Netflix vs Disney

Netflix’s share price rose just a tad last week to make the 22year old company more valuable than Disney. While Disney has been around for almost a century. At it’s peak, Netflix’s market cap was close to touching $200BN! (data from Koyfin). Netflix Vs Disney is on!

However, those share prices have reversed slightly to see Disney retake it’s crown. Though, considering towards the end of 2019, Disney was worth almost 2x as much as Netflix. So it’s very surprising to see a shift in fortunes in a short space of time.

You could argue that it’s the coronavirus being the reason for this. Netflix recently announced that it had gained a massive 16M new subscribers over the last quarter. While Disney have had to close it’s parks and furlough thousands of workers. Even have had to push back film releases. Disney+ however seems to be doing well, even though it represents a tiny portion of Disney’s revenue’s and profits.

Netflix may come back on top, but that could all come down to how long lockdown is. Though, other platforms such as Quibi may want to take a piece of the pie….

Quibi

Launching a brand new streaming platform whilst everyone is at home during a global pandemic may be a good thing. However, for Quibi, a content provider designed for people on the go, who want a 10 minute episode whilst on the commute, it may be different.

Quibi is short for “Quick Bites” and they raised $2BN from investors before even having a single user. Therefore making it one of the msot funded startups pre-launch of all time. They’re trying to break the mold and be different, original and unique. The ability to watch your phone in landscape or portrait certainly highlights that as the content will dynamically adjust depending on how you watch.

Global Stats

Based on data from JustWatch, for 66 countries Netflix is the market leader in 61 of them. While Prime Video has the lead in Germany, Austria and India. Furthermore BluTV is leading in Turkey and iQiyi in China. (Note Netflix is unavailable in China)

 

Netflix vs Disney – Quibi Enters the fold

Quibi debuted at number 4 in the app store. But has since plummeted to outside the top 100.

Their socials aren’t great either 190K on Instagram is great, but there’s an account about an egg that has 6.7M and charts get 196K. So considering the funding, you’d expect more followers.

However, there is some good news. The apps ratings are great! More than half of the 2500 ratings are 5 stars and there’s little 1 star ratings.

Keep up to date with everything How To Kill An Hour by signing up to our newsletter by clicking here!

Let us know what you think of the show by clicking here!

Click here to subscribe to our YouTube Channel to see more amazing ways to kill time!

Follow us on Twitch by clicking here!

Episode 357 Tom Walker (Jonathan Pie)

UFO’s: The Pentagon Declassifies 3 videos

So well kinda knew it didn’t we? That UFO’s *could* exist. Well, the Pentagon have officially released 3 short videos showing ‘unidentified aerial phenomena’ that had previously been released by a private company.

While they haven’t been confirmed to be alien’s they are unidentified. So we’ll leave it up to you to make your mind on what they *could* be. The videos show unidentified flying objects rapidly moving while being recorded by infrared cameras. The pilots talking in the videos seem to be shocked and surprised at what they are seeing!

UFO’s Believablity

The Navy had acknowledged the veracity of the videos last year, September. While they’re releasing them now:
“in order to clear up any misconceptions by the public on whether or not the footage that has been circulating was real, or whether or not there is more to the videos,”
“After a thorough review, the department has determined that the authorized release of these unclassified videos does not reveal any sensitive capabilities or systems,”
“and does not impinge on any subsequent investigations of military air space incursions by unidentified aerial phenomena.”
Pentagon spokesperson Sue Gough.

Guidelines

There are formal guidelines for pilots working in the Navy, on how to report possible UFO’s.  The Navy videos were first released between Dec 2017 and March 2018. Via To The Stars Academy of Arts & Sciences. To The Stars Academy of Arts & Sciences is the company which was co-founded by Tom DeLonge, the former Blink 182 band member. The company studies information about .
In 2017, one of the pilots who saw the unidentified aerial phenomena in 2004, told CNN:
“As I got close to it … it rapidly accelerated to the south, and disappeared in less than two seconds,”
“This was extremely abrupt, like a ping pong ball, bouncing off a wall. It would hit and go the other way.”
Retired US Navy pilot David Fravor.

