The Problem With Streaming Services Today

There is no surprise in the fact that we have all ditched cable for online media streaming services. Streaming on demand, which flourished with a boom in access to the internet, is now being monetized as the web caters a larger audience than TV. But there are some problems unique to just streaming, here are a few of them.

Things are Pricey

You now have to subscribe to online media services, and there are several, so it remains a difficult decision to choose a single service for entertainment. You browse through the libraries of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu, and see some of your favorite shows on each — you sign up for all three. But wait, you still want to be able to watch live TV, so you add a subscription to Sling TV or PlayStation Vue as well.

The main problem associated with OTT platforms is ‘selection’. Content is, and will always be king. And, we simply won’t waste precious dollars on services that fail to or only partially entertain us. Netflix grabbed more Emmys this season than any of the big four networks or any network in general.  But winning Emmys simply doesn’t mean people are watching in corresponding numbers.

A lot of people watch the famous Roseanne reboot, and it was not available on Netflix. A lot of people want to watch the magnificent dystopian drama, but it’s not on Netflix. I personally want to watch classic sitcoms, yet again they are not on Netflix. But here, all of us want to watch Riverdale and it is on Netflix. Of all the households that use streaming services, Netflix has a presence in 75 percent of them. But there is significant overlapping, for houses with multiple family members with departed taste, there are subscriptions to multiple networks. The cost that is brought along is simply extremely expensive. A big drain on our pockets and reminds us of how cheap things used to be with cable.

Too Many Technical Problems

As the number of cord cutters and consumers watching online video continues to soar high, bandwidth limitations will be exacerbated. Viewers have come to expect high-quality video streams, and they will want to watch their content of choice in the highest resolution available. Storage and distribution of media files will be a more ordeal- some business, once again leading to technical difficulties and economic restraints. Device compatibility is another big issue, as to deliver the same results in terms of quality, buffering time and resolution on all possible gadget platforms distributors must amplify a single stream through intricate technical processes. In the end, the stream on at least one gadget gets compromised.

You Can’t Even Stream Anywhere, Anytime

There are tremendous geographical limitations to online streaming. You come under a license with your streaming service, but it becomes highly irrelevant if the streaming service does not have a licensing agreement with a country you are moving to. For instance, I am a frequent traveler. I globe trek for the sake of business, so I am generally alone during my journeys which means video entertainment is the only escapism. But I cannot simply stream the service I am paying an arm and a leg for, because simply ‘I am not in my country.’ Even if you download things beforehand there is exactly no guarantee that you would be able to watch your videos later on a different geographical ground.

Are People Even Aware of So Many Networks?

Lastly, there is a multitude of networks with very little awareness. Disney has a vast array of archived shows, shows we want to watch. But since it cut it ties with Netflix, it streams its cult shows on its own network now.  Some services do not just market efficiently. While some customers simply lack awareness of how to subscribe. HBO and Fox have their own apps, Amazon Prime Video has its own original shows. And the number of people who know about is basically lie in the ages 18-35. While a significant audience constitutes of people who have clocked their 50s.