New Mobile Streaming Service Quibi Reveals Content Details at CES 2020
There’s a new player in town on the streaming market and it’s called Quibi. We’ve heard of the name before, of course, but we now have a bit more details following their presence at CES 2020.
This new streaming service is nothing like you’ve seen before, as it will be mobile-focused, rather than a jack of all trades. Besides the fact that it will only be coming to mobile, the content will be made specifically for mobile users.
Basically, all content on the platform will be just fine to watch vertically as well as horizontally, and it will mostly be short episodes that are 5 or 10 minutes long.
Quibi founders want the platform to be something that people use in those moments when they want to fend off boredom before a doctor’s appointment, or on the bus. Meg Whitman, the former CEO of HP and eBay, current co-founder of Quibi, said on stage that they’re not looking to shrink TV onto phones, but rather to create something new.
And something new they’re creating, it seems. Steven Spielberg is creating a show for the service called “After Dark.” The app will know whether it’s day or night and will only allow you to watch once night comes. This is absolutely a novel concept as they seek to take advantage of all the information a smartphone can catch from its surroundings, like whether the lights are on or off, or what time it is.
A lot of big names are coming together to create content for Quibi. Besides Steven Spielberg whom we already mentioned, we can also note Idris Elba, Ariana Grande, Kevin Hart, Reese Witherspoon, and Guillermo Del Toro. In total, it seems there will be about 175 shows created for the platform in the initial content wave.
The Innovative Turnstyle
Another cool thing about Quibi is the ability to watch content both in portrait or landscape mode. Not only that, but the videos remain in fullscreen through the change, rather than you having to intervene every time you turn your device. Quibi’s founders are calling this feature “Turnstyle,” which is pretty on the nose.
https://twitter.com/Quibi/status/1214967631146434561?s=19
But they’re taking things one step further with at least one of their shows called “Nest”. When you’re watching the episodes vertically, the character’s phone takes over your phone and you’re seeing what they’re seeing. When you’re watching horizontally, you’re getting the cinematic experience you get with any other show. It’s certainly innovative and something many people will want to experience.
https://twitter.com/Quibi/status/1214968715499827200?s=19
Is the Market Too Crowded for Quibi?
With the platform’s creators dreaming of amassing some 20 million subscribers in the next five years, it remains to be seen whether or not viewers will take on yet another streaming service. After all, we have Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, HBO, Apple TV+, Disney+, and more to come - Peacock from NBC and HBO Max are launching soon. Not to mention the numerous live TV services available online. So, is there a place for a mobile-oriented service like Quibi? Possibly.
While it’s nothing new for the younger audience to watch content on their mobile devices, including from the likes of TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and so on, this is the first time we actually see content created specifically for mobile devices in this manner. Hopefully, the novelty will bring in the users, but at this point, we shall have to wait and see whether people want yet ANOTHER subscription to pay for each month, even if it’s cheap.
Quibi is going live on April 6th in the United States, with other English-language countries planned by the end of 2020. There will be two pricing tiers available. The first will feature some ads and it will cost $4.99 per month, while the second will come with no ads and cost $7.99 per month.
What about you? Would you be willing to subscribe to a platform like Quibi? Drop us a note in the comments section below the article and tell us whether or not you find the new concept exciting! Share the article online with friends and family and follow TechNadu on Facebook and Twitter for more tech news, guides, reviews, and interviews.