Amazons free TV streaming service comes to mobile, but its still an imperfect solution

Date:
Fri, 06 Aug 2021 11:03:56 +0000

Description:
The launch of the IMDb TV gives iOS and Android users a chance to experience free, ad-supported content - but it probably isnt enough to bring down the paid subscription behemoths.

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When Netflix arrived on the scene as a streaming service back in 2007, we began to glimpse a better future for television. In the following years as a handful of other platforms rose up - cutting the cord became commonplace as people flocked to these cost-saving solutions that offered must-see hits you wouldnt find on cable.

Now fractured content libraries charging significant sums every month have returned us to the dark days of television, where those desperate to watch everything have to shell out for numerous subscriptions every month. But is there an alternative?

With the launch of the IMDb TV app on iOS and Android, a service that draws its content library from Amazon Prime and Paramount Plus , it seems like
there could finally be a way forward for the viewer on a budget. But alas, IMDb TVs free, ad-supported content might not yet be the hero we need and might never be. What are the best streaming services in 2021 ? Here are the best VPNs for 2021

For one, the Amazon-owned IMDb TV platform is only available in the US, leaving the rest of the world trapped in the jaws of paid services aside
from the odd exception such as the Roku Channel or Samsung TV Plus . For another, its selection of older films and series are almost all available elsewhere, meaning that if youre subscribed to even a couple of paid services you can probably watch most of it ad-free on those instead.

Further, while IMDb TV does boast a range of exclusive content, none of it
has managed to capture mainstream attention like The Boys or Stranger Things
. This combination of lacking both third-party and first-party hits is a perfect storm that means you likely havent heard of IMDb TV before this week.

Unfortunately, even with more offerings headed its way from Paramount Plus, wed be surprised to see IMDb TV catch up to its rivals. Thats because, disappointingly, ad-supported viewing cant possibly match what subscriptions can achieve in terms of revenue and quality. Why dont ads work anymore?

Back when there were only a few channels to skim through, adverts could
demand the attention of wide swathes of the population. With maybe only a couple of other channels to watch, where else could you look?

Now, with a vast selection of distractions at our fingertips, audiences are spread thin across an array of different channels and services. This means
the same ads arent reaching as many people, meaning companies aren't as incentivised to pay for them.

Meanwhile, our expectations for shows have been rising. With series like Game of Thrones and The Mandalorian using technology and effects wed see in blockbuster films, the bar has been raised and series have to either match or surpass whats come before to have a chance to rise above the crowds. This means budgets have to grow too, but they can only be supported if the moneys there.

Thats why the best shows are now often seen on paid streaming platforms or on cable, where you have to pay extra to view the content. That monthly or
yearly subscription gives creators the funds to make use of huge crews and amazing special effects that ad-supported options cant compete with.

IMDb TV will hopefully keep trying with its advert-powered endeavor, as in
the search for more budget-friendly viewing wed gladly eat our hat and see it and other platforms succeed. But most likely the best well see is the likes
of Hulu and HBO Max s ad-supported tiers, which offer a smaller selection of titles with adverts at a cheaper monthly cost. Well just have to see what the future holds. Here our our picks for the best Amazon Prime Video shows right now



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/amazons-free-tv-streaming-service-comes-to-mobi le-but-its-still-an-imperfect-solution/


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