Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime are almost more prevalent than cable TV today. In fact, the late 2017 news revealed that Netflix has almost as many customers as traditional cable services.
Since then, the service has only grown. Streaming services benefit because they offer more on-demand options at a lower cost than cable.
When Netflix was the only real streaming option, the choice was easy. But with so many services to choose from, it can be difficult to narrow down which of the three main options is best. The average person can have Netflix because of the sheer number of originals, and then either Hulu or Prime for one or two shows.
Throw in HBO from Game of Thrones, and soon Disney’s streaming service for all the tragically canceled Marvel shows, and you’ll see the equivalent of a cable TV bill.
There are not many hours to watch TV in a month. You don’t have to spend so much. Here is a list of what each service offers to help you make the most cost-effective decision.
4K vs no 4K
If you are a true movie buff (or just love to watch content in the best quality), then 4K resolution is a must. Fortunately, it is available almost on all platforms. The problem is that in early 2018, Hulu destroyed all of its 4K content and removed this option from all platforms.
Even the 4K page is no longer on the site. Hulu said 4K was never a huge advantage for them, and even before they turned off high-quality streaming availability, they were only available in two places: PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X. Hulu has a lot to offer. that, but the lack of 4K is a big sign against it, especially as more and more 4K content is popping up.
Amazon Prime Video has 4K support, though it’s limited based on content. Netflix falls into the same category. Only limited shows have 4K support, but those that do look fantastic. The downside is that 4K streaming requires a higher rate of payment than lower resolutions.
The upside to this downside is that when Netflix detects a 4K-enabled smart TV, it automatically offers you the option to update. Almost every Netflix Original has a 4K option, as do many Pixar movies.
Source programming
TV on demand is one of the basic requirements for any streaming service, but as time went on and Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime began to have their own dedicated fans, services began to create original shows that were not available on any other platform. And many of these shows are far superior to anything that is available on traditional television.
Netflix is ??leading the way in original programming, with around 700 new shows, films and documentaries added in 2018 alone. Some of these you may have seen include The Blacklist, Black Mirror and Sense8. Besides the Netflix originals, you’ll find fan favorites like Friends and Grey’s Anatomy.
Hulu has 50 original TV series, several of which have won awards. These include The Handmaid’s Tale, Castle Rock, and The Prostitute. Hulu also won the rights to favorite sitcoms like How I Met Your Mother . While sitcoms are not original, sitcoms with a large fan base draw a lot of viewers to the platform.
Amazon Prime Video also has quite a few originals. While we couldn’t find specific numbers, they have anywhere from 150 to 200 original shows, and there will be more in 2019. Some of the best include the incredibly popular Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Sneaky Pete, and Bosch’s police drama.
If we had to judge the platform based on numbers alone, Netflix would be the clear winner. On the other hand, Hulu has a lot of quality originals. This is a kind of situation where quality is more important than quantity. In the middle of these two is Amazon Prime. She has a few hits, a few misses, but overall the platform originals are noteworthy.
Cost
The single factor that most people care about is the price. Since there are so many different price levels, we have broken them down into a table for ease of understanding.
| Streaming Service | Price of the tariff plan per month | ||
| Netflix | Standard definition, one screen: $ 9 | High resolution, two screens: $ 13 | 4K UHD, four screens: $ 16 |
| Hulu | with ads: $ 7.99 | No Ads, $ 11.99 | Hulu + Live TV with Ads: $ 39.99 |
| Amazon Prime | Amazon Prime Video is included with Amazon Prime, a service that costs $ 119 per year. There are no other price categories. | ||
Please note that these are not all options for every service. While Netflix and Amazon are fairly straightforward pricing, Hulu has several customization options, including the ability to upgrade to HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, and Starz on any plan with varying additional monthly costs. You can also choose Enhanced Cloud DVR and unlimited screens for the Live TV plan.
Other services and recommendations
These three “mainstream” streaming services are likely to always be at the top, if only because of the variety of programs they offer. On the other hand, HBO has a lot of fans because it is the only place to watch Game of Thrones . Disney + promises to be a top contender because it will feature many original programming as well as many Marvel TV shows loved by people on Netflix.
Services like Crunchyroll are also popular with more niche audiences due to the growing popularity of anime, although Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime have a significant proportion of Japanese animation in their repertoires.
And the services listed above don’t even count people who pay for independent sports packages. All this in order to show how great the competition is and how difficult it is to make a choice.
Select only one
The point is, you will likely have multiple streaming services. This is how it works these days. That said, if you only had to choose one of these three, Netflix’s 4K Quad Screen Pack is your best bet.
Not only does it let you stream up to four different screens simultaneously, but you also get access to a library of over 700 original shows and hundreds of classic, beloved reruns, and you can access it in the highest definition. maybe currently.
On the other hand, most people also have Amazon Prime for online purchases, so if you do, you can always check what their video offers at no extra cost.
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