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Streaming Device Basics

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Streaming devices have the capability of allowing users to stream content from popular websites such as YouTube, Vimeo, Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, Google Play Play and Amazon. These devices are becoming increasingly popular among consumers because of their easy to use interfaces and high speed streaming capabilities. In 2013, ownership of these devices increased by nearly 20% in U.S. households.[1] Since their introduction, the functionally and affordability of these devices has improved dramatically. They have allowed TV sets access to millions of video content available online.

History

The tremendous increase in streaming media created the need for a device that could classify and stream content and watch television in a more efficient way. It has led to many consumers cutting cable and switching to streaming devices. Before the introduction of streaming devices, streaming content could only be watched on a TV by setting up a PC-TV connection. An HDMI or AVG cable was needed to allow the picture to be displayed on the TV. The setup was time consuming and inconvenient. Streaming device manufacturers saw a niche market to introduce streaming devices.

One of the first players to introduce streaming devices was Apple. The Apple TV was introduced in 2007. In 2009, Roku followed Apple and launched their device. Google entered the market in 2013. The last one to enter the market was Amazon with the Amazon Fire TV. Each of these devices have been evolving and have improved over time. The fight to gaining market share continues as these companies battle to offer a better TV experience.

Devices

Apple took Apple TV as a hobby at first

Amazon Fire Stick

On November 19, 2014, Amazon released a smaller version of the Fire TV called the Fire TV Stick. It is a HDMI-port plug-in device that replicates much of the functionality of the larger Fire TV. Its hardware is slightly different, it has 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of storage, weighs 0.9 oz. (25.1g) and the CPU is slower. The Fire Stick also has lower resolutions but should work with most 1080p model television and other devices. If you are looking for something with 4K television capabilities an upgrade to the larger Fire TV is necessary. The Fire TV Stick is bundled with a TV remote with voice search functionality on the remote itself and another without. Like many of Amazon's devices, the Fire Stick is marketed with Amazon's proprietary Ai system Alexa. Alexa is an artificial intelligence helper that can complete simple tasks such as a search function or relay information such as the current weather. To activate Alexa on the Fire Stick remote, simply hold on to the button with a microphone icon and say "Alexa" followed by a command. Both the Fire Stick and Fire TV requires a stable internet connection to be used. For easy set up please refer to the guide from Amazon's website. [2]

Apple TV

In 2013, before the introduction of Google’s Cromecast and Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV was the dominant streaming device on the market. Apple TV managed to capture 71% of the market share of streaming devices.[3] When Apple started the Apple TV project, it was taken as a hobby. The ‘hobby’ has paid off as apple has sold more than 20million[4] units and has profited 1 billion dollars from Apple TV in 2013.[5] Nowadays, Apple is aware that the Apple TV is a serious business opportunity. Apple will continue to spend research and development on Apple TV to better compete in the market and sustain their market share. You also have the ability to "airplay" from your iPhone which means that you can mirror your phone screen to the Apple TV.


Disadvantages

  • No access to Amazon Video
  • No voice search
  • No headphone jack
  • No access to Google Play
First device to use voice recognition to search

Amazon Fire TV

Amazon decided to enter the streaming device market on April 2014. They introduced the Amazon Fire TV as a platform in which they can display and sell Amazon video content. Amazon is the first streaming device to allow users to search based on voice. The remote control offers a speaker that searches content. Voice search is giving Amazon Fire TV an advantage among the other streaming devices.[6] Voice search might be adapted to the new versions of streaming devices on the market. The device offers 2GB of internal storage.

Disadvantages

  • No access to iTunes
  • No headphone jack
  • No access to Google Play
  • No screen mirroring
ChromeCast's lower price and features made it a #1 top seller at Amazon

ChromeCast

It was released in July 2013. When introduced, it was number one seller on amazon’s top seller electronics list. The device is sold for USD 35, which makes it really attractive for users.[7] The device is a stick that can be compared in size to a memory stick. The two inch stick gets connected to the TV by A HDMI slot. Uses home’s WiFy network to access online stored content. Content from a PC, Smartphone or tablet can be streamed on the TV. It uses a device such as a TV or Smartphone to browse the media and control playback.[8] Offers screen mirroring by displaying content from Google’s Chrome browser to the TV


