Flixed Newsletter 1 - Apr.14/2020

Here's How to Host a Netflix Live Stream Party

April 14, 2020

April 14, 2020

These are pretty lonely times without friends and family, but they don't have to be. Thanks to a number of different apps and services, you can now live stream or sync-stream Netflix, Hulu, and almost any streaming service with your friends and family, making it easy to have a watch party, even at a distance. This week, we dig into how to watch Netflix and other services with friends, including the two types of services currently handling this demand.

Streamer's Spotlight: Livestream or Sync-Stream with Friends and Family

Social distancing and shelter-at-home rules are still in place across most of the US and the world. For those following public health guidelines (please do), watch parties are on hold indefinitely. However, there are numerous apps and services currently on the market that allow you to live stream your streaming accounts to a limited number of people, or sync up your accounts to watch the same shows together at the same time.

Live Streaming Netflix and Other Services

One option to have watch parties at a distance is to use live streaming tools that offer limited viewership. That limitation is important to keep things out of a legal gray area, but also make it easy to watch pretty much any streaming service together with your friends or family.

Typically, these services will share your screen and audio with viewers in private rooms. They often come with integrated voice chat and text chat to make it to talk about what you're viewing as well in real-time.

The top options for live streaming options include:

Zoom offers the most number of simultaneous viewers, but the service has been under fire recently for its numerous security issues. Instead, you may want to opt for Discord, which was originally designed for gamers to voice and text chat but has rapidly expanded its userbase in the past year.

Sync-streaming Options for Netflix and Others

Sync-streaming (our in-house term, feel free to use it!) is watching a streamed show together, at the same time, from different locations. Different apps and services help coordinate the syncing process for you, so you don't have to try to have every one his the start button at the same time.

The key requirement for a sync-streaming app is that everyone has access to the streaming account. If you have an account that offers simultaneous streaming, that's easy enough to accomplish (though note that we already

last week).

The best services for sync-streaming include:

  • Netflix Party (only works for Netflix, as the name suggests)

  • Metastream (works with almost any service, including Hulu)

For more information, check out our guides on

and

.

This Week's Streaming Guide

1. Multiple Shows Launched on Quibi

Did you miss it? Quibi launched, and multiple new shows became available on Monday this week. Quibi is available with a 90-day free trial but is currently only available for Android mobile devices. -

2. 'Good Eats: Reloaded' Is Back for a Second Season

This quicky cooking show returned to TV last year and is now back for a second season, which premiered on Monday. Watch live or on-demand through the Cooking Channel. -

3. 'Deadliest Catch' Back for Season 16

The most popular fishing show on cable is back for a 16th season. Watch the new season of

Deadliest Catch

tonight at 8 PM EST on Discovery Channel. -

4. 'Bosch' Season 6 Available this Friday

The hit cop drama is back with a 6th season this Friday. Stream every episode on Amazon Prime Video. -

News and Industry Developments

1. Disney+ Has 50 Million+ Subscribers

For comparison, Netflix has 167 million but has been in the streaming game for much longer, highlighting the present popularity of Disney's streaming service. -

2. YouTube TV Finally Offering Dark Theme

Finally, you can watch YouTube TV without the white glare in the background. YouTube TV now has a dark theme for all subscribers. -

3. AT&T TV Now Had a $10 "Price Drop"

AT&T TV Now's PLUS package is now available for $10 less or $55 per month...but now comes without HBO, which you can add back in for an extra *drum rolls* $10 dollars per month. -

4. Poll Shows NFL Season Delay May Accelerate Cord-Cutting

The poll found 66% of respondents believe sports are a primary reason for signing up to traditional cable, meaning without sports more people may drop traditional cable TV. -

This Month's Featured Stream

disney-plus-channels

The best of Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. From new releases, to your favorite classics, and exclusive Originals, there's always something new to discover for all ages at $6.99/mo.

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