In the days leading up to a potential blackout of NBC channels on YouTube TV, NBCUniversal made a seemingly outlandish claim. “Google, with its $3 trillion market cap, already controls what Americans see online through search and ads—now it wants to control what we watch,” the company said. While NBC did not elaborate on what exactly that meant, we’ve since learned that Google (which owns YouTube TV) wants to fundamentally change how programmers like NBC distribute video in the streaming age. In addition to carrying NBC’s broadcast and cable channels, Google also wants YouTube TV to serve streaming content from Peacock, NBC’s separate streaming service. (For now, the companies have agreed to a short-term deal extension to avoid a blackout.) Why is this a big deal? If Google gets its way, it will give customers one place to watch all of NBC’s programming, tearing down a longstanding divide between pay TV packages and standalone streaming services. While that ultimately makes sense for viewers, it’s probably not something NBC and its programming peers want. What the YouTube TV and NBC dispute is about As I often tell folks who are trying to cut cable TV, streaming TV options typically fall into two buckets. The first bucket includes standalone streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, and Peacock. They offer a mix of original and library programming, including exclusive shows and movies that aren’t available on cable. The second bucket consists of live TV streaming services, also known as cable replacements, or vMVPDs in the TV industry (the acronym stands for virtual multichannel video programming distributor). These services replicate the cable experience with a big bundle of live TV channels, cloud-based DVR service, and a library of on-demand programming. YouTube TV is the largest of these services with an estimated 10 million subscribers. Others include Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, and Sling TV. The distinction between these buckets used to be pretty clear, but in recent years the lines have blurred. Standalone streaming services increasingly carry content that was once exclusive to cable channels, and live TV providers have started bundling up access to individual streaming services that have their own exclusive programming. (DirecTV, for instance, offers a bundle of entertainment channels, Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max for for $35 per month.) These changes are happening because traditional pay TV bundles are becoming worthless for anything but news and sports. The best new shows moved over to standalone streaming years ago, so distributors want to bundle up those services as a way to preserve value. But surely you can see the problem, right? If YouTube TV starts offering bundled access to services like Peacock, people might spend less time using the actual YouTube TV app. The future could be one in which subscribers must sign into a bunch of different apps to watch everything that comes with a YouTube TV subscription, which isn’t great for YouTube and isn’t ideal for viewers either. Enter “ingestion” So when Reuters’ Aditya Soni and Puck’s John Ourand report that YouTube TV is seeking “ingestion” of Peacock’s content, they mean that YouTube wants to solve the problem of sending subscribers elsewhere. YouTube TV doesn’t want to just bundle Peacock subscriptions with its service, it wants the full Peacock catalog to be available directly inside YouTube TV. NBCUniversal doesn’t like that idea. It wants people spending time inside the Peacock app, where it can collect viewing data, make more money from targeted ads, and promote more Peacock content. When the company says Google “wants to control what we watch,” it’s likely alluding to YouTube being in control of the experience, plus all the advertising and data collection that comes with it. (Also, NBCUniversal is owned by Comcast, which has its own plans to aggregate streaming content, so it might not want to cede ground to a competitor.) Not every programmer is entirely opposed to “ingestion.” Philo, for instance, says it will bring HBO Max and Discovery+ content into its own app early next year, and Fubo will add ESPN+ programming to its app in the coming weeks. Amazon has also built a thriving business selling subscriptions to other streaming services (including Peacock’s ad-free tier) and offering their content through its own Prime Video app. Still, programmers are unlikely to give up complete control of their content to third-party aggregators, which means skirmishes like the one between YouTube TV and NBC will keep happening with each new carriage renewal. While Hollywood loves to complain about how streaming destroyed the pay TV bundle, it’s not all too eager to let streaming companies build it back up again. Sign up for Jared’s Cord Cutter Weekly newsletter for more streaming insights. Read...