Disadvantages

  • No access to iTunes
  • No access to Amazon Video
  • No remote control
  • No voice search
  • No headphone jack
  • Needs a supplementary device (pc, tablet or smartphone) to operate
Nexus Player
Raspberry Pi 2
Roku came up with the Roku stick to compete with Google's ChromeCast

Nexus Player

The Nexus Player is a digital media player co-developed by Google and Asus. It is the second media player in the Google Nexus family of consumer devices. Running the Android 5.0 ("Lollipop") operating system, it is the first device to employ the Android TV platform. The Nexus player supports Google Cast, the feature for selecting and controlling media playback on a television that was first introduced by Chromecast.[9]

Disadvantages

  • At launch, native app selection is abysmal compared with that of Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV.
  • Voice search doesn't yet include major third-party apps like Netflix or Hulu Plus.
  • Connectivity is sparse, with no Ethernet connection, and the 8GB of storage is too small for avid gamers. [10]

RASPBERRY PI 2 MODEL B

My personal favorite and for cheap on the budget streaming devices is Raspberry Pi 2. The Raspberry Pi 2 Model B is a simple, more powerful, upgrade to the original Pi that comes with a good range of bundled applications. The Pi 2 is great value at $35, but a number of additional items are needed to turn it into a fully functioning system.

Disadvantages

  • Requires various additional items before it's ready to run.
  • The Raspberry Pi must be programmed with a chosen operating system before it's ready for use.
  • Quick Start Guide is basic, and considerable digging is required to find vital information elsewhere.[11]

Roku

Roku has managed to have ~27% of the market share of streaming devices in 2013. Roku first introduced their device on May 2008. [12] They offer an innovative user interface that works by offering channels. In the Roku channel store, users are able to install and uninstall channels that show content from different sources.[13] The device comes with a remote to control playback. Some devices offer a headphone jack connector to allow users to watch content without disturbing others. There are currently four models to pick from the Roku store; the Roku Stick, Roku 1, Roku 2 and Roku 3. The price ranges from USD 49.99 to USD 99.99. [14]

The Roku box gives you access to Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu Plus, HBO Go, Pandora, Youtube, Vevo and so much more. [15] You have to have accounts with premium channels like Netflix and HBO Go in order to stream them.

Disadvantages

  • No access to iTunes
  • No screen mirroring
  • No voice search

Roku Stick

The device was introduced to the market in April 2014. It was made strictly to compete with Google’s Chromecast. Its introductory price was 49.99. Unlike the Chromecast, the Roku stick comes with a remote control.[16]

Gaming Hardware

Gaming systems also allow for video streaming. XBOX360, XBOXone, Wii and more allows for the usage of certain streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu. However, it is generally very limited to services since the service must offer a compatible application for these gaming devices.

Major developments

Binge On

In response to the influx of mobile users using streaming services, T-Mobile released their Binge On service. The service allows all T-Mobile users to have unlimited streaming for almost all streaming applications like Netflix and Hulu. the video is streamed at DVD quality of 480p, and will not use the users data. [17]

Services

Twitch.tv

Twitch.tv (Streaming application for Gamers)

Founded by Justin Kan and Emmett Shear in 2007, Twitch.tv was formally known as Justin.tv. It was a streaming application with several categories for users to browse. However, the gaming category quickly gained popularity and it completely overhauled the vision of the website, thus it was renamed Twitch.tv (taken from the term "Twitch Gameplay") to pursue a different goal and path. The success of Twitch.tv comes from humble background as the sure to fail application turned into a billion dollar asset. Twitch.tv was eventually sold to Amazon for $970 Million, with Google close in pursuit but failing to close a deal.[18]

Twitch.tv primarily focuses on the streaming of games. Gamers can easily stream their activities by downloading an application that allows for streaming to take place. Many game categories exist on their website and collectively, hundreds of thousands of users simultaneously watch streamers stream. Gaming events and competitions are usually watched through this source and Pro-gamers are often most viewed when events are not being held. There is a chatting system that exists between the viewers and the streamer that allows for an interactive environment.

Twitch.tv has been able to appeal to mass audiences for their appreciation of gaming, with many users taking advantage of this. Twitch has been made more accessible to users by actually partnering with Amazon Prime. Amazon Prime offers a free membership to Twitch when you link your accounts.

