Slashdot Asks: Your Favorite 2025 Movies, TV Shows and Books?
Another year wraps up, and with it comes the annual ritual of taking stock. What were the movies, TV shows and books from this year that stood out to you? Not necessarily the ones that dominated conversation or topped charts, but the ones you found yourself recommending to friends, or returning to for a second watch or read.

Share your picks and, if you’r … ⌘ Read more

Americans Are Watching Fewer New TV Shows and More Free TV
Americans are settling into streaming habits that should worry Hollywood executives, as new Nielsen data analyzed by Bloomberg reveals that not a single new original series cracked the top 10 most-watched streaming shows in 2025 – the first time this has happened since Nielsen began publishing streaming data in 2020.

The shift extends beyond origi … ⌘ Read more

Did Tim Cook Post AI Slop in His Christmas Message Promoting ‘Pluribus’?
Artist Keith Thomson is a modern (and whimsical) Edward Hopper. And Apple TV says he created the “festive artwork” shared on X by Apple CEO Tim Cook on Christmas Eve, “made on MacBook Pro.”

Its intentionally-off picture of milk and cookies was meant to tease the season finale of Pluribus. (“Merry Christmas Eve, Carol…” Cook had p … ⌘ Read more

What Rules Govern Hallmark Christmas Movies?
Hallmark has released more than 300 Christmas-themed TV movies since 2000, and a detailed internal rulebook obtained by film data analyst Stephen Follows explains how the company manages to produce nearly one new holiday film per week during the final quarter of each year without the whole operation collapsing into creative chaos.

The document, referred to as Hallmark’s “bible … ⌘ Read more

YouTube Has a Firm Grip on Daytime TV
YouTube has been winning the streaming wars for years, but its real competitive advantage comes not from prime-time viewing but from its stranglehold on daytime hours when Americans are meditating, exercising, cooking, or simply looking for background noise. At 11 a.m. in October, YouTube commanded an average audience of 6.3 million viewers compared to Netflix’s 2.8 million, according to Nielsen dat … ⌘ Read more

2025 Was the Beginning of the End of the TV Brightness War
The television industry’s brightness war may have hit its inflection point in 2025, the year TCL and Hisense released the first consumer TVs capable of 5,000 nits under specific settings – a figure that would have seemed absurd not long ago when manufacturers struggled to reach 2,000 nits. LG introduced Primary RGB Tandem OLED technology, moving fr … ⌘ Read more

LG Will Let TV Owners Delete Microsoft Copilot After Customer Outcry
LG said it will let owners of its TVs delete Microsoft’s Copilot shortcut after several reports highlighted the unremovable icon. In a statement to The Verge, LG says the company “respects consumer choice and will take steps to allow users to delete the shortcut icon if they wish.” From the report: Last week, a user on the r/mildlyinfuriating s … ⌘ Read more

Judge Hints Vizio TV Buyers May Have Rights To Source Code Licensed Under GPL
A California judge signaled support for forcing Vizio to provide the full source code for its SmartCast TV software after finding a contractual obligation under the GPL. If upheld, the case could strengthen users’ rights to modify GPL-licensed software embedded in consumer electronics. The Register reports: The legal comp … ⌘ Read more

The Oscars Will Abandon Broadcast TV For YouTube In 2029
The Academy has struck a multi-year deal to move the Oscars to YouTube starting in 2029, ending decades on ABC and making the ceremony free to stream worldwide with YouTube holding exclusive global rights. Variety reports: The Oscars, including red carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes content and Governors Ball, will be available live and for free on YouTube to vie … ⌘ Read more

Texas Sues TV Makers For Taking Screenshots of What People Watch
mprindle writes: The Texas Attorney General sued five major television manufacturers, accusing them of illegally collecting their users’ data by secretly recording what they watch using Automated Content Recognition (ACR) technology.

