Quibi is testing: Can smartphone streaming services convince commuters?

Pocket Streaming in between

Quibi is the latest streaming service from the United States, specifically for niche markets: commuters. The movie should be able to be streamed quickly and easily on a smartphone-in portrait format if needed. Netzwelt revealed in the test whether Quibi could be persuaded.

Although the Germans are still excited about the rise of Disney +, the United States already has the next new streaming service: Quibi, short for "Quick Bites." Quibi is planned to be released internationally, but Germany has no start date. To learn more about Quibi, we studied American applications and streaming services. Does a bold concept work? Netzwelt tells you!

table of Contents

1. What is Kibi?
   

2. cost
   

3. Quote
   

4. Quibi's secret weapon: changing image formats
   

5. Features and settings
   

   1. personal information
      

   2. Watch list
      

   3. search for
      

   4. Language and subtitles
      

   5. Picture quality
      

   6. Offline mode and download
      

6. Application design
   

7. Compatible platforms and devices
   

8. in conclusion
   

What is Kibi?

Quibi hopes to revolutionize the growing streaming media market. However, it only focuses on mobile streaming, so it provides users with a series of programs and runs for less than 10 minutes. Quibi is mainly for commuters who want to see something on the road and don't like to stop to watch feature films and series.

Quibi: Paid streaming service

The cheapest Quibi subscription fee is $ 4.99 per month. All programs and all functions are available at this price, but you must accept that ads will be shown to you before each episode. The price of an ad-free subscription is $ 7.99 per month. Quibi does not provide annual subscriptions.

Therefore, when you consider that Disney + offers advertising-free offers on many devices at a price of 6.99 euros, Quibi is relatively expensive. Abandoning the annual subscription indicates that Quibi generally does not intend to run the subscription permanently. Instead, when enough new programs appear to justify their price, you may occasionally choose Quibi for the next month.

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90 days free

At least in the free test phase, Quibi can score, because here you have 90 days of free time. The service is a special discount at the beginning, and the test period should be shortened to 30 days. Since Quibi subscriptions can be tested through ads or an ad-free model, you should of course choose a variant without ads. At the end of the testing phase, if you did not cancel the subscription in advance, the Quibi subscription will automatically expand.

termination

Unsubscription can be easily done in the AppStore or Google Play store. Normally, you can only use the payment methods stored in the store to withdraw Quibi subscriptions; you cannot pay or cancel directly in the app.

Quibi: Offer

Quibi started with a variety of series and performances. Similar to Apple TV +, streaming services rely entirely on internal production, but at first glance, the offer is larger than Apple's offer. Of course, if some episodes are shorter than 4 minutes, the amount provided is relative, but Quibi usually persuades various programs to convince.

Quibi: These series and shows are waiting for you

Quibi: These series and shows are waiting for you

Such as "Survivive" by Sophie Turner of "Star of Thrones" and "Most Dangerous Game" by Christoph Waltz Series such as Dangerous Game or Will Forte's "Flipped" are of high quality and are never boring due to their short duration. However, there is no breathing air for this action, and you will jump from orgasm to orgasm. Quibi hopes to become a period of streaming services, because of excessive stimulation, the audience's attention range continues to decrease. However, suddenly it takes some habits to put in action.

"Dishmantled" (uninterrupted Kimmy Schmidt) with Tituss Burgess, "Chrissy & # 39; s Court" with Chrissy Teigen, or programs with Chance The Rapper are all entertaining, but due to their short length, they sometimes look Like expensive YouTube videos. The free trial period allows you to explore the quotes of Quibi yourself. Ultimately, the streaming service lacks top-level titles such as "Stranger Things" on Netflix or "The Mandalorian" on Disney +, because Quibi is so fun so far, but it is always optional, and for fans of the series This is not necessary.

Quibi's secret weapon: changing image formats

Quibi not only hopes to adapt modern viewing habits with short episodes, but the image format can also play a role in the hands of young people. Each user can decide whether to watch the program in a landscape format (as is usually the case with streaming services) or whether they like the portrait format. Quibi will adjust the content of the picture instead of the large black bars above and below the picture, so that the entire screen of the smartphone is always full, and you will still not miss anything.

