Amazon lets you attach other video services to your Prime account

Those rumors of Amazon letting you attach other video services to your Prime subscription? They’re true. The internet giant just kicked off the Streaming Partners Program, an alliance that makes it easier for you to sign up to multiple video services. So long as you have that Prime subscription, you only need your one Amazon account to handle everything. The option even gives you a multi-service watch list and integration with other Prime features, like ASAP playback, voice search and X-Ray. You also receive a discount on pricing, such as the $9 per month you’ll pay for early launch partners Showtime and Starz.

The initial selection likely won’t blow you away. Besides the two services mentioned above, most of your current options are either relatively small services like Qello or specialty offerings from larger networks like A&E and AMC. There’s no access to HBO Now through Amazon yet, and even the discounted Showtime pricing is only the same amount Hulu charges.

All the same, it’s clear that Amazon is positioning itself as a bundle replacement for cord cutters, who often have to sign up at multiple sites or else accept that they’ll miss out on some shows. It’s not pure kindness on Amazon’s part, of course (you’re locked into Prime to make this work), but it makes ditching conventional TV for streaming slightly easier — even if it looks a lot like the cable bundle you just left.

[Image credit: AP Photo/Elaine Thompson]

Source: Amazon

The BBC wants ITV to keep its opinions to itself

At the end of 2016, the BBC will be given its next Royal Charter, which will define its duties as a public service broadcaster for the following decade. While the UK government will ultimately agree the finer details of the next Charter with the BBC, earlier this year it put out the first call for opinions on what the future remit of the broadcaster should be. ITV made a point of publishing the report it submitted as part of the public consultation process, with one of the main recommendations being a requirement that the BBC focus on delivering distinctive programming, not chasing audience figures. This obviously ruffled a few feathers at the BBC, today provoking the broadcaster to defend its creative decisions and go about debunking some of ITV’s more accusatory claims.

What ITV recommends

As far as ITV is concerned, the BBC’s initial pitch for the new Charter is more or less identical to its current remit. Vague commitments to creative, innovative and distinctive programming, which ITV argues hasn’t been as important to the BBC as maximising viewing share “at all costs.” Case in point: The closure of BBC Three as a linear TV channel despite its unique programming (though the BBC Trust only approved this with the condition the remaining BBC channels take more creative risks). ITV believes there’s an onus on the BBC, being publicly funded, to provide what competitors cannot. This should mean no purchased content or formats, unless rival channels aren’t interested in getting first dibs, and guaranteed investment in content that’s not available elsewhere.

With a budget commercial competitors can only dream of, and an increased money pot set aside for dramas, ITV argues that “derivative and indistinct content” might get people watching the BBC, but makes it harder for rivals to compete. The BBC must be obligated to offer choice, meaning it shouldn’t schedule entertainment and drama programming at the same time as competitors. This would also put an end to the “aggressive scheduling” ITV accuses the BBC of. Citing a diminshing variety of content for the sake of enlarging audience share, ITV recommends the new Charter not only decree any new BBC endeavours be innovative and distinctive, but that more effective oversight is needed so proposals are actually met. ITV agrees, as others have suggested, that Ofcom assume some of the responsibilities of the BBC Trust to ensure this, and that it’s important to come up with a clear definition of distinctiveness that the BBC can be measured against.

Why the BBC doesn’t agree

It’s safe to say the BBC isn’t best pleased with ITV’s assessment or suggestions, claiming they’re based in “a parallel universe where BBC One’s editorial strategy is to ape ITV and chase ratings at all costs.” The BBC argues that ITV is actually advocating for less choice for audiences, at odds with previous praise of the “competition for quality” between the broadcasters. In the Beeb’s opinion, distinctiveness is not something that can be strictly defined, since it has a different meaning to different people. It doesn’t make sense that the BBC only make a show because others won’t, and that the best way to come up with new content is not identifying a gap in the market and plugging it.

The way to keep the creative juices flowing is aspiring to create the best programmes in any given genre, as well as offering a complete range of content that’s distinctive from competitors. This means taking creative risks, adhering to the highest standards and supporting ideas and talent coming out of the UK. This is how the BBC is and will continue to create distinctive programming, it argues, with the licence fee giving it the freedom to do so. Even in the past week, BBC One has shown new factual programmes, comedy and reality-based entertainment, as opposed to ITV’s evening peak slots, which were almost entirely dominated by I’m a Celebrity and The X Factor.

Is @BBCOne the same as ITV? Last week’s schedules give you a clue… https://t.co/c9UvBYtYGF pic.twitter.com/til6HstLkX

— BBC (@AboutTheBBC) December 8, 2015

The BBC also claims that aggressive scheduling is a myth, and that putting special demands on when shows are broadcast will only benefit competitors to the detriment of the audience. ITV used a particular example of competing dramas to evidence its claim the BBC is only after viewer share, but in rebuttal, the Beeb points out that ITV actually changed the time slot for its show — “So who is scheduling against whom?” Also, tying the BBC’s creative hands up in regulation could be paralysing. According to the broadcaster, ticking boxes is not how you come up with innovative shows. Factual output is growing, and BBC One offers a more diverse schedule and commands a bigger audience than ITV despite budgets being approximately the same.

Furthermore, by stopping the import of formats, there’d be no more University Challenge, The Apprentice or Dragons’ Den, which we certainly wouldn’t be happy about. Comically, the Beeb said in its blog post “Perhaps this proposal should be re-named: “The BBC can’t have these programmes, because ITV wants them.”” We haven’t heard a great deal of industry back-and-forth during the Charter Review thus far, but it’s clear the BBC doesn’t want the likes of ITV steering its creative direction, especially when protecting the competitiveness of its own content forms part of the agenda.

