In the midst of tech acquisitions and mergers happening worldwide, Amazon is reportedly in discussions with Times Internet to acquire MX Player, one of India’s most widely-used on-demand video streaming services. As the e-commerce giant continues to expand its entertainment offerings, the acquisition of MX Player would be a significant step towards increasing its presence in the Indian market.

However, it’s worth noting that the talks are ongoing and may not result in a deal. Additionally, there are reportedly at least two other interested parties, including Zee-Sony.

MX Player has seen significant growth in recent years, with its popularity driven by a wide range of video formats, reliability on low-cost Android smartphones, and original content offerings. The video app boasts over 300 million users globally and is particularly popular in India. The reason for MX Player’s hype is a wide video catalog that allows its users access to live cable TV channels at no charge whatsoever. Instead, the service makes most of its revenue through advertisements.

The acquisition is an interesting development for MX Player, which was acquired by Times Internet for $140 million in 2018. The video streaming service has since merged with ShareChat’s Moj in a deal worth $900 million, solidifying its position as one of the leading players in the Indian market.

As Amazon seeks to compete with Google‘s dominant video service, YouTube, in India, the acquisition of MX Player would provide a significant boost to their efforts. Despite YouTube‘s commanding presence with over 500 million monthly active users, Amazon is making strides with its Prime Video subscription and ad-supported video streaming services, which have fewer than 40 million monthly active users in the country.

MX Player is valued at $500 million and claims to have over 150 million active users in India, making it a valuable acquisition for Amazon as it continues to make inroads into the Indian video market.

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YouTube is apparently planning on expanding its operations by also releasing a new online store for streaming video service. The company has been in talks with entertainment based companies for this new business model.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, the popular video sharing platform is renewing its efforts in approaching media companies about participating in its new platform. The platform in question is basically the “channel store” as per sources close to the matter. Furthermore, the report stated that the tech giant has been working on this platform for at least 18 months by now and it could be released as early as this fall.

As of right now, Alphabet has yet to respond to any queries regarding this matter. Although, this move from YouTube doesn’t arrive as a surprise considering consumers across the globe have been shifting away from cable or satellite TV services to subscription based streaming services. In other words, the video sharing platform will soon compete against companies like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video services in the market.

Notably, the company also joins the likes of Roku Inc and Apple that are attempting to establish their spot on the video streaming market. Similarly, there have also been rumors regarding Walmart Inc has also held talks with media companies about including streaming entertainment in its membership service.

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Russia continues its campaign against tech giant firms. Now, the Russian government is targetting online video/movie streaming services like Netflix, which are required to include state backed TV channels on their platforms.

According to The Moscow Times (Via 9To5Mac), the nation’s communications regulator, Roskomnadzor, has just announced that it will mandate foreign streaming services to also offer 20 local federal television channels to their userbase. This regulation was first introduced back in late 2020 and is set to take effect starting from March 2022. So now, out of the 20 Russian government run channels, Netflix and other streaming services will also broadcast the nation’s flagship “Channel One,” alongside the Orthodox church channel “Spas”, and more.

Furthermore, the government also seeks to have its streaming service providers abide by local regulations and laws. In other words, these companies are not allowed to showcase movies that promote “extremism” or even LGBTQIA+ related content. Roskomnadzor even added that the laws also apply to all of these streaming services that regularly bring in more than 100,000 users daily. So, we can expect the changes to impact the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video among others.

The latest move from the government is also in line with its efforts to rein in tech giants. It had previously attempted to restrict the operations of foreign companies like Apple, Facebook, and Google, by requiring them to set up local offices within the country to prevent a possible ban on the firms. The iPhone maker even faced an antitrust case against its App Store, with the government demanding companies to offer third party payments options as well.

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US tech giant Apple would have taken its brand several notches higher if it had bought movie streaming platform Netflix. This is according to respected analyst Dan Ives, who feels Apple would have had a stranglehold in the video streaming segment with Netflix among the leading brands.

Ives was of the view that the decision by founder and former CEO Steve Jobs as well as present CEO Tim Cook not to acquire Netflix several years ago was a huge strategic mistake

While it may be true that Apple could have been better off with the acquisition of Netflix, the company certainly has not fared badly over the years and continues to post great results while it expands to other segments of the tech ecosystem. It remains one of the biggest companies on the planet, posting groundbreaking financials regularly, and it has consistently released premium products from the iPhone, iPod, iPad, Apple TV, and several others.