Amazon’s October Prime Big Deal Days 2025 sales event is right around the corner and there are already tons of great deals on desktop PCs available. This year’s event runs October 7-8 and will include solid discounts on everything from gaming PCs to all-in-ones to traditional mainstream desktop computers. You’ll need to be a Prime member to take advantage of Amazon’s steep discounts. If you aren’t a member already, check out our guide for how to get Amazon Prime for free. I’ve been tracking and writing about the best computer deals year-round for a long time now, and at PCWorld I’ve used this knowledge to curate a list of the best available computer deals across the internet specifically for this October Prime Day. Other retailers have jumped in on the action, and some of the best desktop PC deals can even be found outside of Amazon, so I’ve included those deals too. Best early October Prime Day deals on gaming desktop computers LXZ Gaming PC, Ryzen 7 8700F/RX 7650 GRE/32GB RAM/1TB SSD, $899.99 (10% off on Amazon) Alienware Aurora, Core Ultra 7 265F/RTX 5070/32GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,549.99 (24% off on Dell) Skytech Azure, Ryzen 7 5700/RTX 5060/32GB RAM/1TB SSD, $999.99 (12% off on Amazon) Omen 45L, Core Ultra 7 265K/RTX 5080/32GB RAM/2TB SSD, $2,299.00 (15% off on Amazon) Alienware Aurora, Core Ultra 9 285K/RTX 5080/32GB RAM/2TB SSD, $2,699.99 (16% off on Dell) Acer Nitro 60, Ryzen 9 7900/RTX 5070/32GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,499.99 (25% off on BestBuy) Omen 35L, Ryzen 5 8500G/RTX 5060/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $1,064.99 (21% off on HP) My top picks: The LXZ Gaming PC for $100 off on Amazon is the budget deal of the week so far. With a Ryzen 7 8700F CPU and RX 7650 GRE GPU it’ll deliver solid frame rates at 1080p for most games and the inclusion of 1TB of onboard storage means you’ll have plenty of space to load it up with your game library. Another killer deal right now is the Alienware Aurora for $500 off on Dell. Not only does it come with the latest gen Core Ultra 7 265F CPU, but also sports an RTX 5070. For this price it’s hard to go wrong and those in the market for a strong midrange gaming PC should look no further. Best early October Prime Day deals on mini-PCs GMKtec M7, Ryzen 7 6850H/32GB RAM/512GB SSD, $369.99 (24% off on Amazon) Apple Mac Mini 2024, M4/16GB RAM/256GB SSD, $499.00 (17% off on Amazon) AceMagician K1 Mini PC, Ryzen 7 5700U/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $279.00 (30% off on Amazon) AceMagic Vista Mini N1, Alder Lake-N N97/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $174.99 (33% off on Amazon) Beelink EQR5, Ryzen 5 5650U/32GB RAM/1TB SSD, $279.00 (28% off on Amazon) Beelink SER5 MAX, Ryzen 7 6800H/32GB RAM/500GB SSD, $308.99 (23% off on Amazon) My top picks: Amazon is offering the GMKtec M7 mini-PC for $120 off. This mini-PC not only rocks a Ryzen 7 Pro 6850H CPU and a whopping 32GB of RAM, but comes with excellent connectivity features to boot. It’s a great mini-PC and at this discount the value can’t be beat. If you’re more of a Mac fan, then this rare deal on the latest M4 Mac Mini for $100 off on Amazon is for you. The latest 2024 Mac Mini is a seriously good option for those looking to get great mini-PC performance for the price. The M4 chip has outstanding processing power and this model also comes with a good amount of RAM and onboard storage. Note: If you’re looking for even more great deals on mini-PCs be sure to check out our full roundup spotlighting the very best Prime Day mini-PC deals. Best early October Prime Day deals on all-in-one & mainstream computers All-in-one desktop computers combine a PC’s hardware with a modern display to make a desktop computer that has both form and function. Since everything is built together, you can save precious desktop space with an all-in-one. They make capable work computers and they can also be excellent home computers with the wide range of features appealing to the whole family. Lenovo 24 AiO, Intel N100/32GB RAM/1TB SSD/24-inch 1080p display, $559.98 (30% off on Amazon) HP OmniStudio X AiO, Core Ultra 5 125H/16GB RAM/256GB SSD/32-inch 4K display, $1,329.99 (13% off on HP) Dell 27 AiO, Core 5 120U/16GB RAM/512GB SSD/27-inch 1080p display, $779.99 (16% off on Dell) iMac M4, M4/16GB RAM/512GB SSD/24-inch 5K display, $1,523.86 (10% off on Amazon) My top picks: Amazon is offering a great deal of $240 off on the Lenovo 24 AiO. This budget-friendly all-in-one has way more RAM and onboard storage than most other models at this price. It’s a killer value for a trustworthy and dependable Lenovo PC. Alternatively, the HP OmniStudio X AiO for $200 off on HP’s website is a worthy splurge. Rocking a stunning 4K display and good performance features, this flagship all-in-one from HP will upgrade any desk space—you just might want to invest in some external storage as this only comes with 256GB. Other great October Prime Day deals These aren’t the only Prime Day deals being tracked by the PCWorld team. If you’re looking to supercharge your home setup with more killer tech sales, hit the links below for the more of the best expert-curated picks we’ve found. Best early Amazon October Prime Day tech deals: Great sales chosen by experts Best early October Prime Day laptop deals: Gaming notebooks, 2-in-1s, and more Best early October Prime Day deals on SSDs and storage