Azubu.tv

Azubu.tv

Azubu.tv was initially formed to rival Twitch.tv. It provides a very similar function with the hopes to obtain viewers on their website. Azubu also has unique partnership with teams and this helps to attract some viewers; however, the number of viewers are small compared to that of Twitch.tv. For now, Azubu.tv can only sit and watch in the shadow of Twitch.tv.

There have been numerous disputes between Azubu.tv and Twitch.tv. One of the most recent cases involved a Pro-Gamer named "Faker." Faker is a Pro-Gamer who is on a team that is affiliated with Azubu.tv. Due to the contract that specifically bounds Faker to streaming on Azubu.tv, a user clearly streamed Faker's games on Twitch.tv. This led to the dispute that ultimately won Azubu.tv the case. Azubu stated that the player was being stripped of his right to privacy and his right to profit while streaming on Azubu.tv. Their argument that the users were effectively "stealing" Faker's viewers from Azubu.tv by streaming through Twitch.tv proved to be a vital point and Faker himself wished that the community refrain from such actions. This was a major win for Azubu.tv on their continual battle for dominance with Twitch.tv; however, Azubu.tv still has a long way to go to beat their counterpart.[19]

Afreeca.tv

Afreeca.tv

Afreeca.tv is a Korean streaming service that has a pool of individual broadcasts. It was founded in 2005. The streaming services has functions such as broadcasting, viewing, live chatting, and discussion boards. Compared to streamers on Twitch.tv, broadcasters on Afreeca.tv are known as Broadcasting Jockeys, or BJs. There are wide variety of broadcasts on Afreeca.tv, such as gaming, live-eating, and communicating with viewers. The concept of Mukbangs (or live-eating shows) were originated from Afreeca.tv.

Sling.tv

Sling television

Sling offers an alternative to normal Cable television Providers by allowing users to choose their channels and cut monthly services cost. Sling is advertised as "taking back television" targeting consumers that would like to pay less but enjoy the same shows they have been following. To access Sling, simply sign up for on their website and either enroll in their respective packages ranging from basic cable services to entertainment packages that include all major sports networks. To access Sling, simply download the Sling App in the respective webstore of your device (Android Market, Amazon Market, Apple App Store) log into your account and stream your favorite shows.

Mixer

Mixer (streaming platform)

Mixer[20] is another gaming streaming platform that was founded by Matthew Salsamendi and James Boehm. The platform is similar to Twitch.tv and they have signed one of Twitch's biggest streamers[21], Ninja. Originally tied to Twitch through a long contract, he left for many reasons, one being the vulgar chat environment that Twitch hosted. Though Mixer does not have the same audience reach as Twitch, by signing Ninja, both Ninja and Mixer hope that his fans will follow and make the transition to the new platform.

On August 1st, 2019, Tyler 'Ninja' Blevins announced on Twitter that he would no longer be streaming on Twitch and signed a contract with Mixer.[22] After Ninja's departure from Twitch, another major streamer, Shroud, also began his transition. On October 21st, 2019, Michael 'shroud' Grzesiek, announced that he would also be leaving twitch and moving on over to Mixer.[23] The last major streamer who also announced that they are also moving over to Mixer on November 14th, 1019, is Faze Ewok.[24]

After Facebook partnering with Mixer, Microsoft closed down its Mixer service on July 22nd and moved over to Facebook Gaming. Microsoft's decision to partner with Facebook was clearly a strategic plan because they struggled to reach the scale to compete with Twitch and Youtube. Existing Mixer Partners were granted partner status with Facebook Gaming and any streamers using the Mixer monetization program were eligible for Facebook's Level Up program. Huge recrtuting exclusive streamers like Ninja and Shroud were fully paid out their contract's worth($40 Million Combined) and rejoined Twitch. CEOs are hopeful that these partnership will bring new opportunities around gaming for Microsoft and Facebook, while providing more powerful and overall better platform for its users.[25]

Prime Video

Prime Video

Prime Video is just another way to watch your favorite movies and shows on Amazon. Users can purchase or rent thousands of movies or shows that can be streamed or downloaded through the app.[26] Amazon is one of the more popular sites people use today for delivery and services. People can have access to Prime Video with their regular Amazon Prime subscriptions. Some features of Prime Video are 4k Ultra HD and HDR(High Dynamic Range) for its content. Movie rentals typically last for 30 days. The price for Prime Video in the U.S is $8.99. But more people are likely to purchase Amazon Prime instead for $12.99 because that includes free one or two day delivery and Prime Video on top of that. Prime Video also allows you to purchase other content services like HBO or Starz. It can save someone the hassle for downloading multiple apps on your TV or phone for TV services.

