Netflix intros new feature for subscribers to transfer their profiles.
Today, Netflix has launched a service — called Profile Transfer — that will help its users keep their Netflix profiles for life.
The Profile Transfer option will start to be made available on Netflix today, and when it does, subscribers will be notified by email. Hovering over their profile symbol in the dropdown menu on the site will bring up instructions for subscribers who want to move their profile. Since Netflix has been tightening down on password sharing, it may have been highly desired.
Of today’s announcement about Profile Transfer, TV REV analyst Alan Wolk said, “This is a smart move on Netflix’s part. They likely have research that shows that fear of losing years of viewing history and the recommendations that go with it is one of the main hesitations people have around setting up their own accounts. (That, and having to actually pay for something they now likely get for free, anyway.) So this is a good way to get people over that particular hump, while emphasizing one of Netflix’s strengths — their customer service.” Click here to read more.
Apple Is Using Streaming to Unlock Another Growing Business.
Apple is looking into the possibility of integrating advertising into Apple TV+, following the lead of essentially every other well-known streaming service. According to a Digiday article, the corporation has discussed potential partnerships with a number of media outlets. Early 2023 may see the debut of an Apple TV+ tier that is sponsored by advertisements.
If and when it incorporates advertising, Apple is likely to raise the price of Apple TV+. Despite its expanding library of content, it is one of the few streaming services that hasn’t increased its fees recently. It may maintain its $4.99 monthly pricing point for users who are willing to view advertising and charge a little bit more for those who don’t.
Apple TV+ would become more profitable with advertising and a price increase, but the infrastructure and connections it could create to bring advertising to Apple TV+ might sustain a much larger business.
Due to its increased income per subscriber without necessarily increasing its costs for Apple TV+, Apple will demonstrate an improvement in profit. In addition, the advertising sector probably has a relatively high gross margin in comparison to other Apple services. Click here to read more.
Amazon Launches Weekly Live Stream Concerts.
Amazon has just announced Amazon Music Live, a new series of weekly livestream concerts that will be available on Prime Video. After Amazon’s Thursday Night Football series, which attracted 15.3 million viewers for its inaugural exclusive game last month, the live performances will show each week.
The launch of this new weekly music concert series demonstrates how seriously Amazon is taking the issue of adding more live content to Prime Video. Additionally, Amazon Music Live should increase awareness of the company’s music streaming service, Amazon Music, which currently doesn’t receive as much attention as Apple Music or Spotify.
Hip-hop singer 2 Chainz will serve as the show’s presenter, and performances will be broadcast live from Los Angeles via Amazon Music Live. The first guests for the run of weekly concerts that begins on October 27 are Lil Baby, Megan Thee Stallion, and Kane Brown.
The live performances will also be broadcast live on the Amazon Music channel on Twitch in addition to Amazon Prime Video. For a short while, Prime Video will also provide all concerts on demand. Click here to read more.
Google TV is getting parent-controlled watchlists and AI powered suggestions for kids.
Google is launching new kids-focused features to Google TV, including parent-controlled watchlists and AI-powered suggestions, the latest in a series of initiatives by the Android developer to widen the offerings of its TV operating system for family use.
The company said that by including these aspects in the kid’s profiles, content discovery and suggestion will be enhanced. The business highlighted in a blog post that parents can immediately add titles to the “must watch” lists for children from their profiles.
The new features are part of Google’s continuous attempts to make its services more suitable for children. In order to help kids transition from YouTube Kids to the main YouTube app in a secure way, Google introduced supervised accounts for YouTube last year.
Through this function, parents can also impose limitations on users’ ability to see content, leave comments, or upload videos. Guardians can specify one of three levels of access: “Explore” for viewers 9 and older; “Explore more” for those 13 and older; or “Most of YouTube” for unrestricted access to all videos on YouTube.
Google said these features are rolling out starting today on the Chromecast with Google TV (both 4K and HD variants) and other Google TV devices from manufacturers like Hisense and Philips, Sony and TCL. Click here to read more.
Roku dives into smart home market.
Roku just unveiled Roku Smart Home, a new collection of gadgets that includes security cameras, video doorbells, smart lights, and voice-activated smart plugs. This effort goes beyond your TV screen. Additionally, the business unveiled a security camera subscription service and a smartphone app for Roku Smart Homes.
Roku’s investment in home technology is critical for the business given that competitors Google and Amazon have long controlled the highly competitive linked home market.
The latest smart home gadgets from Roku include floodlight cameras, indoor/outdoor cameras, 360-degree interior cameras, video doorbells, intelligent light bulbs, light strips, and both indoor and outdoor plugs. According to a Roku spokesman, “this is only the first step for Roku Smart Home,” and further smart home products will be released in the future.
The new Roku Smart Home mobile app can be downloaded by users to manage devices, access cloud video recording history, enable smart alarms, receive notifications for package deliveries, and more. Click here to read more.
