When cable Tv was introduced into the consumer television market, it was a welcome development for many. Consumers were presented with more entertainment television offerings with the payment of a service fee usually paid monthly. This service fee ranges from as much as $100 -$200 monthly.
If you choose to make any additions like sports channels to the package which you select, you should know you will be paying extra for it. This means additional expense to your budget. To some, this amount might not make any dent in their household budget, but when compared to cheaper options such as a streaming service, you would realize you have been ripped off.
Most cable television service offerings provide you with entertainment content which is paid for. They buy the rights to show it to their audience. Now, what this means is, if there is a football game that they do not have rights to show, you, as a paid subscriber on that network, cannot watch it unless you use other means. So, imagine paying for a service which doesn’t always provide you what you want but only what they can show you, too restricting.
In recent years though, most cable services have evolved to include the opportunity to record content when it is being aired. Now, this means you have to set your device to record the show exactly when it is shown so you can watch it at your own convenience. There isn’t an option of downloads with cable television; the content is watched when it is aired. Watch here https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/rf-watch-online.
This is the gap that the streaming service has come to fill. With a streaming service, you have unlimited access to entertainment content from around the world. Streaming services break down the content they have into various regions to cover all audiences around the world. You can be in Asia and enjoy the best movies coming out of Canada or the United States. Streaming services even have tv shows and movies which are made and carried solely by them.
In recent times, some streaming services have started the trend of showing limited series, which have just 7 or 8 episodes and just one season. This just goes to show the level of innovation and service offerings that these services have to offer over cable.
Choosing which one is best depending on what you want as a consumer but, here are some top streaming services that will always come to mind when we are faced with the choice of which to go with.
Netflix
This is the most popular streaming service out there. Netflix offers three packages which you can choose from. The basic package goes for $11.99 per month taxes inclusive; the first month is free, you can cancel your subscription at any time, you have access to unlimited viewing, you can view with your phone, laptop, etc.
The downside to the Netflix basic package is you can only view in HD, no Ultra HD available; you are restricted to only two streaming devices. This is an ideal package for a household with just two people and also don’t watch a lot of screens.
There is also the Premium package which goes for $15.99 per month, the first month is also free, you can view on your laptop, desktop, phone, tablet or even your tv, you can stream on 4 devices max, you have access to unlimited viewing in addition to HD and Ultra HD and you can cancel your subscription at any time.
What makes Netflix so popular is the Netflix Original Series, which is an entertainment offering exclusively to Netflix. They have given us popular hit series like Orange Is the New Black, House of Cards, amongst others.
Hulu
One of the most exciting features of Hulu is that they offer you some cable channels at a lesser cost than cable companies. This feature aside, they do have some similarities with the popular Netflix. Hulu offers subscribers a monthly package for $5.99, and this grants you access to all the movies available in the Hulu library.
You also have access to watch complete episodes of some of your favorite tv shows on Hulu. The annoying part of this Hulu package is you have to watch the ads also. Yes, commercials will play.
To get out of this annoying situation of watching ads with your movies or tv shows, you would have to go for an upgrade to $11.99 a month. This subscription package comes free of ads.
Hulu also offers original series on their service in addition to kids shows, tv shows, movies, and lots more. What makes Hulu even better is the fact that you can watch the latest episode of a recent tv show a day after it has aired. This is the edge Hulu has over Netflix.
The last package which Hulu has on offer goes for $14.99. With this monthly payment, you can have access to some of the most-watched and popular cable channels like ESPN, Fox News, the National Geographic Channel. Oxygen, Disney and Disney Junior, the History Channel, HGTV, the Golf Channel, FX, FMX, FXX. These cable channels are available on Hulu with a monthly payment of $14.99.
There are other streaming services that have come on the scene like Amazon Tv, Disney ++. You could also stream using YouTube.
Streaming services make entertainment television more interesting. The unlimited options which they offer their subscribers make them increasingly popular with more people. Another factor that makes them better to use it the cost. Streaming services are less expensive to use.
With as low as $5.99, you have access to the standard package a streaming service has to offer. The only challenge you might face would be catching major sports tournaments which air on cable tv. Well, you can beat this by getting in an indoor or outdoor antenna. This way, you have access to some cable channels and not miss out on anything.
