Which streaming services have the best value? Find out here.
PHOTO John Sabato
November 21, 2019
With cable networks raising the white flag, studios and companies have decided that streaming services are the future of television and possibly films. With the success of Netflix and it’s lesser known competitors like Warner Brothers, Disney and NBC have opted to go the streaming route and develop their own services. See below to find out which streaming services might be right for you.
Disney+
Launched on Nov. 12, Disney+ retails at $6.99 a month or $69.99 annually with no ads. An amazing deal for the ever-expanding library that includes content from Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic and newly acquired Fox. Disney+ will launch with multiple originals such as “The Mandalorian” and a live action adaption of “Lady and The Tramp” with more shows in production like “Falcon and The Winter Soldier”, “Loki”, “She Hulk”, “Kenobi” and Marvel’s “Wandavision”. Disney+ allows up to seven profiles per account, and a child friendly feature that allows parental controls to dictate what children are watching. To me Disney+ sounds worth it for the amount of content they’re providing with a lot more on the way. The option to bundle Disney+ with Hulu and ESPN+ for $12.99 is a great deal for those who are looking for another reason to get this streaming service.
Apple TV+
Apple TV+ launched on Nov. 1. It’ll cost $4.99 month with no commercial breaks and includes a seven day free trial for those who are on the fence about purchasing the service. With the purchase of a new Iphone, Ipad, Mac, Or an Apple tv2 you’ll receive a year of Apple TV+ for no cost. At launch the service includes originals such as ‘The Morning Show”, ”Dickinson”, “See” and “For All Mankind,” with a few other shows and movies available. At this time, Apple TV+ plus doesn’t seem to be worth it. Even with it’s incredibly cheap price there just isn’t much content to dive into yet. If the service survives and is able to pump out the promised “new originals every month” it may be worth the time and money.
HBO MAX
HBO Max, while it may be one of the pricier services listed, sure is worth it. The service will retail at $14.99 a month and will launch May of 2020. Those who are already subscribed to HBO will now be upgraded to HBO MAX free of charge. The services extensive library will include content from Warner Brothers, Cartoon Network, TBS, DC, TNT, HBO, Adult Swim, and CrunchyRoll. Also included will be every episode of “Friends“, “South Park“, “The Big Bang Theory“, and “Rick and Morty“, as well as movies from within the Warner Brothers vault such as “The Lord of the Rings“ and “Harry Potter”. It doesn’t end there as HBO MAX is in development of original content such as “Green Lantern” and “Adventure Time: Distant Lands”. In my opinion, HBO MAX is the best out of the wave of new services that in the process of release, although the price point may drive some away from the service, the variety and overall amount of content you’re getting out of this platform makes it worth its price tag.
Netflix
Netflix is the grandfather of the streaming world. It’s been around since Blockbuster existed and may have contributed to its downfall. Netflix runs at $8.99 a month and doesn’t include ads. Netflix’s library is still expanding but not as fast as it used to. With Disney pulling a lot of content from the service and two of its heavy hitters “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation”, leaving the service for rival NBC’s platform. Netflix has opted to focus more on original content that’ll be able to provide its subscribers with shows like “The Witcher” and “Avatar: The Last Airbender“. As of right now, I believe that Netflix is still great platform to have, but the next couple years will prove if the service can stand on its own or be picked clean of content.
Hulu
Hulu, recently having been acquired by Disney after the Disney/Fox merger, has always been the less desirable streaming service, offering very little in content. After losing the CW deal to Netflix, the service is also set to lose a lot of its animated content with most of the Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and Crunchy Roll content moving to HBO MAX. Hulu retails for $5.99 a month with ads, but for $11.99 a month you can escape ads. Hulu also has a $44.99 offer for basic hulu and over 60 channels of live television or $50 for premium Hulu and Live television. Hulu is also offered in a bundle with Disney+ and ESPN+. Hulu will need to stand the test of time against many of these upcoming streaming services.
DC Universe
Warner Brothers’ first attempt at a streaming service was in the form of DC Universe, a DC exclusive streaming service that included a vast array of content from vintage tv to newly released animated films. A library of comics was also included with the service, from the original “Teen Titans“ to anything from the “Rebirth“ line of comics. The service struggled with its original content in the beginning but has come back with its debut of “Swamp Thing“ and “Doom Patrol“. By far the biggest pull to the service was bringing back the critically acclaimed “Young Justice“ animated series that fans have campaigned to bring back since it was taken off the air in 2013. The service retails for $7.99 a month or $74.99 annually. A 7 day free trial is available for those who are on the fence about purchasing it. The problem with streaming services that focus on one brand is the fact that you won’t be getting much variety within your library and it can often get boring. A smart decision on their part would to be take DC universe and merge it with the HBO MAX, which will already offer content from DC.
