SYFY Competitive Analysis Video Player

Video Player

Visual Analysis

Observations

  • 4 out of 7 brands have player controls in the center of the screen
  • Most apps will adjust to full screen automatically when the video begins to play
  • YouTube does not have this adjustment, but allows users to play a video while blabrowsing
  • Most brands allow users to go 10 to 15 seconds backwards and forwards in the blavideo
  • SyFy and Showtime only have the backwards functionality
  • Most brands utilize an arrow to return to browse videos; only 2 use “Close” or bla bla“Done”
  • Amazon Prime Video provides users with the most information in the videos bla blathrough their X-Ray feature
  • X-Ray integrates cast, music, and trivia information into the viewing
  • Half of the brands have shortcuts to go to other videos without exiting from the blaplayer
  • Essential player features that all brands have include: display selection and closed blacaption

Data Comparison

Video Player
Brands
Video Player
Skip Commerical Not available; progress bar is hidden during commercials Not available Available No commercials No commercials Not available No commercial
Display Info Before Playing ● ”SyFy Original” logo ● Logo
● Rating
● Not available ● Logo ● Not available ● Logo ● Not available
Closed Caption Button Located at the bottom navigation bar Located at the bottom navigation bar Found in the settings button denoted by the gear icon at the top right corner Located at the top menu on the right corner as a speech bubble icon Located at the top menu on the right corner as a speech bubble icon Located at the top menu on the right corner Found in the vertical ellipses button on the top right corner
video quality selection

Located in the settings button



Located in the vertical ellipses button
subtitle language selection

Located in the settings button
Time control
10s backward 10s backward and 10s forward 10s backward and 10s forward 10s backward 10s backward and 10s forward 30s backward 15s backward and 15s forward
Social Integration
Display Device Selection
Volumn control bar
Full screen function button



Automatically adjusts to full screen




Automatically adjusts to full screen




Automatically adjusts to full screen




Automatically adjusts to full screen




Automatically adjusts to full screen





the player is stick on top; can browse other videos while playing
Display show name
Promoting other videos




















Conclusion

  • A majority of the brands (except HBO and Hulu) allow users to select the device they want to watch content on. This enables app users to sync to TVs, giving users the ability to use their mobile device as a remote while watching content. This feature is very appealing to users as society becomes increasingly digital.



  • 10-second increments are the most popular amongst all brands. The most common user behavior is going backwards or skipping forwards to a specific scene. Therefore, 10-second increments are more ideal compared to 15- or 30-second increments.

  • SyFy, Netflix, and Showtime only give users the option to rewind. However, giving users the option to fast-forward and rewind is a user-friendlier UI.