kijk.nl
The Dutch word "Kijk" roughly translates into English as "look?" or "watch?" Kijk, then, being one of the most popular TV networks in the Netherlands, is certainly aptly named. In addition to being extremely popular and beloved, Kijk is also a free TV streaming site or a TV "catchup" streaming service, as it is sometimes called. If you live in the Netherlands, this is definitely a TV streaming site that you need to know about. It is, in fact, one of the best free TV streaming sites in the world.
Design
Looking at Kijk, one would assume that this is a professional site designed for use by people who appreciate good design. It is sleek, user-friendly, and easy to navigate. It has all the features you would expect in a top of the line website and it is organized very well. In terms of design, Kijk rivals any other TV streaming site I have come across.
Along the left side is a list of all the titles currently streaming, and beneath that are alphabetically arranged rows of thumbnails for each title.
Kijk should immediately feel familiar to anyone who has used Netflix or Hulu before. It employs a very similar layout, which has now become something of a design default when it comes to streaming services. At the top of the page, for instance, you will find a featured series. This asserts itself as a very large-sized banner containing a cover image and brief summary of the show, which spans the entire top of the page, from margin to margin. Along the left side is a list of all the titles currently streaming, and beneath that are alphabetically arranged rows of thumbnail images for each title.
Below the main content area, the site alternates between featured categories and recommended content. Each category (as is customary for a site like this) appears in the form of a slim side-scrolling library of options. First, click through to find a selection of the most popular titles on Kijk. Below that, with the same side-scrolling capabilities, browse the site by channels if you prefer. Keep scrolling down the page, though, to find some of the programs that you have missed, along with another prominently featured show.
Although the site's design is not particularly novel or innovative, it is, nevertheless, effective. This is why many streaming sites choose to use it. The site continues its trend of effective site design, too-once you click to view a movie or TV show. The media player takes over the entire top portion of the page. Below it, you will still be able to browse additional titles (a sort of mini version of the home page).
If you find the collapsed media player portion of the page distracting, however, and you are not in full-screen mode, no worries ? you can always collapse the media player portion of the page, unfolding more information on the TV show or movie you are viewing. Or, of course, just commit to the full-screen version of the player for completely undisturbed viewing. Personally, I am a huge fan of how streamlined the viewing and browsing processes become. This is a great example of a free TV streaming site offering a smooth and intuitive user experience.
Content and Features
Where Kijk finds itself breaking with other catch-up TV streaming services is in the number of user features provided. Of the many free TV streaming sites I have reviewed, very few appear to place much emphasis on the value of offering the user interactive and customizable features. The result of these other sites? A much more ephemeral TV streaming experience.
According to my research, Kijk is the only catch-up TV streaming site that allows its users to add shows and movies to their personal watchlists. This is an uncommon feature for a catch-up TV streaming site, and most of them do not even allow their users to log in or create an account. Kijk, however, is more focused on providing an individualized experience for each and every one of its viewers.
Along with being able to curate your own watch list in order to keep track of titles that you mean to watch in the future, Kijk also allows users to "like" TV show episodes and movies. Content that is "liked" will automatically be added to its own list, resulting in a handy selection of your favorite TV series, episodes, and more. This makes for quick and easy re-watching, but it also helps to make sure that you never forget what a movie or TV show is called (which can be endlessly frustrated when you are trying to recommend something to a friend if you can relate).
Based on the content currently available on Kijk, you are in for a great treat. The list of shows and movies that you can stream for free on this site is vast. There must be thousands upon thousands of the best Dutch TV show episodes, movies, and documentaries available here at any given time.
Additionally, Kijk has a great deal of international content. With plenty of classic and contemporary American hit movies and TV series available, you can never miss a beat with what's going on overseas. Here's a little taste of some of the American content that you can expect to stream on Kijk for free (at least as of the time of this review): the brand-new Christopher Nolan epic Tenet, Oscar award-winning La La Land, and classic comedies such as Home Alone and Coming to America.
As you can see, Kijk has a wide variety of content offerings that are all high quality. I think that Kijk has what it takes to be the best free TV streaming site in the Netherlands and maybe even the world.
That being said, it was unfortunate to learn that Kijk is only available in the Netherlands if you are physically there. This is usually not the case with catchup free TV streaming sites. I mean, none of them that I know of let anyone access everything no matter where in the world they live? but most of them are at least willing to share a fraction of their TV shows and movies with international viewers. So, if you want to be able to enjoy one of the best free TV streaming sites in the Netherlands, but you are not in the Netherlands, you might have to figure out how to get a little creative with a good Virtual Private Network (VPN)? wink, wink.
Mobile and Desktop Experience
I was unable to find a mobile app version of Kijk when I looked. However, it is worth noting that I was searching for the mobile version of this Dutch streaming site from the United States. Additionally, if this is the case, that would be a great disappointment for an otherwise awesome streaming site as Kijk is a free TV streaming app as good as this one.
Although there is no official Kijk app available, the mobile site appears to work well. Everything is resized perfectly to fit a smaller screen and the user experience is smooth and natural on my phone as it is on my laptop. Therefore, even if there is not an official app, at the very least, the site will still work well when accessed from your mobile browser of choice.
Suggestions that I have for Kijk
If, in fact, there is no mobile app that needs to be developed for this TV streaming service, that should be a top priority for the company. In fact, you should be working on developing apps for several platforms, not just iOS and Android devices. Kijk should have apps for Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Secondarily, it is worthwhile to consider letting international viewers have some access to what is available to watch on the Netherlands' free streaming site. While I understand your reluctance to give everything away for free, a few episodes here and there may not hurt. Besides, what happens when a Dutch citizen travels abroad and wants to be able to watch Kijk? Do they have no chance of watching the show? This is something worth taking into consideration as you move forward with this exceptional free TV streaming site of yours.
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