Streaming tops DVDs

Online movie streaming in the United States is expected to top both DVD and Blu-ray use for the first time ever in 2012, according to a study from IHS Screen Digest. The study suggests that in 2012, Americans will legally stream 3.4 billion movies online — twice the 1.4 billion streamed in 2011 — while DVD and Blu-ray movies watching this year will to 2.4 billion from 2.6 billion in 2011. Last year, the unlimited-streaming services offered by Netflix and Amazon Prime accounted for 94% of all paid online movie viewing in the U.S. Additionally, consumers paid an average of $0.51 for every movie streamed online, compared to $4.72 for DVD and Blu-ray discs. “We are looking at the beginning of the end of the age of movies on physical media like DVD and Blu-ray,” IHS analyst Dan Cryan said. “But the transition is likely to take time: almost nine years after the launch of the iTunes Store, CDs are still a vital part of the music business.”

 

Popularity of streaming

I was wondering how many others like me are out there – who has given up the cable in favor of streaming only?

Deloitte did a recent study.  Due to the attractive financial benefits of inexpensive online alternatives and increased accessibility, some Americans have already taken the cord cutting plunge while others are contemplating it for 2012.

According to a study conducted by consulting firm Deloitte, approximately 9 percent of users subscribing to premium television programming such as cable or satellite TV ditched those services in favor of online options during 2011. With more than 2,000 respondents between the ages of 14 to 75 participating in the survey, eleven percent are considering “cutting the cord” during 2012 since they believe their favorite television shows are already available online. Beyond that group, an additional 15 percent want to try out movies and television shows via online digital sources in the upcoming months.

Younger consumers between the ages of 23 to 28 were are the most likely to “cut the cord” in 2012 with nearly one-fifth of that age range considering the move. As age increases, Americans are less likely to ditch cable or satellite service. Only seven percent of people between the ages of 46 and 64 are considering the change and just five percent of people beyond 65 years of age are doing the same. However, many respondents value DVR service like TiVo almost as much as premium TV service and 80 percent of respondents have no plans to stop paying for cable or satellite service this year.

The study also found that increased accessibility to online media has driven usage up over the last two years. With set-top boxes, gaming consoles, smart televisions, Blu-ray players and smartphones offering access to digital media such as movies, the amount of people streaming movies has risen from 28 percent in 2009 to 42 percent in 2011. In addition, the amount of people that prefer watching a movie through a streaming source rose from 4 percent in 2009 to 14 percent in 2011. Other devices, like eBook readers and smartphones, have increased the amount of people consuming newspapers, books and magazines on a digital device over the paper alternative. The survey also found there are many more homes with smartphones in the U.S. as that number jumped from 25 percent in 2009 to 42 percent in 2011.

 

Technology I’m using

Streaming Players

I already have a DVD player with streaming capability.  I am using it downstairs in my living room.

I am streaming in my bedroom thru the Roku LT – cost, $50 ( I used my Amazon Visa rewards points, so did not actually cost me anything).  The Roku is newer and is my preferred device – I just like the content options better.  It is amazing to me how small it is – not much bigger than my mobile phone.

CNET reviewed the Roku 5 days ago and here is their summary:

The Roku LT earned our Editors’ Choice Award for two major reasons: price and content. Roku’s $50 streaming box has a truly impressive lineup of content, including Netflix, Amazon Instant, Hulu Plus, Pandora, HBO Go, MLB.TV, NHL GameCenter, Epix, Crackle, Picasa, Flicker, Mog, Rdio, TED Talks, Revision3, TWiT.TV, NASA, and CNET. You can see a full list on Roku’s site, and the company has been aggressive about continually adding more content sources. YouTube is strangely missing from that list.

All of the content sources are great, but the Roku LT also gets many of the little things right that competing products don’t. The user interface may be a little bland, but it’s simple and easy to navigate, plus you can customize the layout of the channels. The same goes for the remote, which keeps only the essential buttons. (Roku’s remote now includes direct-access buttons for Netflix, Pandora, and Crackle.) The separate Channel Store is also a great way to offer a ton of content from partners without cluttering the main home screen.

Roku also offers several pricier models, but we think the Roku LT is easily the best value. The core streaming functionality is what makes Roku great, so most buyers don’t need to pay extra for a Bluetooth remote, microSD card slot, or USB port.If your main goal is to stream video and music from a ton of high-quality content sources, there’s no better value than the Roku LT.

Subscriptions

I have a subscription to Hulu Plus (less than $9 a month) and to Amazon Prime ($79 per year; includes streaming TV/movies & some free ebooks; also provides free 2-day shipping on Amazon purchases).

Other equipment

I bought a HDTV indoor TV antenna – Terk HDTVa Indoor Amplified High-Definition Antenna for Off-Air HDTV Reception.  It’s $38.79 on Amazon (I used my Amazon Visa reward points for this too) and it ships free with 2-day delivery … another perk of the Amazon Prime membership.  It has received 1582 reviews and a 4-star rating.

It will allow me to view all local TV free.  To see what stations you should be able to get with the antenna in your area, go to http://transition.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/maps.

Decision

For some time, I have been considering cutting off my TV cable service and only streaming TV & movies to watch.  I entered the streaming world about a year ago.  I needed a new DVD player and saw how inexpensive it was to buy a player that also had the streaming, so I bought it.  I enjoyed surfing thru the content when I first took it home but kept going back to my old reliable, my cable channels.  The player I bought has BBC News, and I probably streamed that more than anything.  I also signed up for a subscription to HuluPlus (only $8.95 a month) but wasn’t using it very much.

I made the decision to make this change now for several reasons:

1)  I watch too much TV!  Having over 200 channels seems to lure me in to find, record, then feel compelled to watch way too many shows, many of which I suspect I’m not 100% interested in.  I began to wonder if I was addicted to the stuff.

2)  There was a time in my life (before we had the Travel Channel, HGTV, etc.) when I had a TV but didn’t turn it on very much.  I read a lot more books back then, and I wondered if that was a better way to live my life.  One of my goals in going to streaming is to watch less TV and to be more intentional in what I watch.

3) I love technology, and I do believe streaming is the future of TV/movie viewing, and I wanted to be a part of it.

4) I realized I could cut costs (I’m saving about $70 a month) by going this route.  I love a bargain!

As my boyfriend said, “If you really decide you need the cable back, I’m sure they will be willing to sign you back up!”  I suspect he’s right.