What TV/Movie service should I get?--If any?

[onlinemoniker]

About 4 years ago, my school system gave us all a 2% pay cut that we've yet to get back. At that time, to "tighten the belt" I got rid of cable TV and as my TV's weren't digital compatible, I got rid of those as well.

I still do not have a TV (much less my 2% pay cut returned) and I kind of miss TV but there is no way I'm going to buy a TV or a cable subscription. Everything I currently watch, I stream.

Thinking of subscribing to either Netflix streaming or Hulu Plus or something else. But know little about any of it. Early on in my non-TV days a friend let me use her Netflix logon and I tried it for awhile but the streaming movie options were sadly lacking.

Can anyone give me suggestions about what I should subscribe to, if anything?

What is Netflix like now? What about Hulu+? Can I subscribe to a cable TV news channel for streaming live purposes only? What about the Pirate Bay? Will I get a bunch of terminal viruses if I go that route?

Any info on any of these options would be helpful. Thanks.

[catherine]

My son, who is living with us for a few months, brought his Playstation 3 (I think--it's not the latest one, but the next-to-latest) and it comes with Netflix for $7 a month. There is a LOT of variety, between movies and full episodes of TV shows, documentaries, etc.

If you want to get to news channels, each network news station has a "live streaming" version online, so you could hook up your computer to your TV for everything that Netflix doesn't cover.

I think my son also has Pirate Bay. I am generally not in favor of pirating sites because people who do the work deserve to be paid (those people are usually starving artists), but he has downloaded a couple of movies and nothing bad happened (so far). I think if you do Netflix and/or Amazon Prime + hook up your computer for the other stuff, you probably won't need Pirate Bay.

[creaker]

I had Hulu+ for the last seasons of the Office and 30 Rock - but after they were done I found nothing on there I wanted to watch and cancelled.

I've had Netflix for years - I still find things to watch, but you're limited to what they offer. Amazon Prime also offers lots of freebies but you also get the option of renting movies which opens the field to almost everything, although some can get a bit pricey. They also seem to be shifting more to purchase only for a lot of stuff, which is more expensive. But they also have a lending library for Kindle, although I don't know how much "good" stuff is in it.

If you ever get a TV (I was lucky, I got my first digital TV as a hand me down from a friend for a few beers), Roku has a wider range of channels, some free, many not.

Another freebie is Youtube - it's amazing how much owned content gets put out there.

[onlinemoniker]

I'm pretty afraid. So I probably wouldn't do anything w/ Pirate Bay.

I am thinking of Netflix.

Yes on Youtube. So much available. This is the main way I watch stuff now. If movie isn't on Youtube it frequently I on Vevo or Daily Motion.

I don't know why cable networks don't sell streaming access to their channels. So many people are canceling cable these days.

[AmeliaJane]

Hulu + is best if you want to watch shows that are currently on the air. Episodes are available the next day after air, and you can stream them to a tablet, phone, or set-top box. (I think the regular Hulu has less selection, and you can't watch other than on a computer). They are also starting to build up a library of older movies and shows but it's limited.

Netflix is best for movies and older shows, if you don't care about timeliness. There is a huge library of streamable material, although the newest stuff tends to be movies that were less successful at the box office. I actually have a DVD plan as well as streaming because there is a lot of older material that isn't streamable anywhere, and one nice feature is that if something on DVD pops up on streaming, they will indicate that for you. I like having Netflix around for the times of year when TV tends to be on repeat.

Redbox is also getting into the streaming market, but I have never tried their service.

Amazon and iTunes are the place to go if you want to rent or buy streamable material. Amazon also has the Prime service, which includes a few items others do not. I use these for the very limited number of items that I want to watch right away (Mad Men). It does cost, but much less than a cable subscription!

PBS has a really good streaming service now, if you're interested in stuff like Downton Abbey and Sherlock.

All of the services have closed captions now on almost everything, if that's a factor. When I started streaming, Amazon did not do captions (claimed it was too technologically challenging HA HA HA HA) so I did not rent from them.