Best early USB flash drive deals for October Prime Day Best early monitor deals for October Prime Day: OLED, home office, and more Best early October Prime Day deals on Thunderbolt docks and USB-C hubs Best early October Prime Day mini PC deals: Big savings on tiny computers Best early October Prime Day deals on battery chargers and power banks Best early October Prime Day deals on Chromebooks Best early October Prime Day deals on office chairs and standing desks FAQ 1. What type of desktop computer should I get? You’ll see a ton of options when searching for a desktop computer, but they all mainly fit into four main categories: gaming PCs, mainstream PCs (towers or mini PCs), and all-in-ones (AiO). Which you should end up buying is entirely dependent upon what your needs are and what you want to do with your computer. If you’re looking for something that will work in a home office or family room, then a mainstream PC or AiO with a solid CPU and a decent amount of RAM and storage is probably the way to go. If gaming is your main concern, a gaming desktop PC can offer a lot more bang for your buck than a laptop and you should prioritize getting the best GPU possible. 2. How much processing power will I need in a desktop computer? If you’re after CPU power, look for processors with higher numerical labels. Intel processors are available in the newer Core Ultra 3, 5, 7, or 9, and the older Core i3, i5, i7, and i9. AMD processors are available in the Ryzen 5000, 7000, 8000, and 9000 versions. Generally speaking, the higher the number, the more powerful the CPU for both manufacturers. If you don’t need a ton of power, Intel Core Ultra 5 or Core i5 processors are your best bet, as they offer good performance at a decent price. You can get along just fine with a Core Ultra 3 or Core i3 for basic office and web browsing. A Core Ultra 7 or Core i7 is more suited to gaming and more intense work than everyday tasks. Also, if gaming is your main concern, you may want to consider opting for the older Core i-processors as the newer Core Ultra processors are optimized for AI performance rather than gaming. As for AMD options, the Ryzen 5000 chips rival Intel’s Core i5 as solid all-arounders. If you need more power, the Ryzen 7000 or 8000 chips are well suited for content creation like video editing. Finally, if you’re dealing with 4K video or want peak gaming performance, spring for a Ryzen 9000. 3. What GPU should I get for a desktop computer? If you don’t intend to do any gaming on your computer, then feel free to save some money by going with integrated graphics. However, if you are looking to get your game on, then we recommend at least an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 or RTX 5060 (or the equivalent Radeon RX 9060) as these are the least expensive discrete graphics cards that can handle 1080p gaming on High graphics settings in most games. For 1440p gaming you’ll typically want to aim for an RTX 4070/5070 (or Radeon RX 9070/XT), and for 4K gaming you’ll need to shell out for at least an RTX 4080/5080 or upgrade to the RTX 4090/5090 Thankfully, the latest-gen GPUs have dropped significantly in price in pre-built systems so opt for those if you have the money and want a performance boost. But if you’re on a tight budget, then opting for a rig with a previous-generation card can allow you to save some money while still providing decent graphics quality. 4. How much memory do I need in a desktop computer? As for RAM, nowadays I think it’s best to shoot for 16GB at the minimum for all systems. If you’re on a budget or just need a basic browsing machine then 8GB may suffice but you’ll likely notice a performance drop if you tend to have multiple applications or browser tabs open. Those looking to do heavy content creation such as video editing should aim for at least 32GB or go for 64GB for 4K editing. 5. What is a good amount of storage for a desktop computer? Storage size is dependent upon your personal needs, but it is generally a good idea to opt for an SSD over a standard HDD as they are much faster and don’t significantly affect the price of a desktop. Before deciding, it’s best to consider what your intended use of the computer will be. Are you just storing documents or doing web browsing? Then something like 512GB will be plenty. If you want to load up a lot of large files such as games or content creation projects, then you’ll need at least 1TB to 2TB of storage. However, just remember that even if your computer doesn’t have enough storage built-in you can always upgrade your SSD or go with an external drive to increase your available storage options. 6. Is now a good time to buy a desktop computer? While the prospect of tariff-induced price increases may seem daunting to consumers, right now is actually a pretty good time to buy a new PC. Component prices have generally stabilized in the face of tariffs—with the exception of high-end GPU models—and CPU prices overall generally remain affordable. If you’re waiting for upcoming releases, you shouldn’t hold your breath. Don’t get caught in the cycle of waiting for the next new thing as something new is always around the corner. Waiting for a new product launch is only beneficial if it’s imminent and there are no good deals available right now. Fortunately, events such as Ocotber Prime Day offer buyers an excellent time to buy the latest components and PC builds at a discount. Read...