And this is what Ives has projected, that Apple will continue to perform, as its market capitalization, which is currently about $2 trillion, is expected to hit $3 trillion by the end of 2021. Ives also feels that Apple may ultimately have to buy a Hollywood movie studio and is presently doing catch-up with the big hitters.

According to Ives, the only way for Apple to match the pace of the top dogs in the streaming space is to buy a major Hollywood studio of its own so as to produce content that could square up with the heavy-hitters in the industry.

Apple continues to make inroads into new areas with talk of an Apple car in the works. The iPhone, iPad, AirPods, and other models continue to provide a huge quantum of profit while the outlook for the future remains very bright.

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The Vietnamese information minister has accused foreign streaming companies like Netflix and Apple of avoiding their tax responsibilities in the region that may create unfair competition for domestic firms, earlier this week.

According to the information and communications ministry, both Apple and Netflix have never paid tax in Vietnam, despite having a combined revenue of nearly 1 trillion dongs (roughly 43.15 million US Dollars) from over a million subscribers. Minister Nguyen Manh Hung stated that “Domestic companies have to abide by tax and content regulations while foreign firms do not, which is unfair competition.”

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He further added that “Some content on Netflix has flouted regulations related to the history and sovereignty of the country, violence, drug use, and sex.” Back in 2018, Vietnam had adopted a new cybersecurity law, which required foreign companies to earn income from online activities to store their data within the country. However, Netflix said it had no plans of opening an office in the region or even having servers placed locally, as per a CNBC report.

A Netflix spokesperson responded that “We are supportive of the implementation of a mechanism that will make it possible for foreign service providers like Netflix to collect and remit taxes in Vietnam. However today such a mechanism does not exist.” Hung stated that the information ministry, finance ministry, and tax department are also working to facilitate tax collection by calculating the revenue of these major streaming firms since their entry into Vietnam.

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Back in March 2020, YouTube had limited the streaming quality of the videos on its platform to a lower quality to deal with the sudden increase in internet traffic. And finally, now, the company has decided to remove this restriction albeit to a certain degree.

While earlier this year, one could only watch videos on YouTube at 480p resolution, YouTube has finally brought back the option for 1080p after three whole months. The YouTube application on Android and iOS devices will now allow users to switch between 1080p and 480p, however, this is only possible if the device is connected to a Wi-Fi network.

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In other words, the streaming quality is still limited to 480p on mobile data. The update arrives in the form of a server switch, hence, you wouldn’t have to update your YouTube app. This move will likely be quite welcomed in the Southeast Asian nation since people with devices that have a larger display could notice the visible differences between a 480p and 1080p, especially on gaming videos that also offered content at 60fps, but only on 720p or 1080p.

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Recently, many OnePlus 8 Pro users have been reporting a new issue that has been plaguing their flagship device. Apparently, the premium smartphone is unable to stream videos from popular platforms at HD qualities and are stuck with SD streams.

The OnePlus community forum has been receiving reports regarding this issue that certain OnePlus 8 Pro users are unable to play high definition content on Netflix and other popular streaming sites. According to reports, the issue is related to the Widevine system, which is a DRM platform from Google. This system enables companies that offer services to protect their premium content from non-subscribers.

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Generally, smartphones support the highest level of security on Widevine, L1, to stream HD content on different platforms. But for some reason, the OnePlus 8 Pro devices that are running Oxygen OS 10.5.5 or newer have had their security level downgraded to L3 security level, which disables HD streaming quality. In other words, the new updates have essentially downgraded users’ handsets.

During this time of crisis where work from home and staying indoors is the norm, video streaming is seeing a major demand everywhere in the world. Thus, hopefully, OnePlus addresses the issue soon and offers a fix. So stay tuned as we will be providing more updates regarding the situation.

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The days of VCRs, CDs, DVDs have faded away with the invent of video streaming apps. The old means of video content is dying a slow death, and video streaming is replacing them with the increasing accessibility of the internet across the globe. Gone are the days when the users need to stick to a timeline to watch their favorite television program or a movie. The users can now easily stream their favorite show, series online without worrying about the time. We have concluded a list of some best video streaming apps for Android and iOS.

