Stream: Resources
Mystery Science Theater 3000 Thanksgiving Day Marathon Stream and Kickstarter Campaign
Stream on Pluto TV, Yahoo, and BringBackMST3K.com
MST3K fans have several streaming and on demand options, but the best bet for the live stream on Thanksgiving might be the new Pluto TV channel on the Roku Streaming Device.
References to Mystery Science Theater 3000 are often the most active posts on our Facebook page, and the recent news about the successful MST3K Kickstarter campaign was no exception. As it stands now, show co-creator Joel Hodgson and his colleagues have raised over 2 million dollars, enough to produce at least 3 new episodes. The ultimate goal is to raise 5.5 million dollars by December 11 to produce a full season of 12 episodes. A breakdown on how they plan to use the funds can be found at the Kickstarter page.
Meanwhile, MST3K‘s video distributors Shout Factory will collaborate with video streaming channels to continue the time honored tradition of a MST3K Turkey Day Marathon on Thanksgiving Day. A livestream of the Marathon will be available through Pluto TV, and a slightly different on-demand version will be available on Yahoo. For complete list of ways to watch the Marathon on computers, smart TVs, and streaming devices, consult the Kickstarter page FAQ.
Coincidentally (or not?) this week Pluto TV launched its channel for the Roku Streaming Device, which readers know has become my go-to device for streaming and “cord-cutting.” Generally speaking, the new Roku channel is an improvement over watching Pluto TV with a Chromecast and the Pluto TV Android app. Once it starts up, the Roku channel is easier to navigate than the Chromecast, even though the Roku experience does have its own navigation and interface quirks. The image quality on the Roku, especially on the MST3K stream, is noticeably better than the Chromecast experience, so the Roku will be my device of choice on Thanksgiving Day.
The image quality for both the Roku Pluto TV channel and the Chromecast still fall below expectations for image purists, however. In many ways this doesn’t really matter for MST3K, which often features not-so-great video masters of not-so-great transfers in the first place. The best way to stream MST3K in terms of image quality is on Shout Factory’s own Roku channel, Shout Factory TV, which is one of the best free (ad-supported) streaming channels currently available. Shout Factory TV has an ongoing rotation of MST3K titles, and it introduces 2 new titles each month. But Shout Factory TV does not have the capacity for live streaming. So if you want to watch the MST3K Turkey Day livestream, I’d recommend the Pluto TV Roku channel. If you just want to revisit (or catch up with) some MST3K with a much better image quality, I’d recommend the Shout Factory TV Roku channel (on any day, not just Thanksgiving).
Meanwhile, you don’t have to wait until Thanksgiving Day for a MST3K marathon. Pluto TV consists series of curated channels organized around various themes and topics. One such channel (#545) at the time of this post is currently dedicated to an ongoing stream of MST3K episodes. You can “tune in” to channel 545 regardless of what device you’re using: computer, smart TV, X-Box, Chromecast, or Roku. Pluto TV also dedicates channels to classic TV (70s, 80s, and 90s shows), music (Top 40, individual genres, individual artists), and other themes and topics (anime, kung-fu, nerd culture, late night comedy highlights, etc.). You’ll find some additional channels on the web version of Pluto TV that you won’t find on the streaming device apps (just in case you’re wondering where the “100s of channels” advertised are); those channels can be streamed to your television from a Chrome browser through a Chromecast. All of this is free, but Pluto TV is ad supported (I don’t find the ads too intrusive). You’ll find that many of the channels are simply curated from different already available web resources, especially YouTube.
Interestingly, the processing power needed for the Pluto TV Roku channel must be a bit too much for older Roku boxes (or newer Roku devices with limited power) to handle. I’m able to install Pluto TV on my Roku 3, but not my Roku 2 (even with a system update to both devices released this week). I’ve been happy holding on to my Roku 2 despite it’s slower response and outdated Netflix interface, but this is the first time I haven’t been able to install a channel that I’ve wanted on it. Keep this in mind as you shop around this holiday season: if you’re not going for the Roku 4 (and not everyone will need to), you probably shouldn’t go lower than a Roku 3.
As I finish typing this, the Eggah episode of MST3K has started on Pluto TV, so I should go now and enjoy a snowy afternoon of bad cinema.