Many
thanks to J and J Productions 1809 for allowing me to share the pros and cons
of some of the best streaming services available so you won’t regret any of
your subscriptions. And if you aren’t quite sure what you’re looking to watch
yet, check out this article on the Top 100 Movies.
So what really sets Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Video
apart? Well besides their subscriptions plans differing, each has their own
library and features that might appeal to some more than others. Perhaps the
most important feature though, for any of these services, is their
compatibility with different devices.
Not everyone has a PC to stream movies on, and
instead rely on other devices such as Smart TVs, tablets and game consoles. A
large number of users also prefer to stream while on the go, as it often beats
paying to view movies while at a hotel during your travels. Speed, reliability
and cost can be a main concern as well.
Which genre of movies and TV shows you’re interested
in can also be a contributing factor to your decision. Some streaming services
offer limited amounts of anime, for example, whereas others
have a better selection. Though there are genre-specific
streaming services available (such as Crunchyroll), let's take a look at how
three of the most popular services compare.
Netflix
Netflix is a little bit different than other
streaming services since you can choose to receive DVDs if preferred. Though a
plan including DVDs is a separate cost, it’s nice to have the option available.
DVD plans range between $4.99 and $14.99 per month, depending on how many discs
you're able to rent out at a time, how many you’re able to rent per month and
whether you choose to rent Blu-Ray discs or standard DVDs.
Streaming plans cost between $7.99 and $11.99 per
month, and prices are dependent on whether or not you choose a plan with HD or
Ultra HD streaming and how many screens you’d like to be able to watch on at
once. Certain plans will only allow one user to watch at a time, making it
difficult for those who want to share their accounts with anyone else.
On the topic of sharing, Netflix now allows you to
create different user profiles too, which is particularly handy when you don’t
want to lose where you left off in a movie or TV show due to sharing your
account. With Netflix, you can also view a selection of suggested titles that
are based on your prior viewing history. As you can imagine, this makes it easy
to discover new content and videos you wouldn’t have normally thought to watch.
Overall, Netflix is a great choice due to their low
price point, lack of commercials, ease of use and selection. They appear to
have a little bit of something for everyone, even offering a large selection of
international movies. Netflix’s compatibility across different devices is
seriously impressive too, as you can watch from several different streaming
media players (such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Chromecast, Nexus Player
and NVIDIA Shield), game consoles, smartphones and more.
No need to worry if you’re hesitant about
subscribing before viewing their library of movies and TV shows either—Netflix
offers a one month free trial with the option to cancel at any time.
Hulu
Hulu used to be the streaming service of choice for
those looking to keep up with some of their favorite TV shows since they
release new episodes the day after they premiere on cable TV. However, in the
past few years, Hulu has stepped up their game by adding a fairly large
selection of movies to stream. Like Netflix, their subscription plans for
streaming costs between $7.99 and $11.99 per month but commercials are
unfortunately included in their $7.99 plan.
Hulu offers a ShowTime add-on as well for an
additional $8.99 per month, which will allow you to access content that would
normally be found on ShowTime’s channels on cable TV (such as “Penny Dreadful,”
“House of Lies” and “Homeland”). If you’re especially interested in some of
ShowTime’s original movies or TV shows, Hulu might be a good choice for you (if
you don’t already subscribe to ShowTime with a cable provider, at least).
There's no doubt that Hulu does offer some titles
that Netflix doesn't, but overall, Netflix offers a little more for the money.
Besides the commercials that are included on their lowest cost plan, Hulu also
only offers a one-week free trial, which can be especially easy for many
viewers to cancel before their credit card is billed (assuming they decide not
to keep the service).
As far as compatibility goes, there are a couple of
devices Hulu appears to support that Netflix does not and that alone might make
Hulu more worthwhile for you. You can check out a list of supported devices here.
Overall, I’d say Hulu is worth the cost, but it does fall a little short of
Netflix.
Amazon
Video
Amazon Video is unlike both Netflix and Hulu. If you’re
a frequent customer of Amazon’s, you likely already have an Amazon Prime
subscription and if so, you have access to Amazon Video. And if you haven't
signed up for a Prime membership, there's no need to fret over it; you can
choose to sign up for Amazon Video (also known as Prime Video or Amazon Instant
Video) regardless.
Amazon Video costs only $8.99 per month and offers a
month-long free trial to get you started. Just as Hulu allows you to subscribe
to ShowTime for an additional fee, so too does Amazon Video, and you can also
pick from other popular entertainment channels such as Starz. In my opinion,
Amazon Video is a bit more complicated to use than Hulu or Netflix, though it
does have a nice selection of movies and includes original series.
Perhaps the most appealing feature Amazon Video has
to offer is the ability to purchase the DVD of the movies you view with a
simple click or the fact that you can read through thousands of reviews before
watching or even post your own. If you're only looking for HD streaming, Amazon
Video isn't the right choice for you though, and their list
of supported devices is somewhat limited.
Something
Else To Think About
No matter which streaming service you decide on,
there are limitations to consider. Hulu, for example, isn't available
worldwide, and the selections are likely to be different on Netflix if you live
outside of the US. It’s a good idea to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) for
any of these, to avoid issues while traveling or streaming on the go and also
to avoid paying for service you can’t use if you’re going on a trip overseas.
VPN service will allow you to continue to watch
American Netflix (and Hulu) even if you're located
elsewhere by masking your IP address. It's as simple as connecting to a remote
server in the program, and as a bonus, it also encrypts your connection so
you'll be able to stream videos safely from anywhere.
Have you used any of these streaming services yet?
If so, we’d love to hear your opinion on them in the comments section below.
About
the Author: Cassie is no stranger to streaming, and
some might even call her an entertainment expert. She's tried out the best
video streaming services the internet has to offer thus far and has written
about each of them on numerous occasions. Check out her work on CultureCoverage.com
for some great tips.
I watch Agents of SHIELD on Hulu, and random other things too, but only the free stuff. Now and then they'll have a movie I want to see. I watch more on Amazon Prime Video -- I have an old Roku that lets me watch those on my TV set instead of just my computer screen, which is a distinct improvement, especially if my husband and I want to watch something together. I love old movies, and Amazon has quite a few either free for Prime members or else relatively inexpensive to rent -- comparable to Redbox, except that Redbox doesn't have old movies, so it's really better!
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