Netflix

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Originally founded in 1997, Netflix is an internet streaming service that is available to the population of North America, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South America and various countries in Europe (Denmark, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Finland, France, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Luxemburg, and Germany). The company originated as a flat rate DVD rental service that did away with the standard late fees that competitors like BlockBuster and Hollywood Video would charge. The concept was, you paid a flat rate, rent the movie you'd like and keep it for as long as you want, and simply return the movie by dropping the movie off in your mailbox as opposed to making the trip out to a physical store.

Netflix has become increasingly popular as a new media and is now its own network for shows such as Black Mirror, Stranger Things, and Ozark. With its raising subscription rates each year, it's quite possible that the streaming service will eventually overtake the actual television networks. The ability to have shows on-demand is something that television cannot do but is valued by consumers today. It's amazing how Netflix started out as just a competitor to Blockbuster, the biggest movie service provider in America, and has now taken it to the ground. New media is overtaking old media. The company was founded in 1997 but did not start the subscription service until 1999. Ten years later, Netflix would have a collection of over 100,000 DVD's and had a user base of 10,000,000 users.

Netflix is an extremely large company that has been almost like an epidemic. Once it came out, everybody started using it. It is easy and convenient, which makes it very appealing. Also, it is not expensive per month and lets you watch movies unlimited. This is bad for competitors like Blockbuster, but they charge per video and it is not as convenient. Netflix is right there with you all of the time as long as you have a computer!

Internet Streaming Service

As of 2015, Netflix still offers their DVD rental service (which also includes blu-rays), however, a majority of their income is due to the internet streaming service. The internet streaming service is so popular that in 2013, Netflix alone accounted for 32.3% of all internet traffic.

Today Netflix has a total of approximately 9,000 titles between movies and TV shows. For a flat rate of $10.99/ month, subscribed users can watch as many shows they desire on any device with internet connection. The only restriction is that only 2 devices can be using the same account simultaneously. This restriction was placed in late 2013, due to Netflix noticing that there was a large influx of one user account being used on multiple devices spread all over. They understood that some of this spread was probably from college students who were using their parent's account; however, they also knew that a majority of this was from one user sharing their password with their friends and then being spread even further. For an additional $3/month the 2-screen restriction can be raised to 4 screens at once.

Netflix is aware that streaming to wireless mobile can devices can consume a lot of data. Netflix along with some other streaming services have teamed up with T-Mobile to allow streaming to the devices without using the date the consumer has paid for. In this event, T-Mobile is has tried to use the entertainment business to attract new customers.[27] Netflix now enables you to download shows and movies on your phone so you can save data usage by downloading shows at home so you don't need the data on the go. It's quite possible that this creation helped reduce the use of P2P sharing since people with limited data no longer need to go on websites like Pirate Bay or uTorrent anymore to download their content.

Original Series

Up until March of 2011, Netflix only carried TV shows and movies from other studios. After that, they began acquiring original content. The first series is Emmy award-winning House of Cards, which didn't premiere until February 2013. House of Cards is produced by David Fincher and the main lead is Kevin Spacey.

In late 2011, Netflix acquired the rights to 16 episodes of Lilyhammer and a 4th season of the formerly FOX sitcom, Arrested Development. Lilyhammer would be split into 2-8-episode seasons.

In November of 2013, Netflix announced they would collaborate with Marvel studios to create original series based on various Marvel superheroes:

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Daredevil[28], Jessica Jones[29], Luke Cage[30], and Iron Fist[31]. So far 3 out of the (so far) 5 Marvel Netflix shows have aired, Seasons 1 and 2 of Daredevil, Season 1 of Jessica Jones and Season 1 of Luke Cage, all met with critical success, nominations, and awards. During the premiere weekend of Luke Cage, Netflix servers had actually crashed for a short time due to the immense amount of viewers trying to watch Luke Cage at the same time. Iron Fist is set to debut in March of 2017 and the conglomerate of all the current shows, The Defenders[32], is rumored to release towards the end of 2017. After the high reception of Jon Bernthal's performance of the Marvel character The Punisher[33] in the second season of Daredevil, Netflix has ordered the sixth series of their Marvel-Netflix partnership based on this character.

