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Someone is cutting the cable TV cord when only one channel is standing in the way.It can often be a niche like The Hallmark Channel.
Frndly TV is a new streaming service that may be the answer for prospective cord-cutters.It costs $6 per month and has a dozen cable channels, including The Weather Channel.
Frndly TV is the cheapest and most focused live TV streaming package yet, and while it might not have everything cord-cutters want or need, it could supplement other streaming services and spare folks from getting much more expensive channel bundles.There would be a lot more options in a perfect world.
The Basic plan costs $6 per month and allows one stream at a time.30 days of unlimited cloud DVR storage is included in the Classic plan, which streams in high definition on up to two devices at once.There is a $10-per-month Premium plan with 90 days of DVR storage and support for up to four streams at a time.Basic is $60, Classic is $80, and Premium is $100.
The lineup is the same for all of them, with the exception of The Weather Channel.
Frndly TV knows its target audience, which mostly skews older and won't tolerate a drastically different interface than cable.The main menu has a cable-style grid that shows 10 days of guide data.While watching live TV, you can switch channels quickly.
The grid guide can be used to record individual episodes or entire series, and you can look up specific shows in the search section.You can jump back to the beginning of any live program or view the past three days of programming with the service.
The mini guide that you can view during live TV doesn't show what's on other channels, and the DVR menu quickly becomes unwieldy because it lists all recordings by air date instead of using folders for each show, are some of the rough edges of Frndly TV.Even if you pay for better video quality, live streams top out at 30 frames per second.Frndly's apps are easy to navigate and run smoothly.
I heard about Frndly TV after reading a report that said the service had just launched.It had a website, a sign-up form, and apps ready to go on the devices.Unusual for a new live TV streaming service, there was no fanfare or press release.
Bassil El-Khatib, Frndly TV's CEO, said in an interview that the service is in a soft launch as the company gathers feedback and makes sure everything is running smoothly.This is a legitimate and legal service that has agreements with other companies.After leaving the company a few years ago, El-Khatib realized there was a need for a family-friendly streaming service that cost less than other live TV packages.
All of the current streaming bundles are trying to be everything for everyone.There is an opportunity to look at segments of customers and address their needs at a more cost-effective price.
According to El-Khatib, Frndly TV is a way to win back cord-cutters who might have stopped watching the networks after dropping traditional TV service.
People are cutting the cord because they like the content.He said a lot of people love the content.There is not a cost-effective way for them to get that content.
Many of Frndly TV's channels aren't included in live TV streaming services or are expensive.The Hallmark Channel isn't available through either Live TV or YouTube TV, for instance.FuboTV has the Weather Channel.A $5-per-month add-on is required for the outdoor and sportsman channels.
Even if they involve breaking out of larger bundles, companies like Crown Media might be eager for new ways to distribute their channels.There is a common thread of heartland appeal to most of the channels Frndly TV is offering.
Don't expect this to become a trend.Smaller players like Crown Media have been unable to break up their channels into more focused packages due to the large number of channels owned by major media companies.Their goal is to have tens of millions of subscribers and compete with them.
He said that the major players have to do things on a larger scale.Knowing we are not going to get 10 million customers is the difference for us.
Frndly TV could be a disruptor of larger pay TV packages.Frndly TV could allow people to abandon many of the channels they had been paying for previously, but weren't watching, as more people slice and dice television into a small number of less expensive streaming services.Some customers don't need another bundle.
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