2019-12-12 00:00:00
As video streaming competition intensifies, free movie services rise
One of the strongest trends in digital media for 2020 is streaming services. Specifically, increasing competition and battle for dominance among established and new streaming platforms, like Netflix, Spotify, and Disney. Industry analysts expect fierce global battle because there is plenty of money on the table. Audiences are used to pay for streaming services, after all. Yet, there are alternatives: free streaming services.
Music and movies are perhaps the most widely known media streaming services, but radio stations, television channels, podcast publishers, book subscription services, audiobook services, digital magazine and other services are available. Apart from advertisement supported radio and television, audiences are used to paying for media services. That's what businesses want, and that's why media companies want their share of the streaming revenue.
Nonetheless, free movie streaming services are available. All you need is a PC or another device that can connect to the internet and receive media streams. Cnet tried out a number of free services, and came to the conclusion that at the moment, there are 10 free services that have the movie selection and download speed for conveniently spending time in front of the screen. All free services are ad supported, so that's the price you pay for watching them.
Top 10:
Targeted at US and UK audiences only:
Targeted at US audiences only:
How to access US-only movie streams outside the US?
Two common techniques for accessing services in another country are VPN (virtual private network) and proxy service.
Proxy is a simple network traffic routing node that forwards your requests via a server in a country you choose. The service you want to access thinks that the request comes from the proxy address and responds. The proxy relays the traffic back to your computer address. Free proxies are available as web browser plugins/extensions, but they rarely work well. Paid services are available as well.
VPN software technology was designed for secure and private networking, but it is commonly used to obscure the original source of traffic as well. If you activate a VPN service from Australia to the UK, your network traffic is encrypted and a service in the UK thinks you are in London or Liverpool (whatever the address of the VPN service happens to be). Free and paid VPN services are available.
