What are the best video on demand (VOD) platforms? 2020 List

It's no secret that the way people consume videos and television has dramatically changed, causing a radical turning point in the entertainment industry . Since then, thanks to the Internet, a model change has been promoted in the way this content is produced, sold, distributed and consumed by users.

In this sense, the increase in Internet transmission services is extremely notable ; in particular, because it is not necessary to use a television service provider, in particular and this offers a greater simplicity to access the films or series you want to see .

Therefore, it is necessary to know more about what a video on demand platform is and how it works. For example, knowing what are the main types of content observed there and what are the best options to watch VOD streaming videos .

What is a VOD video platform and how does it work?

Also called video on demand or television on demand, the VOD (Video on Demand) refers to a television system that offers users the ease of access multimedia content in a personalized way , without necessarily having traditional television services.

So, by using a video on demand platform, people have the power to request and watch a specific movie or program at the exact moment they want .

Therefore, it is also possible to watch movies, series or programs in real time or, if you prefer, you can download it to any device (PC, portable player, digital VCR, etc.) and watch it whenever you can.

Regarding the operation of VOD video platforms, the following must be defined:

• System understands basic video clip functions (resume the program, stop it, move it forwards or backwards, slow it down, etc.) and all at the discretion of the user himself.
• It offers full availability of the desired programs, without having to adapt to fixed schedules as do traditional TV channels.
• They contain a wide variety of content , so that people have a varied à la carte offer and can also make payment for some exclusive programs, if they wish.
• This type of platform works to give users the full availability of an alternative system to the usual movie rentals .
• It exists two forms of on-demand content distribution : By LAN, in which it is possible to make a faster distribution to users. The other way is through the WAN which has a longer range, but the response is slower compared to LAN mode.
• VOD use real-time protocols , either: RTP (Real Time Transport Protocol), RTCP (Real Time Control Protocol) or UDP (User Datagram Protocol). With an RSVP (Resource Reservation Protocol) plugin.

What kind of content can I watch on a streaming TV platform?

Beyond series and films, the content provided by a streaming-on-demand television platform is totally varied . Hence, its remarkable growth all over the world, as it manages to meet the demands of millions of users for entertainment and variety. Here is the main types of content that VODs offer today :

Series

These platforms have created different series in recent years, catching the attention of thousands of users around the world.

These consist of an audiovisual work that maintains a plot in itself and thanks to its attractive plots, they manage to catch people consuming content from their computer, mobile or tablet . With that in mind, they cover all genres. Spanish production " The House of Paper (Broadcast by Netflix) is a good example.

It should be noted that nowadays the series shows highest number of users who watch video on demand through these platforms (as you can see in the graphic provided at the end of this section).

Films

After series on VOD platforms, films are the ones that garner the most views. Be a cinematographic work which, in general, tells a story adapted by a screenwriter and its direction depends only on a director. These can count on the participation of famous actors from all over the world and cover all genres .

One of the biggest advantages of on-demand TV platforms in terms of movies is that on various occasions they promote and premiere it. before their theatrical release . Hence, users choose to buy movies from HBO, Netflix, etc.

Documentaries

For those who prefer to enjoy a recording of an aspect of real life and shown in front of cameras and a large audience, it is best to view a documentary. Which, basically, are classified according to the nature of the materials used in the video, what those materials are and also the figure of the narrator during the recording.

In this sense, you can clearly see real documentaries or a " docudrama »In which the protagonists of the narrated events participate while acting under the same role. As you can see from the final graphic, the documentaries are rank third on VOD platforms .

Entertainment programs

While it is true, virtually all traditional televisions have broadcast hundreds of entertainment programs around the world and many of them have been remarkably successful. However, in order to be able to see them on each broadcast day, it was necessary respect a fixed schedule and if not, you would miss the episode of your favorite show.

However, this has changed with this class of VOD platforms, so that users can access this content when they can and when they want . Therefore, these programs today occupy a transcendent role in the development and implementation of VOD streaming, thus occupying fourth place when it comes to more views (see graphic).

Thematic channels

These refer to channels that offer specialized content on a specific topic or that targets a specific segment of the population. Generally, they are used by users who prefer to demand specific content, such as: information, entertainment, children, religion, music, TV contests, etc. These, in video on demand, are classified fifth .

Sporting events

Sports fans, be it football, basketball, boxing, Formula 1, etc. They also chose to use television on demand, before preferring traditional television. Since many exclusive sporting events are only broadcast by certain TV channels and various users do not have access to said channel, repeatedly.

Thanks to these platforms, it is possible to enjoy games and competitions in real time . For this, it is classified sixth .

Cartoons

Finally, we place the cartoons which have also gained noticeable power on VOD platforms today. Since then, many parents prefer to select the content that their little ones see and thus, they enjoy a wide variety of cartoons from any device .

Below is the graph that shows the acceptance of each type of content on video on demand platforms in 2018 and what happened in 2019:

List of the best VOD platforms to watch streaming videos on demand for free and for a fee

As expected, below we detail the top and best video on demand platforms that you can currently manage . Taking into account that, depending on their characteristics and functions, some are completely free and others are paying:

Netflix

Most internet users know that Netflix is one of the best VOD platforms of the moment , thanks to the fact that it incorporates various options capable of meeting the entertainment requirements of each user. The strong point of this interface are series and movies ; the most consumed types of content today.

