Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
Logo of The Mercer Cluster
Thursday, Mar 28, 2024
Interested in Working for the Cluster? Ask about joining our Discord!

Which streaming service is right for you?

Photo provided by Wikipedia Commons.
Photo provided by Wikipedia Commons.

For college students, streaming is more or less a way of life. The countless hours of Netflix binging, Amazon Priming and Hulu hangouts mean that when we aren't studying, we are most certainly watching something. But which service could be labeled as the best for you? Many people like to say Netflix, but that may not be the case anymore. Here is an in-depth look at these three top services, and you can decide for yourself which is right for you.

Netflix

For years, Netflix has been the staple for countless household movie nights. After starting out as a movie-by-mail service, the streaming site stormed into the new wave with countless innovations and an impeccable website. Ask anyone you know, and odds are they have seen many of their original television shows, like “Stranger Things,” “Orange is the New Black,” and “The Crown.”

Netflix has some great TV shows, but where they really shine is their movie selection. Year after year they have had the best movies to pick from, and they generally have a steady stream of new movies to choose from every month. On top of their selection, Netflix has an easy-to-use site, and many handy features, from intro-skipping to a great user interface. If you are not sure where to start, Netflix is a great option to go with.

Amazon Prime

Amazon is the relative newcomer to the group, even though they have been streaming movies and television shows for quite some time now as well. Now Amazon has most, if not all, of the same features as Netflix, and they even have a sidebar that will play (optionally, of course) during shows and movies where trivia and facts are displayed. However, where Netflix has them beat is in their selection. Netflix generally has the best movie selection, but as far as TV shows goes, Amazon has a different selection, so it is a good compliment to Netflix. Where Amazon does have a leg-up however, is their extensive collection of movies that one can pay to rent. Amazon is a strong competitor to Netflix, so choose wisely.

Hulu

Hulu is sometimes seen as the odd-man-out when it comes to streaming services. They have been around for a very long time (since 2007), but they originally were a free service with commercials playing throughout their shows. Within the last few years, Hulu has transitioned to the traditional form of online streaming, where users pay a fee, but they do still have some commercials, which is a negative on all accounts. Hulu does have the weakest movie selection of the bunch, but college students like to binge TV shows, and Hulu is one of the best, if not the best, for its collection. Hulu has recently gained a wide variety of high profile shows, from “South Park” to “Scrubs,” that are very binge-able. On top of that, they have a quickly growing variety of original shows, with the currently booming “Handmaid's Tale.” Hulu may be the least attractive of the options, but with the discount that students can receive, I would not count them out.

And there you have it. There are three great options to stream your favorite shows, and each one has their ups and downs. The right service could be different for everyone, but there is no wrong choice when it comes to these three. In the meantime, happy binging everyone!


Comments

Powered by SNworks Solutions by The State News
All Content © 2024 The Mercer Cluster, Mercer University