If you mooch off someone’s streaming service, time is up. Disney+ is the next streaming service banning password sharing.
Fire up the TV: Here’s what to stream in April
Don’t want you to waste your precious time looking for something to watch. Let me point you straight to the good stuff — everything new this month that’s worth a stream. Just remember to spend some time outside, OK?
Netflix
Black leather, bullet time, Keanu: All three “Matrix” movies are on Netflix this month. If that’s not your bag, “Happy Gilmore” with Adam Sandler is always a hole-in-one. Or, treat the kids to “Hotel Transylvania” (and then “Hotel Transylvania 2”).
Shows to watch out for: New seasons of “The Circle,” “Heartbreak High,” “Spirit Rangers” and “As The Crow Flies.” Oh, and all four seasons of adventure series “Black Sails.” No need to pirate it!
Hulu
Lots of cool movies hitting Hulu this month including the star-packed thriller “Don’t Worry Darling,” Cohen classic “The Big Lebowski” and Marvel blockbuster “Wonder Woman.”
Series for streaming: New seasons of “We’re Here” and “Ugliest House in America” — for when you wanna feel better about your fixer-upper.
Amazon Prime Video
You’ve got the ‘80s’ “Top Gun,” the ‘90s’ “Titanic” and the 00s’ Bond flick “Spectre.” Or you could pay homage to the ‘70s with the new Exorcist movie, “The Exorcist: Believer.” Thanks, I’ll pass.
As far as shows go, your best bets are (all the seasons of) “House,” and the latest video-game-to-TV adaptation, “Fallout.” I swear there’s a new one every day.
Max
If you have an extra 20 hours on your hands, you could binge all eight “Harry Potter” movies on Max this month. There’s a ton of other great stuff, like this year’s Oscar-winning “The Zone Of Interest” and early aughts classic “Lost In Translation.” Ooh, maybe I’ll watch when I’m missing Japan.
Stream on
Turn that old TV into a streaming machine. Fear not — streaming boxes and sticks are easy to use. Just plug them into your TV’s HDMI port, which every TV after 2006 has.
- Solid choice for Android folks ($30): Google’s Chromecast is a breeze to set up and intuitive to use.
- Best value for 4K ($39): Roku Streaming Stick 4K.
- If you like using Alexa ($40): Prime members, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max works well, and you can control it with your voice.
- Just works with iPhones and Macs ($180): Is it pricey? Yeah, but Apple TV 4K is slick and syncs up with the rest of your Apple gear.
- Best bargain ($30): The Roku Express 4K is probably the best value and more than enough for most folks.
Stop paying for things you don’t use: It might sound counterintuitive, but with many streaming services, you can cancel immediately after subscribing (or let Rocket Money* do it for you!) and still enjoy the entire trial period. Just check their policy first. Perfect for when there’s one movie on your to-watch list.
Channel bundling is back
Major streaming services are banding together. Here’s what that means for your subscription fees.
Attention, campers and hikers: SpaceX is launching a backpack-sized Starlink Mini satellite antenna for $599. Monthly service is $150 with speeds over 100 Mbps. No, it’s not cheap, and you’re capped at 50GB per month, with extra data usage setting you back $1 for each gigabyte. FYI: Streaming a two-hour movie in 1080p eats 5GB to 8GB. But heck yeah, you have the internet wherever the path leads.
How many minutes of ads are shown per hour of traditional TV? Is it … A.) 8 minutes, B.) 10 minutes, C.) 12 minutes or D.) 14 minutes?
16% decrease
In cancellations when streaming services offer bundles. It’s easier to convince yourself to keep the subscription if you’re still watching one or two out of three services. The new kid on the block is Comcast’s StreamSaver trio (Peacock, Netflix and Apple TV+) for $15 a month.
🎥 Streaming success: A year after “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” flopped in theaters, it’s making a comeback on Netflix. It hit the Global Top 10 list, with 5.6 million views from June 10 to June 16. It always had good reviews, but it just wasn’t a hit in theaters. Yeah, I prefer to watch movies at home, too.
Smart TV scam alert: You log in to a streaming service and a pop-up message appears, saying there’s a problem and you need to call a number or visit a website to resolve it. The crook you talk to will ask for remote access or tell you to pay a fee. Don’t fall for it. If a service isn’t working, log into your account online or via the app to fix it.
Play to pay: At 22, Kyasia Watson is raking in over $100,000 a year from Roblox. Nope, she’s not streaming; she’s a digital fashion designer who collabs with big brands to craft in-game items, clothes and accessories for player avatars. Roblox has 77 million daily active users, btw. Cha‑ching!
🛑 Free malware with purchase: Android TV boxes promising free streaming “forever” are filled with malware and marketed online like they’re from Google. They’re not. TV shopping? Look for the words “Android TV OS,” not just “Android TV.”
Did you hear the inventor of the remote died? They found him stuck in the couch. The new Google TV update included Find My Remote. Yup, that’s exactly what it sounds like. Simply press a button on your streaming device and the remote will beep for 30 seconds so you can find it. It’s already on some Roku and Walmart TVs.
Which platform is winning the streaming wars, with the largest share of viewers? Is it … A.) Prime Video, B.) Netflix, C.) Hulu or D.) YouTube?
Mac attack: A new macOS malware called “Cuckoo” is targeting older Intel-based Macs and newer models with Apple chips. It steals passwords and takes over your system. It’s spreading via websites and apps that convert streaming music into MP3s. Stay safe: Use TotalAV to protect your tech — it’s just $19 for a year.
Save some cash: If you’re trying to get a handle on all your streaming services and other subscriptions, use Rocket Money. It helped me save $532 a year by canceling services I wasn’t using and had forgotten about. So smart!
Lots of us spend a ton of money on streaming (but not everyone). What percentage of American TV viewers watch ad-supported streaming TV every week? Is it … A.) 10%, B.) 25%, C.) 50% or D.) 75%?
43.5 hours weekly
The time the average American home spends watching broadcast TV, traditional TV and streaming video. Half of that video viewing is done on a TV screen; the rest is split between phones, tablets and computers. These numbers don’t include videos on social media platforms, like TikTok, Instagram Reels and whatever videos on Facebook are called … We can probably double or triple the phone-viewing hours, then, right?
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You don't own your streaming purchases
Something to think about before you hit “buy” on a movie or series.