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Headline, Industry News
Netflix among online services putting squeeze on cable TV
Monday June 03rd 2013Like many Canadians, Curtis Khan leads a busy life and is not always home to watch his favourite TV shows and movies. Nor is the Richmond Hill marketing executive fond of waiting for new episodes of those shows each week and sitting through commercials.
Instead, Khan, 42, is one of the 33 million people worldwide who have signed up for video-on-demand service Netflix.
“I prefer viewing TV shows back-to-back so I can finish a season quickly,” says Khan.
He watches through his Internet-enabled PlayStation 3 video game console at home and an iPad while travelling.
“While the movie and TV show selection isn’t as good as (in) the U.S., it’s good enough – and you can’t beat the price,” he says, of the $8 monthly fee.
Services like Netflix are booming as they deliver content, commercial-free, from all over the world. The videos can be viewed on many different devices, from Internet-enabled TVs to mobile phones.
Khan concedes he watches less mainstream television than ever but keeps his $100 a month cable service primarily for the news. He also uses other video-streaming services, including CinemaNow, iTunes and YouTube.
“It would be impossible to go back to the way things used to be,” he says.
Netflix offers an all-you-can-watch selection for the monthly fee, while CinemaNow is “a la carte” where you only pay for what you want.
“It’s all about convenience,” says Tim Tang, an analyst in Toronto with International Data Corp., a technology research firm. He finds that most viewers watch these videos on their laptops at home, with the demographic skew to younger viewers.
Michelle Warren, president of Toronto’s MW Research & Consulting which specializes in the Canadian IT industry, says the convenience of accessing commercial-free shows and movies when and where you want is the main selling feature of these services.
She says cable and satellite providers are countering the threat by boosting their connection speeds.
“If they can offer faster, more consistent Internet connections at a raised price, they can recoup the lost revenues from their cable/TV business.
“We expect increased competition over the next year — including services offered by Rogers, Videotron, Astral Media and Bell getting into the game.”
Another draw is original content. Tang says these services are commissioning their own series. Netflix’s House of Cards, an exclusive and critically heralded series, is a good example.
Here’s a look at some of the players:
Netflix
Netflix is the world’s no. 1 video-streaming service with 33 million members in 40 countries.
Pros: Watch as many TV shows and movies as you want for $8 a month, on nearly any Internet-enabled device, with no commercials or commitments. Netflix also offers a “Just for Kids” section and original series, too, such as Hemlock Grove, House of Cards and, soon, Ricky Gervais’ Derek.
Cons: Because of licensing restrictions, Netflix has more content in the U.S. than in Canada. Netflix streams content, so it is not possible to download content to watch later.
CinemaNow
Best Buy-owned CinemaNow is a pay-as-you-go service that offers new release movies for rent or purchase a few weeks after they’re out on DVD.
Pros: CinemaNow has 15,000 titles, including “next day” TV shows. Customers also have access to the hottest cable TV series from HBO, AMC and FX Network, including Game of Thrones, Homeland, Walking Dead, Boardwalk Empire, True Blood and Sons of Anarchy. CinemaNow has recently added UltraViolet support (see Cineplex Store below).
Cons: Not as much bang for the buck as Netflix. Prices range from $3.99 to $4.99 per movie rental. Similarly, movie purchases start at $4.99, but new flicks are about $14.99 to $19.99 (or $22.99 to $24.99 for high-definition). For example, Parker on Blu-ray disc at retail costs $21.99 — but $24.99 for the digital version on CinemaNow (without all the extras, extra DVD copy, and more). Next-day TV shows cost $2.49, or a dollar more for HD quality.
iTunes
Apple offers many different ways to buy or rent TV shows and movies using the “a la carte” model.
Pros: You can rent or buy television shows and movies that are downloaded to your device. With an Apple TV ($109) box connected to your television, you can stream TV shows and movies, which start right away (but cannot be watched offline); Apple TV also includes apps for Netflix, YouTube and others.
