Podcast #1148: 2024 TV Season Wrap Up

On this week's show you get what you pay for! Ara's experience buying cheap automated wall plugs. Plus we wrap up the 2024 TV season and read your emails and take a look at the week's news.

News:

• Roku Said to Be in the Running to Take Over the MLB 'Sunday Leadoff' Game Package From Peacock | Next TV
• YouTube TV starting to roll out Multiview on Android phones, tablets
• Peacock Hikes Price $2 Ahead of Paris Summer Olympics
• Fubo's Warner Bros. Beef Worsens -- TLC, HGTV and Other Discovery Networks Blacked Out on vMVPD | Next TV

Other:

• 'Life of Pi' director abandons 3D and HFR: "Whole ecosystem is bad" - FlatpanelsHD
• How Las Vegas' Sphere Actually Works

You get what you pay for!

Recently I purchased some thread based wall plugs to turn a night light on at sunset and off at sunrise. It was an extremely inexpensive Wemo plug that ran on thread. I was excited because thread based products are extremely fast and reliable. Well that's what I thought.

Wemo Smart Plug with Thread - I bought them for $80 for a four pack. You can get them for $30 individually.

• I deployed four, Two lose connection with the thread router every few days. Unplug and plug back in and repeat.
• Two are rock solid
• Belkin Customer Service won't refund my money because its well past the 30 days.
• No info on a firmware update
• Useless product!

GE CYNC Indoor Smart Plug, Matter Compatible $30 for three pack

• This product has no support for Homekit so this was a good test to see if a Matter plug would work in an Homekit environment.
• Connecting to my home is just as easy as a Homekit device.
• Worked for three days and then disconnected. Unplug and plug back in did nothing. Did full reset and the device can not be added to homekit or GE Cync app. DOA
• Added a second plug to my home. Just as easy as the first. Three days later, we are still in business.
• I have not contacted customer support.
• Other than the device failing, connecting a matter plug to Homekit was trivial.

Eve Energy - (Matter Compatible) $40

• I currently have four plugs deployed for six months
• They are connected using thread and bluetooth
• Super fast and super reliable
• You get what you pay for

2024 TV Season Wrap Up

Although this year's TV Season got a late start, we did have one however short it was. It seems like we just got new episodes and now we are looking at season finales. But even with shortened TV seasons, executives have to make tough decisions on what shows get another season and which ones say good-bye. The following is what TV Line is reporting for the end of the 2024 Television Season:

ABC

• 9-1-1: Officially renewed for Season 8
• Abbott Elementary: Officially renewed for Season 4.
• The Conners: A safe bet.
• The Good Doctor: Officially canceled; series finale airs this Spring.
• Grey's Anatomy: Officially renewed for Season 21.
• Not Dead Yet: Could go either way.
• The Rookie: Officially renewed for Season 7
• Station 19: Officially canceled; series finale airs this Spring.
• Will Trent: Officially renewed for Season 3

CBS

• Blue Bloods: Officially canceled; series finale airs in Fall 2024.
• Bob Hearts Abishola: Officially canceled; series finale airs May 6.
• CSI: Vegas: Officially canceled.
• The Equalizer: Officially renewed for Season 5
• Elsbeth: Officially renewed for Season 2
• FBI: Officially renewed (through Season 9)
• FBI: International: Officially renewed for Season 4
• FBI: Most Wanted: Officially renewed for Season 6
• Fire Country: Officially renewed for Season 3
• Ghosts: Officially renewed for Season 4
• NCIS: Officially renewed for Season 22
• NCIS: Hawai'i: Officially canceled.
• The Neighborhood: Officially renewed for Season 7
• So Help Me Todd: Officially canceled.
• S.W.A.T.: Officially uncancelled, renewed for Season 8
• Tracker: Officially renewed for Season 2
• Young Sheldon: Officially canceled; series finale airs May 16; spinoff ordered

FOX

• 9-1-1: Lone Star: Season 5 delayed until Fall 2024.
• Accused: Too early to tell.
• Alert: Missing Persons Unit: Too early to tell.
• Animal Control: Officially renewed for Season 3.
• Bob's Burgers: Officially renewed for Season 15.
• The Cleaning Lady: Could go either way.
• Family Guy: Officially renewed for Season 23.
• The Great North: Could go either way.
• Grimsburg: Officially renewed for Season 2.
• HouseBroken: In perpetual limbo.
• Krapopolis: Officially renewed for Seasons 2 and 3.
• The Simpsons: Officially renewed for Season 36.

NBC

• Chicago Fire: Officially renewed.
• Chicago Med: Officially renewed.
• Chicago P.D.: Officially renewed.
• Extended Family: Could go either way.
• Found: Officially renewed for Season 2.
• The Irrational: Officially renewed for Season 2.
• Law & Order: Officially renewed.
• Law & Order: Organized Crime: A safe bet.
• Law & Order: SVU: Officially renewed.
• Lopez vs. Lopez: Could go either way.
• Night Court: A safe bet.
• Quantum Leap: Officially canceled.

The CW

• All American: Too early to tell.
• All American: Homecoming: Too early to tell
• Sight Unseen: Too early to tell
• Sullivan's Crossing: Officially renewed for Season 2.
• Superman & Lois: Officially canceled; final season premiere date TBD.
• Walker: Too early to tell.
• Wild Cards: Could go either way.