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You probably already knew this would be the first platform discussed, which says a lot about Netflix\u2019s success.\u00a0 What started out as a mail-order DVD service has grown into arguably the most popular paid streaming service.\u00a0 The remarkable thing about Netflix is that it has not only adapted to change, but pioneered it.\u00a0 Netflix knew that streaming was the future, so they adapted their business model accordingly.\u00a0 While competitors like Blockbuster clung to the past in terms of prioritizing physical merchandise, Netflix started offering online instant access early on.<\/p>\n
Netflix continued to pioneer the post-TV era by introducing exclusive original content to their library.\u00a0 Many of these projects have been extremely successful such as Master of None, Narcos, and Stranger Things.\u00a0 They\u2019ve been able to do all of this and still keep subscriptions cheap, only raising the monthly price twice.<\/p>\n
Netflix\u2019s previous success and consistent forward thinking tell me that this is a company and a service whose best days are still ahead of them.<\/p>\n
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Hulu:<\/strong><\/p>\n Originally a free service, Hulu is now a subscription service similar to Netflix.\u00a0 Unlike Netflix however, Hulu has always focused more on shows than movies.\u00a0 It was created for cord-cutters who wanted to keep up with their favorite shows without paying for cable.\u00a0 Hulu has the advantage over Netflix in terms of current cable programming.\u00a0 Hulu is updated with most shows as they debut on traditional television, but at the price of sitting through commercials, even on the paid tiers.<\/p>\n Hulu has been successful as an alternative to on-demand streaming through a cable provider, but its movie library pales in comparison to Netflix and its original content has not been received as well. The platform\u2019s reliance on outside content may lead to its downfall, but for the time being it seems like Hulu is here to stay.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n YouTube:<\/strong><\/p>\n YouTube is probably the most unique of the major streaming services, and the most different from the medium it\u2019s replacing (despite being named after that same medium).\u00a0 It\u2019s managed to maintain its original purpose as a place for regular people to upload home videos but it also is a hub for all kinds of content.<\/p>\n No other service (except maybe Vimeo, but on a much smaller scale) offers such a broad range of content.\u00a0 If there\u2019s a video you want to see, it\u2019s probably on YouTube.\u00a0 Phone review? It\u2019s there.\u00a0 Ski edit? It\u2019s there.\u00a0 That documentary you\u2019ve been meaning to watch?\u00a0 It\u2019s probably illegal to watch it through YouTube, but it\u2019s still there.<\/p>\n YouTube is a dream come true for independent videographers.\u00a0 Many individuals and small companies have found a home on YouTube and that niche is a big part of the reason the service has been so successful thus far.<\/p>\n Despite all of this, YouTube is far from perfect.\u00a0 Its biggest advantage is also its biggest flaw.\u00a0 YouTube does not have anywhere near the involvement in its content that other streaming services have.\u00a0 Anyone can upload a video and sometimes that causes problems. \u00a0Mark Cuban has criticized the company over this<\/a>. \u00a0One issue is that copyrighted material is uploaded and YouTube is then liable for hosting it.\u00a0 The volume of uploads that must be monitored sometimes makes it difficult for even the most popular channels to argue fair use to the company that pays them.\u00a0 YouTube has also had other issues in relation to their guidelines and rule changes with many of these channels and individuals.<\/p>\n Despite these flaws, I believe that YouTube is unique enough to play a large part in the future of video consumption.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sling:<\/strong><\/p>\n Sling is an interesting concept.\u00a0 It offers the same channels carried by cable providers, but online and for a fraction of the cost.\u00a0 While that may sound like a great idea at first, there are a lot of problems with this model.\u00a0 First of all, it completely ignores the obvious shift to on-demand content.\u00a0 Why wait for a show to be on if you could watch it whenever you want on a different service?\u00a0 Not only this but sling is more expensive than other services which have far more options at any given time.<\/p>\n Sling\u2019s clear advantage is in live events, especially sports.\u00a0 Sports are the number one reason Americans are hesitant to quit cable, so this is really Sling\u2019s niche.\u00a0 Unfortunately for sling, this is a niche they will soon lose.\u00a0 Yahoo, YouTube, and even Twitter have recently started experimenting with major live broadcasts (including NFL games and presidential debates) and have made them much easier and cheaper to access than Sling.<\/p>\n Sling is certainly a solid attempt at post-television video distribution, but this model is currently somewhere between outdated and obsolete.\u00a0 Frankly, I doubt it will be around in 10 years.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"facebook_share_thumb_default_hulu\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/annettevee.com\/2016cdm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/facebook_share_thumb_default_hulu.png?resize=300%2C200\")
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