Photograph of Roku XDS player with remote. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A few weeks ago LoveFilm announced that the movie and television streaming portion of their service has been in higher demand – a whopping 20% more – than DVDs, blu-ray discs and games. Managing Director Jim Buckle notes “The first quarter of 2012 has shown us two things: that LoveFilm members are watching more films and TV series both on the internet and on DVD than ever before and: in less than three years, streaming through LoveFilm Instant has become more popoular than renting DVDs.”
It appears that demand is quickly shifting in the United Kingdom, as well as in the United States as evidenced by the popularity of streaming services like Netflix and Hulu Plus. When comparing the same time period, prior year to this year, demand for digital streaming content has grown over 400%.
Although demand for physical DVDs is up 25% from prior year, LoveFilm is questioning what its primary business is, including the value of offering a DVD rental service.
LoveFilm Instant Streaming is also going to be serving up both full length as well as shorter movie versions as entertainment studios comply with the Alliance of Motion Picture Producers of America ruling to provide reduced versions of their films. It appears that there is a marked, growing demand for television content and shorter forms of entertainment, and AMPPA is trying to compete by offering shorter versions of their films.
United Kingdom residents can learn more about this service by reading the LoveFilm Review. You also have Netflix as an option in the UK. If you live in the United States and wish to rent movies online, services like Vudu or Amazon Instant Video are a great bet. Available streaming services include Netflix and Hulu Plus.
Sources:
http://www.digitaltvselector.com/lovefilm-streaming-service-overtakes-dvd-rentals/2012/03/
http://www.imdb.com/news/ns0007347/