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At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Unlocks almost instantly after recognizing an enrolled palm Never failed to recognize a palm Local data storage means it can operate without a Wi-Fi connection Removable, rechargeable 10,000mAh battery Solid build, quick installation Cons No support for Matter or HomeKit No NFC keycard or fob is included Auto-lock lacks door-ajar detection App and firmware updates can be buggy Our Verdict The TCL D2 Pro Palm Vein Smart Lock looks and operates like a device you’d see in a sci-fi movie. The touchless unlock feature is both captivating and rock-solid, but you might be disappointed that it doesn’t support Apple Home or Matter. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: TCL D2 Pro Palm Vein Smart Lock Retailer Price $169.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices First, we ditched our housekeys for a numerical code that unlocked our doors, then we moved up to sometimes balky fingerprint readers. The TCL D2 Pro Palm Vein Smart Lock ups the ante with an amazing palm vein reader that takes just 0.3 seconds to unlock your door once you present your hand in front of its tiny scanner. TCL, best known for its budget-friendly TVs, moves further into the home security market with its second generation of smart door locks that hit the market alongside its B1 Security Camera. The D2 Pro is the top of the line and TCL’s only lock to feature a palm vein reader. The D2 Pro also features a built-in doorbell (but not a camera). Pressing the doorbell button a sounds a chime on the lock itself, and it also sends a push notification to your smartphone. You can unlock the door six ways: With your palm, of course, by tapping a PIN on its numeric keypad, using the TCL app, with a voice command (via Amazon Alexa or Google Home), with an NFC keycard or fob (not included), or a physical key (two are provided). Each of those methods has its own advantages and, if you’re not looking for a lock to seamlessly integrate into one brand’s suite of smart home products, the D2 could be an excellent choice for your home security. The palm vein reader in the TCL D2 Pro instantly unlocked my door once I mastered the waving gesture. Build quality The TCL D2 Pro Palm Vein Smart Lock will be an imposing presence on the interior side of your door.James Barber/Foundry The D2 Pro comes sports an aluminum housing—silver, with black accents—that’s all hard angles and sharp corners, a design that echoes the future imagined by the movie Robocop. The vaguely brutalist design won’t be for everyone, even though TCL’s promotional literature hopefully points out a resemblance between the D2 Pro and the Tesla Cybertruck. Its specs are typical: The lock is rated IP55, meaning that no amount of dust can get inside and cause the lock to fail, and that it’s protected from water jets coming from any direction. It has an operating temperature range of -4 degrees Fahrenheit to around 140 degrees F (-20 C ~ 60 C). It has the customary adjustable bolt to accommodate doors with different-sized backsets (2.36- or 2.76 inches, 60- or 70mm), and it fits in either a 1.5-inch (38mm) or 2.13-inch (54mm) cross-bore (an adapter is included for the larger diameter).  TCL has not submitted this deadbolt for ANSI or BHMA certification, so there’s no standardized rating as to its suitability for commercial (ANSI) or residential (BHMA) installations. The two standards bodies measure such things a open/close cycles, survivability after repeated hammer blows, and the quality of a lock’s finish, among other things. That missing rating could be an issue if your insurance carrier or local building code requires such certification (although that’s not typical). We have another story that explains ANSI and BHMA certification in more detail if you want to know more about it. Setup and installation TCL was smart to provide a rechargeable battery that can be removed and plugged into a power source via a USB-C cable when you need to recharge it. James Barber/Foundry Setup and installation were easy and incredibly straightforward, at least until the final step. First, I had to give the included 10,000mAh battery a full charge, which I did overnight before the day I planned to install. That battery is removable and is charged via USB-C cable. If the battery dies while you’re out and about, you can use the USB-C port on its exterior escutcheon to charge enough for the lock to operate. Since I was replacing a previously installed deadbolt, I didn’t need to replace the strike plate on my door jamb. That made for quick 15-minute install that only required a Phillips-head screwdriver. After installing the battery in the unit and the TCL Home app on my phone, I was able to use