UFO’s Previous Studies

The Pentagon has previously studied recordings of UFO’s as part of a classified program, launched at the behest of former Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada. It launched in 2007 and ended in 2012, as there were higher priority areas that needed the funding. However, Luiz Elizondo, the former head of the classified program told CNN in 2017 that he personally believes that there’s enough evidence to prove that we are not alone.
“These aircraft — we’ll call them aircraft — are displaying characteristics that are not currently within the US inventory nor in any foreign inventory that we are aware of,”
Elizondo resigned from the Defence Department in 2017, in protest over the secrecy of the program and the internal opposition to funding it.

Dig Deeper

Senator Harry Reid Tweeted on Monday that he was glad that the Pentagon released the videos, however
 “it only scratches the surface of research and materials available. The U.S. needs to take a serious, scientific look at this and any potential national security implications.”
Some members of Congress are still interested. With some senators receiving a classified briefing from Navy officials on UFO’s last summer.
“If pilots at Oceana or elsewhere are reporting flight hazards that interfere with training or put them at risk, then Senator Warner wants answers. It doesn’t matter if it’s weather balloons, little green men, or something else entirely — we can’t ask our pilots to put their lives at risk unnecessarily,”
Rachel Cohen, spokeswoman for Democratic Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, told CNN at the time.
(CNN)

So, keep up to date with everything How To Kill An Hour by signing up to our newsletter by clicking here!

Also, let us know what you think of the show by clicking here!

Click here to subscribe to our YouTube Channel to see more amazing ways to kill time!

Follow us on Twitch by clicking here!

Mixcloud Live: Legal Live Streaming For DJ’s

Live Streaming in the DJ world has had a lot of interest over the past few years. While nothing has come close to the demand we’ve seen for live today, during a pandemic. A new reality has set in and there’s been plenty of cancelled events. Therefore creators and institutions are facing an extremely challenging financial future. Mixcloud LIVE is here to help that.

Mixcloud LIVE

So, as a result, Mixcloud have launched Mixcloud LIVE for all of their PRO Creators. Mixcloud LIVE is a first music focused, integrated solution to allow audio creators to live stream video and archive the audio (coming soon). Futhermore they’re able to generate income via SELECT. While this is done via a legal and licensed platform ensuring that underlying artists and songwriters who get played will get paid.

All via a legal and licensed platform ensuring the underlying artists and songwriters who get played, get paid.

Some Bugs

Mixcloud have been working hard to bring a brand new way for creators to express themselves over the last few weeks. All within the best way possible. They’ve built and released Mixcloud LOVE earlier than they’d normally do, so expect some bugs and UI flaws when using it. However, don’t worry as they will iron them out as quickly a possible.

Mixcloud LIVE has been designed to bring an interactive, fun, human experience to both creators and listeners, at a time when the world is socially distant we can feel closer than ever with music.

Start here: mixcloud.com/live/new

For help setting up, check out this article on how to go live on Mixcloud

(Mixcloud)

Keep up to date with everything How To Kill An Hour by signing up to our newsletter by clicking here!

Let us know what you think of the show by clicking here!

Click here to subscribe to our YouTube Channel to see more amazing ways to kill time!

Follow us on Twitch by clicking here!

Coronavirus Conversation

Coronavirus Conversation

We’re in lockdown, not just in UK, but all over the world. Old conversation habits die hard, such as ‘what did you get up to last night’. There’s not many different things you can do whilst in lockdown. So our friends over at Stylist have devised a new way of spicing up our answers to questions. Here’s some Coronavirus conversation to help spice things up!

Stylist have come up with some really funny ways to respond when someone asks what you got up to last night. They make you sound like you did really exciting things. When in reality they’re quite mundane:

 

  • INSTEAD OF SAYING: “I HAD A CHEEKY WINE IN THE GARDEN”

Say: “I partook in an al fresco wine tasting. It was glorious. I particularly enjoyed the bergamot top notes in the chardonnay.”

  • INSTEAD OF SAYING: “I WATCHED TIGER KING ON NETFLIX”

Say: “I watched an innovative and divisive documentary exploring the complex relationship between man and beast. It threw up some interesting philosophical dilemmas, actually.”

  • INSTEAD OF SAYING: “I WENT FOR A WALK”

Say: “I indulged in my evening constitutional.”

  • INSTEAD OF SAYING: “I CHATTED TO SOME FRIENDS ON ZOOM

Say: “Some close acquaintances and I met face-to-face using a cloud-based video conferencing service, whereupon we discussed all manner of things.”

  • INSTEAD OF SAYING: “I FINISHED MY BOOK

Take a leaf out of Jane Austen’s book and say: “I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book!”

