yidio.com

Things were much simpler back when Netflix was the only game in town. When we wanted to know whether a TV show or movie was available to stream, all we had to do was go to netflix.com and quickly peruse whatever they happened to have up at the time. There was no complicated and disappointing matrix of release and contract cancellation schedules to keep track of. It was not a confounding decision when it came time to choose which service to use on a given day. It was just simple. We just logged onto Netflix, chose from the available titles, and watched. Nothing more, nothing less. There are just so many streaming services to choose from these days, and it can be tough to keep track of which ones have your favorite shows and movies available each month. Each service has its own monthly price, and most of them only offer content from a specific network. This makes it hard to find things to watch, as each month's selection tends to change a lot. And since streaming services regularly cycle syndicated content in and out of availability, it's almost impossible to keep track of which platforms will have what you're looking for at any given time.

It can be difficult to remember which streaming site will have the show or movie you're looking for when you want to watch it. Not only is it difficult to remember which platform puts out what original series or movie, but they also all keep unnecessarily confusing (and sometimes annoyingly short-lasting) schedules of syndicated programming.

Although Google is generally a helpful tool in finding information, it can be difficult to determine which site is the best right now for watching old sitcoms like How I Met Your Mother, Friends, or Third Rock from the Sun. In the end, Googling this information will yield an answer. However, this process is time-consuming and inconvenient.

It would be nice if there was a site that helped you keep track of streaming service contract schedules. This site would be specifically designed to help individuals keep up with which streaming service offers the best contract options for them.

Luckily, friends, there is no need to fret. Because there are several streaming site search engines (or streaming site aggregators, as they are sometimes called) to choose from. However, as is the case with any kind of website, not all of these search engines (or search engine aggregators, as they are sometimes called) are equally powerful or effective. Some are better designed than others, some draw from more streaming services than others, some offer more useful features than others. Therefore, you have come to the right place - I will help you figure out which one is going to be the best for your purposes. And today we?ll start with a streaming site search engine known as Yidio.

History

Yidio is an aggregator that makes it easier than ever for you to browse what's available across all of your video streaming accounts. The kicker is that you can do all this from a single and convenient platform, yidio.com. In January of 2008, brothers Adam and Brandon Eatros created Yidio. A little over a half a year later, in June 2008, Yidio officially launched. Having found success early on with their novel website, Yidio attracted the attention of angel investors Alan Warms, Bill Luby, Jim Collis, Lon Chow, and Jamie Crouthamel. Between the five of these angel investors, Yidio managed to raise $350,000 in funding in November 2009.

From there, Yidio used this seed money wisely and continued to expand its reach. In 2011, Yidio added alerts for Facebook and Twitter. Then, they released an iPhone mobile app for the service in July of 2013, and an Android version shortly thereafter. The app was featured on ?Mario?s Top 3? segment on the Today Show on July 28th of 2013.

Design

I think that you will be very pleased with the way that yidio.com is designed. This is one area where sites like this can easily fall by the wayside, in my opinion, via sloppy, cluttered, or difficult to navigate site design. Luckily, though, that is far from the case with Yidio. This site is equal parts well-designed and familiar. If you're accustomed to using Netflix or Hulu, the transition to Yidio will be a quick and seamless one. That's because the layout of Yidio emulates both of these leading streaming platforms. You can quickly browse titles by genre, what?s popular, what?s trending, by platform, by the network, by airdate, etc. Imagine all of your favorite streaming sites rolled into one convenient location and you have a good idea of how Yidio is designed.

You can also search by title or browse by movies or TV shows on Yidio. It is one of the simplest (but not sophomoric looking) sites of its kind that I have ever seen. In fact, I would even argue that Yidio is better designed than Hulu - it is less confusing, less cluttered, and easier to browse.

Content

While the content of Yidio really depends on what streaming services you are subscribed to, the site's main distinction is its ability to let you view content from the site itself. There are many other streaming site search engines out there, but few that offer this feature. So, in my opinion, that makes Yidio stand out. As a Yidio member, you can access free streaming content of their own to enjoy, even if you are not a member of any other streaming service. Some of Yidio's titles include Basic Instinct 2, Blitz, Lionheart, Stuart Little, National Security, Hancock, and The Passion of the Christ. This difference sets Yidio apart from its competitors and makes it an attractive option for users.

You can watch many of your favorite television networks, like Horror 24/7, News 24/7, Standup TV, Docu TV, Anime All Day, and Celebrity TV for free with Yidio.

Mobile and Desktop Experience

I previously mentioned that I prefer the desktop website of Yidio over the mobile app. This is because the website emulates Netflix, which makes it easier to navigate and provides a familiar user experience. However, in order to get the most out of using the Yidio mobile app, you should download it. I think the Yidio app is an excellent way to watch your favorite shows. It has an easy to navigate and streamlined experience, as well as personalized reminders for when your favorite shows air and a customizable watch list. It has an average rating of 4.2 stars on the Apple App Store (from 1.9 thousand individual reviews). Looks like I'm not alone in loving the Yidio app then!

Pricing and Plans

As I mentioned earlier, traditional Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and other subscription services will still cost whatever your monthly fee is. However, using Yidio itself is completely free of charge. There may be occasional ads, but other than that you don't have to worry about paying for Yidio's services in any way.

Suggestions that I have for Yidio

Honestly, everything that I would want a streaming site aggregator or search engine to do is what Yidio does (and then some). I cannot think of a single way that this site could be made better.