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Timeline of Events

1997 Reed Hastings and fellow software executive Marc Randolph co-found Netflix to offer online movie rentals.

1999 Netflix launches the subscription service, offering unlimited rentals for one low monthly subscription.

2000 Netflix launches the personalized movie recommendation system that uses Netflix members’ ratings to accurately predict choices for all Netflix members.

2002 Netflix makes its initial public offering (IPO on Nasdaq under the ticker “NFLX” with 600,000 members in the US.)

2005 The number of Netflix members rises to 4.2 million.

2005 Netflix introduces streaming, which allows members to instantly watch television shows and movies on their personal computers.

2008 Netflix partners with consumer electronics companies to stream on the Xbox 360, Blu-ray disc players and TV set-top boxes.

2009 Netflix partners with consumer electronics companies to stream on the PS3, Internet-connected TVs, and other Internet-connected devices.

2010 Netflix is available on the Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, the Nintendo Wii, and other Internet-connected devices. Netflix launches its service in Canada.

2011 Netflix launches throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

2012 Netflix became available in Europe including the United Kingdom, Ireland and in the Nordic Countries. Netflix wins its first Primetime Emmy Engineering Award.

2013 Netflix expanded to the Netherlands. Netflix garners 31 Primetime Emmy nominations including outstanding drama series, comedy series and documentary or nonfiction special for “House of Cards”, “Orange is the new black”, and “The Square” respectively. House of Cards won three Primetime Emmy Awards. Netflix was the first internet TV network nominated for the Primetime Emmy.

2014 In 2014 Netflix launched in 6 new countries in Europe (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and Switzerland). Netflix wins 7 creative Emmy Awards for House of Cards and Orange is the New Black. Netflix now has over 50 million members globally.

2015 Netflix continues to expand to Australia and New Zealand, Japan, Italy, Portugal, and Spain.

2016 For the first time, Netflix expands to Asia by launching its services in Pakistan, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan in early 2016. They plan to expand to the Philippines and Southeast Asia in the near future. At the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2016, Netflix announced that it'll be available worldwide outside of Mainland China, Syria, North Korea and the territory of Crimea. They have expanded to a total of 130 countries, totaling at 190 countries around the world. Netflix also premieres its original, "Stranger Things," and becomes a award-winning worldwide phenomenon. [34]. Netflix also introduces offline playback feature which allows one to download shows for offline viewing, ultimately giving customers what they want. [35]

Impact of Netflix

With the introduction of Netflix's streaming service, television series consumption was forever changed. Gone are the days of having to tune in to your television at the same time during the week to watch one episode of your favorite show.

With Netflix, a new type of TV watching experience was created called, "binge watching." The concept is simple. Instead of watching one episode per week, and then forgetting what occurred in previous episodes, people can now watch chunks of episodes or even entire seasons in one sitting. By doing this, the content is still fresh in the viewer's mind and can, therefore, get more immersed in the show.

In addition to binge watching, users also had the freedom to watch a show at their convenience. Sometimes life gets in the way and we are not able to get to the TV when the new episode airs. There are services such as DVR and TIVO, but you must remember to set those services to record the new episode and then you still must go to your TV to watch the show. Netflix brings a whole new level of convenience where you can watch the shows/movies of your choice on any internet enabled device. If you wanted to watch an entire season of a TV show in your bed on your iPad, that's possible now thanks to Netflix.

Other Services

Apple Music

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In order to compete with other music streaming services, Apple introduced the addition of Apple Music that aligns with iTunes. Instead of purchasing individual tracks or albums in order to listen to music, Apple Music allowed one to stream music on their choice for a set price per month. Apple offers Student plans at 4.99, individual plans at 9.99, and family plans are 14.99. Apple Music offers over 60 million songs ad-free, the ability to download your favorite tracks and play them offline, exclusive and original content, and the ability to listen across all Apple devices. They are able to listen to tracks on demand or curated playlists. As of 2018, Apple Music has 56 million users and still sits behind Spotify who has 109 million users. [36]