The lawsuits target Sony, Samsung, LG, and China-based companies Hisense and TCL Technology Group Corporation. Att … ⌘ Read more

LG’s Software Update Forces Microsoft Copilot Onto Smart TVs
LG smart TV owners discovered over the weekend that a recent webOS software update had quietly installed Microsoft Copilot on their devices, and the app cannot be uninstalled. Affected users report the feature appears automatically after installing the latest webOS update on certain models, sitting alongside streaming apps like Netflix and YouTub … ⌘ Read more

@aelaraji@aelaraji.com Yes, exactly. It also blows my mind that with sooo much less budget and equipment, her videos are way superior to productions of big TV stations.

Cable Channel Subscribers Grew For the First Time In 8 Years Last Quarter
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: On Monday, research analyst MoffettNathanson released its “Cord-Cutting Monitor Q3 2025: Signs of Life?” report. It found that the pay TV operators, including cable companies, satellite companies, and virtual multichannel video programming distributors (vMVPDs) like … ⌘ Read more

Watch Charlie Brown Christmas for Free on December 13 & 14 with Apple TV
The Christmas classic movie “A Charlie Brown Christmas” will be free to watch on the Apple TV service on this coming weekend of December 13 and 14. The classic cartoon follows a child who is upset about the commercialization of Christmas, and features the entire Snoopy gang. It’s a family favorite, and many people have … [Read More](https://osxdaily.com/2025/12/10/watch-charlie-brown-ch … ⌘ Read more

Frank Finger and beloved muster dog Annie’s emotional final TV appearance
From hit series Muster Dogs to a new television show, Frank Finger and his beloved kelpie Annie’s unbreakable bond steals the spotlight once again. ⌘ Read more

Benin coup attempt foiled by loyalist troops, minister says on state TV
A presidential adviser has told the BBC that President Talon is safe and is at the French embassy. ⌘ Read more

Lyon ‘absolutely filthy’ as English star says shock dropping helped his rhythm
Nathan Lyon speaks during an awkward TV interview as Zak Crawley says the spinner’s omission helped the English batter find his rhythm. ⌘ Read more

The Studio to The Golden Bachelor: Our favourite new TV shows in 2025
From a send-up of Hollywood studios to a chilling depiction of violence and masculinity to an age-appropriate reality TV romance, these are our favourite TV shows of 2025. ⌘ Read more

Watch Charlie Brown Christmas for Free on December 13 & 14 with Apple TV
The Christmas classic movie “A Charlie Brown Christmas” will be free to watch on the Apple TV service on the weekend of December 13 and 14. The classic cartoon follows a child who is upset about the commercialization of Christmas, and features the entire Snoopy gang. It’s a family favorite, and many people have fond … [Read More](https://osxdaily.com/2025/12/03/watch-charlie-brown-chris … ⌘ Read more

The Papers: ‘No justice’ over Hillsborough and ‘Holly’s guilt over crash’
Wednesday’s front pages focus on the Hillsborough disaster report and the fine given to TV presenter Holly Willoughby for driving without due care. ⌘ Read more

Presenter Woods ‘OK’ after collapsing on TV
Presenter Laura Woods says she is “OK” after collapsing while leading television coverage of England’s friendly against Ghana on Tuesday. ⌘ Read more

SmartTube YouTube App For Android TV Breached To Push Malicious Update
An anonymous reader quotes a report from BleepingComputer: The popular open-source SmartTube YouTube client for Android TV was compromised after an attacker gained access to the developer’s signing keys, leading to a malicious update being pushed to users. The compromise became known when multiple users reported that Play Protect, And … ⌘ Read more

Netflix Kills Casting From Phones
An anonymous reader writes: Netflix has removed the ability to cast shows and movies from phones to TVs, unless subscribers are using older casting devices. An updated help page on Netflix’s website, first reported by Android Authority, says that the streaming service “no longer supports casting shows from a mobile device to most TVs and TV-streaming devices,” and instead directs users to navigate … ⌘ Read more

The last man on the moon: Can you ace this week’s history quiz?
From reality TV and heist movie remakes to man’s last step on the moon — how well do you know this week in history? ⌘ Read more

