streaming – PSafe Blog

Twitter Has Signed a New Live Streaming Deal

PSafe Newsroom — Wed, 05 Apr 2017 20:00:55 +0000

It largely started with Twitter’s deal with the NFL for streaming live football games on Thursdays. Since that went incredibly well — more than two million Twitter users tuned in each week to watch the games — Twitter has decided to introduce more live content to the platform. Twitter will now be live streaming more than 1,500 hours of eSports, in addition to original content, on the service. This is a great move by Twitter, considering that the eSports market is expected to be worth about $1 billion dollars by 2019.

What Will the New ContentI include?

Twitter has partnered with ESL and DreamHack to allow Twitter users to stream more than 15 live events from ESL One, DreamHack, and Intel Extreme Masters (IEM). Additionally, ESL will contribute live original content in the form of a 30-minute show. This includes behind-the-scenes footage and highlights from live events. All of the content will be available worldwide. You can access all of the live content simply by going to Twitter’s website or by using the Twitter app. You can use the app on your Android phone or download the app on your Android TV.

Twitter began streaming IEM and ESL One event is in March of this year. All DreamHack events will be live-streamed starting in April. If these live-streamed events are popular on Twitter, Twitter is then likely to introduce more content on the service.

Good News for Twitter
Twitter’s success with live streaming sports content has allowed Twitter to receive more revenue from advertising. For these live-streamed sports events, Twitter has been running TV-like commercial breaks within content. Ads may also include highlights and sponsored recap clips. This is great news for Twitter, because it has largely struggled with increasing its advertising revenue, unlike other social networks such as Facebook and Instagram.

Further, Twitter’s new streaming deals may attract new users to Twitter. Twitter has had a lot of trouble attracting new users to the service over the years. However, Twitter is still one of the best social networks to use for live content or reacting to live content. It has been extremely popular for reacting to live TV shows such as The Bachelor, sharing information on current news events or natural disasters, and watching live events related to sports and politics. If this is any indication of Twitter’s future, it certainly seems like Twitter will have more success with live video.

Hulu vs. Netflix: Which Service Works Better on Your Phone?

PSafe Newsroom — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 19:06:14 +0000

Both the Netflix and Hulu mobile apps utilize a similar design across devices, which makes the apps easy to use, whether you’re accessing them on a TV, computer, tablet, or phone. Netflix and Hulu tend to work best on your TV or computer. You have full access to all of the apps’ features and experience few glitches and loading issues. But, when you try to access either app on your mobile device, there seems to be never-ending connectivity issues, despite a seemingly reliable Wi-Fi connection. What gives?

If your Wi-Fi isn’t stable or fast, you might experience more issues using the streaming apps on your phone. While it might be tempting to use your phone’s data to watch a new episode of your favorite TV show on the go, this isn’t a good move for those who have smaller monthly data plans. If your Wi-Fi connection is reliable, sometimes connectivity issues can occur because your device is too far from your router. While other devices may not have issues using the service farther from the router, it may be harder for your phone to achieve a stable connection.

If you’re having trouble using or loading other apps on your device, a far away router may be the issue. This can be solved by moving closer to the router, or else moving your router to a more central location in your home. Generally, you may experience less connectivity issues with the Netflix mobile app than the Hulu app, because Netflix claims it can function at a lower connectivity speed. If other apps are working well, then it could be an app-specific problem. Before you report an issue, double-check your internet connection and try restarting your device.

Which App Has Better Mobile Features?
Both mobile apps typically have great video and sound quality, though this will vary depending on your connection speed. Again, Netflix tends to stream videos at a higher quality than Hulu. It’s often easier to cast Netflix to your TV. With Hulu, this process can be difficult. As for watching videos, the Netflix app is also more likely to remember where you left off in a TV episode than Hulu. It can be hard to rewind or fast-forward on both apps, but this is often easier to do on Netflix. Unless you have the premium version of Hulu, you may have to sit through the same commercial you saw a second ago. It may also be difficult to sync your Hulu watch list across devices, or to add new videos or full seasons on your phone. Netflix is thus the clear winner when it comes to use on your mobile device.

