nbc.com
The NBC Network is one of the biggest and most successful television networks in the business. They put a lot of passion and dedication into their website, which shows through the quality of their content.
NBCUniversal's website chronicles the network's growth as one of the largest stations in the world. This can be seen through various accomplishments such as their number of television viewers, revenue, and staff size. After reviewing the timeline, it is evident that this growth is due to the hard work and dedication of company staff.
NBC has aired many noteworthy events and shows over the course of its long history. The Macy's Day Parade was first aired in 1939, and it quickly became an annual tradition in American households. NBC was one of the first networks to air color television, almost a decade ahead of the other providers. NBC has also aired many acclaimed dramas and comedies over the years, including Seinfeld, Will & Grace, 30 Rock, and Parks and Recreation.
In 1959, the first color western Bonanza aired on NBC. This show aired for 14 years and is still re-run frequently. Other popular shows that originated from the network are Law and Order, The Office, Parks and Rec, and many more.
Website Design
The majority of online streaming services provide mediocre programming, but NBC stands out as a great choice. The network prioritizes viewers and does not overload the website with advertisements.
There is a large slideshow under the main menu with featured shows. The menu is simple and easy to read. The search bar is difficult to find, as it is in the shape of a magnifying glass without text. The color scheme is a monochrome black and white. Overall, the website design could be improved.
Content
NBC is known for its massive amount of media. There are countless films, radio broadcasts, and shows. NBC TV Network focuses on streaming its television shows online.
The website that hosts the library is currently compromised of shows from NBC's many smaller networks. Some of these networks include Bravo, CNBC, E!, MSNBC, NBC, Oxygen, SyFy, Telemundo, Universal Kids, Universo, and USA.
There are a lot of television shows to choose from, and it can be hard to decide where to start. NBC has a lot of lists on the home page, with categories like Throwbacks, Trending, and Bingeworthy. There are numerous genres and decades. Although the streaming service focuses on series, they have a lot of movies available. You can get three free locked episodes by creating an account. So even if you don't have cable or satellite TV you can still watch important content. Creating a profile only takes a few minutes.
Desktop & Mobile Accessibility
The desktop website is easy to navigate. It is straightforward, but that may not be a positive. The search bar is not very clear at first glance; it's disguised in the corner as a small magnifying glass.
The mobile browser version is in a similar boat. It's not bad, but there are a few hiccups. For one, it takes quite a while to load the page in a mobile browser. Next, most shows force you to download the app to play the media. The button promoting the app is somewhat small and hangs around the bottom of the browser.
The application uses Bluetooth to connect with nearby televisions. The lists are the same, but their colors are very different. The app uses a vibrant purple background for its homepage, a grey one for it shows category and a dull pink for the search page. The app loads a lot better than the other options.
Positives
NBC's streaming site blows the competition out of the water when it comes to content and options for subscriptions. They offer a variety of options for watching their content, including free content and paid subscriptions that include access to locked episodes and additional features.
Another great benefit of using this service is the great navigational tools. The menu is well formatted and one of the best features is the menu from episodes. This allows you to access fun facts about the cast, trivia, and other information about the program.
The advertisements are few and far between, but there are two or three breaks in between shows. However, there are only two ads per break, usually amounting to around one minute or less. Additionally, the autoplay feature at the end of episodes is beneficial, as it keeps viewers from having to wait longer between episodes.
I typically do not click on FAQs or help guides unless something is wrong, but I checked NBC?s because it was featured prominently on their website. The section was very helpful and had valuable information regarding their streaming site and common troubleshooting.
Negatives
The NBC TV Streaming Service is mostly a very positive experience. It is not very hard to choose something wrong with the site. If I had to choose some negative aspects, I would say the load time is not up to par.
Whenever you try to click on a show to watch, there is no response. The page is loading, but that doesn't signal to the viewer that anything is happening. It's frustrating to have to click multiple times and not even see a loading icon. Then when you finally attempt to click something else, the page will load and leave you even more annoyed.
NBC?s font is very small, which makes it difficult to see.
Another small issue is the search bar. It's not a huge deal, but I couldn't located it at first. When looking for the search bar, I usually look for a little bubble that allows you to click and type or even the word ?search.? In NBC's case, their search button is a small magnifying glass. A lot of services use the same glass, but often accompany it with large text. NBC's font is very small, which makes it difficult to see.
The quality of the video on the desktop browser starts out being poor, but it improves after a few minutes. However, I waited an unusually long time for the video to buffer before it started to look good.
There is a connection between the video quality and the lagging in advertisements. Although NBC only shows a minimal number of ads, when they lag or do not load properly, it delays the stream. It's unfortunate, but I hope that this issue is resolved soon.
Improvements Needed
There are not many changes that need to be made to NBC TV's streaming services. However, there is always room for improvement. The major changes need to be made on the desktop browser. The app is close to perfect.
I find it difficult to locate the search bar on most websites. It would be more effective if it were separate from the main menu, and was written in a more conspicuous location.
We need to improve the initial load times so that it is less frustrating to click and click for nothing to happen. We should also make sure the quality of the video balances out quickly, and we should fix the buffering problems with advertisements.
Summary
NBC continues to be a prevalent broadcasting network in the media world, and they do a phenomenal job when it comes to streaming services. The website is designed with the viewer in mind, and they keep updated on the newest trends so that their viewership is always up-to-date.
The free content is a great feature, as well as being able to unlock free content by signing up for a profile. The variety of content in their vast library is a nice surprise. They collectively distribute their content, as well as the content of other television channels they own. NBC is one of the better television streaming services on the market currently.
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