Plex Is Now Enforcing Remote Play Restrictions On TVs
Plex is beginning to enforce new restrictions on remote streaming for its TV apps, requiring either a Plex Pass or the cheaper Remote Watch Pass to watch media from servers outside your home network. How-To Geek reports: Plex is now rolling out the remote watch changes to its Roku TV app. This means that you will need a Plex Pass or Remote Watch Pass for your … ⌘ Read more

Fingerprints, fibres and DNA: Do you know forensic facts from fiction?
Forensics has provided the biggest breakthrough in criminal justice in the last century. It’s also become the perfect subject matter for TV crime shows. But do you know forensic facts from fiction? Take our quiz to find out. ⌘ Read more

Father Ted creator Graham Linehan cleared of harassing trans woman
The Irish co-creator of the British TV comedy show Father Ted has been found guilty of damaging the phone of a trans woman but cleared of harassing her by posting comments about her online. ⌘ Read more

Lenovo Stockpiling PC Memory Due To ‘Unprecedented’ AI Squeeze
Lenovo is stockpiling memory and other critical components to navigate a supply crunch brought on by the boom in AI. From a report: The world’s biggest PC maker is holding on to component inventories that are roughly 50% higher than usual, [non-paywalled source] Chief Financial Officer Winston Cheng told Bloomberg TV on Monday. The frenzy to build and f … ⌘ Read more

Amazon Kicks Off Black Friday Sale With Major Discounts on Apple Accessories, TVs, and More
Black Friday deals have begun, and Amazon is one of the best places you can find steep discounts on numerous products this week. We’ve already collected all of the best Apple-related deals you’ll find at Amazon (and other retailers) in our [Apple Black Friday Deals](https://www.macrumors.com … ⌘ Read more

Future Google TV Devices Might Come With a Solar-powered Remote
An anonymous reader shares a report: Epishine, a company that makes solar cells optimized for indoor lighting, has announced its technology is being used in a new remote control for Google TV devices, as spotted by 9to5Google. The remote will rely on rechargeable batteries instead of disposable ones, and thanks to the use of solar cells on both sid … ⌘ Read more

Disney Loses Bid To Block Sling TV’s One-Day Cable Passes
A federal judge in New York denied Disney’s request to block Sling TV’s short-term passes, which give viewers the ability to stream live content for as little as one day. From a report: In a ruling on Tuesday, US District Judge Arun Subramanian ruled that Disney didn’t prove that Sling TV’s passes caused “irreparable harm” to the entertainment giant, a … ⌘ Read more

‘Talking To Windows’ Copilot AI Makes a Computer Feel Incompetent’
Microsoft’s Copilot AI assistant in Windows 11 fails to replicate the capabilities shown in the company’s TV advertisements. The Verge tested Copilot Vision over a week using the same prompts featured in ads airing during NFL games. When asked to identify a HyperX QuadCast 2S microphone visible in a YouTube video – a task successfully completed i … ⌘ Read more

YouTube TV and Disney Reach Deal Ending Two-Week Blackout of ESPN, ABC
YouTube TV and Disney have ended their two-week carriage standoff, restoring ESPN, ABC, and other Disney networks under a new multiyear deal. Variety reports: Under the new agreement, ESPN’s full lineup of sports – including content from ESPN Unlimited – will be made available on YouTube TV to base-plan subscribers at no addi … ⌘ Read more

Only Half the Homes in America Have Cable TV Anymore
Pay television penetration in American households fell to 50.2% in the third quarter and is projected to drop to 50% or lower by December, according to Madison and Wall, a technology and media advisory firm. Fifteen years ago, nearly nine in ten households subscribed to pay television services.