Top 4 Reasons You Need an Android TV Now

PSafe Newsroom — Wed, 21 Sep 2016 20:29:47 +0000

Android TV is a smart TV platform that allows you to download Android apps to your TV, in addition to streaming media content and playing games. There are many smart TVs that now include Android TV, such as many Sony and Sharp models, or else you can connect an android TV device to your current smart TV.

One of the best Android TV sets currently available is the Nvidia Shield Android TV box, which includes a controller (a remote is sold separately), GeForce (a gaming streaming service), and 4K HDR streaming. It’s the best option if you’re into gaming, but it’ll cost you about $200 — at a minimum. However, if you’re not into gaming, you’ll save some money on an Android TV device. There are many other great options available on Amazon, from KudoTV to Matricom, ranging from $30-$100. The following are some of the best features of Android TV:

1. Google Casts Media onto Your TV
One of the best features about Android TV is its ability to work like ChromeCast. You can cast anything — movies, television shows, games, sports, music, etc — from your phone, computer, or tablet to your TV. No wires, adaptors, or additional devices necessary!

2. Gaming
Another great feature of Android TV is the ability to play games, whether you’re playing solo or have multiple players. You can use game controllers, or else your phone or tablet as controllers. You can also play on- or offline, depending on the game. The best part? You can play a game on your phone and then continue it on your TV — exactly where you left off. Your progress will be saved on all of your devices.

3. Voice Search
With this function you can search through your apps more freely. You must say specific commands, but there is a lot of freedom with how specific you must be. For example, if you can’t remember the name of that TV show everyone is talking about, but you know it has Winona Ryder in it, you can command the device to find “television shows with Winona Ryder.”

4. Watch More Than TV Through Your Favorite Apps
All of your favorite media apps are included, like Netflix, HBO Now, and Hulu Plus, in addition to apps such as YouTube, ESPN, BBC iPlayer, Vevo, DailyMotion, and more. You’ll also have full access to the Google Play store, so that you can rent and purchase all of your desired media.

Why You Should Download Amazon Prime Today

PSafe Newsroom — Fri, 16 Sep 2016 21:12:21 +0000

You have multiple items saved on your wish list, you browse Amazon every chance you get, and packages marked “Amazon” frequently land on your doorstep. You already love using online shopping giant Amazon.com, so why haven’t you taken the next step and committed to Amazon Prime?

If you’ve been on the fence about Amazon Prime, a paid service ($99 per year, plus a free 30-day trial or $10.99 per month at the time of this writing), you should know that the benefits are many. Here are a few great reasons why you should consider shelling out for an Amazon Prime account.

Free Shipping

Nobody, absolutely nobody, cheers for paying for shipping. Save some serious dough by opting for Amazon Prime. Participants gain access to free two day shipping on thousands of items. Then, whenever you are shopping on Amazon, you can look for items that offer free shipping and pay less.

Free TV Series and Movie Access

That’s right, when you pony up for Amazon Prime, you receive access to films and TV shows that you would have otherwise had to have rent. There’s even Amazon exclusives, so there’s always something new to discover. If you are an avid movie watcher and TV fan, you will easily see a quick return on this one.

Borrow Books from the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library

No bookworm can’t resist a few more good books to fall back on. Fortunately, Amazon Prime has you covered. When you browse through Amazon’s vast variety of Kindle books for sale, you will see plenty that offer free eBooks for Amazon Prime members to borrow.

Free Music

Even though there aren’t as many tracks available as you would find on music streaming platform Spotify, it’s still a nice perk. There are still more than a million songs available for those Amazon Prime members in the US and Puerto Rico.

Free Photo Storage

Are you backing up your images? One great way to make sure you never lose your images is to take advantage of the free unlimited cloud storage that is offered to Amazon Prime members. You also receive 5GB of storage for videos and documents in Amazon Drive.

Amazon Prime: A Bevy of Benefits!

Savvy online shoppers are already taking advantage of the benefits of Amazon Prime. From free two day shipping to free photo storage and free eBooks, what are you waiting for?

