Getting the most bang for your buck
There used to be a time when we had to sit around waiting for our favorite shows. Not now. Viewers can find anything they want to watch with a flick of a switch.
The Internet fueled companies to create an alternative to what the cable companies were offering. This allowed services like Netflix and Hulu to thrive in a market that was formerly controlled by the cable companies. Now, so many subscription services are out there to choose from that deciding which plan meets your needs can be somewhat overwhelming. A comparison below of some of the major subscription services can help reduce the confusion.
Netflix: from $7.99 a month
Pros: Netflix offers a wide variety of TV shows and movies with new content added every month, both selected titles and primetime programming.
Netflix is great for binge watching favorites like Stranger Things, House of Cards and Fuller House.
Cons: Netflix doesn’t have current seasons of shows that are not original to Netflix, a moot point to some. There are no add-ons, so viewers are unable to expand their library of shows and movies.
Amazon Prime: from $10.99 a month or $99.99 per year
Amazon Prime Student: $49 per year
Pros: Amazon Prime has add-ons for movie channels like Starz, Showtime and HBO GO. Customers on the $99.99 a year plan get two-day shipping and access to Amazon music service plus access to over 1,000 books for phone, tablet or Kindle.
Amazon Prime is home to popular shows like Transcending, Sneaky Pete, The Man In The High Castle, and Red Oaks.
Cons: Amazon Prime houses an estimated 40,000 titles, but a fraction of those titles are available to stream.
Hulu: from $9.99 a month
Pros: Hulu is the only streaming service that has up-to-date episodes of shows one day after airing.
Hulu also has premium content for their subscribers such as 11.22.63, The Path, and Casual.
Cons: There is no way getting around those pesky commercials even with a paid subscription, unless you want to pay an additional $4.00 a month.
Movie selection is sub-par, but getting better.
HBO NOW: from $15 a month
Pros: HBO was one of the first cable companies to offer its existing and new customers an easy way to view their favorite movies and shows.
The difference between HBO GO and HBO Now is that HBO GO comes free with a cable subscription, HBO Now is a standalone service.
HBO’s streaming service is easy and clean design allow for great versatility whether you’re on your phone, tablet, or television.
Cons: HBO GO is priced a little higher than competing subscription based services.
Other than comedy specials, HBO only cater to an already established audience of the brand.