the app to connect to my wireless network with the D2’s built-in 2.4GHz Wi-Fi adapter (5GHz networks are not supported). You’ll need to thread a power cord from the exterior escutcheon, through your door’s bore hole, and then plug it into a socket on the interior escutcheon.James Barber/Foundry If the process ended here, I’d be telling you how easy this lock was to install. Unfortunately, my lock required four incremental firmware upgrades before it was ready to use. Would it be easier if the lock could just download the latest firmware upon its first connection to the internet? Absolutely! Is it possible to write the software so that these incremental steps aren’t required? I have no idea, but this isn’t an issue I’d previously encountered when reviewing other smart home devices. Fortunately, there was mostly good news once the updates were complete. Well, almost. I realize that the app was written to work with all TCL smart home devices, but I had trouble setting up the palm vein reader after the app asked me to set up both a security code for using the app and another one that would allow me to unlock the D2 Pro (and any of the other locks in the D2 line). I had to dig around in the app’s settings for a few minutes before I found what I was looking for. After navigating to User Management > Administrator (me), I found the palm vein settings and was able to set up the palm security. Unlocking your door TCL says its own lab results show that its palm vein tech is 99.9999 percent accurate. The infrared light reads the veins under your skin, avoiding both the positioning and pressure issues that affect fingerprint readers. And if you believe the Mission: Impossible movies, using your palm instead of a fingerprint will prevent an intruder from engineering a workaround from prints you might leave on a drinking glass or door handle. As you can see here, the TCL D2 Pro’s interior escutcheon is much larger than the half you’ll mount on the outside.James Barber/Foundry Once I had it up and running, the palm vein reader instantly unlocked my door once I mastered the waving gesture.  If you’re worried about security, TCL stores the palm data on the device itself, a feature that also makes it possible to open your door when your Wi-Fi or broadband is down. The numerical keypad was 100 percent reliable in my testing, as was using the controls in the TCL Home app. Setting up with Alexa and Google worked as well as you might hope, and the ability to unlock the door for a visitor via voice command is a definite plus. TCL does not include an NFC keycard or fob with the D2 Pro, so I was unable to test that entry method. Based on its performance with the other entry methods, I would expect them to work seamlessly as well. Note that you can only unlock the door via the TCL Home app when there’s an active internet connection to the D2 Pro. Also keep in mind that this lock doesn’t support Matter or Apple Home, so you won’t be able to integrate the lock into that kind of smart home setup. There’s also no Bluetooth, Thread, Zigbee, or Z-Wave support, as is typical of a Wi-Fi lock. The TCL Home app The TCL Home app may not be the most polished user experience, but its settings are straightforward once you set up your lock.James Barber/Foundry The TCL Home app looks simple at first glance, but there are a host of options buried in its settings. You can set up a security code for each device you add to the app. Users must type in the code to access the settings. You might want to skip that extra level of security because it’s a chore to type it in every time you want to make an adjustment. Tap the Settings gear icon to get access to Auto Lock, which sets a time (between 10 seconds and two minutes) for the door to automatically relock after opening. If you enable that setting, however, be aware that the lock has no means of determining if the door is ajar before it throws its bolt. That can lead to damage to the molding around your door if someone tries to close the door while the lock’s bolt is extended. Wrong-Try Protection locks down the D2 Pro for a time (2- to 5 minutes) after a set number of wrong code attempts. There’s volume control for both the doorbell and the pleasant British accent that delivers voice prompts. Away Mode disables all user permissions aside from the master password. On the main screen, you can check the battery level, set up one-time-use passwords for visitors or service people, unlock the door with a long press, or access an Events Summary that tells you who unlocked the door at what times over the past seven days. Parents can monitor curfews by creating a Homecoming Reminder that alerts the administrator if a user has not unlocked the door by a certain time. TCL offers other options, too If you’re looking for