The phrase cord cutting has been in the news a lot lately, with reports of more people disconnecting from their cable provider and switching to streaming services instead. But which ones are right for you?
There are several different streaming services you can choose from, each one offering hundreds of thousands of movies and TV shows to watch instantly, plus premium channels like HBO and Showtime that let you watch live TV as well. To help you decide which service is right for you, here’s a quick rundown of each one so you can pick the one that’s best for your needs.
1) Netflix
Although it’s currently one of a handful of streaming services that offer movies and television shows, Netflix has been a leader in providing users with easily-accessible content for more than a decade. With award-winning original programming like Stranger Things and Orange Is The New Black, as well as top titles from TV networks like ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX, Netflix delivers countless hours of entertainment to users with an ever-expanding library.
Watch Netflix on your TV, computer or mobile device-and it works on pretty much everything under the sun! It’s also perfect if you live outside U.S., because it can be watched anywhere in any country. As with most streaming services, there are no commercials and each episode of a series is available within 24 hours of airtime. And since Netflix has an ever-changing library of new and classic titles, there are almost always fresh options to explore.
2) Amazon Prime Video
If you’re an Amazon Prime member, then you already have access to Prime Video, so why even bother with a streaming service in addition to that? Like Netflix, it has a large library of original shows, including award-winning series such as Transparent and Mozart in the Jungle. However, unlike Netflix (which offers movies) or Hulu (which offers TV), it doesn’t offer access to newer movies from studios such as Warner Bros., Disney, or Paramount Pictures-just older titles from independents.
On top of all that, there are also some drawbacks if you want to stream on multiple devices at once; just like other closed ecosystem services like Apple Music and iTunes Store, there’s no way to share your account between two devices without logging out one device at a time.
3) Hulu
Hulu has popular shows like Seinfeld and The Sopranos. It also contains cartoons, some documentaries, and TV classics from channels like Nickelodeon. Subscriptions are $7.99/month with limited commercials or $11.99 without ads. When you sign up, you can try Hulu with its free one-week trial before committing to a monthly plan. You can cancel any time within that week if you decide it’s not worth your money. And once you do commit, Hulu will put all episodes of currently airing shows on your My Stuff page. As of June 2018, content from CBS, Viacom (Comedy Central) and 21st Century Fox (Fox News) is available on Hulu along with NBCUniversal (Syfy), Disney/ABC Television Group (Disney Channel), ESPN networks (ESPN3) and A&E Networks.
4) HBO Now
HBO provides premiere content so there’s no better choice than HBO Now. No cable subscription needed. It runs $15 per month and offers unlimited access to new episodes of your favorite shows-like Veep, Girls, True Detective and more-in their entirety 30 days after they air. If you prefer to binge-watch your TV shows instead of waiting for them week by week, that may be worthwhile alone-$15 a month seems like small price to pay when compared with how much it costs to Netflix and chill.
There are drawbacks, however: The service isn’t supported on many smart TVs or streaming devices yet (though Apple TV support has just been added), and only one person can stream at a time. This means you can use it at home, but not everyone in your family will have access at once. And unlike some services, HBO Now doesn’t let users share passwords-which means all your friends will have to subscribe separately too if they want an account.
5) Disney Plus
For fans of Disney films and shows, there’s no better streaming service than Disney Plus. It’s a given that Disney owns Marvel and Star Wars. What you may not know is that they also own Pixar, National Geographic, ABC, ESPN and A&E. All of these channels will be available with one subscription on Disney Plus.
6) Sling TV
I’ve been a Sling TV subscriber since its launch in 2015. And while I won’t claim to know everything about all of their 200+ channels, I can tell you that I’m a big fan of their value proposition: For just $20/month, you get 30+ live channels-including ESPN-plus a wide selection of on-demand entertainment content. (I’d personally recommend their Sling Orange + Blue Package which costs just $25/month.) Another great thing about Sling TV is that there are no contracts or long-term commitments; if you want to cancel at any time, they don’t make it difficult.
However, a couple of things keep me from recommending them wholeheartedly: On-demand content isn’t available everywhere, and they have some restrictions on streaming certain sports events (although these policies have gotten much better over time). Still, I think Sling TV is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a comprehensive cable replacement without breaking your budget.
7) Fubo TV
A service geared toward sports lovers, Fubo TV includes CBS, NBC and Fox, as well as soccer-centric channels like BeIn Sports, Univision Deportes and Fox Soccer Plus. For $34.99 per month, you get 72 channels. The service also offers a cloud DVR with 20 hours of storage. (There are no overage charges.)
Additionally, there’s a 72-Hour Lookback feature that allows subscribers to watch games or programs that aired up to three days earlier on any device. Also included: a streaming platform that features 4K video when available.
8) Peacock
If you’re looking to subscribe to a streaming service but don’t want a traditional package, Peacock TV might be your best bet. Users can stream Peacock on any device that has a screen and Wi-Fi connection. There are no cable boxes required. When subscribed, subscribers will also receive access to premium networks HBO and Showtime as part of their subscription. Peacock bills itself as TV now – whatever show you want to watch when you want it – because viewers never need to wait for a show to air on a specific channel or time slot in order to tune in.
9) Crackle
Owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, Crackle offers a wide variety of content-comedy series, action-packed shows, hit movies and more. Plus, you can check out Crackle originals. With original shows such as Snatch (based on Guy Ritchie’s cult classic film), SuperMansion and The Art of More, it’s easy to see why some say Crackle has become the go-to source for original TV programming.
10) Philo
Philo’s primary advantage over competitors like Sling, DirecTV Now, or FuboTV is that it offers live TV streams in addition to on-demand programming. That means if you have a hard time getting through your workday without ESPN in your life, Philo may be right for you. The service offers more than 40 channels of live TV and replays of game shows and tournaments in sports like baseball and basketball.
