2020: the year of the streaming apps

The time when we had to keep an eye on when a program or movie came on television is long gone. Because we can watch programs over the internet, we can watch content whenever we want. Whether you want to see a movie, series, program or photo library; you can watch almost anything online these days and stream it to your TV or other internet-enabled device.

Stream from internet to TV

The term "streaming" or "streaming" is used when certain files (often in the form of videos and/or audio) are sent in stages over a network. Instead of downloading the entire file first, the server can start playing at any time. The file therefore does not need to be downloaded and stored somewhere by the user.

The term streaming is mainly used in webcasting and is a distribution method in watching videos and video on demand (literally, video on demand). When a user streams, part of the data is continuously buffered so that a video can be played without downloading the entire video. A streaming app makes this possible. With a streaming app, users can watch and stream content in any form online from a smartphone or tablet to TV or other smart device. Normal television is nowadays also streamed via the internet. For example, digital television is actually already streaming.

With this you can think of:

• Live streaming. Think of it as streaming 2.0. Everything you see (image and sound) takes place live. This is often used at festivals or performances or important (press) conferences. Live streaming ensures that those who are not present can still follow an event. You need someone to film on location, an encoder to convert these images into a digital format, a server to send them to and a streaming service. Et voilà: you have a digital live event.
• Video on demand. Video on demand, also called video on demand or request, is a network service that allows a user to watch a video at any time. A VOD system is often part of interactive television. Traditional video instruments such as a Blu-ray player or a video recorder (who still knows them) are superfluous. Users often require a set-top box and subscription to a particular service.

Where a few years ago we only had Netflix to watch movies and series, we now already have a wide choice. Netflix is ​​one of the original American streaming services. They started in 1997 as a mail order video store. They are now the market leader of films and series on demand and have around 148 million subscribers worldwide. In addition to Netflix, you can think of Ziggo Movies & series, Amazon Prima, NPO Start plus, Videoland, Disney+, Apple TV+ and of course DutchChannels..

streaming. You can't really ignore it these past few days: the European networks are overloaded. Chances are you watched a video on Netflix and were surprised at the poor quality. Or maybe you read on NU.nl or Tweakers that both Facebook, YouTube and Netflix reduce the quality of video streams for 30 days across Europe.

Whether you are the CEO of a large corporate, a student looking for something against boredom or a marketer at an app developer who writes the blogs from home office HQ for the time being. We all have something in common: we are at home. Unfortunately, it is expected that we will be at home for a while if we want to make the Netherlands corona-free. This means that the pressure on European networks has increased as more people work from home and have to stay indoors. The major players who supply streaming services have therefore indicated that they will temporarily lower the bitrate and temporarily transfer videos in SD (standard definition) instead of HD quality (high definition). This is an attempt to relieve the networks.

However, streaming was already a hot topic before the current corona pandemic. If we look at the past few years, we see a large increase in the number of streaming apps, this is evident research by research agency Statista. Streaming services have revolutionized 'traditional' television. Not only do streaming services such as Netflix or Hulu have a huge influence on the 'where' and 'why' people watch TV, they also influence the content that is offered.

Streaming apps are the future. Whether you offer movies, shows, concerts or live games. Streaming solutions fit the current media landscape and the wishes of the user. People want to enjoy content on their own time. On the train, in the background while cooking or during the weekend binge-watching session.

The video below (1 minute) gives a good representation of the possibilities of apps for TV.

What about streaming apps for the smaller players?

The number of streaming services has increased significantly in recent years. This does not only apply to the big players. Especially small players entering this relatively new field experience enormous growth when they look at active users and subscribers. A good example of this is DutchChannels, a video on demand provider focused on niche platforms. We have two for DutchChannels white label streaming apps developed for niche target groups. The first is the app 'WithLove': an on-demand channel is a romantic streaming service full of rom-coms, dramas and the best comedies. In addition, we have developed the streaming app 'New Faith Network': the largest Dutch on-demand platform for Christian films and videos. Both apps were already 'trending' in the stores in the week of release.

We are currently developing several TV streaming apps for: Android TV, tvOS, WebOS and TizenBONE.

If you want to have a streaming app developed, there are a number of things you need to know. This includes the right image quality, DRM (digital rights management), personalized content and adaptive streaming. We explain them:

Streaming trend #1: viewing experience (user experience)

Every app you have made stands or falls with the degree of user-friendliness. This is perhaps even more important with video. Algorithms are increasingly being developed to offer users personalized content through machine learning. In addition, we use adaptive streaming when we develop our streaming apps.

Adaptive streaming? 

Adaptive streaming (also known as adaptive bitrate streaming) is a technology designed to provide users with the highest possible quality at the time in the most efficient way. Instead of showing all users the same video (progressive streaming), adaptive streaming optimizes based on the device they are watching. This ensures that videos are optimized to the user. This prevents pixelation and buffering, two major sources of irritation for users.

Streaming trend #2: DRM (digital rights management)

To protect content against unauthorized use, it is advisable to implement DRM technology. DRM ensures that the video content is stored and transmitted in encrypted form. This means that only authorized users and devices can play the video. The content must be encoded and packaged before streaming using so-called DRM schemes for better compatibility with the device. Suppose a user wants to play a video, the server determines whether the user and the device are authorized and a license key is issued.

Do you have a concept for a streaming app and are you curious about what it costs to develop a streaming app or what the development process looks like? Then take contact us without obligation, we are happy to help you.