Before the coronavirus lockdock, not many people had heard of Zoom for video calling. Over on the streaming side of things, Quibi is the trending service to hit the headlines. But what is Quibi and why does it rival Netflix?
What is Quibi?
The difference here is that content is short-form with the aim for you to consume in ‘bite size’ amounts. This means TV shows are 10 minutes or shorter and movies are broken into portions and you can download content to watch when you’re ready.
Viewing is designed to be done on-the-go and a feature called Turnstile means the video can remain full screen in both portrait or landscape orientations. Turning the phone may reveal extra details in some scenes.
“Watch movie-quality shows designed for your phone. New episodes every day.” says the website.
The firm’s CEO is Meg Whitman, who was previously president and CEO of HP.
What can I watch on Quibi?
At the time of writing, Quibi has over 50 shows in the following formats:
- Movies in Chapter – Films broken into clips 7-10 minutes
- Daily Essentials – 5-6 minute news and entertainment snippets
- Unscripted and Docs – Fictional and factual programmes shorter than 10 minutes
You might not have heard of Quibi but the company has managed to get some big names on board.
Launch highlights include Most Dangerous Game starring Liam Hemsworth, Survive with Sophie Turner (of Game of Thrones fame) and I Promise with NBA star LeBron James.
Furthermore is Chrissy’s Court which sees Chrissy Teigen presiding over small court disputes, Dishmantled is a cooking competition with Tituss Burgess and Thanks A Million starts both Jenifer Lopez and Kevin Hart.
You can see all the Quibi shows here with plenty of trailers, too. Quibi says new epsidoes are available daily and new shows every week.
Where is Quibi available?
Quibi launched in the US on 6 April and planned to roll out to other countries slowly. However, the app is available in the UK already.
You can also watch if you’re in Canada.
How much does Quibi cost?
In the US, you’ll pay $4.99 per month (pm) for the ad-supported option or $7.99pm if you want to go ad-free. There is a 90-day free trial you can use first.
After this you can only choose the £7.99pm ad-free subscription.
In Canada there are two options with ad-supported at $6.99pm or ad-free at $9.99pm.
What devices does Quibi work on?
Unlike other streaming services you might use, Quibi is specifically designed for mobile devices. That means you can’t get the app on your smart TV or media streaming box like Apple TV, Roku or Fire TV.
Instead, you’ll need to download it to your smartphone or tablet via the Apple App Store or Google Play Store . You’ll need an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch running iOS 11.0 or later. Or an Android device with version 7.1 or later.
However, possibly due to demand, Quibi has now added the ability to stream content using AirPlay or Chromecast so you can watch on your TV. Find out how to watch Quibi on TV .
Author: Chris Martin, Managing Editor, Tech Advisor
Tech Advisor Managing Editor Chris got his break as a reporter at infamous site The Inquirer and has been with us for more than 12 years. With a BA degree in Music Technology, audio is his specialism, but over the years he has reviewed all kinds of gadgets, from smartwatches to mesh Wi-Fi to coffee machines.
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