There are several benefits of using video streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu. Live Streaming is an active mode of streaming video and audio content anywhere around the world using an Internet Connection. It extends from live streaming online tutorials, movies, events, wildlife broadcasting, and services promotions.

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Advantages of Video Streaming

High-Quality Video Content – The users can enjoy content in different qualities like 720p, 1080p, 2K, or 4K.

Broader Audience Potential – Irrespective of time, device, and display size, Online video streaming can reach a wider audience.

Subtitle and Multi-Language Audio – The availability of subtitles and Multi-Language Audio makes Online Video Streaming more powerful.

Ease and Convenience – Due to cross-platform availability and easy internet accessibility, Online Video Streaming service is easy and convenient to use.

Online Video streaming services have gained huge popularity over-time leading to massive competition. The services like Netflix, Hulu, and others are offering original content with support for HDR, 4K, Subtitles, and Multi-Audio channels along with attractive pricing.

Here’s the whole list of best video streaming services available for watching movies and shows. We have sorted salient features of each app to ease comparing against each to other.

Best Video Streaming Apps

Netflix

Netflix is the world’s largest online streaming service with massive content availability. It has a diverse range of titles with availability in different languages and qualities. It is available in most of the countries with native content availability.

The content on Netflix supports HDR, Dolby Vision, 4K resolution, and subtitles. The streaming service can be streamed on Micracast, Chromecast, Smart TVs, and Game Consoles. It also comes with parental support to filter unsuitable content for children. It also offers the ability to download and watch TV episodes or movies without streaming.

Netflix plans vary country wise and offer attractive plans.

• Basic Plan – $8.99 per month
• Standard plan – $7.99 per month
• Netflix Premium Plan – $15.99 per month

Key Features

• High-Quality Content – 4K, HDR
• Subtitles and Multi Audio
• Parental Controls
• Regular Content Updates
• 30-Day free trial
• High-Quality movies

Download for Android

Download for iOS

Amazon Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video is among the leading video streaming services around the globe. It offers a lot of content, including thrillers, drama, action, romance, and other genres. Amazon Prime comes with Originals like Inside Edge, Made in heaven, and others.

There’s a great selection of local content too. It offers movies for every mood, genre, and language. The watch later features of the Amazon Prime make it easy for the users to watch their favorite content even if the internet connection is not available. There’s also a feature to add suggested titles to watchlist. It is available in almost every popular OS environment.

The users will get free access to movies, music, and other premium services of Amazon with the Amazon Prime membership. The subtitles, multiple audio tracks, and 4K content are some pros of Amazon Prime Video.

Amazon Prime Membership is available in different attractive pricing.

• Yearly – $119 US / Rs 999 India
• Monthly – $12.99 US / Rs 129 India

Key Features:

• Availability of regional content
• Latest Blockbuster movies
• Subtitles and Multi Audio Tracks
• Amazon Originals

Download for Android

Download for iOS

Hulu

Hulu is widely used in the US due to its ability to stream Live TV and the availability of other streaming content, including old TV shows, movies, anime, and others. The service also offers over 50 channels with an option to expand for money.  The user can also watch episodes and browse shows under the same roof.

Hulu offers six personalized profiles for everyone in the family who wants to brose shows, movies, and networks. The users can also personalize the content by adding shows to favorites for quick access. The app is available for TVs, smartphones, and tablets.

It also offers premium discover networks feature to search shows from popular streaming services like HBO, SHOWTIME, CINEMAX, and others.

Hulu is available in three different personalized plans, including – Hulu, Hulu (No Ads), and Hulu + Live TV. The free plan offers to stream content from over 85000 episodes of the shows with advertisements. There’s aNo Ads plan also that gives you everything without any ads. However, the Hulu + Live TV brings to access to the entire Hulu streaming library with 60+ top channels of on-demand live TV.

The price of Hulu + Live TV is $39.999 per month.

Key Features:

• Support for Live TV
• Free Plan for Users
• Chromecast Support

Download for Android

Download for iOS

HBO Now

It is solely for the US readers, who love to watch big premieres on TV or other devices as they air. It’s the only way to catch up with your favorite shows aired on HBO Now.  The app brings unlimited access to all the HBO content across EPIX Now, STARZ, and other channels having individual streaming apps.

