boomerang.com

Boomerang is a children's cartoon television channel that originally aired on broadcast television. It exists as both a streaming service and an online channel hosted by VRV. Some of the most popular childhood cartoons are found on there, such as Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones, and more. A vast selection of beloved old cartoons are available on Boomerang, including many titles and episodes not available anywhere else. The app does an excellent job of satisfying viewers' cravings.

The streaming service VRV was created in 2016 and it gathers channels for fans of anime, animations, science fiction, comics, technology, among other genres. Over time, VRV has lost a few channels- among them are Shudder, Nerdist, Geek & Sundry and Funimation.

Website Design

The overall website design for VRV is from a streaming service. It offers multiple channels to subscribers, including NickSplat, Crunchyroll, Cartoon Hangover, Hidive, Mondo, Rooster Teeth, and VRV Select. The idea of a parent streaming company offering channels sounds pleasant. However, VRV is not what I would call a good parent. The website feels very clunky and featured shows are boxed and not organized very well.

The appearance of the website, navigation, and ease of finding libraries are all important qualities of streaming services. Viewers don't want to spend time trying to figure out how to find the libraries. Personally, I want to be able to get to the library as quickly as possible so that I can browse titles.

In order to navigate the different channels on VRV, it is simple but frustrating. A drop-down menu allows users to change channels. The only thoughtful design is corresponding specific channels to colors. For example, NickSplat is orange and Boomerang is the signature blue color the channel has always used. Otherwise, there is nothing special about the design.

Content

With so much content to choose from, the Boomerang channel has everything a viewer could want. There are a variety of shows to watch, as well as movie and series installments. This makes it easy for viewers to find something they will enjoy. Most of the content on Boomerang is locked for premium members, but there is plenty to choose from for free members as well. For example, the channel has older titles like Yogi Bear and The Jetsons as well as content from Cartoon Network. Shows like Code Name: Kids Next Door and Courage the Cowardly Dog are available on Boomerang.

Desktop & Mobile Accessibility

The desktop viewing experience of the streaming service is unpleasant. The poor design is off-putting and frustrating. The positives are that the videos do not lag and the sound quality is okay. However, the navigation gets confusing. Ultimately, the website is somewhere in the middle on a scale of good and bad. If it came down to content alone, I would say that the Boomerang channel is phenomenal. The mobile browser is irritating to use. VRV's home page is a large advertisement asking for viewers to create an account. Instead of creating my account there, I downloaded the app instead.

The mobile app to watch Boomerang is named VRV after the streaming company. First thoughts on the application are negative. Creating an account is difficult and almost painful. There is a feature to shake the phone and receive random username suggestions. After selecting a name you can choose an interesting icon for your profile. The overall app was also disappointing. The functions were similar to the desktop and again, not very user-friendly.

Positives

Despite its frustrations, the web site has some positive aspects. Most of the problems with it lie with VRV, the parent company, and not Boomerang itself. The Boomerang channel is one of the best channels offered by the streaming service. Many shows are available to premium VRV users for an affordable price of $4.99 per month. For a higher price of $9.99 per month, viewers can access all of VRV's channels. At first, the price might seem alarming, but the amount of unique titles and channels you get in that package is a pretty sweet deal.

The names of the titles are amazing. There are a lot of unique shows that you can only find on Boomerang. Old cartoons like The Smurfs, Carebears, Looney Tunes, and Tom and Jerry are some of the most recognizable. Apart from Boomerang cartoons, there are Cartoon Network shows available.

The most positive thing about the Boomerang channel is the amount of free content included. There are a few shows that allow users without premium memberships to watch the first few episodes, as well as many movies available for free.

Negatives

There are a few issues with the Boomerang channel. Some of the issues are with the parent streaming service, VRV. Being its own streaming service would solve most of the problems. I have difficulty enjoying the VRV design because it is too bland and unoriginal. The layout is unappealing, with colours that make it difficult to read.

The website's flow is difficult to follow. There is no apparent pattern that directs the viewer's eyes. The shows are randomly grouped with no consideration for design. There is also no discernible pattern concerning genre, category, or sub-category. For a channel with as many shows as Boomerang has, I wish the categories were more clearly defined.

The organization is critical to the success of most streaming websites. Recognizable names like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ know this and devote a lot of resources towards it. Virtual Reality Ventures (VRV) and the Boomerang channel should take note and redesign their categories and sorting features to better meet viewer needs.

Improvements Needed

The Boomerang channel could make a few improvements to their user experiences, most of which would be to the parenting streaming platform, VRV. If Boomerang were able to take all of their inventory and move it to a more flavorful environment, they could easily charge the small channel fee. The experience could even include games featuring characters from the cartoons similar to the ones we saw floating around the web in the early 2000s.

If VRV is the only way for Boomerang to stream its library, then forcing the company to re-think its organization system would be useful for all channels. Adding a more visually appealing category system would be best for user experience.

Summary

The Boomerang channel on VRV is overall a very solid choice to watch some feel-good oldies. There are cartoons containing titles from the time Boomerang first started airing to some of Cartoon Network's newer (2000s era) shows. Boomerang delivers a unique experience to viewers. The website navigation and design are frustrating, but the extensive library more than makes up for it. The user experience is not very pleasant. The website's organizational system needs a lot of work, as well.

Ultimately, for the price, the subscription is worth it. For only $4.99 per month, subscribers can access an amazing number of titles from movies that they may have forgotten existed, as well as providing a fair price for the amount of entertainment that is offered. Titles of movies you forgot existed will jolt you with nostalgia and convince you to waste several hours binge-watching.