Amazon Prime Instant Video

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It started with selling books online, and now it’s the Walmart of the Internet. Amazon sells everything, and a few years ago the company broke into the media streaming market with Amazon Prime Instant Video. Amazon’s streaming site started off as a pay-per-view service, but as it gained traction, it expanded to include subscription-based on-demand video streaming to Amazon Prime subscribers. The library used to be small in comparison to that of Netflix, but recently Amazon has been using its industry clout to sign partnerships with companies like Epix and Warner Bros. Amazon Prime Instant Video comes as part of the Amazon Prime bundle, which costs either $99 a year or $8.25 per month. If you order a lot of merchandise from Amazon, Prime is a no-brainer. In addition to the streaming services, you also get free two-day shipping on your Amazon orders. This is easily the best deal in the bunch, even if you don’t order stuff from Amazon. [37]

Disney Plus

Disney+ Logo

Disney launched its own streaming service on November 12, 2019 in the US, offering a library made up of Disney's films and TV shows as well as additional original programming. The Company's streaming service has been launched at a considerable discount to Netflix. Disney Plus costs $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year. So far, Disney Plus is only available on Roku and PS4, but in its presentation Disney shows a stock image of its service on a wider array of devices from Amazon Fire sticks to Chromecast. Disney Plus had subscribers in excess of 10 million on November 13, 2019.

Disney Plus will feature a variety of original shows, including characters from Marvel and the MCU universe. Some shows that have been announced so far are Star Wars Shows, The Mandalorian, Marvel Shows (Loki, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, WandaVision), and Monsters at Work.

The Company's launch wasn't as great as they would've hoped for, as their 10 million subscribers experienced a platform that crashed on opening day. The reason given by the company, for this outage, was that the demand was higher than expected and the app wasn't prepared to deal with that many subscribers. Customers who decided to subscribe after the service launched were either unable to subscribe, and if they were, getting a show to stream was almost impossible. Initially, people thought that the problem was down to Amazon Web Services or third-party platforms, but Disney's direct to consumer division head, Kevin Mayer, confirmed that it was excess demand and inability of the system architecture that led to the outage.

While the content of Disney+ is one of its strengths it can also be seen as a weakness. Disney+ is known by its name for solely having Disney content which means Disney channel original movies, tv shows and Disney owned company content. With Disney owned content being Pixar, Marvel, star wars and national geographic. What makes this a weakness of the streaming service is that it is so niche. Many can see the content being solely for children and lacking mature content, as Disney mainly produces content for children. Examples of this are seen with Disney princess movies, toy story and frozen which appear on the site. The streaming service also will only show marvel movies like infinity war and end game and StarWars movies and tv shows. These are 2 very specific titles and are in itself very niche target groups, which are their fans. If a user were to dislike any of these titles or companies they would be turned away from this platform entirely. With Disney+ lacking mature content it could be said that Disney+ is a children's streaming platform and more focused on families purchasing subscriptions rather than adults which narrows down the pool of potential streamers.

A weakness that Disney+ faces is pricing discrepancies. The biggest example would be with the release of Mulan on the streaming service. Mulan was supposed to be a high grossing Disney movie with a grand theatrical release. This being because it is a classic Disney favorite and would be having an entirely asian cast. The pricing discrepancies appear because of the movie's release, because of covid Disney was not able to release Mulan in theaters and instead decided to release the movie on Disney+. Disney knew without a theatrical release the movie would suffer a loss, but ultimately they decided to release the movie on Disney+. Many complained because of the price point, the movie would cost $30 to buy on the streaming platform, plus you would still need to pay for the premium subscription to maintain access to it. The movie is available on other streaming services to buy, but many complained because they assumed that since they already had a Disney+ subscription, the movie would be free to watch. I think that it makes sense why they had to charge a premium price point in addition to the cost of the subscription. The movie had a budget of $200 million and would suffer a hit if it didn't have a theatrical release, but today it sits grossing $66.8 million at the box office. Although this pricing discrepancy may not be Disney’s fault, many may see it as a weakness on Disney's part.

Disney+'s biggest threat is its competition.

MarketWatch compares price of different streaming platforms.