Then there is the question of the hardware to get the video onto a television, if you choose to acquire one in the future. Roku is the independent name, or you can get an Apple TV which has the added bonus of connecting any iThings (iPad, iPod, iPhone) to the TV. Plus, more and more video game stations, Blu-Ray players and internet-connected TVs can stream video for you.

Digital TVs have been around long enough now, you could probably buy one on Craigslist or by putting the word out if you wanted one. Overall, more and more is becoming available to stream. One big complaint for many was sports...now Major League Baseball has a streaming service with all the baseball you might care to watch. More is coming, I think.

[ToomuchStuff]

I've seen digital converter boxes on Craigslist and wonder if they could be hooked up to a monitor? I would think you could start by checking out Hulu, and seeing what they have/offer, because I know a couple years ago (last time I checked), I could watch some stuff on it, and the more recent was only on Hulu + (so it might get you started and also learn what is available). I picked up a Roku box on a deal of the day site, since I wanted to try Netflix but haven't hooked it up. I was able to find out from a friend, since Netflix isn't searchable when your not a member, that several things I wanted were not available on it. They change it and limit content, as well as not being able to watch shows from other country's (the reason in my opinion for things like Pirate Bay)
Pirate bay and other torrent sites are good if your never going to be able to get a show in your country. (I still ask one show when it will be available for purchase), but this is a last option if you can't find it via YouTube/Daily Motion/some kind of streaming tv site, etc. You can screw up your computer, especially if your not computer literate (above average), due to fake "download here" buttons, bad torrents, etc. Even worse if your using a common OS and don't do security updates. There is also the possibility of getting arrested for using it if using it for non legal torrents (legal torrents can still cause issues with an ISP, most Linux distro's are distributed via torrent and Comcast was busted for trying to cut off torrents). I was reading on one case where the owner of the show was seeding the show (entrapment) and suing those who downloaded it.

[AmeliaJane]

I almost forgot about this site!

http://www.canistream.it/ will allow you to search and see which services have which shows, if there's something particular that you want to watch. I use it occasionally when I get an itch to watch something and don't want to sort through four different streaming services to see who has it. It's more accurate for movies, for some reason.

[Gardenarian]

Are you near a public library? We get all of our movies from the library. I check what is coming out soon on Amazon and place a hold as soon as possible in the library system. Yes, there are some things you have to wait a long time for (still waiting on Game of Thrones 3) but overall this meets our needs.

In addition, the library has many streaming videos available through their databases - practically every documentary from PBS, Nova, BBC, and many more.

It's kind of against my religion to pay for TV. ;)

[onlinemoniker]

Are you near a public library? ;)

Yes! I looked at the library website yesterday and found they had all the 50 best films of 2013 and they all had like 50+ holds on them. BUT all the best of 2012 movies were also there and NONE of them had holds on them.

Just going to start on some free library movie/tv shows then maybe Netflix or another.

[Miss Cellane]

Here's my take on Netflix streaming, Hulu + and Amazon Prime.

Netflix streaming does not have nearly the number of movies and tv shows that they have on DVDs. If I had to guess, I'd say around 20% of their titles are available on streaming--but that's a guess. They rotate the titles--some new blockbuster films don't show up at all, some arrive and are gone in a month. On the other hand, they have a lot of interesting documentaries and foreign films and indie movies. TV shows usually don't show up for a while. Usually once a season has ended, the show will make its way to Netflix. But not all shows--a lot has to do with who produced them and what network they were on. Some shows update pretty quickly at the end of every season; some shows don't show up at all until the series is cancelled.

Hulu + has pretty much just tv shows. For my purposes, it didn't have enough of what I wanted to watch to make it worthwhile. It's best for shows that are airing this season--you can see things without having to wait for the DVDs to come out.

