Thursday, September 19, 2013

Channel Surfing on Streaming Services

One of the first world problems associated with the 21st century is the challenge of selecting what program to watch during an evening in.  Recommendation algorithms are aimed at highlighting a film or t.v. show that consumers might find appealing but they ignore a large underlying challenge for many users, the paradox of choice.  With dozens if not hundreds of options confronting users having the service provide a more streamlined interface could improve overall satisfaction.  When accessing an online service like Netflix or Hulu users would be presented with simple channel listings under defined categories, comedy, drama, action, etc.. upon selecting these channels a program within the category would appear.  Ideally the interface would follow the same methodology as Pandora where at the end of each selection users would be given the option to refine what kind of shows would appear next.  
Along similar lines users could also be provided the ability to create shared playlists of media available.  Now friends and family across the country can watch the same movie marathon.  Said playlists might also be stitched together to create full on channels.
Alternatively a media streaming service could create virtual channels where users could dynamically provide input as to what program would be selected next.

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