For this reason, sometimes the text or content is rearranged, so Quibi has prepared two versions of each plot in advance. The "turnstyle" technology created by Quibi ensures a fast and smooth transition between the two formats. To ensure this, Quibi always streams two versions of the program, thereby increasing data transmission accordingly.

So far, "Turnstyle" cannot be disabled, so if you tilt your smartphone too far, the picture will always automatically change its format. However, although Quibi still has to prove whether users really have added value, the technology is very interesting and worth a look.

Since streaming in portrait format from the beginning is an integral part of the Quibi project, most programs are shot directly, so not much will happen on the screen. This is very useful for vertical flow, but you will miss a bit of momentum in the horizontal direction.

Quibi: features and settings

Quibis settings are very clear and self-explanatory in the application. However, the options offered by Quibi are very different in some respects from the options you are used to in other streaming services. Positive thoughts such as left-handed mode go hand in hand with disturbing traits. Therefore, we briefly introduce the functions of Quibi for you.

personal information

Quibi is a personal streaming service. Therefore, after all, you are the only user of the account and cannot create any profiles. However, it is completely possible to register on multiple devices. In the settings, you can log off all other devices under the "Log off other devices" field.

Watch list

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If you click the small "Follow" bookmark or Quibi show on the series, the series is displayed in the "Follow" area. You will also receive a notification when a new episode appears, but you can disable this feature. You cannot choose a single plot, you always "follow" a complete program.

search for

Quibi's search very reliably found programs, genres and performers. Usually, you must write a name or title before you can display the correct results. In the "Browse" area, Quibi content is also clearly broken down by type, and the "New Release" and "Continue to Watch" areas are also located here.

Language and subtitles

So far, Quibi only provides English voice, this fact will definitely change in the future. The subtitles are in English (also for hearing impaired persons) and Spanish. The subtitles are adapted to their respective image sizes, but there is always a translucent box behind the text, which cannot be turned off. The color, font or size of the text cannot be adjusted.

Picture quality

Quibi's image quality performed well in the test and reached the full resolution of the stream in seconds. However, in the settings, you can only choose between two quality options: "Automatic" and "Data Protection Program". "Automatic" will automatically adjust the quality of the existing Internet connection, while "Data Protection Program" will reduce the quality, such as saving mobile data on the go. Even under the best conditions, Quibi cannot provide 4K resolution, and the limit here is 1080p.

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Offline mode and download

Whether you choose to subscribe with or without ads, you can download all Quibi content. Here, you can choose between "High" and "Standard" in the settings to determine the download quality. "High" corresponds to full HD resolution, and a 10-minute episode requires nearly 300 MB. If you are not connected to Wi-Fi, you can cancel the download.

Application design

The Quibi app initially looked more like Instagram, but it did n’t look like a classic streaming service. Once the quotes continue to grow, one must expect certain titles to disappear soon. The main page "For You" introduces recommended series and new episodes of the series you have seen. If you stay on the content image for 3 seconds, the trailer for the program will start automatically. Unfortunately, this feature (not yet) cannot be turned off.

Overall, Quibi is convinced with its intuitive menu navigation, which makes it easy to find your way out and start streaming immediately after logging in for the first time.

Compatible platforms and devices

Quibi can run on iPhone, Android smartphones, nothing more! Quibi is not only developed for smartphones, it has not even chosen to install the application on a tablet, console or TV. The transmission from the smartphone to the TV is also impossible, so your hands are tied here: the smartphone still has nothing!

Quibi's risky decision is that the streaming service will automatically lose many potential customers who are interested in the new series but only want to stream on TV. Quibi is a bit unlucky because the commute service occurs when almost no one is moving and there is little use of mobile content. Only in the next few months will it become clear whether Quibi will feel nervous or fail due to insufficient demand.

9 items

Quibi: These series and shows are waiting for you

As a new streaming service, Quibi must first declare itself, but Quibi is definitely not lacking in content.

Quibi: These series and shows are waiting for you