Amazon Prime has the advantage of being able to rent a movie or show if it isn't available for free, although I rarely do that. There's a lot of overlap with Netflix, but Amazon has some stuff that Netflix doesn't. It is, IMO, harder to search for stuff on Amazon. You type in Star Trek and you get Star Trek, plus Star Wars and Stargate and just about anything that has "Star" or "Trek" in the title or description. It is all jumbled up in no particular order, so you have to hunt for what you are looking for. And each season of a tv show is listed separately, and you have to hunt for them in amongst all the other stuff, because they don't show up in order. It's a nuisance, but bearable.

Hulu + will give you a one week free trial. You do have to enter a credit card number, though, and remember to cancel if you don't want it.

Netflix sometimes offers free trials, so you could keep your eyes peeled for one. Or ask a friend with Netflix to let you see what's available.

Amazon doesn't do free trials of Prime, but you can search what's available without a membership.

I envy you people with libraries with tons of good DVDs. Every time I've checked out a DVD from my library, the disk is damaged in some way and I can't watch it all. Sometimes I can figure out how to skip over the damaged section, but then I don't get to see the whole movie. And they have nothing streaming--I didn't even know some libraries were doing that.

[Gardenarian]

Damaged library DVDs:
our library has a DVD polisher and I always (well, usually) ask them to polish them before I check them out.
One thing that almost always works is to wash the DVD with toothpaste (wet it, apply a blob of toothpaste, work it all around the playing surface, rinse, wipe dry.) The abrasive particles in toothpaste get rid of most of the scratches.

Also - we finally caved and got a new DVD player - and no more skipping at all. The older players are much more sensitive to scratches.

[oldhat]

I subscribed to Netflix years ago, dropped it, and re-upped a few months ago. I've been a bit disappointed with their streaming offerings--formerly I had the premium DVD package, which allowed you to get pretty much any movie or TV show you wanted, but which wasn't cheap. This time around, once I'd finished with Breaking Bad and a few other favorites, I found the selection kind of lean. I thought about trying Hulu+, but then found out it has advertising, which is unacceptable in a service I'm paying for. I'll probably keep Netflix for a while longer, but I'll likely drop it eventually.

More and more lately, I'm very reluctant to start watching anything new because I don't want to get hooked the way I did with Breaking Bad or Mad Men. BB is over now and the next season will be MM's last. About the only show I still watch from broadcast TV (via Hulu) is the Good Wife, and I'd like to kick that habit too because the incessant commercials are so annoying.

[onlinemoniker]

I am so out of the loop regarding TV that the last series I had any exposure to was the first 20 minutes of the first episode of Desperate Housewives. That is the last time I watched a network TV show on the network.

So I'm getting the message that Netflix is a bunch of TV shows that you can binge watch and Hulu has a bunch of next day episodes with advertisements. Neither has many streaming movies that are new.

But my library has a TON of new and old movies. They allocate a significant part of their budget purchasing TV shows and movies just like they're running a Blockbuster--but fewer copies and it's free. So I'll have to wait. But there's a lot of older stuff out there for me to watch while I wait for my requests to come in.

[iris lilies]

My friend has Netflix streaming service and when I saw her choices, I was surprised;l there is very little there I would watch. Seems to be a lot of old films and straight-to-video films. But someone pointed out to me that the offerings change rapidly, so today what I see won't be there tomorrow. Gotta watch the good stuff fast.

I don't have cable tv. I have a Netflix 1 dvd plan and I use the public library a lot. About 2X annually I try Redbox, but they are so limited in their offerings--blockbusters and the occasional indie--that I find them fairly useless.

[iris lilies]

More and more lately, I'm very reluctant to start watching anything new because I don't want to get hooked the way I did with Breaking Bad or Mad Men. BB is over now and the next season will be MM's last. About the only show I still watch from broadcast TV (via Hulu) is the Good Wife, and I'd like to kick that habit too because the incessant commercials are so annoying.

The Good Wife is the only decent drama on network. I don't' worry too much about catching it when it broadcasts, I plan to catch up thru library discs some day.