Cons: With the exception of Windows PCs, iTunes’ content works only on Apple products. So someone who owns, say, a Samsung tablet or BlackBerry Q10 smartphone, cannot use this service. Not all movies can be rented rather than purchased. Movie rentals start at 99 cents, but new releases are typically $3.99 and $4.99, or $5.99 for HD; some TV shows are as expensive as $4.49 per episode (in HD). Buying movies costs up to $24.99, which is more than a DVD and some Blu-ray discs.
Cineplex Store
The Cineplex Store lets you buy or rent movies to watch online or purchase DVDs and Blu-ray discs to be shipped to your door.
Pros: A growing selection of classic movies and new releases that can be streamed to a number of devices. Cineplex Store was the first in Canada to support UltraViolet, a “cloud-based” digital locker. It lets you access your movies and other content anywhere you have an Internet connection. Movies typically cost $19.99 to buy, which is less than most new releases on iTunes and CinemaNow, while movie rentals cost about $4.99.
Cons: No Mac or Android support for streaming content from the Cineplex Store; must use Internet Explorer browser and Windows Media Player to view your purchased content on PCs. Can’t rent popular TV shows like you can with other services.
A few others to consider:
Snagfilms: Watch thousands of documentaries and classic movies — free — including a lot of Canadian content.
Crackle and Video Unlimited: These two Sony video services are available on a wide variety of devices.
TMN GO: Astral Media’s new app for tablets and smartphones (iOS to start) is free for subscribers of The Movie Network.
Source: The Toronto Star
Headline, Industry News
Netflix among online services putting squeeze on cable TV
Monday June 03rd 2013Like many Canadians, Curtis Khan leads a busy life and is not always home to watch his favourite TV shows and movies. Nor is the Richmond Hill marketing executive fond of waiting for new episodes of those shows each week and sitting through commercials.
Instead, Khan, 42, is one of the 33 million people worldwide who have signed up for video-on-demand service Netflix.
“I prefer viewing TV shows back-to-back so I can finish a season quickly,” says Khan.
He watches through his Internet-enabled PlayStation 3 video game console at home and an iPad while travelling.
“While the movie and TV show selection isn’t as good as (in) the U.S., it’s good enough – and you can’t beat the price,” he says, of the $8 monthly fee.
Services like Netflix are booming as they deliver content, commercial-free, from all over the world. The videos can be viewed on many different devices, from Internet-enabled TVs to mobile phones.
Khan concedes he watches less mainstream television than ever but keeps his $100 a month cable service primarily for the news. He also uses other video-streaming services, including CinemaNow, iTunes and YouTube.
“It would be impossible to go back to the way things used to be,” he says.
Netflix offers an all-you-can-watch selection for the monthly fee, while CinemaNow is “a la carte” where you only pay for what you want.
“It’s all about convenience,” says Tim Tang, an analyst in Toronto with International Data Corp., a technology research firm. He finds that most viewers watch these videos on their laptops at home, with the demographic skew to younger viewers.
Michelle Warren, president of Toronto’s MW Research & Consulting which specializes in the Canadian IT industry, says the convenience of accessing commercial-free shows and movies when and where you want is the main selling feature of these services.
She says cable and satellite providers are countering the threat by boosting their connection speeds.
“If they can offer faster, more consistent Internet connections at a raised price, they can recoup the lost revenues from their cable/TV business.
“We expect increased competition over the next year — including services offered by Rogers, Videotron, Astral Media and Bell getting into the game.”
Another draw is original content. Tang says these services are commissioning their own series. Netflix’s House of Cards, an exclusive and critically heralded series, is a good example.
Here’s a look at some of the players:
Netflix
Netflix is the world’s no. 1 video-streaming service with 33 million members in 40 countries.
Pros: Watch as many TV shows and movies as you want for $8 a month, on nearly any Internet-enabled device, with no commercials or commitments. Netflix also offers a “Just for Kids” section and original series, too, such as Hemlock Grove, House of Cards and, soon, Ricky Gervais’ Derek.
Cons: Because of licensing restrictions, Netflix has more content in the U.S. than in Canada. Netflix streams content, so it is not possible to download content to watch later.
CinemaNow
Best Buy-owned CinemaNow is a pay-as-you-go service that offers new release movies for rent or purchase a few weeks after they’re out on DVD.
