OTT service: What is it, what is it for and which are the best providers?

The Internet changed the world in every possible way. You’ve probably heard this before, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t stop being true. One of the things that has changed the most with its emergence is, without a doubt, the distribution of content.especially the audiovisual.

Previously, the only way we had to watch series and movies was cinema and television, outside of these media there was no other way. But with the Internet came platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, Netflix, HBO Go and the like that gave a twist to said scenario.

This is how OTT services are born. If you want to learn more about what they are and how they work, Continue reading so you can learn everything you need to know about it and thus know which platform to hire for you.

What is an OTT video and why is it better than traditional television?

OTT, On The Top or On Demand video platforms are known as those that allow you to watch streaming audiovisual content without it being distributed by traditional operators. This in turn allows users to see what they want when they want it.

The advantages of this audiovisual content distribution system over television are obvious. To begin with, the costs due to the lack of infrastructure are much lower, allowing you to contract services from €9/month. On the other hand, there is the fact of being able to enjoy them whenever and wherever you want. But we will go deeper into this in the next section..

How does On The Top video services beat traditional TV?

The reality is that OTT services have put television in check, and a clear example of this is that the main television networks and operators they are beginning to migrate their services to the Internet. This is due to the following advantages:

Personalization

On an On The Top video platform you can customize everything about the content you will consume, from your favorite genres to your favorite series. All this allows you to create a home page perfectly adjusted to your needs and demands as a user..

costs

An OTT platform does not require physical offices beyond those where its servers are housed, which is considerably cheaper. In addition, being distributed over the Internet, neither does it need a radio spectrum. All this translates into a cost reduction that can amount to up to 90% in relation to conventional television.

access to content

With an OTT video platform you can access all the content you want whenever you want from any of your devices. So you won’t have to worry about being free at a certain time to watch that premiere episode you’ve been waiting weeks for.

What are the OTT content models and how do they differ?

OTT video services have 3 well-designed business models that differ especially in the way they monetize, that is the real dilemma between each of them.

Below we present them all and show you their most important characteristics:

AVOD

Advertising Video On Demand. In this OTT business model, the user does not have to pay anything to enjoy the content they consume, it is completely free and they can play it as many times as they want. The way they monetize is with advertising, so that between their videos and on the website there are ads everywhere.

These features fit perfectly with platforms like YouTube or Vimeo, which are considered the most important AVOD in the world. In advertising alone, between the two they generated more than 25,000 million dollars in 2018, a figure that is expected to be exceeded in the coming years.

Another characteristic of these platforms is that consumers themselves can create their own space on the platform and share their own content, which will be protected by copyright and can be monetized.

SVOD

Subscription Video On Demand. This is the OTT service by subscription, in which users must pay a monthly fee and can access all the content they want as long as it is available on the platform. These currently have a price that rarely exceeds €10/monthbeing quite accessible for most users.

In this category are platforms such as Netflix or HBO Go, which have a huge number of series and movies available to their subscribers. YouTube recently opened its Premium version, which is subject to this monetization model as well.

The only disadvantage of this type of services is that they not all the series and movies that exist are available, but those on which the platform you are on has rights, being exclusive to this one. So on HBO Go you will not see Netflix content and vice versa. But it has the advantage that in them you will not see a single drop of advertising.

TVOD

Transactional Video On Demand. These are platforms that monetize you by charging you specifically for the content you watch. That is, if you only want to watch a movie, then you will pay for the cost of it individually, and not for all the content on the platform.

This is an alternative to SVOD and many platforms offer both services, such as Hulu or Amazon Prime..

List of the best OTT services to watch TV via the Internet that I can hire today

Now that you know the main models of OTT services, it is time to introduce you to each and every one of them so you can decide to hire the one that best suits your needs as a user:

Netflix

Netflix is ​​one of the best VOD platforms out there today. It could be said that it was the one that started all this OTT services, or at least the one that massified and popularized it to the point that we know today. In it we can see all kinds of content; from series, movies and novels, to animes and documentaries, Undoubtedly one of the best out there right now.

Their SVOD system offers three plans to the public; the basic (€7.99/month), the standard (€10.99/month) and the Premium (€13.99/month). In addition to the aforementioned content, you will also have access to features such as being able to view everything on basically any device with a screen and an Internet connection such as a SmartTV, smartphone or computer.