ITV does raise some interesting points, though, if only arguing that the Charter lay out a clear, accountable direction for the BBC that isn’t drafted in vague language. The new Charter is more than a year away of course, so we’re bound to hear plenty more points of view between now and then. But if there’s one thing you can expect the BBC to remain bullish on, it’s protecting the creative freedom it already enjoys.

Source: The BBC, ITV

Mozilla launches an iOS 9 content blocker, Focus by Firefox

Even Mozilla is getting into the iOS 9 ad blocking arena with Focus by Firefox, a free content blocker for Safari on Apple’s mobile OS. Just like the early batch of blockers, it can keep your mobile browsing experience free of ads, as well as web analytics and social media trackers. But Mozilla says it’ll also be transparent about how it’s blocking content. It’s using Disconnect’s open source block list, which also powers Firefox’s Private Browsing on desktop platforms, and it’ll inform users as it builds on Focus by Firefox. In addition to making your mobile browsing more private, the blocker can also speed up performance by blocking things like web fonts. Ironically, Focus by Firefox isn’t yet compatible with Firefox on iOS, because Apple doesn’t allow content blockers to work with third-party browsers.

“We want to build an Internet that respects users, puts them in control, and creates and maintains trust,” Mozilla’s chief business and legal officer, Denelle Dixon-Thayer, wrote in a blog post. “Too many users have lost trust and lack meaningful controls over their digital lives. This loss of trust has impacted the ecosystem — sometimes negatively. Content blockers offer a way to rebuild that trust by empowering users.”

Source: Mozilla

The best Christmas lights

By Doug Mahoney

This post was done in partnership with The Sweethome, a buyer’s guide to the best things for your home. Read the full article here.

After spending nearly 55 hours researching Christmas lights, interviewing experts, and testing 18 strands of lights side by side, we’ve found that the GE Energy Smart Colorite LED mini lights (available in multicolor strands of 50 or 100 bulbs, and in warm white strands of 50 or 100 bulbs) are the best all-around indoor Christmas lights. They were our pick last year, and after surveying the scene again this year and testing two additional strands of lights, we can say that the GEs are still the best we can find. We also have picks for outdoor lights, and if you’re a traditionalist, we have a recommendation for old-school incandescent lights.

How we tested

The Christmas Designers wide-angle multicolored lights, during hour six of being fully submerged in a bucket of water.

To evaluate the lights, we wound and unwound them, draped them over and into Christmas trees and rhododendrons, and threaded them in and out of deck railings—basically, we tried to use the lights how they’re intended to be used. We tested the weather impermeability of the exterior lights by plugging them in and sinking the strands of lights into a 3-gallon bucket of water; although this test was a bit extreme, any set of exterior lights could end up in a puddle or draped into a gutter. We also assessed each strand for color quality.

Overall, we found that the wire quality has a lot to do with the success of a strand of lights. Some of the lights had tidy, close-knit strands of wire, while others were loose and messy. Some wires needed untwisting before use, like an old phone cord, and still others continued to accordion back on themselves, no matter how we tried to stretch them out and lay them flat.

Our pick

From left: the Christmas Designers incandescents, the GE Colorite LEDs, and the Christmas Designers T5 LED mini lights.

For indoor use, we recommend the GE Energy Smart Colorite LEDs, available in multicolor (50 bulbs or 100 bulbs) and warm white (50 bulbs or 100 bulbs). These offer all of the benefits of LED lights, including high durability, zero heat output, and a long life expectancy. But one attribute set the Colorites apart in our tests: Of all the LED models we tried, these lights came the closest to replicating the warm glow of incandescents. This was particularly true with the warm white bulbs, which were really impressive in their color quality. The GE lights also have a nice wire that’s easy to handle and drape through a tree or railing. And unlike some of the other LED options we looked at, they won’t flicker.

Our pick for outdoor lights

Notice the unusual shape of the Christmas Designers wide angle bulb (top), as well as how the bulb and socket are molded into a single piece, making these bulbs ideal for exterior use.

The best lights for most outdoor displays are the 5-mm wide-angle conical LED lights from Christmas Designers. Available in warm white, multicolor, or solid colors in a variety of lengths and bulb spacings, these lights are much brighter than our indoor pick and give off a warm color that is perfect for just about anywhere outdoors—a window box, a tree, a wreath, or a roofline. As with other LED light sets, these bulbs cost more than incandescents, but their one-piece molded design can withstand long-term exposure to moisture, so your investment will be protected if these end up drooping into a puddle or a wet gutter. They also have a clean and tight wire, which made handling, hanging, and storing them very easy in our tests. Last, because their electrical requirements are so low, you can connect a whopping 43 strands together and run them off a single outlet before having to worry about tripping a breaker. This design reduces the need for extension cords, which can be a big hidden cost with larger exterior displays.

Our incandescent pick

These warm incandescents cost less than our pick, but they’re not as durable or efficient, and they won’t last as long.

If you’re just not ready to let go of the unique and traditional look of incandescents for indoor use, we recommend Christmas Designers for both its multicolored (50-bulb strand or 100-bulb strand) and white incandescents (50-bulb strand or 100-bulb strand). They have a great warmth to them, noticeable particularly in the multicolor strand. The wires are tight and organized, and once we stretched them out, they lay flat and straight with no issues.

Wrapping up

After spending 55 hours researching and testing Christmas lights, we found the long-lasting GE Energy Smart Colorite LED mini lights are the best all-around lights for indoor use. For outdoors, the 5-mm wide-angle conical LEDs from Christmas Designers are bright, durable, and waterproof. And if you’re not ready to give up the unique warm twinkle of incandescents for an indoor tree, our favorites are the Mini Light Sets from Christmas Designers.

This guide may have been updated by The Sweethome. To see the current recommendation, please go here.