James R | On 31, Jul 2014

Wuaki.tv has predicted the death of browser streaming within two years.

The UK streaming service, which offers both subscription and pay-per-view titles, has seen a huge increase in the number of movies and TV shows
being streamed to Smart TVs and connected devices since the start of this year.

Movies and TV shows streamed directly to a Smart TV increased by 65 per cent since Wuaki.tv introduced native apps for Smart TVs from manufacturers including LG, Samsung and Panasonic. Connected device streaming from tablets, Xbox consoles, smartphones and Google’s Chromecast has also increased by 2 per cent from January to July 2014.

As a result, the number of movies and TV shows streamed through a web browser has dropped dramatically; at present only 10 per cent of Wuaki.tv streams go to a PC or laptop through their Internet browsers. Wuaki.tv now believes that within the next two years, less than 1 per cent of all streaming will take place on computers.

The prediction follows a similar trend reported by the BBC, who recently saw iPlayer usage on tablets overtake desktop PCs for the first time.

“When we first launched Wuaki.tv most of our users watched movies on their laptop, no one thought of the living room as a place to stream,” comments Simon Homent, Content Director at Wuaki.tv. “Now the opposite is true. With Smart TVs, devices like Chromecast, and native apps being so commonplace, people are streaming movies and TV to all kinds of connected devices and replacing traditional TV channels. Native apps give a much better viewing experience than
browser streaming, and are often more stable as they are designed for one single purpose. It has long been an industry prediction but one that’s actually coming true.

“In the next two years we expect very few, if any, Wuaki.tv customers will still be streaming through a browser, and it will effectively be the death of browser streaming.”

Add to Watchlist