[oldhat]

The Good Wife is the only decent drama on network. I don't' worry too much about catching it when it broadcasts, I plan to catch up thru library discs some day.

That's my plan, too. I'll probably watch through the end of the current season online and then stop. I'll have to wait more than a year for the following season to come out on disc, but it will be worth it not to have to put up with all that advertising.

[The Storyteller]

We subscribe to both Netflix and Amazon Prime (the free shipping is nice, too). With Roku, there are many free channels, like PBS and the Smithsonian channel, plus a lot of fitness/health related channels (my favorite category now days).

And don't forget all of the major networks stream recent episodes free of charge right from their website.

I'm (still) in the process of building a dedicated Home Theater PC just for streaming and playing ripped (that I own copies of) DVDs and blu-rays. I also watch Netflix on my phone when my wife is watching something on the TV and I don't feel like firing up my laptop.

Then ther is Aereo, which streams over-the-air content if you live in the right area (I don't).

With cable getting more and more expensive, streaming is the future of entertainment, IMO.

[miradoblackwarrior]

Ditched my cable and went OTA (antenna). Haven't looked back yet. I have Netflix, but they just sit, calling to me. I tend to just go back to my own library of old favorites and enjoy them again and again. Otherwise, I listen to the NPR, read, or (soon!) baseball. Computer games as well.

I just have no patience with commercials anymore. Any tv I do watch tends to be PBS.

Susan

[gadder]

When the digital era came along last year, I (eventually) ditched my analog TV and (eventually) got a digital TV at a discount rate (older model etc) and a digital OverTheAir antenna. I get 9 channels but mostly just watch the local equivs of PBS (CBC and TVO) for specific shows. For sports, I will head out to a bar and get the full crowd-full viewing experience.

I find that it is free-in g to not be slavish to any channels dictat as to what I should watch. Most of the stuff on commercial TV is utter crap, and the commercials are worse. Subscribing to any service kind of replicates the problem.

I know the only reason I would subscribe to NetFlix etc. is if I felt a need to talk about the latest stuff with others. But i do not, and the stuff I want is available elsewhere, eventually.

[ToomuchStuff]

I know the only reason I would subscribe to NetFlix etc. is if I felt a need to talk about the latest stuff with others. But i do not, and the stuff I want is available elsewhere, eventually.

Netflix, not having foreign stuff, was one issue for me. Not having a searchable base, to see if I would want to subscribe was another issue. Netflix was fighting Blockbuster, and I went to Blockbuster looking for some specific older movies; they didn't have them. Had someone I know, check Netflix and they didn't either. I'd like to find a service for those.

[onlinemoniker]

ToomuchStuff:

There is so much stuff on youtube. I have also found there's a lot of stuff on other non-youtube type sites. Let me give you an example. There's a series of Agatha Christie-esque movies starring the British actress Margaret Rutherford that were made in the 60's that (years ago) were shown on TMC. I went looking for them on Youtube and all that was available were the trailers and clips. But when I did a Google search they came up on another site and I watched all four of them.

Another film I'd love to find online (despite having a copy of it) is Gallipoli--my all-time favorite. But all that's available anywhere is clips.

So my point is, look on Youtube and beyond! You might get lucky.

[zeaxmays]

i get free broadcast channels on my tv from having cable internet, they cant filter them is what they told me.

i use netflix and amazon

had hulu+ but its super glitchy and lacking in content that i want to see and decided regular hulu on the computer was good for if i missed an episode of arrow/community/parks and rec

aslo if you have a roku, the pbs channel is great.

i didnt read the previous 3 pages so excuse the repeats.

[ToomuchStuff]

Actually I did do that search. but there are still lots of movies not shown online. Two examples that I searched for (and found if your lucky and want an illegal copy, you could find torrents): were: No time for Sargents (old tv version, online at Archive.org/no toilet scene), and Absence of Malice (was mixing up a couple of different law movies, trying to figure out the male lead before I found the name, via final clip on Youtube).