets.

You can browse Hulu's library while you watch with a Fliptray feature that lets you quickly find what else is on, change the channel, or get recommendations of what to watch next. Just tap the Fliptray button during playback to get started with this multitasking capability.

The app supports iPhone and iPad with iOS 10+ and the fourth-generation Apple TV.

A free seven-day trial of Hulu Live TV is available to new and eligible subscribers. As a cool bonus, Hulu will let you try out each of the add-ons for one month without being charged.

Download Hulu Live TV from App Store.

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Hulu teases upcoming live TV service: cloud DVR, multi-device streaming & more confirmed

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 16, 2017

Hulu recently updated its experiencehulu.com mini-site, which highlights the company's existing video on demand service and a forthcoming live television offering. The website refresh has revealed previously unconfirmed features such as cloud DVR, multi-device streaming, user profiles, support for guest accounts, real-time notifications for live events and other perks. The sub-$40 service is expected to launch across iOS, tvOS and other platforms in the coming months.

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Watch the first trailer for Apple’s upcoming reality show about apps and their makers

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 14, 2017

Eddy Cue, Apple's Senior Vice President in charge of Internet software, services and major content deals, was joined onstage during last night's Code Media conference by Propagate CEO Ben Silverman, who took the opportunity to play the first official trailer and share a few previously unknown tidbits regarding “Planet of the Apps”.

For those not in the know, “Planet of the Apps” is the Cupertino company's Apple Music-exclusive show about apps and their makers. The iPhone maker has finished filming the show three days ago.

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Apple’s Carpool Karaoke spinoff is coming in April, watch the second clip now

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 14, 2017

Apple wants original content and its SVP Eddy Cue is in charge of making that happen. Cue sat down last night for an interview with Peter Kafka of Recode, discussing a range of topics at the publication's Code Media conference.

Ben Winston, one of the producers of Apple's upcoming Carpool Karaoke spinoff, appeared onstage as a surprise guest and played a new promotional clip for the show—just 24 hours after Apple released the first Carpool Karaoke trailer on YouTube.

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Watch Apple’s star-laden trailer for Apple Music’s upcoming Carpool Karaoke show

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 13, 2017

Apple during last night's Grammy Awards ceremony aired a trailer for its upcoming Carpool Karaoke spinoff, saying it's coming soon without committing to a specific air date for the show. It will be exclusively distributed to Apple Music members.

The show will feature unlikely celebrity pairings, like Metallica and game show host Billy Eichner or wrestler John Cena and cager Shaquile O'Neal.

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HBO GO picks up support for Single sign-on and Apple’s new TV app

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 26, 2017

Apple today put HBO GO on the list of video apps supported in its new TV app via the Single-sign on feature that recently launched in iOS 10 and tvOS 10.

This lets HBO GO users sign in with their cable or satellite credentials on their iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Apple TV to enjoy instant access to HBO shows, not only in Apple's own TV app but in other supported video apps that their pay TV subscription includes.

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Hulu for iOS gains user profiles for multiple-user accounts, offline viewing in the works

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 21, 2017

Hulu for iOS was updated on App Store with personalized profiles for multiple-user accounts following the introduction of single-user profiles in December 2016.

Personalized profiles for multiple users who share a single Hulu account are now available on the web at Hulu.com and in the mobile Hulu app for iOS and other platforms, TechCrunch reported yesterday.

The oft-requested offline viewing feature will arrive “in a few months” as the company is working hard on the technology as well as on securing content rights, Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins told Adweek.

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Jimmy Iovine: original TV series and movies part of Apple Music pop cultural experience

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 16, 2017

The Wall Street Journal thinks Apple wants to buy rights to original television shows and movies as another way of enticing users into choosing Apple Music over competitors like Spotify and Pandora. Monday, The Hollywood Reported published an interview with Apple executive Jimmy Iovine, who said that adding original video content to the music-streaming service is part of the plan to turn Apple Music into a pop cultural phenomenon.

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Back in full swing: try these Walking Dead Apps to celebrate the return of Season 7

Steffen Reich ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

The Walking Dead has made its much anticipated return last Sunday. Without spoiling the smashing opening episode too much, it is safe to say that some new or undecided viewers are likely to have been reeled back into Robert Kirman’s post apocalyptic world. Heading into its seventh year on AMC, The Walking Dead’s footprint has grown exponentially and also left its mark on Apple’s iTunes and App Store.

Assuming you too are back on board for Season 7, there are easily a dozen Walker-friendly apps on the App Store to help rekindle your passion for the Drama. But in a sea of official, unofficial, paid and free apps, where to start? We have taken the time to work over all of them and highlight the top 5 apps you may want to try to get hyped up for the new season.  

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