Bye-Bye Cable: Which Streaming Service Should You Get?
As everyone has adjusted to doing everything at home, streaming services have become extremely popular. But which one should you buy?
Year by year, streaming services have become more and more popular, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated that popularity. The added convenience, lower cost, and larger selections have convinced tens of millions of people to cut the cord and switch to these services every year. According to a 2019 study by Deloitte, only about two-thirds of American households (65%) are still paying for cable TV while slightly more people are using streaming services (69%). (Note that this study was before the pandemic — imagine the disparity between the two numbers now.)
As cable prices continue to rise, amount of customers drop, and the profitability of cable slowly reaches zero, many media companies have turned to the new, all-the-rage option: streaming.
With companies like Netflix and Hulu, which were considered as hopeful startups in their early days, becoming the behemoths of entertainment, everyone now wants a piece of the pie.
Now, every media company has its own streaming service, leaving people (like me) with the difficult decision of picking the best one to spend their money on.
Well, now you don’t have to. To help you (and me) settle on which service to buy, I decided to carry out an experiment (not an excuse to binge-watch shows and not feel bad). I took a thirty-day free trial for several popular streaming services and watched a variety of content (TV shows, movies, originals). I will give each of the services a 1-to-5 rating for a variety of categories and will pick an overall winner at the end.
Before we get started, though, let’s meet our competitors.
Netflix
- Founded in 1997 in CA.
- Originally a rent-by-mail DVD service, but started their streaming service in 2007. Starting as a novelty, it became the company’s money-maker.
- Users: 204 million (as of Jan. 19, 2021)
Hulu
- Founded in 2007 as a joint venture between NBC Universal, News Corporation, and Providence Equity Partners.
- Subscription launched: 2010
- Users: 39.4 million (as of Jan. 2, 2020)
Prime Video
- Launched in 2006 by Amazon as Amazon Unbox, a business division of Amazon Prime
- Became Amazon Instant Video in 2011 and then simply Amazon Video in 2015
- Users: 150 million (as of Jan. 2020)
Disney+
- Founded in November 2019 by Walt Disney Company
- Contains content from Disney-owned entertainment companies, such as Marvel, Pixar, National Geographic, etc.
- Users: 100 million (as of March 2021)
HBO Max
- Launched in May 2020 around the namesake television service
- Is owned by AT&T through WarnerMedia, serving as a hub for WarnerMedia’s collection of TV and film properties
- Users: 37.7 million (as of Dec. 2020)
Now that we are acquainted with the competitors, let’s start comparing them!
Category 1: Cost
- Netflix: $8.99 per month, 3.5/5
- HBO Max: $14.99 per month, 3/5
- Disney+: $6.99 per month, $79.99 per year, 4.5/5
- Hulu: $5.99 per month, $59.99 per year, 5/5
- Prime Video: $12.99 per month, $119 per year, 3.5/5
Why is Netflix, the third cheapest service, getting a 3.5/5? This is because the $8.99/month price tag only allows for one simultaneous stream for decent quality, unlike the others. To allow for two simultaneous streams, you need to pay a larger price of $13.99/month for better quality. This isn’t a great deal compared to the others, especially since services like Hulu ($5.99!) have better prices allowing for two devices to stream at once.
Yearly prices for some services like Prime are much cheaper than monthly, at $119 a year (~$9.92/month), putting these higher up the ranks in terms of lower costs.
Winner: Hulu
Category 2: Variety
Honestly, I think all of these services deserve a 5/5 in this category because while the content in each is different, they have a lot of it.
Netflix has an abundance of popular sitcoms, originals, animes, and some good movies.
Hulu has a large selection of the latest TV shows and Live TV to watch if you want to cut cable, along with a modest selection of movies and animes.
Disney+ has a huge arsenal of content including the MCU, Star Wars, and National Geographic franchises, along with the Disney movies and TV shows (as well as the 30+ seasons of The Simpsons).
Prime Video has a great mix of originals (like Jack Ryan), movies, and TV shows. Prime is also one of the best when it comes to comedy and kids programming, with lots of content from Comedy Central and Nickelodeon.
Lastly, HBO Max has over 10,000 hours of premium content, consisting of all of HBO and other franchises like DC and Adult Swim. This includes a lot more TV and movies, along with ‘Max Originals’ like South Park and Friends.
Winner: Everyone (depends on which shows you like)
Category 3: Original Content
As these streaming services become larger, they start making more and more original content, spending billions of dollars on producing them alone. This kind of content seems to be the future of streaming. This emphasized importance of original shows and movies on different platforms makes it a good way to compare the services. (Data is as of Apr. 2020.)