  • INSTEAD OF SAYING: “I SCROLLED AIMLESSLY THROUGH INSTAGRAM

Say: “I visited the world’s largest image gallery and perused the many exhibits on display, in order to gather inspiration for the interior design of my future home, outfits I will wear once I can go outside again, and cakes I will bake once I can actually buy flour and eggs.”

  • INSTEAD OF SAYING: “I ATE ALL MY QUARANTINE SNACKS IN ONE SITTING”

Say: “I struggled in vain to curb my innermost desires, but alas! I am only human, and some temptations cannot be resisted.”

  • INSTEAD OF SAYING: “I PLAYED VIDEO GAMES FOR A BIT”

Say: “I used an innovative software system to test my mental and physical reflexes, not to mention my decision-making.”

  • INSTEAD OF SAYING: “I WENT TO THE SUPERMARKET”

Say: “I embarked on an intrepid mission outdoors, in a bid to replenish our supplies and see us through this infernal quarantine.”

  • INSTEAD OF SAYING: “ I MADE A SPOT OF DINNER”

Say: “Cooking is an expression that crosses boundaries, and last night saw me transcend all boundaries as I whipped up a culinary storm in my kitchen.”

  • INSTEAD OF SAYING: “I TRIED TO DO A JOE WICKS WORKOUT”

Say: “I did my best to exert myself with the help of an old friend. One always feels better when the blood starts pumping, doesn’t one?”

  • INSTEAD OF SAYING: “I HAD A SHOWER”

Say: “I shed my clothes, until I was as naked as the day I was born, and stepped under a stream of gushing water. It cleansed me, body and soul, and left me feeling utterly invigorated.”

  • INSTEAD OF SAYING: “I DID A LOT OF UNNECESSARY ONLINE SHOPPING

Make like Barbra Streisand in Hello Dolly and say: “Money, pardon the expression, is like manure. It’s not worth a thing unless it’s spread around, encouraging young things to grow.  And so I sacrificed my disposable income in a bid to give the economy a boost.”

  • INSTEAD OF SAYING: “I FELL ASLEEP ON THE SOFA”

Say: “I hunkered down for the night far from my creature comforts, with nary a duvet or pillow in sight.”

(Stylist)

 

Keep up to date with everything How To Kill An Hour by signing up to our newsletter by clicking here!

Let us know what you think of the show by clicking here!

Click here to subscribe to our YouTube Channel to see more amazing ways to kill time!

Follow us on Twitch by clicking here!

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker comes to Disney+

Disney Plus have got lots lined up for this weekend, otherwise known as the Star Wars weekend! Disney+ is the streaming home of Star Wars, the have got exclusive originals. Such as The Mandalorian, Clone Wars and Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian. Now for the first time, the complete saga will be available in one place! As Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker comes to Disney Plus!

Lots of Star Wars Content

  • From Friday 1st May fans can watch the finale episode of The Mandalorian and explore Disney+’s in-app offering that will honour the artistry of Star Wars with a week-long concept art takeover on the service
  • Over the weekend fans can re-watch all of the Skywalker Saga ahead of the arrival of the final chapter and binge a full series of The Mandalorian.
  • Come “May the 4th” Disney+ will host an extensive collection of Star Wars movies and series. With the arrival of the global premiere of Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian and the finale episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. As well as the final chapter of the Skywalker saga, “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.”

The final chapter of the Star Wars film franchise “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” will begin streaming two months early on Disney Plus in honour of  “May The 4th”. Otherwise known as “Star Wars Day”. This brings for the first time a place where Star Wars fans can stream all Skywalker saga in one place. The franchise that began in 1977 with George Lucas’ groundbreaking film “Star Wars: A New Hope”. The entire nine-part saga is available within the extensive collection of Star Wars movies and series.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

The final film Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker comes from Lucasfilm and director JJ Abrams, the thrilling climactic chapter. Highlighting a heroic struggle to restore peace and freedom the the galaxy. The film stars Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley and John Boyega.

When it’s discovered that the evil Emperor Palpatine did not die at the hands of Darth Vader, the rebels must race against the clock to find out his whereabouts. Finn and Poe lead the Resistance to put a stop to the First Order’s plans to form a new Empire, while Rey anticipates her inevitable confrontation with Kylo Ren. 

