cbs.com

Traditional broadcast channels are sequestering content in an effort to compete with digital content aggregators like Hulu and Netflix. CBS All Access is CBS?s video subscription service which follows the all-you-can-model. CBS is a strong competitor of Hulu and Netflix due to its own original programming. Titles such as "Stark Trek: Discovery?", "The Good Fight?", and "The Twilight Zone?" have helped the network achieve streaming success.

I agree that individual networks with less aggregation are not really competitors. However, CBS with its All Access subscription model is able to provide a vast backlog of CBS shows and is the only platform where you can watch its premium content - Originals. It's following a similar model to ESPN+, though buying the entire ESPN+ plan doesn't make sense to me, I'd still be ready to pay the subscription fee because I'm a UFC fan. Similarly, fans who love specific CBS shows find the monthly subscription cost really palatable.

History

CBS All Access is an American streaming service provided by CBS Interactive that offers newly aired content on CBS Network and a backlog of CBS shows, making its vast content library available. Since its launch in 2019, CBS has garnered nearly 5 million subscribers. In 2019, the streaming of the Grammy Awards and Star Trek: Discovery marked the service's first major events. CBS has announced that it is expanding its All Access service to international markets, with Canada being the first international market. Just a few months later, the company has also launched All Access in the Australian market.

Star Trek: Discovery - A game-changer

This morning, Star Trek: Discovery debuted on CBS All Access and set a new record for the greatest number of single-day, weekly, or monthly sign-ups. This record was earlier held by the 2017 Grammy award ceremony. Clearly banking on the Star Trek fanbase, CBS was able to harness All Access's maximum potential in order to drive viewership and encourage subscribers to keep coming back.

Design

The recent updates to the CBS All Access design are much improved. The interface has a sleek, black-and-white look with a simple navigation menu featuring Shows, Full Episodes, and Live TV options. Apart from that, you can find Schedule, CBS Sports, Movies, and CBS News under a menu which is represented by horizontal ellipsis alongside a search bar and profile icon if you want to access your profile. The homepage of this website is minimalistic but attractive, with an HD banner and sign-up CTA. As you scroll down, you'll find various vertical banners for Trending Now, All Access Originals, Comedies, Classic, Kids, News, Late Night, Drama, Daytime and Reality TV. You can also access Movies, Shop, Tv Provider and CBS News and CBS Sports in a drop-down menu through All Access.

On the homepage, there are similar looking pages for each show. Hovering over the vertical banners will cause them to interact with the mouse pointer, and clicking on them will take you to a dedicated page for that particular show. A trailer video plays on the main banner with a Blue ?Watch Now? button. If you scroll further, you'll get video library which syncs perfectly followed by the synopsis and cast member.

I really appreciate how easy it is to navigate the website and how well it flows from page to page. The developers have done a great job of balancing out the content and making it not feel overbearing or absurd. It's reminiscent of the vibes you get from watching Netflix, but with a dark background that never fades.

Content

If the design of the website doesn't catch your attention, then All Access content might be what you're looking for. First, I want to make sure that I'm clear about one thing: though the content offered is limited, it is of high quality. Some popular dramas, such as "NCIS", "Elementary", "Blue Bloods", are all available on the network. If you're interested in news, you can stay up-to-date with "CBS Evening News", "Face the Nation", and "60 Minutes". If you're into comedy, you have "Man with a Plan?", "The Big Bang Theory" and "Young Sheldon." Not only can you watch classic shows like "The Twilight Zone", "Star Trek Series", and "Hawaii 5-0", but also new shows like "Late Night with James Corden" and "Stephen Colbert's Late Show".

CBS All Access Originals make it worth it

Though these new offerings are good, it's the original and new content that sets CBS All Access apart. "Strange Angel Tell Me a Story?", "No Activity?", "Why Women Kill?" and "Star Trek Discovery" are few of the shows which will keep you glued to the network. There are more than 200+ content titles for you to choose from.

Lacks a comprehensive sports package

All-Access Sports might not offer the complete sports package, but it does offer some in-demand sports content. You can watch any NFL game that air on CBS, along with select PGA Tour events, NCAA March Madness Tournament and SEC football. However, if you're a big NFL fan, I won't recommend All Access to you.

Lack of movies and sufficient titles

I know that CBS' movie section isn't anywhere near Amazon Prime Video or Netflix's catalog, but they are apparently working on improving the quantity. As of now, there are only 30 titles in CBS' movie section, which puts it way behind the likes of HBO Now, Starz, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and Showtime. If you enjoy watching movies, I wouldn't recommend CBS All Access to you.

Desktop/Mobile experience

Although CBS All Access has some features that set it apart from its competitors, it falls short in a few key areas. For example, the stream can restart at any time, which is not possible with many of the other platforms. Additionally, the DVR capabilities are lackluster compared to those of some of the other services. However, in terms of design and functionality, CBS All Access is very attractive and easy to use. There is a search bar on the main screen as well as an option to adjust streaming quality or download content. The app does lag occasionally when opening individual pages but that does not affect overall streaming experience. The mobile app launches quickly and doesn't require you to sign in initially. You can sign-in or sign-up for a new account. Similar to the website interface, you have a top navigation bar on mobile as well. An eye-catching element on the website is the shop section which is bundled between Shows, Live TV, Movies, Schedule, and Settings. You can use this to buy DVDs, Apparel and other gifts. I won't deny that the shop option does feel out of place on a streaming network.

You can download episodes of CBS shows for offline viewing using the CBS All Access app for Android or iOS. The app has a download limit of 25 videos and you can keep them on up to five devices. After downloading, the videos will be deleted within 48 hours from playback. If not played, they'll stay in your playlist for 30 days.

Streaming Quality

One thing I would like to give CBS props for is the streaming quality. Though it's not on Netflix or Amazon Prime Videos? level, it still does a great job of offering decent HD quality videos. If you're watching All Access without Wi-Fi, expect a shaky performance, with quality dipping and video timing out. Yes, your network service has a lot to do with this but if you compare it with other leading streaming sites, you won't find such significant troubles.

Plans & Pricing

I really like how simple CBS All Access is. Its basic plan starts at $5.99/mo which comes with limited commercials. If you want a commercial-free experience, then you need to pay $9.99/per month. Remember that even if you pay the premium price, you're not exempt from Live TV advertisement. Thus, promotional messaging will be part of Live TV regardless of the amount you pay. In addition to that, $5.99 doesn't allow offline downloads while $9.99 plan does.

The entry-level plan for Netflix and Amazon Prime Video is $8.99/per month. Hulu costs $5.99/per month, Starz costs $8.99/per month, and HBO Now costs $14.99/per month.

Suggestions I have for CBS All Access

I feel that $9.99/per month is indeed an expensive bracket. If you can get Netflix for a dollar less than that and Hulu for just $4.99/month, I don't see why you'd pick CBS All Access. The only reason why I feel people have subscribed to All Access is because of its Star Trek content along with news coverage, basic sports coverage, and Live TV. I would like CBS All Access to tie-up with different networks so they can justify the price tag of $5.99 or $9.99 which seems too much as of now.

Conclusion

Despite continually improving features, the cost of CBS All Access as a streaming service is not justified by its limited selection of movies and TV shows.