The Best Live TV Streaming Services

Cord cutting has always been about saving money – it has never been about going without great entertainment! But, for a while there, it was pretty tough to get your hands on some of your favorite shows, news programming, live sports and other cable “exclusives.” That’s all in the past, now, though: live TV streaming services, or skinny bundles, have changed the way we watch TV as cord cutters. If you’ve spent much time on Cordcutting.com, you probably already know about live TV streaming services and how much we like them. But there are a lot of these services out there. Which are the best live TV streaming services? Which skinny bundles actually deserve your hard-earned money? That’s what we’re here to discuss today, in our biggest post yet on the relative virtues of our favorite skinny bundles. Let’s go!

Spotlight

Clear Cut Pictures

Clear Cut Pictures is an award winning London Post Production Facility with an enviable reputation for delivering quality Avid and Final Cut Pro based post production at an affordable budget. We are one of the most popular post production facilities in the UK and have a reputation for our technical infrastructure which is well suited to quick turnaround programming.We have 70 Cutting rooms across our three sites – 25 at our original base in Shepherds Bush, West London, 11 in our facility on Newman Street in Soho and 25 in our Bloomsbury site. The three sites have over 200TB of networked editing storage and are connected by 2 x 10gb fibre lines, allowing access to material at either location. You can offline in West London and finish in Central London - we give you the flexibility to work how you want.

OTHER ARTICLES
Virtualization, Media and Broadcasting

Best Oculus Rift Fitness Games 2020

Article | July 13, 2022

No matter what VR headset you own, there are some great virtual reality fitness games at your disposal. However, the Oculus Rift’s stacked catalog and quality exclusives makes it a great option for any fitness enthusiast. From games built around working out to enjoyable titles that make you forget about how active you are actually, there are hundreds of choices. That’s exactly why it can be overwhelming for those that just picked up a headset. To help you find the right fitness title for you, we here at VR Fitness Insider have come up with a list of the best Oculus Rift fitness games 2020. These games are an excellent part of anyone’s fitness journey.

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Business

3 Applications of AI in the Entertainment Industry

Article | July 11, 2022

The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) in the entertainment industry has automated time-consuming mundane tasks and increased proficiency in delivering winning content to drive engagement. Production businesses can make informed decisions on marketing and advertising because AI can examine critical data and provide important insights into consumer behavior. Let us look at three other important applications of AI in the entertainment industry: Content Personalization Made Easy Streaming websites like Spotify and Netflix contribute content that attracts a diverse audience with different tastes and choices. They are adopting AI and machine learning algorithms to analyze individual user performance and demographics to promote content that users are interested in. Such personalized content recommendations create audience engagement. AI also helps optimize video quality based on how fast the internet is in a certain place so that streaming works without buffering. Streamlined Movie Production Processes The movie production process is time-consuming and complex. Using AI can help automate processes like sound production, storyboarding, scheduling, and pre-production tasks. It can also automatically sync and group filmed clips. Machine learning has graphics and visual effects that can be used to make fictional characters look better. Subtitle Generation for International Communications Content publishing businesses need to cater to an audience from various regions. Multilingual subtitles make this interaction easier. Manual transcription is time-consuming and requires expensive human resources that businesses cannot afford. Also, human error and variable efficiency are issues that can tamper with customer experience. Any kind of delay in presenting subtitles can put the audio-video-subtitles out of sync. AI prevents such mishaps through speech and vocabulary integration in conversations using neural interfaces. Last Words Apart from the implementation of AI in entertainment, the development of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) apps will make the customer experience immersive and captivating. Moreover, AI-based chatbots can be used for promotional operations for books, films, artists, and TV shows. Platforms in the entertainment sector involve AI to efficiently enhance user engagement and production rates.

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Virtualization

Discord: A Novel Medium for B2B Marketing

Article | June 21, 2021

Discord is a real-time chat platform where anyone with a community can interact. Users can talk to others in the community on special channels and get invites to join different servers. Many people prefer to reach out to online customers through social media, but messaging apps like Discord have 20% more monthly active users than traditional social media platforms. (Business Insider) Discord generates revenue through premium subscriptions and game distribution. It does not use advertisements. However, it can help marketers through its community that grows with video, voice, text communication and more. Let us look at how: Helps Build a Moderated Community You can set up a Discord server as a moderated social discussion platform. Create different channels based on your audience’s preference and allow them to bond. And as your community grows, so will the popularity of your business. Word-of-mouth marketing is still very effective. Connects Your Brand with Like-minded Audience You can also meet others who share your interests on various Discord servers. When you know what you're looking for, finding relevant servers is simple. Check with your team members, and your community, and join those groups. There, you'll meet other business owners and pursue collaboration opportunities. Allows Sharing Relevant Industry Content Share your website articles and other industry updates on Discord. You can take the advantage of your employees’ social media presence because they are linked to a single server. They'll spread the word about the articles through other Discord servers and their personal social media accounts. It will assist you in gaining authority among your target audience. Another way to market your company is to post branded memes, GIFs, and funny screenshots. Helps Offer Great Customer Service People expect prompt service, and because Discord delivers messages in real-time, you can address issues as they arise. You can easily send direct messages to members and have private conversations with them. Parting Words Although Discord is primarily a messaging app for individuals, it also has many advantages for B2B marketing. Discord is ideal for community management and true engagement.

