5 benefits of Video on Demand over Traditional TV

Are you old enough to recall those days when you had to adjust your schedule around your favorite TV programs and movies? Or those times when you had to rent out a movie VCR from the local video store and had to make a mental note to return it on the due date failing which you had to pay a fine for the late return. If you were part of this era and recall such instances, then this is a must-read blog for you to know why video on demand is growing in popularity.

Video on demand (VOD) has revolutionized the way video content is viewed. It has also contributed to taking traditional cable TV to the next level thanks to the widespread availability of high-speed broadband internet. Subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu have literally taken the TV viewing world by storm and transformed the Over-the-top (OTT) viewing experience as millions of people are cutting the cord and switching over to online streaming services to get access to their preferred pay TV channels via live streaming. Additionally, they also get to stream their favorite TV shows and movies. Not only are these Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) services gaining millions of viewers each year, they are also producing their own award-winning content.

So let’s get straight to what VOD is and the benefits of VOD over traditional TV.

What exactly is Video on Demand?

Video on demand (VOD) lets you watch your favorite movies and TV shows at your convenience instead of a schedule as decided by traditional TV (cable / satellite) providers.

Imagine having a DVR at your service providers end that records and lets you play back any TV show, any episode, any program any sports, any movie at any date and time once it had been broadcasted

So what makes VOD a better option than linear TV? Let’s dive into the advantages

Benefits

Here are five benefits of video on demand over linear TV you should know of if you are thinking of being a traditional TV alternative connoisseur

1. Convenience: Currently VOD is delivered by streaming service providers like Netflix and Amazon Prime where you can choose videos that are included in the catalog and watch them whenever you want, wherever you want and as often as you want. Also unlike traditional TV operators that bind you with long term contracts which are not easy to break away from, VOD streaming services don’t have any such contractual obligation. So you are free to discontinue your subscription at any point of time at the click of a button. Also, you can subscribe to more than one VOD service at a time since all these different subscriptions put together may still cost you lower than a cable / satellite TV bill which keeps incrementing every year. In a Traditional TV model, you can only avail of a Cable / satellite TV provider that is specific to your geographic location, And this further limits you with the choices of TV service providers whereas VOD lets you stream videos irrespective of which geography you belong to since all you need to do is login to your streaming service account to get instant access to scores of videos.

In a Traditional TV model, you can only avail of a Cable / satellite TV provider that is specific to your geographic location, And this further limits you with the choices of TV service providers whereas VOD lets you stream videos irrespective of which geography you belong to since all you need to do is login to your streaming service account to get instant access to scores of videos.

Options – you are not bound long term to any provider, you can subscribe to many at a time or switch to anyone without having to worry about any costs, or regulations preventing you from doing so, so in traditional TV, a viewer depending on where they are may have just one or two options. And the providers may be forcing long term contracts, so when someone wants to switch they can’t do so easily.

2. Connectivity: It only requires a high-speed broadband internet connection and a PC or mobile device.

3. Cost: Cost wise accessing on-demand movies and TV shows over the internet is only a fraction of what you would pay to your cable TV provider. Cable TV lets you watch all the content you need if you choose a premium package however same media content can be watched at a much lower price via Video On Demand.

4. Variety: Wide variety of television shows and movies are provided by VOD service providers that let you access hundreds and thousands of different types of movies and shows that include news, sports, classic TV, entire TV series and movies from different decades. Originally video on demand offered access to movies however newer technologies and high speed broadband internet let you have access to a diverse array of content that includes the ability to view content from other countries and other special interest content. Hence video on demand is so popular.

5. Devices: the convenience of being able to watch videos from anywhere, at anytime and how many ever times you want to watch, it also offers the convenience of being able to stream on a wide assortment of devices right from your HDTV or PC to mobile devices like your iPad or even your smartphone.

With digitalization and onset of Video on Demand Services, cord cutting is on the rise as many people are making the switch to OTT streaming services to stream their preferred TV shows and movies at their preferred time, whenever they want to and wherever they want to stream (on the go).

In my view, OTT video is the future of video content delivery. So stop contemplating and hop onto the VOD bandwagon now so you are not left behind tangled in the cord of traditional TV.

If you are a broadcaster or a TV network owner and are looking at expanding into OTT services, Muvi can help you deliver with that. With Muvi, you can expand your current content offering, including live tv channel streaming by launching web, mobile and TV apps and continue to hold onto your existing subscribers as they move towards a digital source to watch their favorite shows and movies. Not only this, you can capture new customers as you are venturing into the OTT realm. So you are no longer bound by geographic regulations of a traditional TV market and the entire world is your target audience.

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