Making television easy again. By Phillip Swann
HBO today will begin offering 500 hours of free programming including 20 Warner Bros. movies, 10 documentaries, and every episode of nine of HBO’s best original shows. The offer, which starts today and runs until May, is designed to help Coronavirus shut-ins pass the time. But it will also help AT&T, which owns HBO, promote
News Analysis The announcement yesterday that DIRECTV and other AT&T-owned TV services would carry SportsNet LA was so surprising that some thought it was an April Fool’s joke. The two sides had been such bitter foes that it didn’t seem possible that they would ever come to terms. But yesterday, more than six years after
Q. I got a text saying I could get Netflix for free if I click on the link. The text says the free deal is because of the Coronavirus. No, I haven’t clicked on the link, but I am tempted to. Free is free. Do you know if this is legit? — Danny, Greenbelt, Maryland.
Q. I bought a subscription to DIRECTV’s MLB Extra Innings package in early March and now it looks like the season will at least be delayed for a few months if not cancelled entirely. It doesn’t seem fair that they get to keep my money during this time. I could use it now. Is there
Q. I read your article about watching Netflix without using the Internet. Can this be done with Disney Plus? We have kids at home because of the Coronavirus and it would be great to have some Disney shows ready in case we have Internet problems.– Samantha, Evanston, Illinois. Samantha, you’re right. Netflix allows you to
Q. I’m in a bit of a quandary. Our family is forced home because of the Coronavirus and we have two TVs for three people – Mama, Daddy and our son, who’s 12. We want to get a TV for him to help occupy his time while we wait this out, but I am not
Q. I read your story about how to improve your Internet speed, but how do you actually check your Internet speed? We are all home because of the virus just like the person who sent you that question, and our Netflix streaming doesn’t seem as fast as normal. But it’s hard to tell. Is there
Roku is now offering 30-day free trials of Showtime, EPIX and 20 other premium channels to help Coronavirus shut-ins pass the time. Called ‘Home Together,’ the Roku initiative requires you to redeem each free trial on The Roku Channel, which can be found in the device’s channel menu. And take note: If you don’t cancel
Q. I saw your story yesterday about Comcast stopping their new installations for new customers. It’s very sad about their service guy dying from the Coronavirus. My question is whether DIRECTV and Dish are still doing home visits for both putting up a dish or fixing service if you already have one. — Tommy, Tulsa,
Sling TV, the live streaming service owned by Dish, is offering a 14-day free trial of its news-heavy Blue package to help stay at-home Americans keep abreast of the latest Coronavirus updates. The 45-channel Blue package, which normally costs $30 a month ($20 a month for the first month) includes such news channels as CNN,
Q. My cable TV service with Comcast has been acting up lately, but I am scared to death to call someone out to the home to fix it with the Coronavirus out there. Is there any way to fix it without having to see someone? That’s what scares me the most. What is Comcast doing
Comcast has announced that it’s now offering free Video on Demand programming from several networks and streaming services including Showtime and Epix to help Americans staying at home due to the Coronavirus. “This is an unprecedented time and we want to be there for our customers to help make the time they’re spending at home