There have never been more options available for people to view quality HD movies and television programming on non-traditional devices, such as PCs, tablets, and smart phones. When Apple’s iPad debuted in April 2010, one of the first truly sensational apps ready to go at launch was Netflix – which allowed users to register accounts directly from the iPad, and then stream free movies instantly from anywhere with a WIFI connection or, if the iPad was equipped for 3G, a connection to AT&T’s high speed data network. Since then, several others have jumped on the bandwagon of streaming video, including Comcast, DirecTV, Apple, and Time Warner – but Netflix reigns supreme with an estimated 61% of the market.
As others come on board and provide competition, offerings are expected to expand through Q4 of 2011, with innovations in terms of specialty content already in the works. Netflix, for example, is reportedly in negotiations to acquire Media Rights Capital’s eagerly awaited TV series “House of Cards,” which stars acclaimed actor Kevin Spacey and is directed by David Fincher. This would be a first in television – actually, a sort of disembodied television, with the show available exclusively to Netflix subscribers, supporting the idea that TV as we know it is evolving rapidly into something beyond our experience.
The most recent player in the streaming video game is Amazon, with its recent Amazon Instant Video rollout. Amazon’s service is slightly less expensive than Netflix per year at only $79 (versus Netflix’s $95.98) – but it’s library of titles is comparatively smaller as well. Still, we expect to see big things from Amazon as the competition heats up.