ShinyShiny snippets: Nearly 1 million Brits have cancelled streaming services this year
Almost 1m British households have given up on the streaming revolution so far this year, as the cost of living crisis forces increasingly budget-conscious consumers to stop taking services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+. The premiere of two of the most-hyped and expensive shows of all time – the $650m (£580m) productions of Rings of Power and House of the Dragon – failed to prove a big enough draw to reverse a decline of another 234,000 homes with at least one paid streaming service in the third quarter. The total number of UK homes that have at least one paid-for subscription has fallen by 937,000 between January and September, as cost-conscious households choose paying for essentials over home entertainment. Guardian
Millions of people on benefits are missing out on cheaper broadband tariffs because firms are failing to promote them properly, the media watchdog Ofcom has said. Only around 3.5% of those eligible for the deals are currently on one. Social tariffs are low-cost broadband deals offered to customers on benefits and cost about £15 a month. The average customer could save £140 a year by switching to one of these deals, consumer group Which? says. Broadband providers are not obliged to offer social tariffs, but have been encouraged to by the government and Ofcom. Around four million UK households could be getting cheaper broadband, but only around 150,000 people are currently on one, according to Ofcom.BBC
TikTok is introducing an adults-only option that allows users to block children from viewing their live streams. Creators will be able to choose if they only want to reach over-18s when broadcasting, and TikTok says the option will arrive in the coming weeks. TikTok cites comedy routines as an example of something that might not be suitable for minors, or if a host wants to discuss a “difficult life experience”. “We want our community to make the most of the opportunities LIVE can bring without compromising on safety,” said TikTok. Sky News
LG has released a new 32-inch 4K Smart Monitor with AirPlay 2, USB-C connectivity, and ThinQ Home for controlling smart home accessories. The smartness of the 4K 60Hz monitor comes from the company’s webOS, software that also powers LG smart TVs. It includes various streaming apps, such as Netflix and Hulu, as well as a smart home dashboard for controlling some connected smart accessories. The monitor also supports AirPlay 2, an upgrade to Apple’s original network protocol for streaming audio or video from an Apple device to another device over a network. Specifically, AirPlay 2 lets people stream audio to multiple devices at once. AppleInsider
Those who were worried that YouTube would completely limit access to 4K content to Premium subscribers can breath easily. For now. YouTube has revealed on Twitter that it has “fully turned off” the experiment that requires Premium subscription to be able to play videos in 4K resolution. Earlier this month, users started reporting on social networks like Reddit and Twitter that when they accessed the drop-down menu for resolution options, the word “Premium” was right next to 4K/2160p. Not everyone was required to have a Premium subscription to play 4K videos, though, indicating that it was an experimental feature rolled out to a limited number of users. Engadget
