Background
It seems, these days, that there is a shift in the way people enjoy their entertainment at home. We went from strictly cable tv, to satellite tv with numerous packages and channels to choose from. Then there was the rise or the DVR; A way to record a program and have it saved to be watched later. This led to the idea of “On Demand”. On Demand shows are/were essentially programs that were pre recorded by your TV service provider that you could access at your leisure. Popular movies and TV shows would be available at the push of a button and you were able to watch them in your free time and at your pace. It seemed at the time that TV couldn’t get more customizable or accessible.
It was then in 2007, that Netflix began gaining traction as the premier streaming service. Netflix’s service allowed customers to pay a monthly subscription fee that would give them access to a library where they could choose from movies and TV shows much like an On Demand feature, however the perks of a streaming service like Netflix is the ability to access it from your mobile devices like a smartphone, tablet or laptop. This is in addition to accessing it on a TV via Smart features, a Amazon TV Fire Stick, or a gaming console.
In the past 14+ years, the streaming service industry has absolutely exploded. The success that Netflix had for the better part of a decade more than invited competition. Year after year we seemed to see another streaming service pop into the public eye. Amazon Prime Video actually started before Netflix did back in 2006, however it became popular in 2011 when it started offering free movies and TV shows to Amazon Prime subscribers.
Features of the popular streaming services available today
Netflix
Netflix is arguably the most popular streaming service.
Popular TV shows to highlight include Grey’s Anatomy, Big Time Rush, Criminal Minds, The Great British Baking Show, NCIS and Breaking Bad.
Netflix has also found success in some of their “Netflix Original” programs such as Ozark, Designated Survivor, Lucifer and The Queens Gambit. Another innovative watching feature that Netflix offers is called “Netflix Party” or now known as “Teleparty” allows users to synchronously watch movies and TV with friends.
Notable movies on Netflix include: Den of Thieves, Training Day, Friends with Benefits and Legally Blonde.
Netflix prices start at $8.99 per month.
Amazon Prime Video
APV is a convenient streaming service because it comes included with an Amazon Prime membership. APV’s selection does not contain as many notable titles as Netflix but it is certainly a viable option for streaming enthusiasts.
TV Shows worth checking out include: House, Avatar: the Last Airbender, Upload, The Mentalist and Teen Wolf.
APV has also seen success in the production of their own original TV shows. Some of these include: Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Them, and El Corazón de Sergio Ramos.
Blockbuster Movies available on APV include: Click, Inception, Knives Out and The Truman Show.
An Amazon Prime membership costs $12.99 or $120 per year, however that includes many other shopping and grocery perks that come along with the membership.
An Amazon Prime Video subscription by itself starts at $8.99 per month.
Hulu is another very popular streaming service that is known a little more for their wide collection of animated content, as well as their lower monthly cost.
Popular TV shows include: Family Guy, Rick and Morty, Attack on Titan, The Masked Singer, Shark Tank, and Modern Family.
While not as known for their movie content, here are some notable films that can be found on Hulu
Movies: Shrek, Napoleon Dynamite, Deadpool, The Sandlot, and Pretty Woman
Hulu starts at $5.99 per month with ads, but has an option to upgrade to commercial free viewing starting at $11.99 per month.
Disney Plus is by far the hottest streaming service out on the market. Essentially Disney Plus gives you the key to the Disney vault where almost anything and everything produced by the Walt Disney company lives. Pretty much anything aside from currently released Disney productions can be found here.
Popular TV shows include: WandaVision, Hannah Montana, The Mandalorian, The Simpsons, and Kim Possible.
Movies include: The grand majority of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, Moana, Beauty and the Beast, Zootopia, Frozen, The Toy Story Series, Finding Nemo, and many more.
In my opinion the most bang for your buck when it comes to movie selection.
Prices start at $8 per month.
HBO Max is thought to be one of the more premier or premium streaming services. It comes with a steeper cost but the content does it’s best to reflect the price. One very cool feature of HBO Max is that subscribers are given access to any Warner Bros films the same day that they come out in theaters.
Movies included in the subscription include: Godzilla vs. Kong, Space Jam 2 (7/16), Aquaman, and Zack Snyder’s Justice League.
Prominent TV shows include: Game of Throne, Friends, The Big Bang Theory, and Euphoria.
Prices start at $14.99 per month.
Everyone is different, and everyone has their own likes and dislikes. Hopefully this blog gives some guidance as to the features of the various streaming services on the market today. By no means does this include all services or all available content on the platforms discussed in this post. Feel free to leave comments on your streaming service of choice and any TV shows or movies for other readers to check out!
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