View Full Version : What streaming media service do you use?
The Storyteller
3-7-13, 12:27pm
This is one of those topics I'm not quite sure where to put it, so I guess this is as good a place as any.
We finally have a decent Internet service, so we are able to do streaming video. We are considering replacing our Dish Network with a collection of streaming media vendors. So far, we have signed up for Netflix (which we like) and Amazon Prime (which we like less). I have heard of Hulu, which I am investigating.
So what else is available? I'm interested in learning about other services out there some of you may use. How do you like the particular services you use? What are the pros and cons?
Thanks in advance.
decemberlov
3-7-13, 1:31pm
I only have Netflix at the moment which we stream off the Roku Box. There's many other streaming media channels on there like Hulu, Crackle etc. For the most part we don't watch a ton of tv and we can just about always find something on there we like. Recently we've been watching the The Colony on Netflix and we all enjoy it, I would suggest checking it out :)
I have Netflix and Hulu Plus. The advantage of Hulu Plus is that they carry the current broadcast television shows (minus CBS, for some reason) on a 24-hour delay, whereas you would have to wait for the next television season to get them on Netflix (which doesn't get everything) or on DVD. They also have some older and foreign-language television.
I have considered Amazon Prime and also the new Redbox streaming service but do not know that they would carry enough I am interested in that isn't already available on the other two.
The other thing I will bring up, which people sometimes forget when they focus on the monthly fee services, is that Amazon and iTunes (if you have Apple iThings) both sell current individual shows by the episode or season. I do that occasionally for shows that I especially love, like Mad Men, which aren't available as a package deal. I figured out that Netflix + Hulu + occasional paid downloads is still much cheaper than I would have to pay for a cable package, and it forces me to think about what I really care about watching. All the services also have closed-captioning now, which was a problem for awhile at the beginning of the streaming transition.
We only have netflix; don't see the need to have others.
We have an Apple TV, so the content comes either from the iTunes Music Store or from whatever we can access through DW's iPad (my MacBook Pro is too old to do the wireless mirroring of streaming content that the iPad can do). I haven't looked lately to see where the effort stands, but I would love to "jailbreak" the Apple TV, which opens it up to relaying competing providers' streams. Last I'd read, they were still working on that for the Apple TV model we have. We could do Netflix or Hulu through the Wii, but I don't think the picture is that good off the Wii, so I haven't spent much time looking at it. As for why we selected Apple, well, we are pretty much an Apple household and the Apple TV was a gift from DD and her BF. Works for us.
I have Netflix - and Amazon Prime - the latter being a impulse purchase when I had to replace the power supply on my computer and wanted the 2 day free shipping, but I've kept it since. I stream both off a Roku box.
I also watch Crackle (free with commericials) for my Seinfield fix, also watched the Prisoner on it.
Does anyone have any experience using a Sony DVD player/streaming box?
We have a Roku device and Amazon Prime. We are very happy with Prime.
We have a Roku device and Amazon Prime. We are very happy with Prime.
We stream Netflix (which I highly recommend) through a Sony Blu-Ray player, which my dad bought us. The blu-ray works fine, but I wouldn't have bought it just to stream. I think there are cheaper devices (roku) for streaming. That said, we use the blu-ray to play DVDs, too, so it works for us.
We also have Amazon Prime (free student account) but have never used it to stream movies. Netflix has all we need.
Kara
We stream Netflix (which I highly recommend) through a Sony Blu-Ray player, which my dad bought us. The blu-ray works fine, but I wouldn't have bought it just to stream. I think there are cheaper devices (roku) for streaming. That said, we use the blu-ray to play DVDs, too, so it works for us.
We also have Amazon Prime (free student account) but have never used it to stream movies. Netflix has all we need.
Kara
I'd be buying it for Blu-Ray/DVD playing as well as streaming. Are you happy with its streaming quality?
OK, then yes, I think it's a good choice for you. We are happy with the streaming quality. We used to stream through our Wii, but then we sold that, so we have seen other systems.
Kara
Excellent. Now if I ever get around to hooking up my router...
Excellent. Now if I ever get around to hooking up my router...
For that, you're on your own. I leave all tech support to my in-house nerd. :) I probably could figure it out, but why?
Kara
It looks pretty straightforward, if the manual can be believed. I've hooked up everything else around here. I'm my own geek squad.
