Making television easy again. By Phillip Swann
Q. I know you’ve been covering DIRECTV for a long time so can you explain why they have lost so many subscribers. I’ve been a DIRECTV subscribers for more than 20 years and I can’t understand it. (I also worked for them for three years!) They’ve lost more than anyone by far. It’s not just
Q. I’ve been having trouble streaming HBO Max lately. The picture freezes or sputters a bit. Any tips on how to fix that? Also, when are they going to add 4K? — Ben, Reston, Virginia. Ben, let me take your second question first. HBO Max, an expanded online version of the regular HBO channel, launched
Q. I just bought a LG 55-inch OLED TV and I think it’s really good, but I was wondering if I have the right picture settings. What are the best picture settings? What do you recommend? — Tim, Green Bay, Wisconsin. Tim, that’s a question that actually unanswerable, or at least whatever I would recommend
Q. Sometimes when I’m watching Sling TV, the show stops and I get this spinning wheel in the middle of the picture. Is there anyway to get rid of that so the show doesn’t get interrupted? What causes it? — Vic, Chicago, Illinois. Vic, the ‘spinning wheel’ is an occasional occurrence when watching any live
Q. I have an older TV and I want to buy a Roku streaming stick. Will it work with my older TV? I have a DIRECTV box set up on it now, but I want to start watching Netflix on my TV. — Elise, Topeka, Kansas. Elise, the Roku Streaming Stick is a great starter
Q. I was thinking of signing up our family for Disney Plus so we can watch Beyonce’s new movie, Black Is King. Do you know if it’s available in 4K? I hear it looks incredible and it would look incredible in 4K. — Bill, Fairfax, Virginia. Bill, as you know, Black Is King, which debuted
Dish is now involved in six different programming disputes that has forced the satcaster to remove dozens of channels including such high-profile favorites as HBO, the NFL Network, the Fox regional sports channels and local network affiliates (ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC) in select markets. The satcaster’s latest scraps with local broadcasters Scripps and Apollo
Q. I’ve been thinking of trying out Sling TV as an alternative to our cable service, which is Comcast. Do you know if Sling TV has a free trial that lets you check it out? And I heard they had a one year price guarantee. Is that still available?– Carli, Landover, Maryland. Carli, Sling TV
For the second time in three months, social media sites are overflowing with angry comments from DIRECTV subscribers who say the satellite TV service has removed One America News Network (OANN) from their lineups. However, the satcaster has not dropped the conservative news channel, which has become a favorite of President Trump. The confusion seems
Netflix this week (August 2-8) plans to add 24 new TV shows and movies to its streaming lineup, including 21 originals. The new titles will include season three of Selling Sunset, a Netflix original reality series featuring ruthless real estate agents in Los Angeles; Immigration Nation, a Netflix original documentary about the battle between U.S.
Charter’s Spectrum TV service has done the unthinkable. The company reported today that it added a net of 102,000 video subscribers in the second quarter despite the Coronavirus shutdown and the growing trend of cord-cutting. In contrast, Comcast reported yesterday that it lost a net of 477,000 video customers in the second quarter, blaming everything
Q. I heard yesterday that Comcast said it’s giving rebates back to subscribers for missing out on sports during the Covid shutdown. When will this happen and how much will we get back? I would like to use it for a last-minute summer trip! — Nathan, Baltimore. Hold on, Nathan. Comcast said yesterday in a