If Streaming Services Are to Survive, They’ll Need a Unified Interface
I haven’t written about UX all that much in the past, but over the last few weeks, I’ve come across enough hassles in my own daily activities that it seems like a reasonable topic to address in more detail. With the rise of high speed internet, numerous streaming services have emerged. Some of them have some amazing content that they’ve produced themselves. Others just distribute other peoples’ content. Unfortunately very few, if any, streaming services have everything that everyone wants, and so many people rely on multiple streaming packages. I use Netflix and have Amazon Video because of Prime, and because I recently cut out cable, I also have Hulu. And because I watch anime and gaming content, I use Twitch.tv and VRV.
Now I admit that overall I am likely paying more than I would for cable, but I have so many more options than I’d ever have with cable. The only real thing that I miss about having cable is a unified environment. It’s not too difficult for me, but for my mother, who is older and isn’t very good with technology, having to switch from app to app for different services is a problem, especially when it’s so different from using a guide system that cable uses.