We've used Netflix for streaming for the past few years, initially through an Xbox but now through an internet capable TV and occasionally the iPad. We've tried Hulu and Amazon Prime but dropped them due to a combination of slim content (at the time) and duplicative cost. We recently tried the new Redbox streaming but there were only about 300 titles in their library so dropped it as well. So, we're pretty much back where we started, Netflix.
I have Amazon Prime anyway, and I understand they're adding content like mad, but I'll probably get Netflix and Hulu Plus as well with the idea of cutting back on cable channels. If there's too much duplication, I can drop something. I have little interest in movies, save documentaries, so it will be all about the teevee for me.
We use netflix streaming through our blu-ray player. I specifically chose that blu-ray to give SO for christmas a few years ago because of the fact that it was one of only a few that did streaming back then. It works fantastic. If I were single I probably wouldn't watch much, if any, tv but on the off chance that I were in the market for doing so economically I'd probably look into several of the options mentioned, and likely get a roku box to do so. I have several friends that love theirs and the price is remarkably low, at least IMHO. And according to wikipedia they just came out with a new version 2 days ago. $100 for the latest model HD roku seems like a great bargain to me.
I agree that putting together a thoughtful plan of what media to actually purchase is likely a much cheaper option than just buying a bloated cable package of many unwatched channels the way we currently do, but SO would have a heart attack if I suggested actually dropping cable. Since he pays for it it's not really my place to disagree.
This is one of those topics I'm not quite sure where to put it, so I guess this is as good a place as any.
We finally have a decent Internet service, so we are able to do streaming video. We are considering replacing our Dish Network with a collection of streaming media vendors. So far, we have signed up for Netflix (which we like) and Amazon Prime (which we like less). I have heard of Hulu, which I am investigating.
So what else is available? I'm interested in learning about other services out there some of you may use. How do you like the particular services you use? What are the pros and cons?
Thanks in advance.
Just beware that the choices available for streaming are surprisingly limited at Netflix.
One would think that the latest and greatest would be available, but instead, it seems to be a lot of straight-to-video titles. The other night we were paging through streaming options at my friend's house and there was little I recognized.
The list here that claims to list Netflix streaming titles:
http://instantwatcher.com/
shows a top 50 popular titles of which I want only 1, Call the Midwife.
Once in a while I will download title from amazon, paying a ridiculous $1.99 each.
One I didn't mention - I also have my roku box running to my stereo, so I use Pandora a lot.
Miss Cellane
3-8-13, 9:51am
I have Netflix streaming. Despite several searches, I have been unable to find anything that states what percentage of their total offerings on DVD is available on streaming. My guess is less than 25%. And the movies and shows can be cancelled with little to no warning, so that they can rotate in new titles. There's a fair amount of TV shows, which is what I tend to watch, a lot of made-for-tv movies, tons of children's stuff, and some more recent movies.
I've used Netflix on a Wii, a Tivo and through a smart TV. The interface has been slightly different on each device. On the Wii, you see the shows you have added through your account on the computer, plus anywhere from 10-75 shows/movies in various catagories--horror, comedy, sci fi, tv shows, because you watched X, etc. Some categories change from time to time. In December, there was one with holiday shows, in February, I think there was one with romantic movies. There's an on-line search function, so if you know the exact name of what you want to watch, you can search for it. You can browse through the categories or search for a title and add it to your queue with a few clicks.
On the smart TV, I got everything in my queue, plus the suggestions in the various categories, but no search function. You can add anything from the various category lists to your queue.
On the Tivo, I got the shows in my queue and nothing else. To browse or add anything, you had to use your computer.
This article has some information and suggests that if you are buying a Blu-ray device, try to get an in-store demo so that you can see what the interface is like before buying. http://www.techhive.com/article/249043/how_to_get_the_most_from_your_netflix_streaming_su bscription.html
AmeliaJane
3-8-13, 10:26am
Wow, that list is interesting, since it's NOTHING like my queue (other than Call the Midwife).