In this sense, it is a payment platform that offers three packages to the public : Basic (for 7,99 euros), Standard (it costs 10,99 euros) and Premium (it is the most expensive for 13,99 euros); all these prices per month. Among other features, Netflix supports various devices, allows downloading of videos , constantly providing many premieres, has its own Spanish production, etc.

HBO Spain

Although it doesn't have as much content capacity as Netflix is ​​a good alternative widely used to consume content on demand, especially in Spain. This guarantees high quality and offers a variety of titles for children and young people in particular; taking into account that its strong point is the series. For example, " Game of Thrones «.

In this sense, the platform supports various devices and is also chargeable, so its users have to pay 7,99 euros per month . For its part, HBO allows the connection of two simultaneous devices, gives you the ease of using your account outside the country and also broadcasts premieres immediately. However, it does not support downloading videos .

Amazon Prime Video

He stands out for being one of the streaming services the better known in the world, in particular thanks to the fact that hosts its own series on its platform and also stocks Emmys and Golden Globes. For this reason, it can be categorized as one of the best alternatives for viewing varied content and mostly movies . Since then he has a large catalog of Bollywood films (ideal if you are a fan of Indian cinema).

With reference to its subscription price, you will have to pay 36 euros per year and that also adds its store services. On the other hand, it allows the downloading of its content to view it. offline , can be used outside of Spain, has very suitable seaworthiness and supports many devices.

Movistar +

It is another of the most recognized and paying platforms, which offers several packages , but to be able to use it, you must have a Fusion tariff with the operator. In other words, it is necessary to rent a TV package to be able to enjoy all the series it offers. But all is not bad, because Movistar+, in an agreement with Netflix, allows its customers to use both services with discounts .

With reference to the programming, it is of total quality and in addition to the series, it offers a wide range of film premieres . This and the other solutions also support many devices and operating systems. In addition, it allows the downloading some content , but it cannot be viewed with subtitles or in the original version. If you are leaving Spain, you can use it in most European countries.

Sky

It is a platform that originated in England and since then it has spread throughout Europe and other places around the world. Considering the fact that it was established in Spain at the end of 2017 and to this day it has a large number of users. Which, to be able to manage Sky, must pay 7 euros per month .

To access the VOD service, you can do so via its mobile application or on its website. To do this, take advantage of diversified content, including the most watched private channels in Spain . However, for now, it does not have its own Spanish production, nor does it accept video downloads.

The film

Basically, it's a little different from the others, especially because it's less commercial. But, in the same way, it offers highly rated films and videos on demand from independent or classic cinema. In most cases, these films belong to European fictions , especially British. In addition, it offers a wide variety of short films.

In this sense, it is a platform with a large catalog of independent cinema and among its biggest advantages we find that Filmin offers good subscription prices, with two types of plans. The first is a basic plan that you have to pay for $7,99 for each month and for the Monthly Plus subscription, you must pay $14,99 , which adds the first movies available for rental. Also accept downloads .

Rakuten TV - WUAKI

It is a VOD platform very similar to HBO, since it has an agreement with disney and therefore its main objective is to provide content intended in particular for children and adolescents. Therefore, you can find series and especially ideal films for the little ones in the house. Taking this into account, it also works as a video store without having to pay fixed costs.

In this sense, it offers you two ways to view the content: A monthly subscription to take advantage of the wide variety of the catalog, paying only 6,99 euros per month . The other way is to go through the " Box office ”Which does not require a monthly subscription, but you can pay for the content when viewing it (from 1,99 to 4,99 euros). Moreover, he Foum Zguid en load the download on mobiles and tablets .

YouTube Movies

It is a platform created in 2005, which currently facilitates access to various content downloaded from around the world. In this way, it can also be classified as one of the most well-known video on demand streaming platforms, especially for the excellence of the catalog it offers .

In this sense, YouTube Movies allows the purchase and rental of movies of all kinds , with HD video quality and sound reproduced in stereo. As for the prices it offers, they are cheap compared to other interfaces of this type.

voddler

It is an on-demand television provider that uses a P2P streaming service and arrived in Spain around 2012. Basically, its operation consists of transmitting films through the same users who have the information stored on their servers, but being controlled by la streaming platform by Voddler .

Its best feature, without a doubt, is that it is completely free (although with many advertisements). However, in addition to providing free content, it offers also the movie rental with a total of 800 available or more, some of which are very commercial as they come from Disney and Paramount . It should be noted that it offers video quality in MP4 and MKV.

DAZN

A platform where one can easily access a large amount of content related to the world of sport, in particular motorsports, which is why MotoGP is one of its main star products. In addition, you can also enjoy the Champions League and the major leagues of European football. It gives you a month's free trial like most, and its subscription is considerably cheap.

Movistar + Lite

Movistar has been investing in the world of Internet TV for years and it has not been short. Now they are launching a new service that promises to be a direct competitor to Netflix, with a huge catalog of on-demand series and films totally exclusive to its platform, with the addition of sports as well . Its current flagship program is La Resistencia.

FuboTV

This is another platform specially designed for sports fans in general, especially football fans, and this is where its name comes from. Furthermore, it also accompanies its content with good series from some of the platforms on this list , as well as a series of TNT streaming channels.

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