The decline has prompted major media companies to shed cable asset … ⌘ Read more

Where Have All the TV Cameras Gone?
TV manufacturers are abandoning their attempts to turn TVs into interactive social devices through smart cameras. Sky announced this month that it will discontinue Sky Live, a camera accessory for its Sky Glass televisions that brought video calls, body-tracked workouts, and motion games to the living room. The device will stop working at the beginning of December. Sky will brick the cameras and … ⌘ Read more

Netflix’s New Era of TV Games Starts Now
Netflix is launching a new slate of TV-streamed party games that are all playable using your phone as the controller. The Verge reports: To start, Netflix is offering Boggle Party, Party Crasher: Fool Your Friends, Lego Party, Pictionary: Game Night, and Tetris Time Warp. A social deduction game based on the Knives Out series, Dead Man’s Party: A Knives Out Game, is also part of this new slate … ⌘ Read more

Analysing Hitler’s DNA for a TV gimmick tells us nothing useful
To understand Adolf Hitler, we need to look at his personal life and the wider societal and historical context - analysing his DNA for a TV gimmick tells us nothing, says Michael Le Page ⌘ Read more

Always sitting Infront of the TV ⌘ Read more

Amazon Steps Up Attempts To Block Illegal Sports Streaming Via Fire TV Sticks
Amazon is rolling out a tougher approach to combat illegal streaming, with the United States-based tech company aiming to block apps loaded onto all its Fire TV Stick devices that are identified as providing pirated content. From a report: Exclusive data provided to The Athletic from researchers YouGov Sport highlighted t … ⌘ Read more

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen.

Image

Back in January, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models “ [toward the end of the year](https://www.macru … ⌘ Read more

YouTube TV Blackout Is Costing Disney an Estimated $4.3 Million Per Day In Lost Revenue
Disney is losing an estimated $4.3 million per day (about $30 million per week) from the ongoing YouTube TV blackout of ESPN, ABC, and other networks amid a contract dispute over carriage fees. Of course, YouTube is also feeling financial pressure from users who have already canceled or intend to cancel … ⌘ Read more

Samsung Brings Generative AI-Powered Bixby To Its TVs
Samsung is rolling out new conversational AI across its 2025 TVs that lets users ask questions about what’s on the screen and beyond it. From a report: First announced in September, the generative AI update is rolling out now with support for several languages. Vision AI Companion is based on an upgraded, generative AI-based version of Samsung’s virtual assis … ⌘ Read more

Deutsch-österreichischer Doppelgänger: Der falsche Kurz
Für ein neues Talk-Format hat Welt-TV Sebastian Kurz eingeladen – den falschen. Der ist zwar auch Politiker, aber nicht „Austrias Next-Top-Kanzler“. mehr… ⌘ Read more

‘Breaking Bad’ Creator Hates AI, Promises New Show ‘Pluribus’ Was ‘Made By Humans’
The new series from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan, Pluribus, was emphatically made by humans, not AI, reports TechCrunch:

If you watched all the way to the end of the new Apple TV show “Pluribus,” you may have noticed an unusual disclaimer in the credits: “This show was made by humans.” That terse messa … ⌘ Read more

@prologic@twtxt.net nothing to be sorry about. It gave me time to watch TV with kids! 🤭

A rats to riches story: Larry the Downing Street cat finds place in TV spotlight
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Lego Unveils First-Ever Star Trek Set
New submitter semper_statisticum shares a report from the Independent: Lego is releasing its first-ever Star Trek-inspired model – with an incredible recreation of the signature ship from the ‘80s TV series. Made from 3,600 pieces, the [first-ever] Star Trek inspired Lego set is of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-D, the spaceship that serves as the main setting of Star Trek: The Next Generation … ⌘ Read more

43% of Gen Z Prefer YouTube and TikTok To Traditional TV and Streaming
A new Activate Consulting report reveals that 43% of Gen Z now prefer YouTube and TikTok over traditional TV or paid streaming. With global media revenues surging and traditional TV viewership collapsing, the average person now spends over 13 hours a day consuming content across platforms, effectively living a “32-hour day” th … ⌘ Read more

Why do some of us love AI, while others hate it? The answer is in how our brains perceive risk and trust
From ChatGPT crafting emails, to AI systems recommending TV shows and even helping diagnose disease, the presence of machine intelligence in everyday life is no longer science fiction. ⌘ Read more

Amazon to start blocking sideloaded piracy apps on Fire TVs
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