CordCutter’s Guide to CES 2015

Sling TV Makes Headlines, But What Else Did We Learn?

Technology from CES 2015 that will help us Cut the Cord but keep the shows we love

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is one of the most prestigious and famous technology trade shows in the world. Thousands of tech-geeks come together to see, experience, and showcase upcoming technology.

For years the CES has served to set the stage for the coming year in the tech industry; and in keeping with that tradition, CES this year set the stage for 2015 to be the year of the cord cutter. Let’s take a look at some of the amazing technology revealed at CES 2015 that’s going to change television, and cord cutting, as we know it.

Netflix Recommended TV

Netflix has been a game changer in the way we access entertainment, and now Netflix wants to help guide HOW we watch television as well. At CES Netflix announced the creation of its Netflix Recommended TV (NRTV) program. NRTV will evaluate and recommend Smart TVs based upon the streaming experience that the television provides. Netflix recommended televisions will bear the Netflix logo.

Roku TV goes 4k

Last year, Roku surprised everyone with the release of its very own Smart TV; appropriately called Roku TV. This year at CES 2015, Roku stepped things up a notch by announcing that they would be releasing a 4k compatible version of its existing smart TV, and that these TVs would compatible with Netflix’s new 4k application.

If you don’t know what 4k is, simple answer is that it is Ultra-HD. Whereas a normal HD television gives you a picture of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, 4k delivers a picture of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels. In a nutshell, 4k is to HD as HD is to standard definition. Cord Cutting has never looked so good. To take a look at the specs behind the Roku TV.

Android Smart TVs

At this year’s CES, Sony announced that it would roll out a new line of 4k televisions. What makes this an exciting development is that Sony is abandoning its proprietary operating system in favor of utilizing the Android operating system. The idea of accessing the PlayStore and integrating your phone with your TV sends the mind flittering with possibilities.

The cherry on top is that some of the new 4k televisions will be ultra light and slim. How slim you ask? It will be slimmer than a Sony smartphone. Its size and weight may not change the way you watch TV, but it will sure make it a lot nicer.

TiVo OnePass

One Remote, One Box, OnePass to rule them all.

In the race to offer consumers an all in one solution to their entertainment needs; TiVo has announced their latest product: OnePass. Part DVR, part media center, OnePass will search the web for information on the show you have recorded and organize them by episode and season.

With OnePass you will be able to record your favorite shows AND stream as well. If there is an episode you didn’t record, OnePass will scour streaming apps like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime for the missing episodes or seasons and display them all in one convenient folder. Best of all, if you’re not home to enjoy your record content, you will be able to stream from your mobile device on both iOS and Android.

No word on price yet, but OnePass should be available to consumers in March.

Probably the coolest thing to come out of CES 2015 for cord cutters was the announcement of Sling TV. Aimed at millennials, this over-the-top streaming service will offer streamable live television from a collection of top-tier television networks.

For $20 a month, you will be able to stream live ESPN, ESPN2, Disney Channel, ABC Family, Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel, TNT, CNN, TBS, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim. It may not be the ala carte cable plan consumers are craving, but the content to price ratio makes it too tempting to resist.

Sling TV is quite simply a game changer. Streamable live TV, no subscriptions, no cancelation fees; this is what cord cutters have been waiting for. Oly thing missing is Major Network Channels. So to complete the solution viewers still need to invest in an HD TV Antenna.

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