a lower-priced lock from TCL the TCL D2 Plus ($119.99) swaps the palm vein scanner for AI-enhanced fingerprint recognition; retains the app, keypad, and physical key options for unlocking; Wi-Fi connectivity; voice control; and IP55 weatherization. But it relies on 8 disposable AA batteries (with a 6-month lifespan) rather than rechargeable power. The base TCL D2 ($79.99), meanwhile, offers the simplest feature set: unlocking via PIN, app, or key; the same aluminum alloy build; IP55 weather resistance; Wi-Fi connectivity; and voice-assistant integration. It also runs on 8 AA batteries. Should you buy the TCL D2 Pro Palm Vein Smart Lock? The TCL D2 Pro Palm Vein Smart Lock replaces the D1 Pro model that came out last year, and it features impressive upgrades. The 10,000 mAh battery in the D2 Pro offers 10 months of battery life, where the D1 Pro’s 7,800 mAh battery was limited to 9 months. The D2 Pro is more water resistant, with an IP55 rating compared to the D1 Pro’s IP54. There’s also no doorbell on the D1 Pro. The palm vein technology and other unlock methods are the same on both models. Unlocking a door by waving a hand in front of a sensor can feel like we’re finally living in the future that Star Trek promised on those after-school reruns. The palm-vein entry is secure and reliable, a godsend for anyone who’s usually lugging packages with them when returning home. TCL offers all the other basics, including individual profiles, one-time codes, and remote unlock that you’d expect from a high-end smart home lock in 2025. The firmware update experience could use some work, the app needs a bit more polish, and TCL should really find a way to have its devices better integrate with other manufacturers’ smart home hardware. This lock’s touch-free entry is just too magical to be stuck in a smart home silo. This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart locks. Read...

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Disney is raising prices on most of its streaming services again, and the subtext is clearer than ever: If you’re not bundling, you’re wasting money. The price hikes, which take effect on October 21, push the standalone cost of Disney+ to $12 per month with ads and $19 without, while Hulu’s ad-supported plan is increasing from $10 to $12 per month. While Disney’s various bundles will also cost more, the price hikes for those services aren’t as drastic, and in some cases aren’t increasing at all. (Yes, the timing is terrible, with Disney’s temporary suspension of Jimmy Kimmel last week leading to a wave of Disney+ and Hulu cancellations, but it’s also coincidental. The company has raised prices every October since 2023, and it told Bloomberg that it planned the latest round months ago.) This was all too easy to see coming. Disney and its peers have latched onto the idea that when people bundle services together, they’re less likely to cancel. They are now taking those incentives to their logical conclusion, in which bundled pricing provides cover for price hikes across the board. Disney price hikes compared Here’s a full list of Disney’s 2025 streaming price hikes, which take effect on or after October 21: Streaming ServiceCurrent PriceNew PriceDisney+ (with ads)$10/mo.$12/mo.Disney+ (no ads)$16/mo.$19/mo.Hulu (with ads)$10/mo.$12/mo.Hulu (no ads)$19/mo.$19/mo.ESPN Select$12/mo.$13/mo.ESPN Unlimited$30/mo.$30/mo.Disney+ and Hulu (with ads)$11/mo.$13/mo.Disney+ and Hulu (no ads)$20/mo.$20/mo.Disney+ and Hulu (with ads) with ESPN Select$17/mo.$20/mo.Disney+ and Hulu (no ads) with ESPN Select$27/mo.$30/mo.Legacy Disney+ (no ads), Hulu (with ads), and ESPN Select$22/mo.$25/mo.ESPN Unlimited with Disney+ and Hulu (with ads)$36/mo.$36/mo.ESPN Unlimited with Disney+ and Hulu (no ads)$45/mo.$45/mo.HBO Max with Disney+ and Hulu (with ads)$17/mo.$20/mo.HBO Max with Disney+ and Hulu (no ads)$30/mo.$33/mo.Hulu + Live TV (includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited)$83/mo.$90/mo.Hulu + Live TV (ad-free Disney+, ad-free Hulu on-demand, and ESPN Unlimited)$96/mo.$99/mo.Some observations: As before, the “Duo” bundle of Disney+ and Hulu is only $1 more than getting either service a la carte, either with or without ads. On their own, Disney+ and Hulu will become $2-per-month pricier with ads, but as a bundle the price only increases by $2 per month total. Although ad-free Disney+ is getting a $3-per-month price hike, the bundled price for ad-free Disney+ and Hulu stays the same. While the cost of Disney’s “Trio” bundles with ESPN Select are increasing by $3 per month, newly launched bundles with ESPN Unlimited (which includes all of ESPN’s cable programming) aren’t changing. (A limited-time promo also knocks the price ESPN Unlimited, Disney+, and Hulu down to $30 per month for one year.) Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav recently argued that HBO Max is “way underpriced.” Don’t be surprised if the new bundle price accounts for an eventual HBO Max price hike. Pushing bigger bundles The overall trend is similar to what played out with ad-supported streaming plans several years ago. Originally pitched by programmers as a way to bring streaming prices down, in the end they merely provided cover for more price hikes. (To wit: At $12-per-month, Disney+ with ads costs nearly twice what the ad-free version sold for in 2019.) Looking ahead, we’re likely to see a bigger push toward larger TV packages with more streaming services thrown in. An early example is DirecTV’s MyEntertainment plan, which includes ad-supported Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max; plus, a collection of cable news and entertainment channels (no sports or local broadcasts) for $35 per month. The cost for that package is not increasing. Likewise, Spectrum has packed a slew of streaming services into its TV Select plans, whose non-promotional rates start at $125 per month. The streaming offerings include all of Disney’s services, HBO Max, Paramount+, Peacock, and AMC+, but of course require paying for an entire cable TV package. Comcast, meanwhile, is doing a $15-per-month bundle of Netflix, Peacock, and Apple TV+ for Xfinity internet customers. That’s only $4 per month more than the standalone cost of Peacock after it drastically raised prices over the summer. Disney’s latest round of price hikes will inevitably push more people toward bundling, and that’s by design. With ever-higher standalone rates, these bundles are starting to feel less like a deal and more like a necessity. Sign up for Jared’s Cord Cutter Weekly newsletter for streaming TV insights. Read...

Right on cue, Disney has teed up a price hike for Disney+, Hulu, and most of its Disney bundles, almost a year to the day after last year’s price hikes. That’s the bad news; the good news is there’s something you can do about it.  The Disney+ and Hulu price hikes are set to hit October 21, and while Hulu’s Premium plan will stay put at $18.99 a month, most other Disney+ and Hulu standalone and bundle plans are slated to jump in price.   Both Disney+ with ads and Hulu with ads will get $2-a-month increases to $11.99/month, for example, while the ad-free Disney+ Premium will go up to $18.99 from $15.99. Hulu + Live TV is also getting a price hike ($88.99 starting October 21, up from $81.99/month), as are most Disney Bundles, including the popular Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max bundles (with ads will go up to $19.99 a month, a $3-a-month increase, while the ad-free version will cost $32.99/month, up from $29.99 a month).  So yes, not great—but if you look closely, there are ways to dodge the upcoming Disney+ and Hulu price hikes. Here are a few strategies.  Sign up for a full year of Disney+ Premium  There’s no annual plan for the ad-supported version of Disney+, but there is for the ad-free Disney+ Premium. And while the annual Disney+ Premium plan is due for a price hike just like the monthly Premium plan is, those price increases don’t hit until October 21.  That means you can sign up now for a year’s worth of Disney+ for the current annual rate of $159.99 (it will be $189.99 a year starting next month), effectively locking in the pre-hike rate for 12 months. Yes, you’ll have to fork over the cash up front, but you’ll be saving money in the long run.  Sign up for a full year of Hulu with ads  Hulu’s annual plan situation is the reverse of Disney+’s; there’s no annual Hulu Premium plan, but there is an annual Hulu with ads plan. That actually works out nicely for this year’s price increases, given it’s Hulu with ads that’s getting a price hike and not Hulu Premium (which will remain at $18.99 a month).  For now, you can snag Hulu with ads for its current annual rate of $99.99 a year, a price that’s slated to go up to $119.99 come October 21.  Sign up for the ESPN Unlimited Bundle  Here’s a price hike-dodging strategy that may appeal most to sports fans. As you may know, Disney recently launched a full-on streaming version of ESPN, complete with all ESPN linear channels and ESPN-on-ABC broadcasts, for $29.99 a month.  If you act before January 5, 2026, you can get a special promo rate for an ESPN Unlimited Bundle that includes ESPN Unlimited, Disney+ with ads, and Hulu with ads, all for the same price: $29.99 a month, with the promo rate locked in for 12 months. In other words, you’re getting ESPN Unlimited for the standard $29.99 a month, plus the with-ads versions of Disney+ and Hulu for free. (A premium version of the bundle with ad-free Disney+ and Hulu goes for $38.99, also locked in for 12 months.)  