Back in the day watching tv shows and movies wasn’t as convenient or instantaneous as it is today. First, the VHS brought the movie into the home, but rewinding and fast forwarding was cumbersome and video collections can take up a lot of space. Then DVDs took the spotlight and came in slimmer boxes solving some space issues. You can fast-forward and rewind with the press of a button and even skip to the menu button that had bonus content.
The Rise of Streaming Services
The rapid improvement of digital media along with the worldwide network, the Internet, brought in a new age of media consumption. From YouTube all the way to Disney Plus, the audience can consume any kind of media in an instant.
Since Netflix began providing a variety of content at a fixed monthly price, people quickly became cable cutters and subscribed to the better and affordable option. Now, giants like Disney and Amazon have their own streaming services competing for subscriptions among many smaller providers.
Streaming Services Subscriptions
The top streaming services include:
- Netflix
- Hulu
- Amazon Prime Video
- Sling TV
- Crackle
- HBO GO, HBO NOW
- Disney Plus
Not all streaming services are created equal and come with different content and prices. So, how much do you pay for entertainment?
Cost of Streaming Services
Answering that question requires a brief overview of the best and most popular streaming services available on the market today, specifically Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney Plus.
Netflix
Price: $8.99
There’s a reason why Netflix entered and stayed in the streaming service market as a strong player. Its catalogue and original content cover a variety of genres and has a helpful recommendation system. The basic package comes at just $8.99 a month, but can only have one stream running at a time. For $13, you can upgrade the service for high-definition video and two simultaneous streams. At $16, you can have four streams going at the same time with 4K Ultra High Definition video.
Amazon Prime Video
Price: $12.99 with Amazon Prime perks or $8.99 for video only
Amazon Prime video is a good deal for those who already use the advantages of their Amazon Prime account. Compared to Netflix, both services have similar features such as their video quality, vast catalogue, and original content. But Netflix has the edge when it comes to producing the original content as Amazon’s video content comes few and far in between.
There are a la carte options with Amazon, but the price stacks up over time. You can have up to 3 streams on one account and you’re limited to two devices when it comes to streaming the same title on different devices.
Disney +
Price: $6.99
Disney made headlines when their subscription service had problems on its first day due to overloaded servers from so many people trying to access it. 4k Ultra High Definition is the standard and you have access to the family-centered media giant’s catalogue. It is going through growing pains with its interface and overall user experience, but there’s enough content to distract you!