This being Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video and Apple TV. The competition comes from the monthly prices between its competitors. Every streaming platform strives to be the most affordable and the lowest so more people subscribe to the platform. Competition also comes from the content produced by streaming platforms. Netflix is known for having its Netflix original shows which have become very popular like Stranger things, Black Mirror and Money heist. These shows are the reason Netflix has gained its subscribers and recognition for being the top streaming platform. As well as Apple TV creating Emmy nominated shows like the morning show with Jennifer Anniston, Steve Carrell and Reese Witherspoon. Disney must compete with its original series and movies in order to receive the same recognition. The original Disney shows include high school musical the musical the series, which again is aimed more toward children and teenagers at most. Disney however has recognized this threat and is working on creating new content for the platform with many to be released in 2020-2021 like “Wanda vision” for marvel fans and “Diary for a future kid president” which again is geared more towards children. Disney’s main competition would be trying to bring in more subscribers to the platform in comparison to others and reduce this threat by creating more content to drive them in.

ESPN+

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Over the past 10 years, the most dominant trend in visual media has been the emergence and dominance of streaming services over cable TV. The convenience of watching a movie or show whenever you want and however you want, coupled with a cheaper monthly bill has been enough for viewers of all demographic groups to ditch cable. There is, however, one part of television that still hasn't completely embraced streaming - professional sports. A significant portion of cable TV consumers still pay for the service solely to watch sports; which isn't cost-effective. The primary reason for this is that established TV networks have locked in long-term deals with sports leagues that prevent the telecast of games on streaming platforms. However, in 2018, ESPN launched a service called ESPN+ that was priced at $4.99/month.

What is ESPN+? Make no mistake, this service isn't meant to replace ESPN's television content; at least not yet. Consumers should think of this service as a complement to the content being broadcast on TV currently. It consists of college sports and other sports like Cricket, which don't generate enough revenue to justify being televised in the United States. This service can be thought of as an upgrade to ESPN Insider, a service which allows subscribers access to exclusively written articles, as it allows subscribers to consume video-based content for the same price.

Hulu Plus

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Hulu was created in 2007 as a joint venture between veteran media broadcasters NBC Universal, Fox Broadcasting, and Disney-ABC. The media streaming service was originally completely free, but rolled out subscription-based Hulu Plus after the service gained a massive following. Hulu has a modest selection of movies, but no other streaming service can hold a candle to its library of TV shows. Netflix and Amazon tend to get TV shows after the season ends, or after they’ve gone off the air completely – but Hulu, in addition to having a long list of older shows and programs, posts new episodes of shows currently playing on cable just days (and sometimes hours) after they air. The only downside is that even though you pay for Hulu Plus, you’ll still be forced to sit through ads. Hulu has tons of free content that might satisfy the needs of the occasional TV watcher, but if you want access to Hulu’s full and regularly-updated library of current shows, a Hulu Plus subscription is the only way to go. It’ll cost you $7.99 per month, which is considerably cheaper than cable, but it’s also generally a day or two behind.[38]

Hulu + Spotify + Showtime for Students

On top of the ever growing deals that students receive, there's the new deal with Hulu. With your student email, you can sign up for Spotify for $4.99 [39] a month. This deal allows students to have Spotify Premium, allowing them to download music to listen offline. Along with having this music feature, students are also given full access to Hulu. However, students who wish to get rid of ads on Hulu, must still pay the fee separately. As long as the student is enrolled in an US Title IV accredited college or university and above the age of 18, they are eligible for this deal. If students already have Spotify and want to reap the benefits of Hulu, they must activate it using their student information. This is a great deal for students who value leisure time during the stressful semester. With the student deal from Spotify, besides Hulu, Showtime Streaming app. is also available. There is no additional fee for this, and one can be activated, in any smart device. They have the ability to study and take breaks, all while only paying $4.99 a month. This gives them the opportunity to save money and not have to pay for cable TV or music.