Get free Disney+ and/or Hulu from your internet or wireless carrier Yet another way to sidestep the Disney+ and Hulu price hikes is to look for deals from your internet or wireless service provider, which might offer free or steeply discounted access to one or both of those streamers as a perk.  For example, Spectrum offers the with-ads versions of Disney+ and Hulu for free to select subscribers, while Verizon Unlimited subscribers can get Disney+ and Hulu as a discounted add-on (the configurations change regularly, so check the fine print). T-Mobile also offers Hulu (with ads) for free on certain plans. Hulu + Live TV plan is also getting a price increase The price for Hulu’s live TV streaming service is also getting an price bump effective October 21. The standard bundle that includes live television, Hulu programming with ads, Disney+ with ads, and ESPN Unlimited is increasing from $82.99 to $89.99. Hulu Premium + Live TV, which eliminates the ads in Hulu and Disney+ programming will cost $99.99. Subscribers who were grandfathered into a Hulu + Live TV plan that included Disney+ without ads and ESPN Select will see a price increase from $87.99 to $89.99, also effective October 21. This plan is no longer offered, so if you have it and cancel it, you can’t get it back. Hulu doesn’t offer annual plans for Hulu + Live TV, so there’s no way to escape the price increase. For the time being, Hulu competitor YouTube TV remains priced at $82.99 per month. We’ll see how long that lasts. Read...

You know what needs upgrading on your desk right now? Not your laptop and not your monitor. I’m talking about your power strip, which tends to get overlooked. Why settle for a conventional clunker when you can level things up with this 8-in-1 Anker Prime charging station? And it’s 33% off on Amazon right now, bringing it down to pretty much its best-ever price: $99.99 (was $149.99). This charging station will seriously simplify your desk and your life. At just 0.7 inches thick and 5.43 inches long, it’s compact and won’t take up much desk space. Plus, it’s flat so it looks sleek and elegant. But the real benefit here is that it sports eight ports: two AC outlets on the face, two USB-A ports along the side, and four USB-C ports along the bottom. Each AC outlet has its own on/off button, plus there’s an LCD display on front that shows you its charging status in real time. Each USB-C port can provide up to 140W of charging on its own, with a total throughput of 240W across all six USB ports (split amongst them when multiple ports are being used simultaneously). This charging station is perfect for plugging in your laptop, phone, monitor, PC, and everything else. Two cherries on top here: first, it connects to your Wi-Fi network so you can check on its charging status via the companion mobile app, and second, it has a detachable power cable so it’s easy to pack up and take with you when you go to hotels and Airbnbs. This 8-in-1 Anker Prime charging station is a real game-changer, so get it now while this superb discount is still available. Save 33% and fast charge 8 devices at once with Anker`s charging stationBuy now at Amazon Read...

If you’re going to get a gaming laptop, why hold back on a budget model when you could spring for an upper-mid-range option with the latest Nvidia features that’ll serve you well for years to come? And if you act now, you can get one without sacrificing an arm and a leg for it. I’m talking about this Lenovo Legion Pro 5 that’s now on sale for $1,449.99 at Best Buy with a snazzy $210 discount. This is a fantastic config that starts with an AMD Ryzen 7 8745HX CPU, bulks up with a whopping 32GB of DDR5 memory, and rounds out with a fast 1TB SSD. That translates into a speedy machine that can handle all your tasks from work to play, and I haven’t even mentioned the kicker yet: a Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 GPU that unlocks all the latest Nvidia features like DLSS 4 and more. In a nutshell, the best of modern gaming. It’s a looker too, complete with a vivid 16-inch OLED screen that sports a crisp 2560×1600 resolution, a 165Hz refresh rate, and a solid 500 nits of brightness. This is a device that’s as gorgeous while watching Netflix as it is while playing games, and it’ll smoothly display those frames without any tearing or skipping. As for ports? You get HDMI, two USB-C video (one with power delivery), three fast USB-A for data, LAN, 3.5mm audio, and a dedicated power connector. Getting an RTX 5060 laptop with specs like this at this price point is a bargain through and through, so get the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 for $1,449.99 while this deal is still available! Save $210 on this RTX 5060 laptop with OLED screen and 32GB RAMBuy now at Best Buy Read...