A brief message from Jared.

Your regularly-scheduled episode of Cord Cutter Weekly continues below.

But first, an update on Advisorator, my new tech advice newsletter: I know a lot of you have been reading the free issues that I've promoted here over the last month and a half. If you missed them, you can still catch up on the first, second, and third issues.

The next Advisorator issue will arrive this Monday, June 25, for paid subscribers only, and this weekend is your last chance to lock in a permanent 20% discount for early supporters. If you've enjoyed reading Advisorator so far--and perhaps want to invest some of your cord-cutting savings into becoming a more savvy tech user--I hope you'll get on board. (And to all of you who've joined already, thank you!) Click here to sign up now.

To reiterate: Cord Cutter Weekly is not going away, it will always be free, and its focus will not change. Advisorator is a separate newsletter for folks who want more than just TV coverage, and want to support my work along the way.

Thanks for reading, and for giving me the chance to build something new.

This week on TechHive: The moocher's guide to cutting the cord

A lot’s changed since the last time I wrote about sharing passwords for streaming video services a few years ago.

Many more companies now offer live TV streaming bundles, allowing you to watch dozens of cable channels from a single app. TV networks have also released more of their own apps on more devices, and several streaming platforms (including Apple TV, Roku, and Fire TV) now support “single sign-on,” so you can access all these apps without needing to log into each one individually. All this makes password sharing a more tantalizing prospect.

I’m obliged to note that password sharing is a moral and legal gray area that often violates terms of service. And for security reasons, I wouldn’t suggest spreading login credentials around to just anyone. That said, a little quid pro quo between family members or close friends can significantly defray the cost of cutting cable TV, provided you’re aware of the limitations. Read the full column on TechHive.

Weekly rewind

Fire TV Cube review: Over at TechHive, I reviewed Amazon's new Fire TV Cube, a $120 streaming TV box that responds to hands-free Alexa voice commands. You can ask it to launch live TV channels in PlayStation Vue or open a video in Netflix. You can use it like a giant Echo Show, with weather, sports scores, and other information popping up on the TV in response to your voice commands. It can even control the volume on TVs and sound systems through its built-in IR blaster.

When they work, these are some of the most satisfying interactions you'll have with your television, but most apps still don't work with Alexa, basic playback controls are inconsistent, and Alexa is still comically bad at genre search. All of this means you'll have to fall back on the Fire TV's physical remote and on-screen interface, both of which have the same shortcomings as the Fire TV pendant that I reviewed last year. The Fire TV Cube could be a breakthrough streaming player, but it missed its opportunity to be the best.

AT&T's new skinny bundle: After floating the idea of a cheap streaming TV service contingent on being allowed to acquire Time Warner, AT&T has released some details. The service, called AT&T Watch TV, offers more than 30 live TV channels, many of them from Time Warner's Turner networks (CNN, TNT, TBS, and so on), but also from AMC, A&E, Hallmark, and Viacom. (Here's the full list.)

The service will be free for AT&T wireless subscribers who opt for new "&More" unlimited data plans. For everyone else, it'll cost $15 per month. I'll have a breakdown of all the details and gotchas in next week's column. In the meantime, see what you can glean from AT&T's press release and Variety's coverage.

More Catch-Up

YouTube TV now offers Starz add-ons.
Hulu is experiencing technical difficulties on the Fire TV Stick.
Roku might offer a single app for buying and watching subscription TV services.
PBS says it's serious about getting into streaming TV bundles now.
Disney outbids Comcast for Fox assets. (I wrote about the cord-cutting implications of a Disney-Fox deal a while back.)

Save more money

While the Roku Streaming Stick+ is a better buy for most people in need of a 4K HDR streaming player, the Roku Ultra is a worthy upgrade if you need a wired ethernet connection or a USB port for local media storage. The remote also has a headphone jack for private listening and a tiny speaker that helps you find it when you press a button on the box. Amazon and Best Buy are selling the Ultra for $80, which is a $20 discount, and just $10 more than the regular price of Roku's Streaming Stick+.

Vacation time!

Just a heads up that I'm taking a much-needed vacation next week, and there's a good chance I won't be able to file a newsletter next Friday. If I miss anything important, I'll make up for it with a meatier-than-usual Cord Cutter Weekly in two weeks.

While I may be slow to respond in the meantime, I'm always happy to hear your feedback. Just reply to this email or say hello on Twitter.

Until next time,
Jared

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Cord Cutter Weekly is a labor of love by technology journalist Jared Newman. Say hi on Twitter, and let your friends know there's a better kind of TV out there. Or, unsubscribe here.