Netflix and Hulu Plus Wars

Netflix and Hulu Plus are two of the most talked about instant streaming services today. But which is a better value? That depends on what you’re in to and how much you’re willing to pay. If you’re a movie buff then Netflix might be a better bet, but if all you care about are your TV shows then Hulu Plus might be the right choice for you.

Netflix

This company has been in the news a lot these days for their price raise from $8.99 a month to $15.98 a month, ($17 with tax), but it’s still a good value as far as I’m concerned. For about $17 a month, you get unlimited instant streaming movies and TV shows plus one DVD out at a time.

This is great, because, as a college student on a budget, Netflix offers instant streaming of thousands of movie titles and TV shows from a plethora of networks, including networks like Starz, HBO and ShowTime, that I couldn’t afford otherwise.

It is much cheaper to watch these shows on Netflix than to get a cable subscription. You don’t have to get both the unlimited streaming and the DVD service. You can have any other plan that you want. If you are currently a member of Netflix you can view the different plans going to the home page and clicking on the “Your Account” link and then click “Change Plans.” I have also listed the prices and plans below for your convenience.

1. One DVD out at a time (with no limit to how many DVDs you can get in a month) and unlimited streaming for $15.98 a month plus tax.
2. Unlimited streaming by itself is $7.99 a month. 1 DVD out at a time by itself is the same price.
3. two DVD’s out at a time is $11.99 a month.
4. Unlimited streaming plus two DVD’s out at time is $19.98 a month.
5. Unlimited streaming plus three DVD’s out at time is $23.98 a month.
6. Unlimited streaming plus four DVD’s out at time is $29.98 a month.
7. There is also a limited plan where you get up to two DVDs a month plus two hours of instant streaming per month (not including Starz play). With this plan you can only watch instant streaming on you computer, not on any Netflix ready devices. It is $4.99 a month.

Positives

• I have the unlimited instant streaming and one DVD out at a time plan. I love the selection of TV shows that are available, especially the shows from networks like HBO and Showtime since I can’t quite afford to have those shows at school. Neflix gives me the convenience of watching shows at my own pace and allows me to watch popular TV series that I have never seen before. If I start to watch something on Netflix and I can’t sit to watch the whole thing all at once, Netflix automatically saves my places and starts exactly where I left off when I come back.
• It has commercial free streaming with good picture quality and almost any movie you could ever think is of available for either rent or streaming or both. You can look at the trailer for a title before you stream or rent it and there are customer reviews and ratings to help you determine whether you want to take the time to watch something or not. Netflix also offers suggestions for you based on what you watch. It’s a great way to discover new titles that you have never seen or heard of before.

Drawbacks

• Sometimes the DVDs come to you scratched, broken, or unplayable. It doesn’t happen often but because the DVDs are shared by so many people the get scratched and broken on occasion. This has happened to me more times than I would like but if you report it to Netflix they will usually send you a replacement immediately without even waiting for you to return the damaged DVD first.
• It sometimes takes brand new movies and TV shows longer to come available for Netflix DVD service than they do with pay per view cable or Redbox. When the DVD becomes available it sometimes takes a couple of weeks or even longer just for you to be able to get it delivered to you because so many people want it at the same time.

Hulu Plus

Most people are familiar with hulu.com and it’s free streaming services. But now Hulu Plus has been created, which is a paid $7.99 subscription.

Hulu is more for people who are TV show fanatics. Movies and TV shows from networks like ABC, Fox, NBS and more are available for instant streaming for free. Missed Grey’s Anatomy last night? No problem, Hulu will have the show up the next day for instant streaming on your computer. The most current season of shows and sometime previous seasons are available for free streaming as well. There are also exclusive interviews, new trailers, and behind the scenes footage available for streaming.

With a Hulu Plus subscription you have access to not only instant streaming on your computer but to other devices on Blu-ray players, smart phones, smart TV’s, TiVo, Roku, tablets,WD TV, and coming soon it will be available through Wii, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS, and Xbox 360. There are whole TV series available for streaming instead of just the most current season. Also shows from current seasons that have not yet been aired on TV are sometime available. It is $7.99 a month for a subscription, which is much cheaper compared to Netflix but some drawback are:

• The selection of movies isn’t anywhere near as good as the selection on Netflix. Most of the movies are really old.
• All of the streaming is ad supported so whether you’re watching the free Hulu videos or paying for the Hulu Plus videos you still have to sit through commercial breaks. My question is, if I’m paying for it why do I STILL have to watch ads?
• Most of the videos on Hulu are free anyways. What you’re mostly paying for is the convenience of being able to watch Hulu videos on more devices than just your computer.

Okay, But Which One Do I Pick?

Well like I said that depends on what your situation is. I prefer Netflix and I know many people in college who also have Netflix. I just feel like it is a better value for my money. The $17 I pay is worth it. Plus if I decide that I want to pause my subscription on Netflix I can do so and I won’t get charged until I decide to start it up again. This option is not available for Hulu Plus.

Here’s what I suggest: Get Netflix, and ditch Hulu Plus in favor of just enjoying the free videos on hulu.com. I rely on Hulu to catch up on the TV shows that I love to watch like Grey’s Anatomy, Glee, The Biggest Loser, and much more. Most of the time I don’t have time to catch TV shows at the exact time that they come on and it completely solves the problem of two of my favorite shows coming on at the same time on the same day.

I love Hulu for providing TV shows the next day after they air (most of the time). With Netflix I can’t watch current seasons of shows until they have already come out on DVD. That excludes TV shows on Starz, which usually air either the same day or the day after they air on TV.

Both Netflix and Hulu have things to love and they are both great services that I couldn’t function without.