It may have looked a little different this year, but CES 2021 still offered up a number of fancy new TVs and other gadgets for consumers to look forward to in the coming months. Elsewhere, we learned that AT&T is merging its AT&T TV Now service with AT&T TV and Hulu’s offering up a solid discount for college students.
Here’s what happened in the world of cord cutting and streaming.
Breaking News
Here are some of the top streaming stories from the past week.
AT&T TV Now Shut Down for New Customers, Merged with AT&T TV
This week, we learned that AT&T is shutting down its AT&T TV Now streaming service, and merging it with the not-at-all similarly named AT&T TV. If you visit the service’s site, you’ll likely see a notice about the merger and current plans you can choose from.
Learn more about AT&T TV Now’s merger here.
TCL’s New Soundbar Lets You Wirelessly Connect to Roku TVs
This year’s CES was online-only, but we still got a whole bunch of product announcements, including a new wireless soundbar from TCL. The company says all you’ll need to do is plug it in and your Roku TV can do the rest without a physical connection.
Read more about TCL’s upcoming wireless soundbar here.
Sony Says Its Bravia Core Streaming Service Rivals 4K Blu-ray Quality
In addition to a new line of fancy TVs, Sony also announced a high-end streaming service coming exclusively to its new Bravia XR TVs (at least initially). It’s called Bravia Core and the company says its high bitrates (up to 80 Mbps) can rival 4K Blu-rays in image quality.
Check out Sony’s new streaming service here.
LG Introduces webOS 6.0 for Its 2021 TV Lineup
LG’s CES 2021 announcements included the expected updates to its diverse range of TVs, but the company also unveiled a new version of its built-in webOS smart TV platform. LG says its updated platform offers up a better user experience and improved content discovery.
Learn more about LG’s new webOS 6.0 here.
Industry Report
What’s the latest on the industry?
NextGen TV Supporters Aiming for Breakout Year for ATSC 3.0
The ATSC gathered together a group of ATSC 3.0, or NextGen TV, supporters for a roundtable discussion at CES 2021. Overall, the group expects 2021 to be another year of growth for the new broadcasting standard, with much larger market share not too far on the horizon.
Learn more about the current state of ATSC 3.0 here.
ViacomCBS Renews Agreements with Sinclair, Keeping Local Stations on CBS All Access
A renewed agreement between ViacomCBS and Sinclair ensures CBS AllAccess users in several markets will continue receiving their local CBS affiliates. We have the full list in the post linked below.
See which stations are included in the new deal here.
Cox Will Pay $1 Billion in Piracy Damages, Court Confirms
New legal documents show Cox will still have to pay just over $1 billion in piracy damages stemming from a recent case involving the music industry. The company apparently tried to challenge the decision, but the penalty remains.
Learn more about Cox’s financial penalty here.
Quibi’s Turnstyle Tech Wasn’t Part of the Roku Deal and is Still Facing a Lawsuit
We recently learned about Roku acquiring content following Quibi’s closure, but the failed streaming service’s fancy “Turnstyle” tech wasn’t part of the deal. In fact, Quibi is still facing legal challenges regarding the feature.
Find out about Quibi’s “Turnstyle” woes here.
Deal Alert
Save some cash with these current and upcoming deals.
Hulu Introduces Student Discount: Ad-Supported Hulu for $1.99 Per Month
Hulu’s announced a significant discount for its ad-supported, on-demand library. If you’re an 18-or-older student, you might be eligible for discounted Hulu access at $1.99 per month.