Streaming video online lets users view content without needing to save it.
Chris Clinton/Lifesize/Getty Images
Netflix is an American corporation that allows users to stream a variety of television shows and movies online and receive rentals in the mail for a monthly fee. Although its main rival, Blockbuster, filed for bankruptcy protection in 2010, several other companies offer online streaming for a monthly membership, pay-per-view, pay for a rental period or even purchase as streaming-only content.
Amazon Video On Demand
Amazon, a popular online store that sells everything from video games to furniture, food and music, began offering Amazon Video On Demand, a video streaming service only available in the United States, in 2006. VOD allows users to either rent or purchase movies and television shows for streaming online and downloads. Users can only stream on Amazon's website or download the VOD player. VOD is unlike other video streaming companies because users pay for the movies and television shows separately, rather than provide a monthly payment.
Hulu Plus
Hulu Plus is an expanded version of the video streaming website Hulu that users can have full access to for $7.99 a month as of January 2011. Launched in November 2010, Hulu Plus allows users to stream anything available in Hulu's vast library -- after several weeks, most episodes and movies are no longer available to view for free -- on their computer, smart phone or iPod with Hulu's free app. It also allows users to watch full seasons of most television shows for a fixed monthly price, like Netflix, rather than paying for a season pass, like Amazon VOD and iTunes.
Blockbuster On Demand
Blockbuster On Demand is a service that allows users to watch television shows and movies without a monthly fee, like Amazon VOD. Users pay separately for each television show or movie they want to rent or purchase. Blockbuster On Demand allows users to stream or download to TVs, Blu-ray players, TiVos, smart phones and PCs. It is not, however, available on Apple computers or devices because Blockbuster operates under Microsoft's Windows Media Digital Rights Management, which only allows material to be viewed on devices that use Microsoft's technology.
YouTube
YouTube, a subsidiary of Google, is known as a popular video-sharing website where users can upload and watch videos for free. Movie and TV clips, trailers, and music videos are among the licensed content that corporations upload for promotion. Many users also use the website for video blogging or to post their own original videos. In January 2010, YouTube premiered a pay-per-view online rental service that allows users to stream video online. Its library isn't as vast as other services, however -- it features mostly independent movies and mainstream movies by Lionsgate.
References
Photo Credits
- Chris Clinton/Lifesize/Getty Images