The HBO New brings new movies, talk shows, comedy specials, news, documentaries, and other special events every week. The user can use the account on Phone, tablet, TV, or Laptop. It is home to the biggest movie hits of the year.

The users can also try the HBO Now under a free trial. The user need not to undergo any documentation or cable connectivity; it just airs without any wired connectivity across phones, tablets, and other devices. There’s also an ability to cancel anytime. It supports the casting option.

The pricing of the device is a bit expensive at $14.99 per month. It is available only in the territories of the United States.

Key Features:

• Weekly New Content
• Biggest Hits availability
• Support Casting

Download for Android

Download for iOS

YouTube TV

YouTube offers plenty of features and is home to most of the video content. Over the past some time, a lot of entertainment channel has propped up offering quality content to users for free or at some subscription fees. However, YouTube TV provides a selection of excellent live sports, news channels, and infotainment sops. There’s also compatibility with NBA League Pass, Showtime, and Starz for your subscription.

On the lines of Amazon Originals, YouTube also got some Original episodes for some people. Apart from Prime content, YouTube is home to tutorials, music, and movies too. The content is compatible upto 8K resolution with some other features. There are native apps for phones, tablets, and smart TVs on different Operating Systems.

There are some companion apps such as YouTube Gaming and YouTube Kids. The support for Chromecast and Google Assistant makes it more compatible with smart devices. Most of the content is available for free, but to get ads-free experience, the users can get a subscription of $12-$40 per month.

Key Features:

• Cross Compatibility
• Support for smart devices
• Seamless Videos
• Vast Content

Download for Android

Download for iOS

Twitch

It is a den for the gamers, as it is the best service for gaming video streaming. Twitch allows people to watch online video gaming, live e-sports, and other news. It is easy to set up and user-friendly with flexible options to use the service.

Big game development companies make announcements on Twitch. It even organizes gaming events like E3 for the development of the community. The hefty amount of prizes are awarded to winners. It is a great competitor to YouTube Gaming Hub.

It is best suitable for professional and regular gamers. The Twitch services are free to use with some unskippable in-video ads. However, it is not available for mobile users.

Key Features:

• Free to Use
• Online Video Streaming
• Live e-sports

Download for Android

Download for iOS

Sling TV

Sling TV is one of the first services that was launched to watch live television. It is quite an affordable service at $20-$25 per month. It features all the local sports channel, popular news channels, and other entertainment sops as well. The support for Chromecast is another major feature of Sling TV.

The users can choose between different channel bundles and can select the TV channels on the a la carte style. It also offers live sports like the NFL and college football, hit TV shows and 65,000+ hours of on-demand TV shows and movies.

Sling TV can be streamed anywhere and anytime on TVs, tablets, phones, computers, gaming consoles, and other devices.

The Sling service offers Sling Orange package with 30+ channels, and Sling Blue service with 40+ channels. Sling TV offers live international TV service in the US with support of over 18 languages, including Hindi, Spanish, Arabic.

Key Features:

• Cross-Platform Support
• International TV service
• Reasonable Price

Download for Android

Download for iOS

Movies Anywhere

It is a new era video streaming app that consolidates several services under a single roof. Movies Anywhere is a host to iTunes, Vudu, Amazon Video, and Google Play Movies. The service allows the users to purchase the video content from anywhere and brings all them up in a single app.

It moves all the movie libraries that are connected with the app. It helps to eliminate the demerits or the restrictions applied from the other platforms while watching the content. Movies Anywhere help the user to cast the content on the favorite device.

Movie Anywhere features 4K UHD, HDR, and Dolby Vision feature along with 5.1 Surround sound and Dolby ATMOS support. The apps is available for free on both iOS and Android device.

Key Features:

• Support for HDR, UHD and Dolby Vision
• Advanced Sound Experience with Dolby ATMOS and 5.1 Surround SOund
• Support for popular streaming services

Download for Android

Download for iOS

These are some best video streaming services available for both Android and iOS devices. The can easily use these apps for free or with a subscription. If you have any recommendations, then do let us know via the comments below.

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