Streaming 411

There is a definite, defined shift that consumers are making toward streamed content online vs. DVD rental, and that shift will continue strong as the next generation of consumers comes of age.  But by no means is the DVD dead, as evidenced by the wild popularity of the Red Box kiosks found at grocery stores and gas stations nationwide.  While brick and mortar DVD rental shops are becoming scarce, the Red Box model, as well as the Blockbuster, Netflix and LoveFilm (United Kingdom) models, continue to have a strong following.

These new models appeal to our need to slow down and eliminate certain tasks from our lives.  Spending 60 minutes driving to and from a video store, browsing, and renting a DVD is now replaced with jumping on a website, adding titles to a queue, and waiting for the mailman to arrive with our selections, which can be achieved in 20 minutes or so.  We are, of course, creatures who value and gravitate toward instant gratification, which is why the current model will not last forever.  As well, it seems that our lives are only becoming more complicated, and we are desperate to find ways to carve out that much-needed downtime.

Besides a generation that perhaps values technology from yesteryear, what is keeping these DVD business models going strong?  In a word, Hollywood.  They have a business model that, along with a strongly collusive handshake agreement with bundled Pay TV (cable & satellite) providers, wants to make sure that the content that is most lucrative remains scarce.  Think back to your old Economics 101 class in college.  The way to drive up price (and maximize profits) is to lower the supply.  Hollywood's business model does this by first restricting content to theaters only, and then release to DVD and pay-per-view TV.  Next stop is premium cable channels.  Finally, it may make it to streaming services and finally network TV.

This scarcity model of controlling how consumers can access the content has been extremely profitable for many years.  So - the advent of streaming services has them understandably nervous, even taking measures to discourage the widespread adoption of streaming.

These DVD and blu-ray online rental sites also face a lot of competition from streaming, and as such, are attempting to transition their business models to include streaming options.  In fact, Redbox is teaming up with Verizon and is expected to unveil a streaming service this fall.  Besides Netflix and Hulu Plus, their biggest competitors are digital providers where consumers can rent and stream content instantly without having to pay a subscription - companies like Amazon Instant Video, iTunes and Vudu are the go-to services in he United States.  Digital rental is very convenient, offering at times up to 30 days to view your rentals.

LoveFilm's model includes DVD by mail rental, instant streaming, and pay per view content for newer releases.  The UK also has Netflix as an option, but unlike their DVD rental service in the United States, Netflix only offers streaming via a monthly subscription, and no pay per view like LoveFilm.

With so many options available today, it can be confusing to select the best model for you.  Let Streaming 411 help.  We continue to scour the web and monitor the industry, daily bringing new insights to you to help you understand this exciting and dynamic industry.  If you live in the United Kingdom, why not check out our LoveFilm to see if this is a good fit for you.

While a solid LoveFilm Review will show you the important points without overwhelming you with a lot of minutiae, sometimes people want to really dig in and see what they will be getting before making any kind of commitment.  If you are that type of person, this article is for you!

In your LoveFilm account, you are able to keep a rental list page to see your activity at a glance.  It lists the discs you have at home, and a reserved list where you can add titles that have not yet been released.  Then, there is a main rental list where you have the ability to place priorities on various titles, as well as add or remove titles.  On this list you are also able to change disc format if multiple formats are available (e.g. from DVD to blu-ray, or from Xbox 360 to PS3).  

On your list you will be able to see 50, 100 or 200 titles, depending on what you select.  You will also be able to create a dedicated list for LoveFilm Instant viewing so that you do not receive DVD by mail of these particular titles.  All of this means super-easy management of your multiple lists, where you can view them separately or corporately at a glance.

For PlayStation3 Users, you also have the option of selecting standard definition or high quality defintion.  People with lower bandwidth plans should select standard definition, but if you have over 3 Mbps, you might want to occasionally watch in higher quality streaming.

