Preparing to Binge Watch

Netflix, Hulu/Hulu Plus and Amazon Prime are the three big video streaming subscription sites out there today. Some people may have a subscription to one, some people may even have a subscription to all three. I bet there are even some people out there who don't have subscriptions to any of these services. If you're looking to decide which service is best for you, I'm here to help.

Netflix is probably the most common and well-known streaming site used, which is to be expected of the company that really kicked off online TV and movie streaming. They offer a subscription of $7.99 for one screen streaming in standard definition. A subscription of $8.99 a month allows a user to watch on up to two different screens simultaneously in HD, this is the plan my family has because my parents and sister rarely use it so we never have to worry about using more than two screens at a time. Netflix's "Family Plan" costs $11.99 a month and allows for up to four screens to be streaming simultaneously in HD. This plan is great for families that have a lot of members watching a lot of different shows. Now, on to the real meat of the matter, the pros and cons.

Pros:

• Extreme variety in movies and TV shows:

                          From intense dramas like Breaking Bad, to kids' programs like Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Netflix has options for basically everyone.
                          The variety in movies is also pretty good. Especially because they have a bunch of Lifetime and Hallmark Christmas movies and who doesn't love those?

• Use on different platforms.

                          Not only can you stream on your computer, but on your phone, tablet, video game consoles, and through smart TVs and varying devices like Rokus and smart DVD/BluRay players.

• Original content. 

                          Netflix has even started putting on its own shows!

• Customization of profiles.

                          Netflix gives you the option of creating multiple profiles that you can select from when you bring up the service. So, if you like to watch a lot of sitcoms, but your mom watches cooking shows and you don't want to have to wade through all of those to find your shows then you can create a separate profile from her.
                          Netflix allows you to create a list, so when you're browsing through the lists of movies and TV shows and you see one that looks like something you would want to watch some time then you can add it to your list and find it when you want to watch it.

• No Advertisements!

                          Because you are paying for the service you can watch a show all the way through without stopping every ten minutes for an ad, which is so nice. So nice.

• Easy interface:

                          Movies and shows are separated into categories that are great if you know what type of movie you want to watch, but don't have a specific one in mind.

Cons:

• Limited access to new releases.

                         Unfortunately Netflix takes a lot of time getting the new seasons of shows. Sometimes it can take 10 months after the season has ended for it to show up on Netflix.
                         Recently released movies also rarely make an appearance on Netflix right away. You would just have to resort to Red Box for watching recently released movies.

• Paying every month.

                         It can get annoying having to pay every month, especially if you have a month of low watching.

• Shows just disappear.

                         Sometimes, because of contracts, shows just disappear. It can be really frustrating when you have a show on your list that you haven't been able to watch and suddenly it disappears.

Now, regular Hulu offers a few good services. First of all, it's free, which is a plus. It offers a lot of shows that are currently on the air, which is great.

Pros:

• Current seasons of shows.

                        It can be really nice to have immediate access to shows.

Cons:

• Delay for episodes.

                       Users of the free version of Hulu typically have to wait 8 days before an episode comes on the site. So let's say I miss this week's episode of Bones, I have to wait until the day after the next week's episode airs before I can watch it. Then I'm caught in a cycle of being a week behind.

• Advertisements.

                      Free Hulu means that they have the ability to put advertisements in their videos. Lots and lots of advertisements. For about every ten minutes of show that you watch you get a minute and a half of ads.

• Movie Selection:

                      Hulu does offer a very limited selection of movies for free. However, most of the movies are low-budget and not well made. What you would expect from a free service.

Hulu Plus is the subscription service that Hulu offers. For $7.99 a month you get a subscription to their services.

Pros:

• Easy catch up:

                     Because episodes go online the day after they air it is a lot easier to catch up on a show and get back on track.

Cons:

• Advertisements:

                     Although Hulu Plus has fewer adds than free Hulu, it does still contain ads.

In recent years Amazon Prime hopped into the streaming scene. A subscription to the service costs $99 for a year with simultaneous watching on two devices, which works out being cheaper than Netflix. Not only do you get the subscription to Amazon Instant Video, but it also grants you access to Prime Music, their music streaming service; free two-day shipping on anything you may purchase from Amazon; and over 500,000 ebooks.

Pros:

• Additional services:

                        The extra perks that come with a membership to Amazon Prime are really great and two-day shipping can really come in handy.

• Wide variety:

                        Amazon Instant Video offers a wide variety of TV shows and has an exclusive contract with Nickelodeon. It also has Downton Abbey, a show missing from Netflix.
                       They also have a lot of movies that you can stream for free, or you can pay to rent a movie.

• Available on many platforms:

                       There are apps for almost every device on the market today that allow you to stream from Amazon Instant Video.

• No Ads!

Cons:

• Lack of some major networks:

                      While Instant Video does give access to shows on HBO, MTV, and Comedy Central, it does not have some of the other major networks like AMC, which has The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad, two of the most popular TV shows in the last few years.

• No current seasons:

                       Like Netflix, Instant Video does not give free access to the currently airing seasons of TV shows, however, you can pay around $2.99 to access an episode from a current season if you really need to catch up.

• No customization of profiles:

                       Unlike Netflix, as of now Amazon Instant Video does not have the option of having more than one customizable profile.

• Lack of certain platforms:

                       Unfortunately Amazon Instant Video does not yet have apps for Android devices, which are gaining popularity at great rates, and Apple TV, another popular application.

Overall the three different services have a lot to offer individually. Use this new information to go out and enter the world of online streaming. It may seem like a hassle to use one of these subscription sites, but trust me, it is better to use a reliable site than to enter the world of sketchy sites that can give your computer tons of viruses. Trust me.