Rebecca Caraway is a journalism junior and Mustang News opinion columnist. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Mustang News.
I remember when my parents first canceled cable TV and got a Netflix subscription. Streaming services were supposed to be a cheaper alternative to cable, but now that’s not necessarily the case. The list of streaming services seems endless –– Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, Peacock and HBO max, just to name a few –– But does one really need all of these?
Let’s look at these services and see which has the best original content, best site experience and which ones you shouldn’t even bother getting a free trial with.
Best bang for your buck: Hulu
Ad-supported plan: $6.99/month
This is my personal favorite service. Hulu allows you to watch the newest episode of a cable show the day after it airs. It’s the best way to watch new episodes of “The Bachelor,” “This is Us” and plenty of other on-air shows. If Hulu was the only service you had, you wouldn’t miss out on much. They have tons of completed series and great movies too.
Recommended originals: “Only Murders in the Building,” “The Act” and “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Recommend complete series: “How I Met Your Mother,” “The X-Files” and “The OC”
Recommended movies: “Palm Springs,” “Deadpool” and “Gone Girl”
Only worth it if you friend gives you their password: HBOmax
Price: $9.99/month
HBOmax is most popular because of its original show, “Euphoria.” Other than that, there is not much worth watching unless you’re a big “Friends” or “Game of Thrones” fan. Obviously, if you like HBO content then this is the service for you and, while it does have a few great movie franchises, I find myself rarely using it. Overall, HBOmax has good content, just not enough of it.
Best original content: Netflix
Lowest price: $9.99/month
Now don’t get me wrong, Netflix has a lot of junk in their original content and it’s fair to say that they have too much original content and not enough of your favorite shows and movies. However, there is a reason they are still killing the game when it comes to original productions. No other service gets more hype around their originals than Netflix does. They truly have something for everyone. Whether it’s true crime documentaries, teen dramas or cheesy Christmas movies, Netflix always has something new.
Recommended originals: “Bridgerton,” “the Crown” and “Inside Job”
Recommended complete series: “Gilmore Girls,” “Community” and “New Girl”
Recommended movie: “Set it Up,” “About Time,” and “Dunkirk”
Just get the free trial: Amazon Prime Video
Price: $8.99/month
Prime video is the most boring and my least used service and it’s incredibly frustrating to use. You’ll spend time looking for a specific show or movie, only to discover that you have to pay for it if you want to watch it. While this service does have a few great originals such as “Fleabag,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “The Boys,” most of the original content is stuff you’d fall asleep to as your parents watched in the living room.
Recommended originals: “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Fleabag” and “Lucy and Desi”
Recommended complete series: “Psych,” “Chuck” and “Buffy The Vampire Slayer”
Recommended movies: “500 days of summer” and “Napoleon Dynamite”
Don’t even bother: Paramount+
Price: $4.99/month
Ever wanted a streaming service that was just for CBS shows? Yeah me either. Not sure whose idea this was anyways (probably a bunch of dads and big “NCIS” fans). Unless you’re the biggest Star Trek fan or you’re just dying to watch the live action “Clifford the Big Red Dog” movie, save yourself the $4.99.
Best site experience: Disney+
Price: $8/month
Disney knows their audience. They know you’re paying for Marvel, Star Wars or just plain old Disney classics and that’s why they put themed cards on the top of the page that take you to exactly where you want to go. You can click on the Marvel card and see all the available Marvel movies and TV shows and if your mouse hovers over the card, it will play the iconic opening Marvel movie visual credits.
Disney+ is great, and it’s a great deal. However, this is another one that I would just get the free trial for. I only use it whenever a new Marvel show comes out.
Recommended originals: “Wandavision” and “The Mandelorian”
Recommended complete series: “Agents of Shield” and “Grownish”
Recommended movies: “Clouds,” “Folklore: The Long Pond Studio sessions” and “10 things I hate about you”
Overall if you’re trying to decide what service to keep, I say stick with Hulu and/or Netflix. Both services have great originals, completed series and movies.