Throughout the last 100 years, there have been many different methods used to watch movies. People started with going to the theaters, watching TV in their living rooms, eventually using VHS tapes and later DVDs, then streaming: the latest trend. Both streaming and going to the theaters are very popular options but, according to a survey from Civic Science, people prefer to stream movies from home rather than going to the theaters.

But what does it mean to stream a movie or a show? Technically, streaming refers to the transfer of audio and video files from a server to a client. Streaming works through a process where the media is sent in a continuous stream of data and is played when it arrives. We’re able to stream movies through streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Paramount+, HBO Max, Roku, etc. Streaming services like these allow us to stream movies through subscriptions; these subscriptions usually cost around $5-15 per month.

Before streaming existed we used to watch movies on a VCR, often renting them from a brick and mortar store. Some people paid for cable services at home, but the selection of movies was very limited and viewing was restricted to the time that the show was being presented on the particular channel. Some people used DVD services that allowed rentals of popular films, and the discs would be sent through the mail.

Streaming today is both convenient and beneficial. It has certain benefits, such as not being interrupted by ads and having a much bigger variety of content with streaming services. It also saves us from mindless TV viewing and channel-surfing. With all these benefits it’s no surprise that streaming services have become very popular, so popular that 80% of the population owns at least one streaming service.