The May 4th line-up follows the finale of the first season of “The Mandalorian” on Friday 1st May in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland.

In Honour

Disney Plus will also honour the artistry of Star Wars with a week-long concept art takeover!

Like a commemorative gallery, each film and series’ artwork will be updated on May 4th to feature its original concept paintings. From “Star Wars: A New Hope” to “The Mandalorian,” the updated art will feature work from celebrated artists such as the legendary Ralph McQuarrie and Academy Award-winning artist, author, and production designer, Doug Chiang.

While on the Disney+ home screen, the animated “Star Wars” brand tile, viewable on web and connected TV devices. Gets upgraded with a new animation that honors the signature hyperspace jump.

This new content joins a huge range of shows and movies available for people of all ages – including the latest releases like Avengers Endgame, Lion King, Captain Marvel, Black Panther and Aladdin, available for £5.99 per month, or £59.99 for a year.

In the Netherlands, the movie will launch on Disney+ on May 5 due to the Memorial Day holiday.

So, keep up to date with everything How To Kill An Hour by signing up to our newsletter by clicking here!

Also, let us know what you think of the show by clicking here!

Click here to subscribe to our YouTube Channel to see more amazing ways to kill time!

Follow us on Twitch by clicking here!

Create The Perfect Gaming Room

If you love to game, and you are hoping to make it even more of your life, then one of the first things you should think about doing is creating a proper gaming area in your home. No matter the size of your home or who you share it with, you should be able to do this, even if it is just a modest corner of a room. Of course, it would be better if you can do it with a whole room, and some of the suggestions here will assume that you are changing an entire room into a gaming den – but you can still take these suggestions on board for smaller projects. Let’s look at how to create the perfect gaming room in your home.

Ps4 Control Pad How To Kill An Hour

Limiting Distractions

If you want it to really work as a gaming den, you need to make sure that you are limiting any distractions from outside the room as best as you can. Part of that might have to do with placement, which is why for some people they might choose to go for a man cave style space, or even something like a garden shed. However, even a bedroom or a spare room can be utilised in such a way that the distractions are kept to a minimum. You can even get soundproofing for walls which is very affordable and put that up – which also helps to keep you from distracting others in the house as well.

Another way to limit distractions is to be careful about the layout of the room, regarding any windows or doors. You don’t want to shut yourself in from the world entirely, but it is a good idea to think about whether the placement of the screen is going to be suitable considering where the windows and doors are. You don’t want to be distracted in the middle of an engrossing MMORPG, so this is really something to think about in the early stages of the design of your gaming room.

Creating Comfort

If you are going to sit in the gaming room for many hours each day, you need to make sure that you are going to be as comfortable as possible. Creating comfort in the room is something that you can do easily enough and in fact you have many options for how you are going to do this. For one thing, you might want to think about splashing out on a full gamer’s chair, which is likely going to be one of the more expensive things you will buy, but will also provide you with a lot of comfort. If you are keen to not overspend, however, you would be better off with something like a bean bag chair, which can be just as comfortable and yet won’t cost you a huge amount of money. If you look at some of the best bean bag chairs for gaming, you will see that there are actually many to choose from.

But creating comfort is about more than where you sit. You also want to generally make the room just much more comfortable however you can, which could include basically anything that might make it a bit more like a normal living room. Bear in mind that you might want to have your friends round to play with you – so having an armchair and a sofa too might be a good idea, so everyone can stay comfortable.

The Tech

The exciting part for most people is the tech setup, as this is where the actual magic happens. Most gamers would agree that a bigger television or screen is better, so that is probably the first thing to try and find. You can do that fairly inexpensively by looking into whether anyone in your local area is selling a screen second-hand. Often you can get hold of one for very little money that way. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy – anything with an HDMI slot or two and a big screen is likely going to be suitable.

You might also have a range of consoles, or a computer too, and you will need to find some kind of setup where you can easily switch between them all at will. That should be easy enough to do, but consider whether there is a particular console that you tend to use more than others. As long as you have thought about that, you should be able to create a much more enticing and enthralling gaming experience for yourself.

 

Add An Alarm Clock

You may not think that an alarm clock has a place in a gaming room, but hear me out! When you get into a new game, you can lose time. Haven’t we all been there where we’ve been playing The SIMS or checking out Wonga games and all of a sudden six hours are gone? It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the game you’re playing, and it’s a good thing as it means you’re invested and you’re having fun.