Pros: CinemaNow has 15,000 titles, including “next day” TV shows. Customers also have access to the hottest cable TV series from HBO, AMC and FX Network, including Game of Thrones, Homeland, Walking Dead, Boardwalk Empire, True Blood and Sons of Anarchy. CinemaNow has recently added UltraViolet support (see Cineplex Store below).
Cons: Not as much bang for the buck as Netflix. Prices range from $3.99 to $4.99 per movie rental. Similarly, movie purchases start at $4.99, but new flicks are about $14.99 to $19.99 (or $22.99 to $24.99 for high-definition). For example, Parker on Blu-ray disc at retail costs $21.99 — but $24.99 for the digital version on CinemaNow (without all the extras, extra DVD copy, and more). Next-day TV shows cost $2.49, or a dollar more for HD quality.
iTunes
Apple offers many different ways to buy or rent TV shows and movies using the “a la carte” model.
Pros: You can rent or buy television shows and movies that are downloaded to your device. With an Apple TV ($109) box connected to your television, you can stream TV shows and movies, which start right away (but cannot be watched offline); Apple TV also includes apps for Netflix, YouTube and others.
Cons: With the exception of Windows PCs, iTunes’ content works only on Apple products. So someone who owns, say, a Samsung tablet or BlackBerry Q10 smartphone, cannot use this service. Not all movies can be rented rather than purchased. Movie rentals start at 99 cents, but new releases are typically $3.99 and $4.99, or $5.99 for HD; some TV shows are as expensive as $4.49 per episode (in HD). Buying movies costs up to $24.99, which is more than a DVD and some Blu-ray discs.
Cineplex Store
The Cineplex Store lets you buy or rent movies to watch online or purchase DVDs and Blu-ray discs to be shipped to your door.
Pros: A growing selection of classic movies and new releases that can be streamed to a number of devices. Cineplex Store was the first in Canada to support UltraViolet, a “cloud-based” digital locker. It lets you access your movies and other content anywhere you have an Internet connection. Movies typically cost $19.99 to buy, which is less than most new releases on iTunes and CinemaNow, while movie rentals cost about $4.99.
Cons: No Mac or Android support for streaming content from the Cineplex Store; must use Internet Explorer browser and Windows Media Player to view your purchased content on PCs. Can’t rent popular TV shows like you can with other services.
A few others to consider:
Snagfilms: Watch thousands of documentaries and classic movies — free — including a lot of Canadian content.
Crackle and Video Unlimited: These two Sony video services are available on a wide variety of devices.
TMN GO: Astral Media’s new app for tablets and smartphones (iOS to start) is free for subscribers of The Movie Network.
Source: The Toronto Star
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Headline, Industry News
Netflix among online services putting squeeze on cable TV
Monday June 03rd 2013Like many Canadians, Curtis Khan leads a busy life and is not always home to watch his favourite TV shows and movies. Nor is the Richmond Hill marketing executive fond of waiting for new episodes of those shows each week and sitting through commercials.
Instead, Khan, 42, is one of the 33 million people worldwide who have signed up for video-on-demand service Netflix.
“I prefer viewing TV shows back-to-back so I can finish a season quickly,” says Khan.
He watches through his Internet-enabled PlayStation 3 video game console at home and an iPad while travelling.
“While the movie and TV show selection isn’t as good as (in) the U.S., it’s good enough – and you can’t beat the price,” he says, of the $8 monthly fee.
Services like Netflix are booming as they deliver content, commercial-free, from all over the world. The videos can be viewed on many different devices, from Internet-enabled TVs to mobile phones.
Khan concedes he watches less mainstream television than ever but keeps his $100 a month cable service primarily for the news. He also uses other video-streaming services, including CinemaNow, iTunes and YouTube.
“It would be impossible to go back to the way things used to be,” he says.
Netflix offers an all-you-can-watch selection for the monthly fee, while CinemaNow is “a la carte” where you only pay for what you want.
