In a major shakeup of its pricing model, Amazon has quietly pulled the plug on its Prime Video-only subscription option for new users in both the UK and the US. The standalone option, which allowed access to Prime Video without the added benefits of a full Prime membership, was previously available at a lower monthly cost – £5.99/month in the UK and $8.99/month in the US. With this change (first spotlighted by us today), new subscribers are now directed to get the full Prime subscription – which is more expensive – even if they just want the streaming service.  Furthermore, this pricing ..read more

Sky Glass and Sky Stream, the two broadband-based devices from Sky, are set to receive a new software update that brings several new features and enhancements to the user experience. The free update, part of Sky’s Entertainment OS, will be gradually rolled out to all Sky Glass and Sky Stream users, both new and existing. Some features are already available, and others will be available in May. The update includes several UI improvements (including a Rotten Tomatoes score on every title page), but its two main attractions are the new Low-Latency modes for gaming and sports. Yes, finally – Sky ..read more

Another day, another TV price increase: DAZN, the international sports streaming platform, has announced a staggering 50% price increase for its UK subscribers. The news will disappoint both new and loyal customers who have been enjoying the platform’s extensive coverage of boxing events, featuring some of the sport’s biggest names. The substantial price hike, which will see monthly fees for the annual subscription model jump from £9.99 to £14.99 (see full details below), has been met with anger from subscribers on social media, who are already threatening to leave the service.  What’s D ..read more

Just when you thought wired earbuds were out – SoundMAGIC pulls (the wires) back in. In a surprising twist, the company has announced the launch of their latest wired earphones, the E80D today. And despite earphone wires seemingly being a thing of the past, SoundMAGIC has brought them back with a modern twist – a USB-C connector (instead of the traditional 3.5mm jack plug) that can be connected to any modern smartphone. The E80D are available starting today (April 16, 2024) for £39.98 ($45.99 in the US). SoundMAGIC, founded in 2005 by acoustic design engineer Tony Xu, has a history of d ..read more

In a bid to sweeten the deal for its customers, Sky is now offering extended free trials for two popular streaming services. For a limited time, Sky subscribers can enjoy three months of free access to Apple TV+, which offers critically acclaimed original content, and Hayu, which specializes in reality TV shows and true crime documentaries. Apple TV+, known for its high-quality originals, such as the Emmy-winning comedy Ted Lasso and the gripping WWII drama Masters of The Air, has become a go-to destination for discerning viewers seeking thought-provoking and engaging content. Meanwhile, Hayu ..read more

Remember those futuristic homes from 80s and 90s movies? The ones with smart panels on the walls, controlling everything in the house with a simple touch (or, all too often, with a mere clap of the hands)? Well, the Amazon Echo Hub is exactly what those movies promised us: a control panel that aims to control every smart device in our home, be it a lamp, a security camera in the garden, the boiler, and of course – every other Amazon Echo device you might have around the house. The Echo Hub certainly looks and feels like it belongs in that futuristic vision. But now that this long-awaited futu ..read more

Are you tired of those confusing broadband, TV and mobile price increases every year? This week, BT Group unveiled its new pricing strategy, which aims to provide customers with more clarity and certainty about their future telecom bills. Starting in March 2025, BT, EE, and Plusnet customers will continue to see annual price increases on their mobile, broadband, and TV services – but instead of obscure inflation-linked increases, they’ll know exactly how much they’ll be paying. Under the new pricing model, customers will be informed of the precise amount of the annual increase in pounds and p ..read more

After months of anticipation and user complaints, ITVX, ITV’s streaming app, finally launched on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles this week. The move comes as a relief to PlayStation owners who have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the service on their devices. ITVX’s predecessor, ITV Hub, was not available on PlayStation 4 or 5. But now, Sony’s gaming console owners can finally start streaming ITV’s content on their devices, joining their Xbox friends who have had access to ITVX for quite some time. ITVX is ITV’s free, ad-supported streaming service that replaced the ITV Hub app ..read more

Despite Premier Sports’ triumphant return to the UK sports broadcasting scene this week, fans hoping for the revival of Freesports, the once-beloved free-to-air sports channel, are set to be disappointed. The Freesports channel, which used to be available on Freeview and Freesat and was then removed from the free-to-air platforms, underwent a significant change in late 2022 when it was rebranded as Viaplay Xtra following Viaplay’s acquisition of Premier Sports. However, Viaplay Xtra met the same fate as its predecessor, ceasing its broadcast on Sky and Virgin Media earlier this year, due to V ..read more

British viewers hungry for more streaming content are getting two new collections from AMC Networks on ITV’s free streaming service, ITVX. With over 1,100 hours of programming, AMC Stories (which is now available) and AMC Reality (which is coming in May) offer a diverse range of acclaimed series and captivating reality shows from AMC’s collection. The new shows will be available for free on ITVX, and do not require ITVX Premium – although a premium subscription will, as always, remove the adverts (see more on the below). Fans of AMC’s The Walking Dead franchise may be disappointed to learn t ..read more