A mess ?

[scalabis]

Acording to this (really nice) article, confusion reigns supreme with streaming services.

Also, consumers are the losers.

Here:

Confusion Reigns Supreme with Online Movie and TV Streaming Services. Consumers are the losers. | Serendipity 2013

 

[MrPogi]

Yea, it's a little crazy with all those services, paid and free. Hard to keep track, and impossible to watch all of it.

But how am I, the savvy consumer, a loser? My DirecTV bill 5 years ago (not a fancy package) was $75. Phone was $35 (no long distance), and Comcast broadband was $50. That's $160 a month total.

Since cutting the cord, my total is now under $50 a month for TV, Internet, and unlimited US / Canada Phone service.

The key is to be a wise consumer.

 

[Rickideemus]

Agree with Pogi. I don't know all the brands of toothpaste I have available either. That doesn't mean I can't make an intelligent choice. The very first response to the article makes this point:
"How am I a loser? I have 38 free TV channels with an antenna, and with Roku I get Netflix ($8 a month) and tons of free channels. Cable ALONE averages $75 a month."

The author responds:
"You are not a loser. OTA free TV is a good solution as well. I persoanlly have not used this yet." [Emphasis added]

Some expert.

Rick

 

[scalabis]

Acording to this article, the future is not a mess, but things are changing:

Where Streaming Content Industry is Headed in 2013 and Beyond - Brady McCollum - Voices - AllThingsD

 

[AG99]

For now, I think all streaming services are compared to Netflix.

- What does it cost?
- What content is available?
- How can I access it?

Unless a service can give something Netflix can't, like stream new movies (Amazon) or current TV shows (Hulu), it's a non-starter.

 

[CaliTVguy]

@AG99,
Totally agree. I think about the only way for a new service to "Break In" with the current content "caps" is to really accept a loss on the monthly subscription charge to gain market share. The service would need to approach what Netflix or Amazon offer, and practically be free I think to be able to gain traction....