Netflix definitely has its strengths and weaknesses--I believe they still have a 2-4 week (varies by the promotion) free period so that you can explore. They do not carry the most recent movies or current television. They have a lot of television up to this season, including both broadcast and cable--so for instance, older seasons, Parks and Recreation, Mad Men, Sherlock, Burn Notice, etc. The movies are all older but range hugely from Oscar nominees like The Artist, The Piano, and Gosford Park to Hallmark Channel made-for-tv stuff and terrible horror movies. I think of it as the equivalent of most of what cable television is for me--not appointment TV, but I enjoy watching it while I am eating dinner, doing chores, etc. Two handy features of the Netflix website are that if something in your DVD queue becomes available on streaming, a little indicator pops up. Also, if something on streaming disappears, the system saves it and if it becomes available again, it will turn up in your queue. I have gotten a few surprises that way!
I don't think I would use Netflix as my only provider--before Hulu Plus got so comprehensive, what I used to do was have the most minimal cable possible (for reception reasons) and then supplement with Netflix for the times when broadcast was mostly reruns.
We have Netflix through the Tivo. We also have Amazon Prime, but that is only because we have been a Prime user for sometime because of the free 2-day shipping. I cannot recall us ever watching a show through Prime.
For frugality purposes, Tivo is great. Commercial free shows is the way to go.
- Kevin
One I didn't mention - I also have my roku box running to my stereo, so I use Pandora a lot.
So that means I could use Stitcher!
Amazon Prime has all of the X-Files free to stream. Heavenly.
The Storyteller
3-8-13, 11:41am
Thanks for the replies so far. Please keep them coming. I like to post a question like this and just let the responses come without intervention unless there is a clarification question. You all have been so helpful so far.
I did pick up a Sony Blu-ray player (http://www.samsclub.com/sams/sony-blu-ray-disc-smart-player/prod4900232.ip) for the streaming, plus to take advantage of the beauty of high def blu-ray films. It streams pretty well, and we have signed up for both Netflix and Amazon Prime trials. I like the idea of occasionally selecting a recent release from Amazon and paying the pittance (compared to a trip to the theater) for instant streaming. With our plasma and LED televisions, plus sound system, the advantages of in-theater film viewing become less and less.
As a frame of reference, we currently pay for $136 a month's worth of Dish Network that we are trying to wean ourselves from. That could pay for an awful lot of interesting options, and still come out paying far less.
I have been checking out Hulu Plus on their website, and have been less than thrilled with their selection. The only thing on there I would likely watch are the Daily Show and Parks and Rec. I don't see a whole lot of other major network series. Maybe I'm missing something?
I know there are several other options, based on the menu options for streaming vendors that pop up on our Bu-ray start up screen. I would be interested in hearing about others.
Oh, and by the way, we wanted to see this Downton Abby everyone is talking about, so we checked that out. Netflix has the first season. Amazon Prime has both season 1 and 2, in high definition. There is one instance where Amazon beats Netflix.
...
Oh, and by the way, we wanted to see this Downton Abby everyone is talking about, so we checked that out. Netflix has the first season. Amazon Prime has both season 1 and 2, in high definition. There is one instance where Amazon beats Netflix.
That's exactly what my friend found, she got hooked on Downton Abbey. Well, good luck in seeing anything after Season 1 in streaming format from Netflix. They've got dvds for Season 2 & 3 but no stream.
Miss Cellane
3-8-13, 2:24pm
That's exactly what my friend found, she got hooked on Downton Abbey. Well, good luck in seeing anything after Season 1 in streaming format from Netflix. They've got dvds for Season 2 & 3 but no stream.
The first season of Downton Abbey went up on streaming Netflix pretty much right after it finished airing on TV. My guess is that it proved so popular that the BBC is keeping the later seasons from streaming formats until lots of people have purchased the DVDs.
My cable company has the third season of Downton Abbey on On Demand for free, but you have to pay to see the first two seasons On Demand. This is because of what BBC wants, not Netflix or On Demand or Comcast.
A lot of what you see or don't see on streaming Netflix has to do with the people who own the rights to the shows, not on what Netflix wants. Currently, all the Star Trek tv shows on are streaming Netflix, but it was a 2 year deal with CBS and will end later this year. Starz used to have a deal with Netflix, but when that ended, most of their shows stopped streaming.
A lot of the networks and production companies are holding stuff back from streaming. I suspect it is either an issues of rights or of profit.
