In recent years, the way in which we have watched movies has changed dramatically. It is only over the last 10 years that streaming has become a popular option for watching movies. Anyone who grew up in the 80s or 90s will know that movies were almost always released at the cinema first. They would often be available to watch at the cinema for a few months and then it would be a few years before the same movie would be available to watch on TV. In the meantime, there would be a VHS/DVD release and you would have to buy or hire the film to watch while you were waiting for it to appear on a TV channel.

The growth of streaming

Streaming has changed everything. Streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime mean that not only do movies become available to the public who didn’t manage to catch it at the cinema much more quickly, but these services are also creating unique content too. This means there will be regular content that you don’t have to pay extra to see at the cinema first.

The advantage of streaming means that you can do it no matter where you are. You can access the content on a variety of devices including mobile phones, tablets and laptops. Bear in mind that some streaming may have minimum system requirements but if you have a good quality device such as a refurbished macbook air then this is should not be a problem. There is no need to spend a great deal of money on a high-end laptop if the main activity will be streaming movies. A good quality second-hand laptop will be more than sufficient.

This demand for streaming services means that it no longer takes several years for a movie to become available for the public to watch. In many cases the movie is available for free to watch as part of the service or can be purchased separately and added to the account so that it is always available to you. Then you can just dip in and out and watch as you want to.

The streaming services are actually forming a very strong threat to standard TV services. With most people living busy lifestyles, the ‘on demand’ aspect of the service is what is appealing. They have movies for all ages, which means that you can keep the kids busy and then find something that you prefer after they have gone to sleep.

Anyone who commutes to work will appreciate being able to stream a movie or TV show. This can be watched on a smartphone, listened to through a Bluetooth headset or ear pots and it will help the journey to pass much more quickly. And with so many movies to choose from, there will be something available to suit all tastes.