HBO Spain

This is one of the main alternatives to netflix what is there today. However, as far as content is concerned, this one is not that varied, and it has a fairly limited number of series and movies. Basically it’s like having the HBO Chanel audiovisuals on the Internet, to access them whenever you like.

The main advantage of this is that you have access to possibly the only series that are not on Netflix, such as Game Of Thrones, as well as being cheaper with a single plan of €7.99/month.

Amazon Prime Video

Despite the fact that so far it has not had much time online, it is one of the ones that promises to give the Netflix giant the most competition, since they produce their own series (many of which have won Emmy awards and the like) and have rights to a Huge amount of movies that you won’t be able to see anywhere else.

In addition, it is considerably cheaper since you simply have to pay an annual subscription of €36.

Movistar +

This is an excellent SVOD website that has a large amount of audiovisual content thanks to its alliance with Netflix itself, which means that in it You can see several of the series and exclusive movies of this. In addition to series, it provides an extensive offering of theatrical releases that you can enjoy on virtually any smart device you own.

The only mole of this is that to have it you will have to pay a Fusion rate, which is nothing more than having a subscription to the Movistar satellite TV service, which makes it a much higher service, but if you already have it at home, it will also be a way to hire SVOD rates and even Netflix at a lower price.

Sky

Sky is one of the most important television networks in the whole of the United Kingdom, which over the years has spread to all of Europe. How could it be otherwise, offers an excellent service SVOD that will allow you to access a huge amount of streaming audiovisual content from any of your smart devicesfor just over €7 per month.

It is not as varied as the giant Netflix, but it has the advantage that through it you can also watch exclusive content such as football from the main European leagues, which you do not have in all the OTTs on this list.

filmin

Possibly the most unknown platform on this entire list. What you can find in it is British independent film content, as well as a large number of well-rated series and movies that will give you hours of guaranteed entertainment. It is a website that is just emerging, and there is speculation about the possibility of an agreement with other OTTs to expand its audiovisual catalog.

Their rates are quite affordable, with a basic plan of €7.99 for each month and another Plus subscription of 14.99 euros per monthwith which you will have access to certain exclusive content of the platform. Another extra that it offers is the possibility of being able to download all its material to be able to view it offline..

Rakuten TV – WUAKI

Rakuten is a Japanese ecommerce store that would be like the Asian Amazon. A few years ago they acquired Wuaki, one of the most popular streaming platforms in Spain, and turned it into their own OTT service, for which they also got the rights to several Disney movies and seriesso in it you will find a lot of content aimed at children and adolescents.

This is also one of the platforms that combines the SVOD and TVOD models, being able to pay a monthly subscription to see all the content within the platform, as well as the mode “Ticket office” that allows you to pay only for the series or movie you want to see. That without forgetting that you can obviously access it from any of your smart devices.

YouTube Movies

Well, by now you should know that YouTube is in practically everything related to audiovisual content. This time we are talking about one of its lesser-known platforms such as Movies, which allows you to rent movies or buy them to watch them whenever you want.

Their catalog is quite extensive since they have commercial agreements with many international production companies.although it still has a long way to go to offer a complete OTT experience.

Voddler

This is one of the websites that you will like the most on the list since it works under the AVOD business model, which means that it is completely free. This platform arrived in Spain in 2012, and since then it has only grown and grownconsiderably expanding its catalog of audiovisuals for its huge audience.

This offers you a complete OTT experience since it has more than 800 movies from production companies as important as Disney or Paramound, so if you are one of those who prefer commercial and fun movies, this is your special place in the world.

Also, you can download each and every one of its contents in MP4 or MKV formatsso you can enjoy them whenever you like without an Internet connection.

Orange TV

One of the largest telephone and TV operators in Spain. This company followed the example of Movistar and created its own video on demand platform, which allows you to watch a huge amount of exclusive content for only €7/month, being one of the cheapest. In addition, if you set up a fusion rate, in which you contract your satellite TV service, you can get discounts on services such as Netflix.

On Orange TV you can create your own personalized platform where you can watch all kinds of audiovisuals, as well as streaming sports, which frankly is one of its biggest attractions. Of course, for this you will have to have a fusion rate, which can be somewhat expensive.