Netflix: They have some really good shows and movies, as smash-hits like Cobra Kai and The Queen’s Gambit are must-watches. Netflix Original films also have the most Oscars and content compared to the rest. However, anyone who has sat on the couch and scrolled through the Netflix library knows that having more isn’t always better. While there are lots of originals, including some really good ones, Netflix takes more of a “throw anything at the wall and see what sticks” approach, which creates some pretty big variations in quality. 4/5
HBO Max: While Netflix might have the upper hand over everyone else in terms of volume, HBO Max takes the cake in terms of ratings and reviews from critics. Despite having a smaller selection than Netflix in terms of originals, they do have higher quality content, with average scores being 85% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.3 on IMDb — higher than anyone else here. HBO also has far more Emmys than anyone else here. With great titles such as Game of Thrones and Snowpiercer, you can’t beat HBO in terms of great original TV shows. 4.5/5
Disney+: Despite being one of the newer services on the market (launching in 2019), they have certainly had a strong start, especially with their original content. Though they currently only have a fraction of the amount that services like Prime Video and HBO Max have, their future looks promising with titles like The Mandalorian, WandaVision, and Soul collecting great reviews from audiences and critics alike. 4/5
Hulu: I’d say Hulu is somewhat of a weak link in terms of originals. While it does have some good original shows like The Handmaid’s Tale, it doesn’t have much content in that area. It doesn’t beat Disney+ by much in terms of volume, and it almost pales in comparison to Netflix, HBO Max, and Prime Video. As much as I love the quality of their shows, the fact that they don’t have much of them is sort of a downside. 3/5
Prime Video: As I said, Prime Video has a great variety of originals, from comedies like Jimmy O. Yang: Good Deal to dramas like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Though not as much as Netflix or HBO Max, it does have a lot of originals, and good ones too. The numbers don’t lie either, with Amazon Originals receiving average critic scores of 76% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.2 on IMDb. 4/5
Winner: HBO Max
Category 4: Features
We’ve just reviewed each of these services by cost, variety of content, and quality of their originals. However, which of these are the best at being different? Which one has the most intriguing features that make it worth the money? Let’s take a look.
Netflix: There is a large number of features that Netflix has. For one, they allow you to stream at very high resolutions like Ultra HD 4K, HDR, and Dolby Vision HDR. You can also download from a selection of content on the service for offline viewing. Making multiple profiles (for adults and kids) is also an option, which might seem like a universal option right now, but useful nonetheless. Additionally, Netflix’s features also appeal to the global audience with its availability in 190 countries and a wide range of languages. 4/5
HBO Max: HBO Max doesn’t lag behind on quality. The service offers streaming in 4K UHD, HDR, and Dolby Atmos. Like most services, you can download content to view offline. Like Netflix, you can make multiple profiles for kids and adults. However, one downside to HBO Max is accessibility, since it is only available in the US and some US territories (American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). 3/5
Disney+: Like the other streaming services, this platform has some pretty cool features like GroupWatch. With this feature, you can watch any Disney+ title with your friends and family even when you are apart by syncing your streams. The quality is comparable to the others here, too, as you can watch in up to 4K resolution, Dolby Vision, and HDR10. Like HBO Max and Netflix, you can make multiple profiles (up to 7) for different people, including kids profiles. While not being as widespread as Netflix, it is available in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, European countries, India (as Disney+ Hotstar), and much of Latin America. 3/5
Hulu: Probably the best feature that this service has that no one else on this list offers is Live TV. Though coming at a hefty price of $64.99 a month, this is very useful for people who need an easier transition from cable. The multiple different channels on Hulu to watch live provide a great alternative option to mindlessly scrolling through the catalog. They don’t compromise on quality either, with streaming options including 4K Ultra HD. Like the others, it has the option to create multiple profiles. However, they lose points here for accessibility, since Hulu is only available in the US and its territories. 3.5/5
Prime Video: Prime Video has live TV, but they are in the form of “extensions”, which aren’t part of the initial service. Like the others, they have the option for multiple profiles, downloading for offline viewing, 4K viewing options for a large portion of the content, and great accessibility, as the service is available to anyone with a Prime membership. They also have a very interesting feature on their content, called X-ray (shown above). Since Amazon owns IMDb, you can click a small button at the top of the screen while you watch and you will see a small stream of info on the actors, the directors, the music, and also some random trivia about the content you’re watching. 4/5
Winner: Netflix (by a very slim margin)
Awards
In the end, each streaming service is great in its own way. Scores like the ones I gave don’t always dictate what is best for you, as this is just my opinion. Always look into the options yourself and find out which one is best suitable for you.
Best Value: Hulu
While it might not be the most popular service here, the $5.99/month cost is a steal. Though the ads are a downside, this low cost doesn’t compromise on quality, content variety, or features. It is probably also the best one to choose if you need a smooth transition from cable, as you can find next-day airing of cable TV from networks like ABC, NBC, and Fox. Overall, it’s a great bang for your buck if you’re looking to save some money while still getting a great streaming service.
Best For Families: Disney+
While the other services do have a considerable amount of kids and family content, I feel like Disney+ is specifically made for this. It has a lot of recent children's TV shows and movies, along with a good assortment of throwback ’90s titles for parents.
Best Variety of Content: Netflix
This was really difficult to choose. Each of these services has a LOT of content, and you’d get a great selection of titles if you chose any of these services. However, I picked Netflix because of its sheer volume. It has the most content here, by far. Though more might not always mean better, their large amount of content gives their viewers a lot of options from a lot of places.
Best Original Content: HBO Max
I wanted to put Netflix here, but their approach to originals makes the quality of their originals range from great shows like Stranger Things to random originals you find after scrolling for minutes, putting them at a close second. HBO Max, however, doesn’t compromise on quality very much (though their volume of original content is less), which can be seen by the numerous awards and great critic reviews they’ve gotten. Titles like Search Party and Game of Thrones back them up, as the caliber of HBO Max’s originals is consistently impressive.
And The Winner Is…
Netflix!
As I said, this is my opinion. However, with the highest score of 12, the vast amounts of quality content, not-bad cost, and impressive video quality motivated me to pick them at the end of this experiment. It is a great blend of all the categories I went over, and what I might consider paying for in the future.
Don’t immediately take my word for it, though. Consider what’s important to you, and then make a decision. As Harlan Ellison said, you are entitled to your own informed opinion.
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