If you're still on the fence about your streaming options in the United Kingdom, you'll want to read an assessment of LoveFilm vs Netflix.  Issues to consider before making a decision include price, trial period so that you can try before you buy, whether or not you wish to have access to a DVD mailing service (you will have more options for newer releases if you are willing to go with the DVD mailing service); what devices are supported for streaming, and the availability of parental controls.

Source:  http://blog.lovefilm.com/

For the last couple of months, UK residents have had some choice in streaming services available to them.  But many are wondering which one is better - LoveFilm vs Netflix?  Let's take a look:

• Price - LoveFilm is at £4.99 a month, but Netflix is £5.99; however, LoveFilm doesn't offer its entire streaming library for that price.  You get 6,800 titles available for instant stream, but there are nearly 1,100 titles available pay-per-view.  With Netflix you get the entire library for one price.
• Trial Period - both have a 30 day trial so you can try before you buy.
• DVD Mailing Service - LoveFilm yes; Netflix no.
  
• Supported Devices - Both LoveFilm and Netflix support a number of devices, including PC, MAC, iPad, PS3, Xbox 360 (with Gold), some IE-TVs and blu-ray players.  Netflix also supports Apple TV, the PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Wii, and iOS and Android apps.  LoveFilm pay per view content streams only to PC and MAC - it's not yet compatible with other devices.
• Selection - Consumers need to understand that the entertainment companies do not wish to make available new releases and huge money-making films onto streaming for a long time, because they want t maximize their profits.  that being said, they both have decent-sized libraries.  Netflix seems to be better for television viewing, and LoveFilm is ahead for movies.  You can expect that their libraries will improve as all the players in the industry come up with new business models for distributing content.
• Stream quality - You can get away with a lower speed plan (2 Mbps) from LoveFilm because thy do not have high definition streaming.  Netflix has some HD content, so you probably want a minimum of 3 Mbps speed, but higher bandwidth is recommended as their HD library grows.  Both providers have a good picture quality even when High Def isn't available.  
• Parental Controls - LoveFilm does have very good parental controls, enabling you to place age restrictions on certain rated content.  A pin number needs to be added before more mature content is viewed.  Parents will have to look up instructions for any devices other than PC or MAC, however, on the LoveFilm site.  Netflix accounts can have a global rating placed on them that can be changed if parents want to watch more mature content.  However, the viewing history cannot be deleted, and viewed content will be available to children even if global rating is changed back.  Some parental oversight required.  Netflix does have "Just for Kids" available on PS3, Wii, and Apple TV.
  

Bottom line:  if you want to replace your high priced TV bundled subscription, either one of these services would be great, but you will definitely want to supplement what they have to offer.  There are content providers like iTunes where you can rent or purchase content.  If you can get a bare-bones TV subscription along with LoveFilm, Netflix and iTunes, you'll probably be happy with your choice and your savings.

Our website is dedicated to providing consumers with reviews carefully designed in the easiest format to gather needed information at a glance, including the pros and cons of all of the available services available to them.  We are pleased to announce that we have just added the LoveFilm Review for our United Kingdom visitors.  This service boasts over 70,000 titles, including movies, television shows and games, in DVD format as well as in LoveFilm Instant Streaming.  Love Film definitely has the most expansive selection of monthly plans available to UK consumers as well, so that you can find a monthly price that fits both your budget, and a plan that suits your lifestyle.  They have both new releases and old familiar classics.  In order to make the best use of their library, the most popular plans include Unlimited Streaming + DVDs.  You decide how many DVDs you wish to have available to you at a time, depending on the size of your family, and whether or not you all like to watch together, or enjoy your own specific genres.  They have a free 30-day trial so that you can "try before you buy."  Also, you can upgrade or downgrade your plans at any time should your circumstances change.  For example, if you tend to watch less TV during the summer months, downgrade your plan to 1 disc at a time.  When the cold north winds start howling, bump it back up to 3 discs at a time.

Interested in a DVD Mailing service but live in the United States?  Try Netflix or Blockbuster Total Access.