viki.com
It seems as if every day, a new premium streaming service is released. Nowadays, every network and movie studio wants a piece of the pie. Sooner or later, I can't help but wonder if the allure of premium streaming services might be fading. It's starting to feel less like a good deal, like it did back when you only had to worry about paying for Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video. These days, with everyone starting their own premium streaming sites, it just seems like cable but more expensive.
This is why every new streaming site I comes across these days is a blessing. Fortunately, for every new premium streaming site, there is at least one free streaming site in development. Whether these free streaming sites are ad-supported or offer freemium tiered memberships, I warmly welcome free streaming sites into the fold like Viki.
There's no other streaming site I've seen that is as different from Viki as it is. Their business model, content focus, and approach to disruption all reflect the Silicon Valley ethos of "disruption." This site attracts a growing demand for Asian content around the world, and it follows the old philosophy of doing something new and different to appeal to a niche market.
Viki, though, does not specialize in the type of Asian content that people might think when they hear "Asian streaming service." Instead, Viki provides primarily South Korean and Chinese dramas. Offering both free TV series and free movies, Viki has a great chance of becoming the best Asian streaming service on the market. Although the company is headquartered in the United States (San Mateo, California), Viki offers a wide variety of Asian content that can appeal to everyone.
Rakuten Viki is a streaming service with parent company, Rakuten. It is made up of a diverse range of cultures and its audience is represented in the service and its offices. In addition to its US headquarters, Rakuten Viki also has offices in Seoul, Singapore, Tokyo, and Japan.
What makes Viki such a unique free movie and TV streaming site is its name, which alludes to the use of volunteers when it comes to content management. This is a truly fascinating and viewer-based means of running a streaming site, one that could pave the way for a more interactive and hands-on streaming experience down the road.
At the core of Viki, their way of acquiring and distributing content is not necessarily novel. Their premium syndication can be compared to that of Hulu's, but the difference lies in what happens to that content once it is licensed. First, a show or movie is added to one of the site's channels. From there, the content can be subtitled by community volunteers. Viki is the first freemium streaming site that provides real-time subtitling, as well as community content editing. There are 200 subtitle languages available on Viki, and approximately 50 of them are endangered or vulnerable languages.
History
Viki was founded in 2007 by entrepreneurs Razmig Havaghiman, Changseong Ho, and Jiwon Moon. They received funding from a Singapore startup, Neoteny Labs, as well as Joichi Ito and the co-founder of Linked In, Reid Hoffman.
A year later, the company made a prudent and clever decision to relocate the business to Singapore in order to take advantage of generous government subsidies and its location as a rich and bustling Pan-Asian hub. After these first 3 years of development and fundraising, Viki officially exited their beta trial period in 2010, releasing the free movie and TV series streaming service to the general public.
Three years after that, in September of 2013, the company announced that it had been acquired by its new parent company, Rakuten. The acquisition was reportedly valued at $200 million.
Design
Viki offers a free streaming site that is very user-friendly. One thing I really like about Viki is how easy it is to start streaming TV shows and movies. There is nothing to it! All you have to do is browse the library, choose a show or episode or movie, and click play. The HD stream begins with little to no delay whatsoever. It's not every day you find a free streaming site that is this intuitive and simplified.
Moreover, the viewing interface is effective. Everything is streamlined and smooth. Conveniently browse other episodes and seasons of a given series while still watching a given episode. Alter and customize your viewing experience with in-depth subtitling tools and options. And cast via Chrome Cast with just the click of a button.
Compared to the library browsing layout, Viki's design is fairly standard. Browse by genre, topic, or channel with a side-scrolling layout. If you have ever used Netflix or Hulu, the layout and browsing features of Viki will be immediately recognizable and intuitive.
Content and Features
There are many features on Viki that make it stand out from other sites. In addition to the uncommon approach to community and volunteer subtitling, as I mentioned before, Viki also has built-in timed comments that users can toggle on or off. This presents an unprecedented level of community interaction for a streaming site of this magnitude, being able to watch and comment along with others. This is an ingenious additional feature that helps to further set Viki apart from other movie and TV series streaming sites.
Many people enjoy watching Korean and Chinese dramas on Viki. In addition to some well-known classics, the site offers its users some great original content. And, if you're a premium user, you can also watch certain shows and movies that are only available to those who have a Viki Pass.
Viki is without a doubt the best streaming site devoted to Asian dramas. It's one of the best free TV and movie streaming sites on the web, and their innovative approach is sure to reverberate throughout the rest of the industry.
Mobile and Desktop Experience
The Viki mobile app is great! It's available on a wide range of mobile devices and smart TVs, and the apps offer a smooth, intuitive, and user-friendly viewing experience. Whether you're in your living room or on the train, Viki's apps are great!
Fans of Viki can access their favorite shows and movies on iOS and Android devices, Roku, Android TV, Apple TV, Chrome Cast, and Fire TV. The Mobile Streaming apps tend to be quite hit or miss, but the Viki app has an average user rating of 4.8 (of 5) stars on the Apple App Store. This should give you a good idea of the quality of Viki?s app design.
Pricing and Plans
If you only want to watch shows and movies that are available to everyone, then Viki Pass Plus is the option for you. This pass offers unlimited access to all of Viki's content, including exclusive shows and movies.
However, if you want to be able to access only certain types of content (like exclusive shows or movies), then Viki Pass is the right option for you. This pass allows users to watch only those kinds of shows and movies, without having to pay extra for them.
If you're looking for a cheap way to keep your photos and videos safe and to have easy access to them anytime, Viki Pass is the perfect option for you. It costs $4.99/month to have full access to all of Viki's features, which includes streaming and downloading content.
with one purchase
-Get all of the Standard content with one purchase.
is available only to subscribers
Access to Viki exclusive interviews, originals, movies, and global dramas is available only to current subscribers.
Netflix is a great way to watch your favorite shows without any ads.
The Viki Pass Plus is a monthly subscription service that allows users to watch over 1,500+ TV shows and movies on their devices. It includes ad-free access to all content and also comes with exclusive deals and discounts.
for a limited time!
+Unlock all Plus shows and movies for a limited time!
for free
-Access all of the Standard shows and movies for free.
in the price
-The Viki Pass Standard includes admission to all participating museums and attractions.
A lot of additional hours of Korean television were included (from top broadcasters) this year.
a recent study in her presentation on the effects of climate change
Recently, Kocowa included a study in her presentation on the effects of climate change.
Both the 7-day free trial and the 20% discount for the standard version of Viki Pass are available to students.
Conclusion
Many people who love Korean and Chinese movies and TV shows might not be familiar with Viki. It's a free streaming site that offers a lot of great content for those who are interested. As long as you're serious about Asian entertainment, I recommend subscribing as a premium user on Viki because the quality of the streaming service is top-notch.
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