yidio.com
Life was much simpler back when Netflix was the only streaming service we had to worry about. When it came time to determine if a TV show or movie was available to stream, all you had to do was go to netflix.com and quickly look through whatever they had currently available. There was no complicated and frustrating matrix of release and contract cancellation schedules to keep track of. It was not a difficult decision when it came time to choose which service to use on a given day. It was just simple. You just logged onto Netflix, chose from the available titles, and watched. Nothing more, nothing less.
The abundance of streaming services available today has made it difficult to determine which one to choose. There are many of them with their own monthly fees and each usually offers a limited selection of content. Additionally, the platforms frequently rotate syndicated content in and out of availability, making it difficult to keep track of what will be available at any given time.
Maybe you have a better system for tracking this than I do, but it seems to me almost impossible to keep track of which streaming site will have that particular show or movie when I want to watch it. Not only is it difficult to remember which platform puts out what original series or movie, but they also all keep unnecessarily confusing (and sometimes annoyingly short-lasting) schedules of syndicated programming.
Many people have found that Google is not always the most helpful when trying to figure out what streaming services might be best for watching classic sitcoms like How I Met Your Mother, Friends, or Third Rock from the Sun. Over time, however, searching for this information will yield an answer. However, it is not convenient or time efficient to do so through Google.
In today's ever-changing streaming landscape, it would be helpful if there was a site that could keep track of streaming service contracts so that users could easily see which service will work best for them. This type of site specifically caters to the needs of inquiring viewers, rather than search engines like Google.
Fortunately, friends, there is no need to worry. Because there are numerous streaming site search engines (or streaming site aggregators, as they are sometimes called) available for us to choose from. However, as is the case with any type of website, not all of these streaming site search engines (or streaming site aggregators, as they are sometimes called) are equally powerful or effective. Some are better designed than others, some draw from more streaming services than others, some offer more useful features than others. Therefore, you have come to the right place - I will help you figure out which one is going to be the best for your purposes. And today we'll start with a streaming site search engine known as Yidio.
History
Your Internet Video (Yidio) is a video streaming platform that makes it easier than ever for you to browse what's available across all of your video streaming accounts. And the kicker is that you can do all this from a single and convenient platform, yidio.com.
In January of 2008, brothers, Adam and Brandon Eatros, created Yidio. Six months later, in June of 2008, Yidio became an official website. angel investors Alan Warms, Bill Luby, Jim Collis, Lon Chow, and Jamie Crouthamel helped the site to raise $350,000 in funding between November 2009 and March 2010.
From there, Yidio used this seed money wisely and continued to enlarge its reach. In 2011, Yidio added alerts for Facebook and Twitter. Then, they released an iPhone mobile app for the service in July of 2013, and an Android version shortly thereafter. Yidio has also been met with some critical acclaim. On July 28th of 2013, the Yidio app was featured on ?Mario?s Top 3? segment on the Today Show.
Design
I believe that you will find the design of yidio.com appealing. This is an area where many sites like this can fall short, in my opinion, due to sloppy, cluttered, or difficult to navigate site design. Thankfully, though, this is far from the case with Yidio. This site is well-designed and familiar at the same time.
Anyone who has used Netflix or Hulu will immediately find that adapting to Yidio is a seamless process. That is because the design of Yidio emulates both these leading streaming platforms. You can quickly browse titles by genre, what's popular, what's trending, by platform, by the network, by airdate, etc. Imagine all of your favorite streaming sites rolled into one convenient location and you have a good idea of how Yidio is designed.
Alternatively, you can search by title or browse by movies and TV shows on the Yidio website. This site is one of the simplest, but not sophomoric-looking, ones I have ever seen. In fact, I would even argue that it is better designed than Hulu- it is less confusing, less cluttered, and easier to browse.
Content
Well, the content of Yidio really depends on what streaming services you are already subscribed to. As that is the content that you will be able to view, if you are a Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and HBO member, well then you can browse everything that those platforms have to offer. But what really makes Yidio stand out is the fact that you can also view this content from the site itself. There are several other streaming site search engines out there, many of which do not offer this seemingly basic feature. So, that is a huge win for Yidio in my opinion.
What additional benefits do members of the streaming service Yidio enjoy? In addition to the standard features offered by most streaming services, such as access to movies and TV shows, Yidio also offers free streaming content of its own. This makes it a great choice for users who are not members of any of the other major streaming services out there. Currently, some of Yidio's titles include Basic Instinct 2, Blitz, Lionheart, Stuart Little, National Security, Hancock, and The Passion of the Christ. This unique feature sets Yidio apart from its competitors and makes it a very attractive option for anyone looking for quality entertainment.
Yidio offers free television networks, including Horror 24/7, News 24/7, Standup TV, Docu TV, Anime All Day, and Celebrity TV. Now if this doesn't make you want to sign up for Yidio right this minute, I don't know what will.
Mobile and Desktop Experience
As I mentioned before, I am quite fond of Yidio's desktop browser site. It offers a intuitive and familiar user experience that is similar to Netflix. However, to get the most out of the Yidio mobile experience, you will be best off downloading the app.
The Yidio app offers an easy to navigate and streamlined experience as well as personalized reminders for when your favorite shows air and a customizable watch list. This app has an average rating of 4.2 stars on the Apple App Store (from 1.9 thousand individual reviews). Looks like others love it too!
Pricing and Plans
Having said that, subscriptions to Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and the rest of them will continue to cost whatever monthly fee you have with them. However, using Yidio itself is completely free of charge. You may have to put up with the occasional ad, but other than that, you don't have to worry about paying Yidio for their services in any way, shape or form.
Suggestions that I have for Yidio
I honestly cannot think of anything that Yidio could do to make their site better. Everything this site does (and then some), I find to be excellent.
Popular search queries