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Virtualization

Watch out Warzone and Fortnite: Ubisoft is coming after free-to-play

Article | May 17, 2021

Ubisoft announced last week that it is adding specific focus on free-to-play, alongside its AAA catalogue. In doing so, it is following a route that has been very successful for Activision with its Warzone strategy. Free-to-play games which draw audiences via big franchise names and monetise via in-game spending are going to be increasingly common among AAA publishers. The focus on in-game spending and particularly on the cosmetic, rather than the progress-related, parts will be the key revenue component. As games become less finite and more perpetual (consumer goal is less about ‘finishing them’ and more and ‘playing/spending time in them’), the opportunity to monetise needs that stem from this perpetual engagement (e.g. socialising or expression) starts to outweigh the mere monetisation of access to a packaged product. Simultaneously, free-to-play games also act as a powerful marketing driver for AAA releases as they come out, as well as streamability and word of mouth for the franchise.

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Spotlight

Clear Cut Pictures

Clear Cut Pictures is an award winning London Post Production Facility with an enviable reputation for delivering quality Avid and Final Cut Pro based post production at an affordable budget. We are one of the most popular post production facilities in the UK and have a reputation for our technical infrastructure which is well suited to quick turnaround programming.We have 70 Cutting rooms across our three sites – 25 at our original base in Shepherds Bush, West London, 11 in our facility on Newman Street in Soho and 25 in our Bloomsbury site. The three sites have over 200TB of networked editing storage and are connected by 2 x 10gb fibre lines, allowing access to material at either location. You can offline in West London and finish in Central London - we give you the flexibility to work how you want.

Related News

Technologies, Solutions

Varnish Software Achieves 1.3 Tbps Per Server Throughput at 1.17 Gbps Per Watt

Varnish Software | February 23, 2023

On February 22, 2023, Varnish Software, a leader in video streaming, online caching, and content delivery software, revealed new performance benchmarks for content delivery that set new records. With the help of Intel and Supermicro, a single 1,120-watt Edge server could handle more than 1.3 Tbps of throughput, equivalent to 1.17 Gbps per watt. Varnish Enterprise 6.0 was deployed on a Supermicro 2U CloudDC server powered by 4th Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors without the need for additional-cost SSL offload cards. Supermicro's 1U and 2U CloudDC servers are optimized for private and public clouds and come with single or dual processors, an all-inclusive server with the best cost-to-optimized-performance ratio. These servers are optimized for balancing CPU, memory, storage, expansion, and networking. In addition, each server offers PCI-Express Gen 5 x8 and x16 expansion slots for the latest PCI cards. "Achieving over 1 Tbps in a single Edge server is a major leap forward for the industry, and critical for delivering the next generation of video and digital experiences," said Frank Miller, CTO of Varnish Software. (Source –Cision PRWeb) Michael McNerney, Vice President, Marketing and Network Security at Supermicro, added, "We deliver first-to-market innovations and IT Solutions that are environmentally friendly and fit every organization's objectives and budget." (Source –Cision PRWeb) Notably, this benchmark's throughput and energy efficiency can be used with different servers, depending on what the customers want. Varnish anticipates collaborating with key partners - Intel and Supermicro on systems that support a broad range of video and content delivery workloads by leveraging cost-effective system footprints and energy efficiency. About Varnish Software Varnish Software is a pioneer in high-performance content delivery. Its powerful caching technology helps the world's biggest content providers deliver lightning-fast web and streaming experiences for huge audiences without downtime or loss of performance. With over 10 million deployments, the technology is relied on by millions of websites worldwide across every industry, including Hulu, Emirates, and Tesla. Powered by uniquely flexible caching technology, its solutions are the common denominator among the world's most popular brands.

