Source: IndieWire
Prior to the release of Disney+, millions of fans from around the world were happy with Disney’s decision to bring its content to a streaming service. It seems as though everything is becoming more connected to networks these days and it has a direct impact on the fans. The phenomenon of the internet of things (IoT) is not only popular in the United States, but in many territories. The idea of getting out the TV guide, finding the name and time of that special television or movie you’d like to watch-those days are over. It is safe to say that there are still good television shows on traditional cable and satellite services; however, most of the legacy and innovative content is going to services like Netflix and so many other streaming services that are growing in number each and every day.
Disney+ is a good paradigm to evaluate because of the company’s position in the marketplace. When it comes to animated films, Disney has always dominated the market. If a competitor would show up and take some of Disney’s market share, then they would be bought out-kind of like Pixar. Disney started during the days of black and white television and has since evolved into one of the world’s greatest brands for television and movie content. As a longtime fan of the company, it is a pleasure to evaluate its new streaming service in order to show other fans why they need to get a subscription. Now when I talk to my younger family about how entertaining Darkwing Duck and Tail Spin were, and how greatly the TV versions of Aladdin and The Lion King truly impacted the millennial generation-Disney+ can stream these shows to them so they can find out for themselves how great the programming was before their time.
Disney has an abundance of incredible content, it would take days to write a review on all of the significant programs that are available; however, since we are looking into a streaming app it is important to evaluate it from a technical perspective.
Disney+ is just like any other streaming service in regards to its streaming nature. Some viewers may need to go to the app store and download the program and create an account before gaining access to content. Some newer devices already have Disney+ installed when you purchase a smartphone or smartTv. Some of the remotes for the new smartTVs have a Disney+ button on it in addition to already being installed for the user when they use their new device. From a technical standpoint, Disney+ is technically sound and extremely available for the fans.
Over the years, the Disney catalog has expanded as the company acquired other brands to fill out its content library: Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic are now all under the umbrella of Disney. After signing into the app, each of those major brands are the first menu that you see, the content beneath it changes depending on which brand you click on at the particular time. Disney+ also uses an algorithm to recommend TV and movie content to its users, and features new content above the others in order to attract an audience to productions that have yet to be seen by the masses.
The best part about the streaming app, from a technical perspective, is how simple it is to navigate. There is a lot of content and a few options to click on that will direct the user in specific ways. The side menu gives the user the ability to create a watchlist and change settings for the app like the character image they select as an avatar or provide helpful information for any users that is stuck.
Overall, Disney+ has the content that the world loves and delivers it to them in a small, efficient package that only cost $6.99/month, which is less money needed to buy a movie ticket (as theaters begin to open after the summer according to some analyst). One amazing factor is that Disney+ and many other streaming services are not complex apps to make. A software engineer or an outsourcer could build an app for android or iOS that is just as dynamic and user-friendly as Disney+ but would never gain significant traction because Disney has an extensive library of content that has been around for nearly a century. Disney, Netflix and other companies are building simple apps using only the technology necessary to stream the available content it has in storage. Disney+ works well on both android and iOS smartphones, any smartTV, and looks great on tablets. This streaming service appears to be a winner that is going to impact the television and movie sector of the arts for a very long time.