Re Hulu, and pardon me if you know this, because I did not when I started--Hulu and Hulu Plus are different...Hulu Plus is the paid service and has a LOT more content. I was very skeptical of Hulu until my brother let me play with his Plus subscription and I realized there was a lot more available than I thought. Now, Hulu does not carry CBS or new programming from the extended cable channels (USA, TNT, etc). I think they have pretty much everything on NBC, ABC, Fox and CW that I have been interested in, with the exception of one show from last fall, and sometimes they have season premieres or pilots even before broadcast. But of course, it really depends on what you like to watch. The selection might not be to your taste at all.
We stream Netflix through a blu-ray, but have recently upgraded the TV so can go directly there. Also use the free Hulu, not Hulu Plus, occasionally. Other than that we're now getting a solid 28 channels with a digital antenna, all free! We were on the Time Warner $160+fees plan for cable/phone/internet. We're now down to $55 with Windstream for phone and internet, which is also faster than TW was, and $7.99 for Netflix. We found that we only had to give up two shows that we liked when we cut the cable. I was thinking of getting a DVR to record network shows, but with the smart TV we can get all the current season of anything we watch from the show's web site.
The Storyteller
3-18-13, 11:52am
I was thinking of getting a DVR to record network shows, but with the smart TV we can get all the current season of anything we watch from the show's web site.
Well that's intriguing. How does that work with your smart tv? Is there some sort of browser built into it?
AmeliaJane
3-18-13, 3:11pm
Due to my TV reaching the stage of having to be whomped on the side a couple of times per DVD-viewing to make it work properly, I upgraded it and part of the upgrade now that I have a digital set (I knew the upgrade was coming, so I didn't bother with a converter box for the old one) was to get an antenna for digital broadcast. That is so impressive! I am getting the same channels as I did through Comcast, on the broadcast equivalent package, for free and in beautiful quality. It's been so long since I used an antenna, I had totally forgotten it existed as an option--everyone I know has cable. I know it's not an option for everyone but I recommend looking into it.
Wow, you guys. Do you have any idea how good it is in the ol' USA?
We dropped cable and picked up a Google tv box to access the internet, and subscribed to Netflix (canada). We are very happy with Netflix but if we were to compare with the available offerings in the US we might feel less contented. However, this is meeting our (meager) needs for tv and movie watching.
My DSD (16) gave up on the tv before we dropped cable and was watching on her laptop so we figured there was no point in shelling out for cable (over $100 a month for very little). We still can use websites for tv (no Pandora here, no Hulu here....) but Netflix has such an easy interface I am more likely to go there. We still have the Blu-Ray player for discs, too.
Such abundant choices! I read someone's commentary awhile back that said if Canada were not adjacent to the US, we'd think our Netflix was incredibly rich but it is only in comparison to US choices that ours look so, um, thin. That was interesting.
Due to my TV reaching the stage of having to be whomped on the side a couple of times per DVD-viewing to make it work properly, I upgraded it and part of the upgrade now that I have a digital set (I knew the upgrade was coming, so I didn't bother with a converter box for the old one) was to get an antenna for digital broadcast. That is so impressive! I am getting the same channels as I did through Comcast, on the broadcast equivalent package, for free and in beautiful quality. It's been so long since I used an antenna, I had totally forgotten it existed as an option--everyone I know has cable. I know it's not an option for everyone but I recommend looking into it.
We've got an antenna. A plane overhead and certain street traffic interrupts it. But when it's working, the quality IS nice.And it does work most of the time.
When digital broadcast fist came out, we suddenly began to receive 4 PB stations, I love that! That was a few years ago, though.
freshstart
7-10-15, 10:14pm
I'm confused about Amazon Prime, if you buy it only some stuff is free and some you have to pay even more to watch?
Tivo nut, here. I got a great deal on the middle sized Roamio months and months ago, too sick to hook it up and it requires massive amounts of changes as to which room gets an ancient tivo. The house will be great once all tvs and tivos are in their correct place but my dad and I look at each other, "nah, we'll tackle this tomorrow", which has so far been elusive.
Anyway, I think the Roamio streams just about everything. My old one does Netflix and Prime. If you've never tried tivo, it changes forever how you watch tv. Sign up for email sales. Only downside, if you are not already a customer, you can't pay the one time life time fee, you have to pay monthly. Still worth it but that kinda sucks
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