With more and more Americans to cut the cord with their cable providers and opting for the use an online video service to watch their TV shows and movies, you may wonder what the streaming service is the best there is. To help you decide, we took a look at three video online giants - Netflix, Amazon Instant Video and Hulu Plus - to see how they stack up against each other in terms of cost, content and supported devices in charge. Here's what we found.
Price
Both Netflix and Hulu Plus costs $ 7.99 / month for their unlimited streaming plans and both offer a free trial. Netflix allows you to try its streaming service for free for the first 30 days, while Hulu offers a one-week trial. Hulu is offering some of its streaming content for free, but is limited in which shows that you can watch with a free account. In addition, there are many more ads if you post with a free Hulu account rather than a Hulu Plus account. Its $ 7.99 / month plan limits the amount of display ads, but if you want to watch your commercial content completely free, you have to go to the other plan, which costs $ 11.99 / month. Netflix provides all of its content continuously with zero advertisements for only $ 7.99 / month.
The annual cost to use either Netflix or Hulu Plus comes out to about $ 96 / year, which is pretty close to what an Amazon Prime membership fee, $ 99 / year. It is important to note that Hulu Plus will cost a little more, about $ 140 / year if you want to get rid of the ads altogether. Amazon Prime also has a free 30-day trial. You can use Amazon Instant Video without first member, and pay for every TV show or movie you want to watch (which varies from $ 0.99 to $ 14.99 per movie or episode). A first membership gives you free two-day expedition on your Amazon orders, so there's that extra edge, and it also allows you to broadcast certain shows and movies for free. It is important to note, however, that all movies are free with a first member, so you may still have to pay extra for shows or special film. That said, Netflix and Hulu Plus are the most economical options easy if you plan to watch most of your online videos with Netflix be a bit cheaper for content without advertising; if you only use broadcast services continuously few times a month, Amazon Instant Video would be the best option because you only pay for what you watch.
content
Network Displays: Both of these online video services has exclusive rights to particular shows. Hulu, for example, recently signed an agreement with Sony Pictures Television for the complete series of "Seinfeld", which means it is the only streaming service that can legally show. On the other hand, Netflix has the right to stream other shows like "Friends". Although Amazon does not have exclusive rights to certain programs of the network, it has access to popular shows such as "Curb Your Enthusiasm."
Original Series: All three of these services currently show original content or have original content in the works. Netflix has a huge fan base for its original series "Orange is the New Black" and "House of Cards" and several new shows, it is added to its streaming library this year alone. Amazon also had his hand in original programming with the Emmy series "Transparent", and Hulu is set to reveal five new original series this year too. In this sense, they are all on the same playing field
Shows available. Regarding the numbers go, Netflix is the winner here. It offers thousands of songs in TV shows and movies that you can watch instantly online, and is the leader in original programming. However, it does not always have the most recent episodes available to its users; for legal reasons, because it can not add a season of a show at the library until the season is over broadcast on regular TV cable. Moreover, Hulu Plus and Amazon Instant Video can put episodes online as soon as 12 hours after broadcast on live television. As such, it really comes down to whether you want to wait or not.
Supported Devices
Unlike HBO NOW, Amazon, Netflix and Hulu are not limited in which devices you can use to stream videos online. All you need is an Internet connection and one of the supported devices. The three services can stream video on smart TVs, media players (like Roku and Apple TV), game consoles (such as Wii, Xbox and PlayStation), Blu-ray players, smartphones, tablets, laptops and computers office. Netflix also has the ability to add service to your TV provider with a set-top box such as DISH and TiVo. A complete list of supported devices and how to connect them can be found in the table above, or you can visit the service website for details.
Which streaming service is best?
When it comes to choosing the best streaming service for you, it really depends on what you expect from the service. If you are looking for something that offers a ton of shows and movies without the latest seasons, then Netflix is your best bet. On the other hand, if you prefer to see your favorite TV shows a couple of days after the air, Hulu or Amazon might be a better option. Still unsure about which service is best for you? Visit our video reviews online for more information on how to register for a free trial so you can test for yourself.