“It’s all about convenience,” says Tim Tang, an analyst in Toronto with International Data Corp., a technology research firm. He finds that most viewers watch these videos on their laptops at home, with the demographic skew to younger viewers.
Michelle Warren, president of Toronto’s MW Research & Consulting which specializes in the Canadian IT industry, says the convenience of accessing commercial-free shows and movies when and where you want is the main selling feature of these services.
She says cable and satellite providers are countering the threat by boosting their connection speeds.
“If they can offer faster, more consistent Internet connections at a raised price, they can recoup the lost revenues from their cable/TV business.
“We expect increased competition over the next year — including services offered by Rogers, Videotron, Astral Media and Bell getting into the game.”
Another draw is original content. Tang says these services are commissioning their own series. Netflix’s House of Cards, an exclusive and critically heralded series, is a good example.
Here’s a look at some of the players:
Netflix
Netflix is the world’s no. 1 video-streaming service with 33 million members in 40 countries.
Pros: Watch as many TV shows and movies as you want for $8 a month, on nearly any Internet-enabled device, with no commercials or commitments. Netflix also offers a “Just for Kids” section and original series, too, such as Hemlock Grove, House of Cards and, soon, Ricky Gervais’ Derek.
Cons: Because of licensing restrictions, Netflix has more content in the U.S. than in Canada. Netflix streams content, so it is not possible to download content to watch later.
CinemaNow
Best Buy-owned CinemaNow is a pay-as-you-go service that offers new release movies for rent or purchase a few weeks after they’re out on DVD.
Pros: CinemaNow has 15,000 titles, including “next day” TV shows. Customers also have access to the hottest cable TV series from HBO, AMC and FX Network, including Game of Thrones, Homeland, Walking Dead, Boardwalk Empire, True Blood and Sons of Anarchy. CinemaNow has recently added UltraViolet support (see Cineplex Store below).
Cons: Not as much bang for the buck as Netflix. Prices range from $3.99 to $4.99 per movie rental. Similarly, movie purchases start at $4.99, but new flicks are about $14.99 to $19.99 (or $22.99 to $24.99 for high-definition). For example, Parker on Blu-ray disc at retail costs $21.99 — but $24.99 for the digital version on CinemaNow (without all the extras, extra DVD copy, and more). Next-day TV shows cost $2.49, or a dollar more for HD quality.
iTunes
Apple offers many different ways to buy or rent TV shows and movies using the “a la carte” model.
Pros: You can rent or buy television shows and movies that are downloaded to your device. With an Apple TV ($109) box connected to your television, you can stream TV shows and movies, which start right away (but cannot be watched offline); Apple TV also includes apps for Netflix, YouTube and others.
Cons: With the exception of Windows PCs, iTunes’ content works only on Apple products. So someone who owns, say, a Samsung tablet or BlackBerry Q10 smartphone, cannot use this service. Not all movies can be rented rather than purchased. Movie rentals start at 99 cents, but new releases are typically $3.99 and $4.99, or $5.99 for HD; some TV shows are as expensive as $4.49 per episode (in HD). Buying movies costs up to $24.99, which is more than a DVD and some Blu-ray discs.
Cineplex Store
The Cineplex Store lets you buy or rent movies to watch online or purchase DVDs and Blu-ray discs to be shipped to your door.
Pros: A growing selection of classic movies and new releases that can be streamed to a number of devices. Cineplex Store was the first in Canada to support UltraViolet, a “cloud-based” digital locker. It lets you access your movies and other content anywhere you have an Internet connection. Movies typically cost $19.99 to buy, which is less than most new releases on iTunes and CinemaNow, while movie rentals cost about $4.99.
Cons: No Mac or Android support for streaming content from the Cineplex Store; must use Internet Explorer browser and Windows Media Player to view your purchased content on PCs. Can’t rent popular TV shows like you can with other services.
A few others to consider:
Snagfilms: Watch thousands of documentaries and classic movies — free — including a lot of Canadian content.
Crackle and Video Unlimited: These two Sony video services are available on a wide variety of devices.
TMN GO: Astral Media’s new app for tablets and smartphones (iOS to start) is free for subscribers of The Movie Network.
Source: The Toronto Star
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