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Cinema is a window to other worlds. It has all the ingredients to stimulate our imagination, to move our feelings and to position us somewhere different in the world.
Followed by series and documentaries, streaming platforms are the main entertainment source and cultural show with more followers worldwide. According to data provided by Strategy Analytics, currently more than 250 million homes around the world already have streaming services. This figure is expected to rise to 450 million subscribers by 2022.
What is streaming.
Sometimes called 'TV on Demand', Streaming channels allow you to play video content as it is downloaded from the Internet.
Streaming is as simple as going to the internet, searching for what you want to watch, and pressing the play button for your enjoyment. You are in complete control of what you want to watch.
Currently, consumption is focused on the domestic environment through the proliferation of all types of streaming channels that offer their content with the highest image quality, which accounts for 80% of current Internet traffic according to results of the Cisco Visual Networking Index.
Advantages of streaming content.
You can see what you want, where you want, when you want, as many times as you want.
You didn’t catch the last scene? You can watch it again. You only have a little while? You can leave it paused and resume it later. Or, for example, change your device and finish that documentary you were watching while travelling on public transport.
Another advantage is being able to access the content in its original language or with subtitles to make it accessible to people with hearing limitations, but best of all is the endless catalogue of content that you will have access to. And that, unfortunately, can also be a disadvantage: there is so much variety, you don't know where to look.
So that your couch and blanket evening don’t get frustrated, here are the most popular streaming channels.
Together with Amazon Prime Video, it is the undisputed king of streaming, with more than 3,000 films, documentaries and series.
It started in 1997 as a DVD video store that clearly knew how to renew itself. Now it boasts of having invented "binge watching" or what is the same: the binge of series one episode after another.
It has perhaps the most complete catalogue of films and the best known series, some of them produced by Netflix ("The Crown", "House of Cards", "Black Mirror", for example)
It allows you to connect several devices to your Smart tv, such as your phone, video game console or blu ray to be able to stream.
At the end of September 2019 it exceeded 158 million subscribers in some 190 countries.
As complete in features as Netflix allows you to also connect any device to your Smart tv for streaming.
It also produces its own series, as was the case with "Mozart in the Jungle"' which in 2015 won the Golden Globe for best comedy series. Its main advantage is that it is included in the Amazon Prime service for express delivery of packages, so it is practically a 2x1.
For 20 years it was the quintessential American television network for television series. It had the best ideas and above all the best in-house productions.
HBO studios have produced 'The Sopranos', 'Westworld' and since it has been syndicated, it also offers content that is not its own, most of them are still series.
Youtube was the pioneer in streaming in 2005. In 2014 it started offering music videos without advertising by converting your account to Premium.
Since 2018 you can also access original and exclusive content produced by their own studios or by Youtube personalities. You can also play any content without an internet connection and access their mobile applications such as YouTube Music, YouTube Gaming and YouTube Kids.
Google play Movies
Its full name is Google Play Movies & TV and it is already present in 110 countries. It offers movies and TV shows for purchase or rent, most of them in HD or up to 4k Ultra HD.
With its mobile app you can stream offline. If you prefer to use your TV, it also has a variety of viewing options.
It has traditionally been the leading television channel in Britain. By converting its services to a streaming platform, it has maintained all its aspects and has consolidated itself in Europe with 23 million subscribers.
It continues to produce its entertainment, culture, film and sports channels and has added the big names: Fox, MTV, 13th Street, TNT, Nickelodeon, National Geographic, Comedy Central, AXN, AXN White, Fox Life, Canal Historia, SYFY, Disney Junior and TCM.
It’s only available in the United States, where by the end of 2019, it had over 28 million users. It was born in 2007 thanks to News Corporation and NBCUniversal and is currently mostly controlled by Disney.
It produces its own content but also has programmes on channels such as NBC, ABC and Fox and partnerships with record labels such as Warner or EMI to host some live music performances and video clips. It is one of the few that also broadcasts live.
Newly born in Europe, it hopes to reach 60 to 90 million subscribers by 2024 by covering the entire family's tastes.
It comes loaded with all of his greatest Disney hits: the "Star Wars" saga, all of the Pixar and Marvel movies and short movies. It also includes Fox programs like "The Simpsons" and an extensive catalog of National Geographic documentaries.
Already present in more than 100 countries, Apple still has a not very extensive but exquisite list, with new releases and the oldest movies and TV series.
After including part of Itunes' video services in 2019, it is now committed to creating its own content that promises to captivate lovers of the technological giant.
Experts rumor that it has budgets of a few billion dollars to invest in its new creations.
This is Telefónica's channel, associated with some of its telephone rates, although if you are not a customer, you can join Movistar+ Lite where you will find films, series, documentaries, sports and a wide variety of programs from channels such as AMC or Comedy Central.
Created in Catalonia, it can be played in 12 European countries and was launched in 2007 as an adaptation of the classic video clubs.
It offers two payment options: by renting content for 48 hours or paying a monthly fee, which is based on data consumption. In this case, it is called "Rakuten Waki" and gives you access to a wider catalogue of films and series with productions such as "Grey's Anatomy", "Criminal Minds", "The Catch", "Scandal Cloak and Dagger", "Happy Endings" or "Quantico".
Choosing a streaming channel depends on your taste, what content you want to watch and who you want to watch it with. If you are looking to please the family, Disney +. If you are into current series, maybe you should go for HBO or Netflix, while if you are into arthouse movies, maybe you should go for Amazon Prime.
For your peace of mind, most people are signing up for several services due to their affordable prices, so if you want to spend your Sunday afternoon with Brave the Brave Princess but also with Pablo Escobar, give yourself a treat and sign up for several.
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