Streaming Power
Last Friday, Atlanta saw snow for the first time since 2018. Naturally, the city went into “bunker” mode. This gave me plenty of time at home over the weekend. There is something very peaceful about admiring the white landscape, all while enjoying a hot cup of coffee. I spent much of the time exercising the power of the remote control as I flipped through streaming services in the hunt for a new movie or TV series to watch. New video content is easily accessible these days, but that was not always the case.
Who remembers the good old Blockbuster days? A trip down to the local Blockbuster store was always exciting. One would wander the aisles of the store searching for something new (or old) to watch. Like a library book withdrawal (remember those?), you would pay for the rental time and agree to return the video before the deadline. There was something exhilarating about running down to Blockbuster on deadline day to avoid extra fees. Conditions were a little tougher back then. Not just anyone could watch a movie. Your home had to be equipped with a VCR, and later, with a DVD/Blu-Ray player.
The evolution continued. Netflix introduced the idea of “renting from home.” In the early days, subscribers would receive a new movie in the mail every other day. The online renting queue was set up for months. If there was a very popular movie in your queue, it could take a while before it arrived in your mailbox. Finally, receiving your requested movie was a joyous moment. As years went by, subscribers were provided with access to Netflix’s online streaming. Don’t let your memory fool you, back then, online streaming selections were scarce, and the quality was well below what we see today.
Over recent years, streaming services have boomed. Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Max, and Paramount+ are some of the most popular streaming services. These brands continue to compete for more movies, more exclusives, and most importantly, they compete to create the most original content.
In recent news, Netflix has reported that the Korean hit series Squid Games has logged over 1.6 billion viewing hours across the globe. The Squid Games phenomenon has taken the world by storm. Season 2 has topped Netflix’s TV show rankings across 93 countries. Virtual reality games based on Season 1 of the show have become highly popular. Hwang Dong-Hyuk, the creator of the show, took 10 years to find someone who would buy his idea. He was rejected multiple times and had to sell his laptop to make ends meet. Netflix agreed on a contract with Hwang to produce Season 1, which included his forfeiture of intellectual property rights and royalties. Quite a profitable deal for the streaming giant!
Whatever streaming service that you favor, sharing the “good” content you have found is highly recommended. There’s nothing like a great show to pass the time when Winter Wonderland keeps you inside!
Nirvanna Silva