 

If you add an alarm clock, you’re imposing a limit on yourself so that you’re going to be able to get off the game. You probably don’t think you need one, but believe us when we say the rabbit hole of gaming is a deep one! If you plan to play for money, an alarm clock will jolt you out after an hour or so, and you will be able to put a limit on your spending this way, too. Don’t be afraid to get a nice loud one, or you can go one better and have Alexa tell you when it’s time to come off the games!

 

Episode 356 Russell Kane

Disney Plus Heads To NOW TV!

We all love Disney here at How To Kill An Hour and we also love Sky programming, well today they have enhanced their partnership. As the Disney+ app will also launch on the NOW TV platform. Those who have the NOW TV device will have the option to download the Disney Plus app. Giving NOW TV device customers the option to watch a whole host of brand new shows including The Mandalorian, High School Musical: The Musical: The SeriesThe World According to Jeff Goldblum and more.

With the arrival of the Disney+ app, customers can now enjoy Disney’s new streaming service alongside NOW TV’s slate of Sky originals, award winning box sets, blockbuster movies and favourite Kids shows. This new addition broadens the range of content available on our NOW TV devices and helps to further simplify the struggle of navigating multiple TV inputs to find what you want to watch.” Marina Storti, Managing Director, NOW TV

So, NOW TV devices customers can now download the app from the app store and simply sign in to their Disney+ account to begin watching.

Disney Plus joins the NOW TV app store alongside a range of other additions. Such as Roku Channel, Netflix, All 4, ITV Hub, YouTube and many more!

What can I watch?

  • With over 500 films, 26 exclusive original movies and series and thousands of television episodes from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic and more, Disney+ is the streaming home for some of the world’s most beloved stories
  • Also, Disney+ Originals include: The Mandalorian – the finale is fast approaching, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, and Elephant
  • Some highlights: Cool Runnings, Sister Act, all of the Avengers, X-Men, Mrs Doubtfire, Inside Out, Finding Dory and Toy Story. But as I say, there’s something in the service for all ages – children, adults, families…

Summary of product facts:

  • Seven day free trial
  • £5.99 per month, or £59.99 for 12 months (this makes it £4.99 per month) – flexible contract, you can cancel at any time
  • Stream in SD, HD or Ultra HD
  • People can have seven profiles and can select that to be a kids account and choose profile icons from a vast range
  • You can stream four streams concurrently

Keep up to date with everything How To Kill An Hour by signing up to our newsletter by clicking here!

So, let us know what you think of the show by clicking here!

Click here to subscribe to our YouTube Channel to see more amazing ways to kill time!

Also, follow us on Twitch by clicking here!

Beyond Blue – Ocean Exploration

Beyond Blue looks like a fantastic ocean adventure game. It’s set against the near future backdrop of Earth’s oceans. Beyond Blue will offer scientific support of real world exploration and outreach initiative, Ocean X, embracing it’s minimally invasive exploration techniques.

Beyond Blue will tell the story of a crew of scientists, led by oceanographers Mirai and Andre. They are keen to test their Ocean Sense Network. This holds the power to literally shine a light on the unexplored depths of the ocean.

The game will also focus on the Western Pacific ocean amid a large multispecies gathering of cetaceans and other creatures. You will play as Mirai to use the technology to better understand the urgent threats that our oceans face. Beyond Blue will also feature never before seen footage licensed from BBC Studios’ Blue Planet II. Furthermore it will help to expand upon the game’s story, educating players on the social and emotional lives of whales.

Beyond Blue Development Team Says….

“We are extremely excited to share Beyond Blue with everyone,”

“We have taken care to craft a visual and audio experience that immerses players in the beauty of the ocean and the amazing creatures that inhabit it, while hopefully doing so with some interpretation and artistry.”

“Players will explore diverse environments ranging from a sun-dappled, oasis-like atoll down through the gauzy blue ‘twilight’ zone where only the faintest amount of light reaches to the midnight of the abyssal zone, where rarely seen creatures produce their own light in an environment otherwise devoid of light.” Michael Angst, CEO, E-Line Media, Creative Director for Beyond Blue.

So, keep up to date with everything How To Kill An Hour by signing up to our newsletter by clicking here!

Also, et us know what you think of the show by clicking here!

Click here to subscribe to our YouTube Channel to see more amazing ways to kill time!

While you’re there, follow us on Twitch by clicking here!