Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime: The Battle of the Streamers
Ten years ago, most of us couldn't imagine binging shows the way we do now. We relied on TV reruns, rental stores like Blockbuster and DVR (back when that was the "hot new tech" in TV) to watch television. It used to be a battle of satellite dish versus cable, and now we are streaming media directly into our smart TVs and laptops, even our smart phones!
The way we consume media has evolved exponentially in the past decade and when streaming first got popular, Netflix was the pioneer in the market. It became such a phenomenon, memes and slang such as "Netflix and chill" came about. Now, of course, with time and growing popularity other competitors have entered the market promising better selections and faster updates. So let's talk logistics:
For most of us, especially us college students, Netflix is our go-to streaming service. It was the first in a line of brands that offered titles to stream immediately, although first they were a mail-in DVD based brand. They still offer this package of course, but it's not what we're really after. We're a fast-paced generation, so we want our selections now, not in 48 hours via the mailman.
They offer wonderful customer service and they are constantly adding and removing feature shows and films to keep us on our toes. And let's not forget those binge-worthy Netflix originals. Shows like Orange is the New Black, Stranger Things and Black Mirror are hugely and widely popular and are exclusively available through Netflix.
Next we have Hulu, an online television streaming service and network that is probably the next most popular streaming site after Netflix. The appeal of Hulu is that for many of their shows, they update with the newest episode the day after premiere. For some selections, they only include the most recent season on their site, while with others they include the entire series.
Recently, with the long anticipated arrival of HBO's Game of Thrones season 7, Hulu collaborated with HBO to provide shows and movies that are included on HBOGo. Now users can pay for the plug-in and watching as the shows are premiering live with the rest of the world rather than wait for the next day. This gives them an advantage over Netflix, who doesn't provide HBO items at all, and Amazon Instant Video, who only provides the show the next day and each episode is paid a la carte rather than part of their Prime service.
Hulu also has a range of originals and films as well, not just TV.
Lastly we have Amazon Prime. When users purchase Amazon Prime to receive free two-day shipping, it also includes various instant video choices in the membership.
Amazon's streaming service seems to fly under the radar a lot of times, even I forget I have this option because I already have Netflix. But there are so many selections that are only available on Amazon Prime that I didn't even realize. They carry a lot of critically acclaimed shows and movies such as Interstellar and Room as well as fan-favorite TV shows such as Avatar: The Last Airbender and of course like it's competitors, originals such as Mozart in the Jungle and The Last Tycoon.
I primarily think of Amazon as an online shopping forum, so I often forget it's also a source of consumable media.
What are your thoughts? Do you prefer certain services over the others or do you have multiple accounts? Do you use a service I didn't mention? Comment below and make your case.
The way we consume media has evolved exponentially in the past decade and when streaming first got popular, Netflix was the pioneer in the market. It became such a phenomenon, memes and slang such as "Netflix and chill" came about. Now, of course, with time and growing popularity other competitors have entered the market promising better selections and faster updates. So let's talk logistics:
For most of us, especially us college students, Netflix is our go-to streaming service. It was the first in a line of brands that offered titles to stream immediately, although first they were a mail-in DVD based brand. They still offer this package of course, but it's not what we're really after. We're a fast-paced generation, so we want our selections now, not in 48 hours via the mailman.
They offer wonderful customer service and they are constantly adding and removing feature shows and films to keep us on our toes. And let's not forget those binge-worthy Netflix originals. Shows like Orange is the New Black, Stranger Things and Black Mirror are hugely and widely popular and are exclusively available through Netflix.
Next we have Hulu, an online television streaming service and network that is probably the next most popular streaming site after Netflix. The appeal of Hulu is that for many of their shows, they update with the newest episode the day after premiere. For some selections, they only include the most recent season on their site, while with others they include the entire series.
Recently, with the long anticipated arrival of HBO's Game of Thrones season 7, Hulu collaborated with HBO to provide shows and movies that are included on HBOGo. Now users can pay for the plug-in and watching as the shows are premiering live with the rest of the world rather than wait for the next day. This gives them an advantage over Netflix, who doesn't provide HBO items at all, and Amazon Instant Video, who only provides the show the next day and each episode is paid a la carte rather than part of their Prime service.
Hulu also has a range of originals and films as well, not just TV.
Amazon's streaming service seems to fly under the radar a lot of times, even I forget I have this option because I already have Netflix. But there are so many selections that are only available on Amazon Prime that I didn't even realize. They carry a lot of critically acclaimed shows and movies such as Interstellar and Room as well as fan-favorite TV shows such as Avatar: The Last Airbender and of course like it's competitors, originals such as Mozart in the Jungle and The Last Tycoon.
I primarily think of Amazon as an online shopping forum, so I often forget it's also a source of consumable media.
What are your thoughts? Do you prefer certain services over the others or do you have multiple accounts? Do you use a service I didn't mention? Comment below and make your case.
I think this is a great comparison of various streaming companies. Personally I don't use any of these services. I think adding YouTube to the conversation would be great as YouTube is definitely becoming a competitor here with YouTube Red.
ReplyDeleteGreat choice of topic! I am really curious how these huge companies like Amazon, Walmart, and YouTube handle this battle. I personally think Amazon will take and keep the lead for a while. I have had their Prime service for almost 2 years, and it is always on time and their market share is growing day by day. YouTube is attracting many streamers in Korea due to their flexible and relaxed policies compared to other streaming websites.
ReplyDelete-Simon Kye-
I really enjoyed reading this article. I find this topic very interesting and your comparisons were spot on and useful when choosing which brand to use. I personally use Netflix, but I sometimes feel like I need Hulu too since they have some shows that are not on Netflix. I also am an Amazon Prime member and I absolutely love the convenience of their website. Overall, great topic and I look forward to your next post!
ReplyDeleteOn line streaming is definitely becoming more and more apart of our everyday lives. Netflix seems to be in the lead as the best streaming service since that's what majority of people use. I think Hulu is soon to catch up though with their recent merger with Spotify, which allows for college students to have both services for $4.99 a month. It's going to be interesting to see if this will make Hulu a more popular destination for streaming.
ReplyDelete