Fire up the TV: Here’s what to stream in April

Don’t want to waste precious time looking for something to watch? Let me point you straight to the good stuff! Here’s everything new this month that’s worth a stream.

Netflix

Hello, black leather, bullets and Keanu: All three “Matrix” movies are on Netflix this month. If that’s not your bag, “Happy Gilmore” with Adam Sandler is always a hole-in-one. Or treat the kids to “Hotel Transylvania” (and then “Hotel Transylvania 2”).

Watch for new seasons of “The Circle,” “Heartbreak High,” “Spirit Rangers” and “As the Crow Flies.” Oh, and don’t forget all four seasons of the adventure series “Black Sails.” No need to pirate it!

Hulu

Lots of cool movies hitting Hulu this month, including the star-packed thriller “Don’t Worry Darling,” the Coen brothers’ classic “The Big Lebowski” and DC Comics blockbuster “Wonder Woman.”

As for series, check out new seasons of “We’re Here” and “Ugliest House in America” — you know, for when you wanna feel better about your fixer‑upper.

Amazon Prime Video

You’ve got the ‘80s classic “Top Gun,” the ‘90s hit “Titanic” and the 2015 Bond flick “Spectre.” Or pay homage to the ‘70s with the latest movie in the “Exorcist” franchise, “The Exorcist: Believer.” Thanks, I’ll pass.

As far as shows go, your best bets are all seasons of “House” and the latest video-game-to-TV adaptation, “Fallout.” I swear there’s a new adaptation of something every day.

Max

If you have an extra 20 hours on your hands, binge all eight “Harry Potter” movies on Max this month. There’s a ton of other great stuff, like this year’s Oscar-winning “The Zone of Interest” and 2003 classic “Lost in Translation.” Ooh, maybe I’ll watch that when I’m missing Japan.

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Want better streaming suggestions? Try these hacks

I watched one episode of “Is it Cake?” on Netflix. Spoiler: Everything is cake, and it’s totally not for me. And wouldn’t you know it, it’s completely wrecked my streaming recommendations — and I’m guessing yours aren’t much better.

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YouTube trick: There might be a good reason you need a solid screenshot of a single frame of a YouTube video. Now, it’s easy to do. Pause the video, right-click on it and select Copy video frame. Sweet! Just paste it into a chat, image editor or document.

Once upon a crime: Netflix’s new true-crime miniseries, “Baby Reindeer,” is getting rave reviews. Scottish comedian Richard Gadd wrote and stars in the retelling of his own real-life stalker story. After giving her a free cup of tea, Gadd’s stalker barraged him with 40,000 emails and countless X posts and voicemails over five years. Could you imagine?

Trivia

So you want to make money with YouTube. What’s the best time to post your video masterpiece to give it the best chance of going viral? Is it … 7 a.m., 9 a.m., 1 p.m. or 7 p.m.?

Find the answer here

300M Spotify streams of Taylor Swift’s new album

“The Tortured Poets Department” set a new record high on its release day, along with these Spotify records: Most streams of a single artist in one day, most streams of a song in one day (“Fortnight”) and most gossip in one day. I made that one up, but I bet it’s true.

Forget it, I beg of you

You once had a weird rash, and now it’s haunting your search history. Or maybe you looked up a tutorial to fix the dishwasher … and YouTube won’t stop recommending more fix-it vids.

Next time, search in Incognito mode from your phone. Here’s how:

  • Open the YouTube app.
  • Tap your profile picture in the top right of the screen, then tap Turn on Incognito.

FYI, this feature only works when you’re signed in to the YouTube app. It prevents your watch history, searches and other activities from being saved to your profile.

7 ways to stop paying so much on streaming every dang month

Five years ago, Netflix, Disney+ and Hulu with Live TV would cost you around $56 a month. Not bad! Today, the exact services will run you over $106. How’s that for outrageous?

New research shows we’re more cutthroat than ever about what we pay to stream. Let’s look at some clever ways people save so you can, too!

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Ahoy, matey! Streaming costs are bringing back piracy

How much do pirates pay for corn? A buck-an-ear! How much do they pay for streaming services? Uh, they don’t.

On a recent Friday podcast, Andrew mentioned all the services he subscribes to to watch football. A reader sent a note with a suggestion: “Just watch on an illegal streaming site. Oh, and be careful what you click.”

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9.3M new subscribers for Netflix

In the first quarter of 2024, bringing the platform’s global total to 270 million. Netflix execs are stopping sharing subscriber numbers. My guess: They’re reaching saturation, and soon, there’ll be nowhere for these numbers to go but down.

Trivia

Lots of us spend a ton of money on streaming (but not everyone). What percentage of American TV viewers watch ad-supported streaming TV every week? Is it … A.) 10%, B.) 25%, C.) 50% or D.) 75%?

Find the answer here

This is so Goofy: Starting in June, no more sharing Disney+ passwords. Why? The Mouse needs the money. Netflix immediately added 9 million subscribers and 8% more revenue when it cracked down on password sharing.

Calling all night owls: Have an older Roku model and a house full of light sleepers? Upgrade to the Voice Remote Pro (on sale right now) and get Headphone mode. Plug in your headphones, and enjoy the full sound of your favorite show without waking anyone up. Sweet!

We may receive a commission when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

I’m livestreaming today at 11:30 a.m. Pacific (2:30 p.m. Eastern). Come watch on YouTube, Rumble or Facebook. Tell me your best (pod-friendly) joke — I might just read it on the air!

Watch this: Roku’s latest terms of service update slaps a big box right over content — unless you hit “Agree.” If and when you do, you’re saying you won’t sue Roku. The real kicker? Opting out requires mailing a letter. So tricky.

Apple TV+ usually sticks with its roster of exclusive shows. But for the next month, subscribers can stream 50 limited-time studio films, including some not available on other subscription services, like “Captain Phillips,” “The Accountant” and “Argo.” (Tempted? New subs are $9.99 monthly after a free seven-day trial.)

Netflix and bill: It’s that time again! Streaming giant Netflix is bumping up its prices. Analysts say the cheapest ad-free plan is soaring to $17.49. Entry-level with ads? $7.99. And for 4K subscribers? Get ready to pony up as much as $25.99 per month. Gulp.

Trivia

Blockbuster had around 9,000 video-rental stores worldwide at its peak. When it filed for bankruptcy in 2010, it had just 1,700 stores. How many are open today: One, 10, 18 or 30?

Find the answer here

Trivia

The domain name for YouTube.com was registered on February 14 in which year: A.) 1995, B.) 2000, C.) 2005 or D.) 2012?

Find the answer here

🏀 This takes balls: Finally, we won’t need to pay a bunch of different streamers for sports. ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery announced an all-in-one sports streaming service, packing 14 networks and ESPN+. Coming this fall, priced above $40 monthly