Sling TV

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Sling is the newcomer to this bunch. Released in 2015 as a supplement to subscription sites like Hulu and Netflix, Sling will stream live TV from networks like ESPN, Comedy Central, AMC, and TNT. There’s no contract or cancellation fees. Originally for cord-cutters looking to gain access to ESPN without paying a cable subscription, Sling now has over 200 channels in 18 languages and is continually adding more. ESPN alone might be enough for sport fans to ditch their cable subscription. Sling’s availability is limited. You can download the app and run it on your Amazon Fire TV Box and Stick and Roku TVs as well as most Apple devices running on iOS 7 or later, and the Xbox One. Baseline services with Sling will cost you $20 per month. It’s significantly more expensive than Netflix and Amazon Instant, but far less expensive than regular cable subscriptions that’ll run you between $60-90 per month. You can add bundles of additional networks for $5 per package. HBO live will cost an additional $15.[40]

Spotify

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Spotify is a pioneer when it comes to streaming music. Unlike the market for video streaming, the numbers of players in the music streaming market is relatively small. Spotify is one of the few players in this industry alongside Apple and Amazon. The Company's app allows users to stream millions of songs and podcasts from across the globe. When users create an account on the app using their email or Facebook account, they have the option to access the app's library for free. This allows customers to get a feel for the app's features before they commit to purchasing a monthly subscription.

Does Spotify allow its users to download music? The answer isn't that straightforward. Spotify premium allows you to like songs and podcasts that can be downloaded on to the app for offline consumption, if the user wishes to do so. However, this isn't the same as downloading music on an android phone or downloading a podcast on an iPhone using the Apple's Podcasts app. If you cancel your premium subscription on Spotify, you can no longer access the songs or podcasts that you downloaded for offline use. The download feature gives you the ability to store tens of thousands of songs and listen to them whenever you want, only as long as you are paying for the monthly subscription.

Vudu

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Vudu is Walmart’s pay-per-content store, and the brick-and-mortar behemoth is giving all it has to make sure that Vudu becomes a household name. Vudu has content comparable to what you’ll find on the YouTube or iTunes video marketplace. It’s a hodgepodge of movies and TV shows, but overall the content veers toward more feature-length movies. Walmart does a good job of offering new releases at around the same time that they come out on DVD. Vudu will also host any Ultra Violet digital copies that may be available with the movies you buy with a free digital locker service. Vudu is a pay-per content store, so you can expect to pay just as much for a digital movie rental as you would for a physical copy. Digital rentals typically start around $3.99, and go up from there depending on the video and audio quality you want. 1080p movies with Dolby Digital Plus surround usually go for $5.99.[41]

Peacock

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Created by NBCUniversal, Peacock is a streaming app that was launched in 2020. If you're willing to pay for a subscription, it provides live content and thousands of hours of free programming, extra shows, movies, and originals. Peacock has a catalog of series, movies, news, sports, curated networks, trending highlights, and unique original big-budget programming for more than 20,000 hours. Peacock has three levels: a restricted one that's free, an all-inclusive one with ads for $5 a month, and an all-inclusive one without ads for $10 a month. Peacock Premium, essentially an all-access pass to everything on the service, is the name of both paying levels. That means about twenty thousand hours of content. For ads, Peacock Premium is $5 a month or $50 a year, or you can upgrade to an ad-free edition for $10 a month or $100 a year. Peacock is available on the web at peacocktv.com and is supported on Apple devices, Google devices, Xbox One consoles, Sony Playstation consoles, Vizio SmartCast TVs, and LG Smart TVs. Peacock streaming service has hit almost 22 million users just over three months after its launch. [42]



Kodi (formerly XBMC)

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Originating on modified versions of the Xbox, Kodi is a free and open-source media player software developed by the XBMC Foundation. Kodi is available for multiple operating systems and hardware platforms, with a software user interface for use with televisions and remote controls. It allows users to play and view most videos, music, audio and video podcasts from the internet, and all common digital media files from local and network storage media.

It is a popular multi-platform alternative to Windows Media Center for HTPC (Home Theater PC) use. Kodi is highly customizable: a variety of skins can change its appearance, and various plug-ins allow users to access streaming media content via online services such as YouTube, Amazon Prime Instant Video, Crackle, Spotify, Rhapsody and Pandora Internet Radio. The later versions also have a PVR (Personal Video Recorder) graphical front end for receiving live television with Electronic Program Guide (EPG) and high-definition DVR (Digital Video Recorder) support. The software is now in a new beta stage known as TVMC.

References

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  18. Cook, James "Twitch Founder: We Turned A 'Terrible Idea' Into A Billion-Dollar Company",20 October 2014.
  19. Benson, Julian "How one streamer managed to get in a fight with Azubu, Twitch, Riot Games, Marc Merrill, and most of the internet",18 February 2015.
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