Read More

Warner Bros hails 5G entertainment potential

mobileworldlive | October 24, 2019

Warner Bros. Entertainment’s chief digital officer spotlighted the growing role of mobile as a means of consuming content, tipping 5G to fan the flames by opening new avenues for users to stream media. During the closing keynote, Thomas Gewecke (pictured, right), said “mobile is becoming an incredibly important platform for video consumption,” not only for short-form content, but increasingly also long-form.

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How Netflix is changing the way we consume entertainment

livemint | December 31, 2018

Recently, at a gathering of friends, during a lull in the conversation, someone asked: “So, what have you been watching lately on Netflix?” And someone else laughed and said: “This is the question that has replaced ‘What have you been reading lately?’”Everyone present subscribed to Netflix and Amazon Prime. Everyone had one or two shows to recommend that they had watched in the last week or two, and the next evening, when my wife and I sat down for our daily entertainment fix, the conversation was: “What was that French serial X was talking about? About that serial killer?” “No, we’ve seen too many serial killers in the last few weeks. Let’s watch that new science-fiction show that Y was recommending.” The conversations would have been similar in the homes of several of my friends.I cannot remember the last time I turned on an Indian television channel for entertainment. It has been video streaming services or over-the-top (OTT) media for the last year-and-a-half, ever since Netflix launched in India.

Read More

Technologies, Solutions

Varnish Software Achieves 1.3 Tbps Per Server Throughput at 1.17 Gbps Per Watt

Varnish Software | February 23, 2023

On February 22, 2023, Varnish Software, a leader in video streaming, online caching, and content delivery software, revealed new performance benchmarks for content delivery that set new records. With the help of Intel and Supermicro, a single 1,120-watt Edge server could handle more than 1.3 Tbps of throughput, equivalent to 1.17 Gbps per watt. Varnish Enterprise 6.0 was deployed on a Supermicro 2U CloudDC server powered by 4th Generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors without the need for additional-cost SSL offload cards. Supermicro's 1U and 2U CloudDC servers are optimized for private and public clouds and come with single or dual processors, an all-inclusive server with the best cost-to-optimized-performance ratio. These servers are optimized for balancing CPU, memory, storage, expansion, and networking. In addition, each server offers PCI-Express Gen 5 x8 and x16 expansion slots for the latest PCI cards. "Achieving over 1 Tbps in a single Edge server is a major leap forward for the industry, and critical for delivering the next generation of video and digital experiences," said Frank Miller, CTO of Varnish Software. (Source –Cision PRWeb) Michael McNerney, Vice President, Marketing and Network Security at Supermicro, added, "We deliver first-to-market innovations and IT Solutions that are environmentally friendly and fit every organization's objectives and budget." (Source –Cision PRWeb) Notably, this benchmark's throughput and energy efficiency can be used with different servers, depending on what the customers want. Varnish anticipates collaborating with key partners - Intel and Supermicro on systems that support a broad range of video and content delivery workloads by leveraging cost-effective system footprints and energy efficiency. About Varnish Software Varnish Software is a pioneer in high-performance content delivery. Its powerful caching technology helps the world's biggest content providers deliver lightning-fast web and streaming experiences for huge audiences without downtime or loss of performance. With over 10 million deployments, the technology is relied on by millions of websites worldwide across every industry, including Hulu, Emirates, and Tesla. Powered by uniquely flexible caching technology, its solutions are the common denominator among the world's most popular brands.

Read More

Warner Bros hails 5G entertainment potential

mobileworldlive | October 24, 2019

Warner Bros. Entertainment’s chief digital officer spotlighted the growing role of mobile as a means of consuming content, tipping 5G to fan the flames by opening new avenues for users to stream media. During the closing keynote, Thomas Gewecke (pictured, right), said “mobile is becoming an incredibly important platform for video consumption,” not only for short-form content, but increasingly also long-form.

Read More

How Netflix is changing the way we consume entertainment

livemint | December 31, 2018

Recently, at a gathering of friends, during a lull in the conversation, someone asked: “So, what have you been watching lately on Netflix?” And someone else laughed and said: “This is the question that has replaced ‘What have you been reading lately?’”Everyone present subscribed to Netflix and Amazon Prime. Everyone had one or two shows to recommend that they had watched in the last week or two, and the next evening, when my wife and I sat down for our daily entertainment fix, the conversation was: “What was that French serial X was talking about? About that serial killer?” “No, we’ve seen too many serial killers in the last few weeks. Let’s watch that new science-fiction show that Y was recommending.” The conversations would have been similar in the homes of several of my friends.I cannot remember the last time I turned on an Indian television channel for entertainment. It has been video streaming services or over-the-top (OTT) media for the last year-and-a-half, ever since Netflix launched in India.

Read More

Events