Streaming TV is all the hype, these days. By delivering video content on the internet, it liberates consumers from the traditional shackles of TV boxes or satellite dishes. To stream your favorite show or movie online, all you need is a high-speed internet connection from the likes of Cox internet, a streaming media player or a smart TV, which acts as a gateway to the world of online streaming, and a streaming service subscription.
You can find hundreds of streaming services on the World Wide Web, offering their unique collections of original, exclusive, and run-of-the-mill television content. Some are free to stream, like YouTube, which has become a video search engine of its own kind, while others are paid, and these are known as video-on-demand streaming services. In this post, we will unravel the most popular video-on-demand streaming service for you, so you can subscribe to it and enjoy its lovely treats. Let’s begin.
Netflix: The Most Popular Streaming Service of 2021
Can you believe that Netflix started as a small-scale DVD-rental service back in 1997? At that time, there was no concept of streaming TV. So, when the right opportunity presented itself, the company innovated the video streaming technology, and gave birth to the Netflix we know and love today! Here is a quick overview of everything that Netflix has in store for you:
US Subscriber Base Share
Netflix has by far the largest subscriber base in the US than any other streaming service, amounting to 62% of the household share, as of May 2021. Its popularity grew monumentally last year as cities locked down and people were confined in their homes with nothing left to do. So, they resorted to streaming, and thereby, Netflix saw a massive increase in its revenue and repute.
Packages & Pricing
One of the most outstanding features of Netflix is its transparent plans and affordable pricing. You have the option to choose any of the three main packages that Netflix offers, i.e.
- Basic Plan – $8.99 per month
- Standard Plan – $13.99 per month
- Premium Plan – $17.99 per month
Besides the different prices, what sets these packages apart is the video quality and screen count. With a Basic plan, you can enjoy SD video quality and stream on one screen at a time. Whereas, when you take it up a notch with the Standard plan, you can stream in HD resolution on two screens at a time. If, however, you have streaming TV lovers in your household, then the Premium plan will satisfy you with access to 4K resolution and up to four screens at a time. Regardless of which plan you pick, you can watch unlimited TV shows, movies, documentaries, and more content on Netflix.
Programming & Content Library
The streaming library of Netflix is an ever-rotating one, so you can always find something interesting to watch and don’t have to face an older set of titles repeatedly. The provider adds new content every month, which you can save in “My List,” and removes a selective few from the bunch, thus, keeping the content machine alive. Its built-in AI also reads your likes and dislikes and recommends content based on your watch history. Plus, the smooth playback settings let you resume a TV show or movie from where you left off, fast-forward it or rewind as per your liking.
So, what can you watch on Netflix? Here’s a sample:
- Netflix Original Series: Squid Game, Bridgerton, The Crown, The Queen’s Gambit, Atypical, Stranger Things, Emily in Paris, & Ginny and Georgia, etc.
- AMC TV Shows: Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad, & Into the Badlands, etc.
- BBC Shows: Peaky Blinders, & The Last Kingdom, etc.
- NBC TV Shows: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Seinfeld, Friday Night Lights, 30 Rock, & The Blacklist, etc.
- ABC TV Shows: Marvel’s Agents of Shield, Designated Survivor, How to Get Away With Murder, & Once Upon a Time, etc.
- FOX TV Shows: Gotham, Arrested Development, Lucifer, & New Girl, etc.
- CW TV Shows: The 100, iZombie, Gilmore Girls, Riverdale, Arrow, The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, & Roswell, etc.
- Netflix Movies: Afterlife of the Party, Thunder Force, School of Rock, Stardust, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, & Million Dollar Baby, etc.
Getting Started & Supported Devices
You can stream or download Netflix titles on any web-connected device like a smartphone, smart TV, gaming console, tablet, laptop, or streaming media player. Just make sure that your internet connection has a minimum download speed of up to 3 Mbps for SD streaming, up to 5 Mbps for HD streaming, and up to 25 Mbps for 4k Streaming on one device. In case of insufficient bandwidth, Netflix will downgrade the quality of your video automatically, and prevent buffering, which is abhorred by all avid streamers.
Moreover, you can download the Netflix app for free on your smartphone or smart TV, or you can access the streaming giant’s amazing content library directly on its website. Whichever way you choose, you can’t start watching Netflix without signing up. So, create an account, register your email address, set up a password, select a Netflix plan that meets your requirements, add a payment method of your preference, and start diving into the endless world of Netflix!
Note: Netflix is a month-to-month service. In other words, it doesn’t require you to sign a contract commitment. You can cancel the subscription any time you want to or start it up again as long as you’ve cleared your previous bill. Also, you can upgrade or downgrade your Netflix plan as well. Switch from Basic to Standard in a matter of minutes. This is the kind of flexibility that Netflix subscribers love!
Wrapping Up
So, if you are wondering which streaming service is the most popular in the United States at present, then look no further than Netflix. If you’re in Thailans, ดูหนัง is also very popular. Netflix has been around for more than a decade now, and even though it is challenged by up-and-coming streaming services every quarter, it still retains its prestige and favor among the greatest percentage of streaming subscribers.