Which Video Streaming Service is Right for You?

PSafe Newsroom — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 22:17:02 +0000

You’ve already got the smartphone, but you now want to load it with the video streaming app that best fits your viewing habits. Below we compare price and capabilities of four of the most popular services, to help you decide which you want to carry around your pocket.

1. Amazon Prime Instant Video

$99 per year subscription; free app.

While there is a charge for premium video content like new releases or popular shows and movies, Amazon Prime Instant Video still lets you stream many of your favorites at no additional cost. While some users report finding the app a little difficult to use, a major benefit of Amazon Prime is that you also get free two-day shipping for all purchases–so you can shop while you watch!

2. Hulu

Free with commercials; $7.99 per month for limited commercials; $11.99 per month for no commercials; free app

Although it does offer movies, Hulu is known primarily known for its expansive and international selection of TV shows. One of Hulu’s best features is how quickly it updates current seasons of network programming — new episodes of most TV shows are made available less than a day after airing. The Hulu app also has a 4-star rating (out of 5), though some report not loving the design.

3. Netflix

$10 per month subscription; free app

Despite an unpopular recent price increase, Netflix still offers one of the most comprehensive libraries of TV and movies in the business — including a number of popular foreign titles. The Netflix app also works well, offering good customer support and with lots of support and easy compatibility across devices.

4. Google Play

Free app; in-app purchases

Unlike its competitors, Google Play doesn’t come with a pre-stocked library of TV shows or movies, but rather lets users purchase what they want to watch on a piecemeal basis. Google Play is generally well-liked — especially with its Chromecast support — and many smartphones now come with the app already installed.

Whichever service you choose, make sure your viewing experience is not ruined by a slow stream: download PSafe Total for free to make sure your video is never interrupted. With its Memory Booster feature, PSafe Total helps you use data more efficiently, and cleans up storage so your device can run more smoothly.

Which Music Streaming Service is Right for You?

PSafe Newsroom — Mon, 08 Aug 2016 21:43:56 +0000

If it weren’t hard enough to stay on top of new music, today’s market is also crowded with options on how how to stream it! From an online service that selects music for you, to a device-transferable app that gives you access to artists’ complete oeuvre, the choices can feel a little overwhelming. Here, we’ll compare three of today’s most popular streaming services so you can move forward with building a customized listening experience.

1. Spotify.

Free with ads; $10 for subscription; free app.

Spotify offers multiple ways to find and organize music. You can listen to nearly any artist, search by song or album, and create your own playlists along the way. Spotify can create personalized playlists based on the songs and type of music you regularly listen to, as well as offer ready-made playlists according to mood and genre. The subscription service, Spotify Premium, also allows users to download music directly onto their phones for listening offline.

2. Apple Music.

$9.99 per month for an individual subscription; $14.99 for a family subscription for up to six people; 3-month free trial; free app.

Apple started the music streaming revolution with iTunes back in 2003. Apple Music now has a catalog of over 30 million songs to choose from, and you can also browse new music curated by an in-house team. Like Spotify, Apple Music also serves up personalized recommendations, and lets users create their own playlists. Distinctive Apple Music features include radios stations for music and interviews, and a Connect features that lets you learn more about your favorite artists.

3. Pandora.

Free with ads; existing users $3.99 per month; new users $4.99 per month; free app.

Pandora is all about discovering artists you haven’t heard before. Pandora’s library is the result of the Music Genome Project, a comprehensive internal algorithm that matches artists and songs according to common characteristics (e.g. style, rhythm, gender of artist). Users first choose a song or artist, and the software then designs a unique playlist that will include your choice, along with similar music Pandora believes you will enjoy. And if you’re not quite sure what you’re in the mood for, the service also offers hundreds of genre stations for easy streaming.

Ready to start listening? Rely on PSafe Total to ensure your experience isn’t ruined by slow streaming. The software’s Memory Booster app helps you optimize your data and suggests how to free up storage space. The goal of PSafe Total is to speed up your phone altogether, so your music streaming experience is smooth, and seamless.