As the instant video market expands at an overwhelming rate, consumers are being left behind -- between Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Instant Video, and a growing network of similar competitors, it"s often difficult to easily browse each service"s offerings. Who wants to constantly switch between apps just to find a certain TV series or movie?
JustWatch promises a solution. The service, which launched in February, offers a search engine which pulls from 15 different libraries, including Netflix, Crackle, Hulu Plus, and Xbox Video. JustWatch allows users to search for any show or movie and filter between streaming services to find out where that content is available.
JustWatch isn"t perfect -- its engine didn"t list The Hunt For Red October on Netflix, despite the film being added last April, although it did properly list The Wolf of Wall Street, which was added in December -- but it does a pretty good job. Users can see whether a piece of content is available for streaming, rent, or purchase, and if so, its price on various services. For example, someone looking to watch Tarantino"s Inglorious Basterds can find the film streaming on Google Play and Amazon Instant Video for $2.99, or for purchase on Xbox Video, iTunes, and PlayStation for $9.99.
The search is also particularly well-refined, as it allows users to filter content by genre and release year. JustWatch also offers a "watchlist," where users can select content across different platforms, queue their shows and movies, and stream with one click.
JustWatch says it just added HBO Now to its list of providers, and plans to roll out a native app in the coming weeks. And with the addition of HBO Now, a streaming video service similar to HBO Go for those without a television subscription to the network, Game of Thrones tops the list of most frequently searched shows.
For anyone who prefers games and apps over video, Microsoft also has plans for its own streaming service, codenamed Arcadia, which they say is a project "NEVER done before." The company may very well reveal more details during its annual BUILD conference in San Francisco, so stay tuned for our coverage.