Best TV streaming service - 1-5
Within the last few years there's been a new explosion of TV in our lives. Before, we were content to watch television on a schedule dictated by the broadcasters, but things have moved on a long way since then.
We now have a huge range of services that let us get our fix of programmes and movies at any time and through a multitude of devices. No longer are we confined to the living room; the internet lets us watch TV anywhere in the house, while portable media devices like smartphones and tablets keep us entertained on the move – some even with downloads.
Viewing habits haven't quite kept pace with technological advancement, so although the amount of time we spend watching television is increasing every year, we're still a long way from ridding our homes of the big TV.
As the number of services increases, along with the number of ways we can access them, the future of TV becomes ever more muddled and confusing.
Which service do you trust to supply your programmes? Do you really need catch-up TV? Do you buy your movies through your TV provider, or should you stream them online? Do you want to watch TV on a laptop, phone, tablet, or TV? Most importantly, how much should you pay for it all?
Answering these questions isn't an easy task, and the service providers scrapping for world domination don't help either. From Netflix, Amazon and Hulu to YouTube, iTunes and Google, we're here to cut through the jargon and tell you what's worth a second look.
We'll first look at what traditional content providers like Time Warner Cable and Comcast are offering, and what they're doing to keep pace with an ever-evolving industry. We'll also take stock of what the plethora of online services, apps and new platforms like Sling TV are offering to see if they can compete with the big guns – even Intel is coming out with something soon, while Google TV is also gathering pace on a few LG TVs in 2015.
Are you ready to kill off cable and step into the world of streaming? Pick your poison from the list of services below.
1. Netflix
If you're a connoisseur of movies and/or TV, there's only one game in town – Netflix. It is, unequivocally, the biggest streaming service here in the States, despite not always stocking its digital shelves with must-have new movies and TV; that said, this is the staple streamer you need to own if you ever plan on cutting the cord.
Most smart TVs have Netflix apps and finding a streaming box without it is the equivalent of finding a needle in a haystack. The quality of the movies and TV we tried – mostly streamed in 'super HD' – on both TV and on tablets is exquisite.
The problem of content is most pressing for Netflix, which charges new members $8.99 per month for unlimited streaming, but doesn't offer downloads. Trying to find a film you actually want to watch, and that's less than a few years old (and often decades) is tricky, but Netflix is trying hard to bolster its brand – and its reputation for being the place to go for if you're into TV dramas, rather than movies (though it claims 6,000) – by hosting exclusives shows like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black.
House of Cards aired on Netflix alone in early 2013, and the CEO is keen to shake-up the industry. Good luck to him – the availability of the latest content is really the only complaint we have about this otherwise splendid service.
Netflix runs on a PC and Mac, Apple TV, Xbox One, PS4, Amazon Fire TV (and Amazon Fire TV Stick), Android phones and tablets, Windows Phones, iOS devices, internet-enabled TVs and Blu-ray players, and streaming players from Philips, Roku and Western Digital.
Don't forget you can also give Netflix a spin with the 1-month free trial to see if it's worth your money.
Verdict: 4.5/5
2. Amazon Prime Instant Video
Amazon and Netflix, two sides of the same coin. Usually where there's one, there's the other, and saying one is better than the other is kind of like saying jelly is better than jam.
That's not to say they're identical - they most certainly are not - but the differences are few and far between.
First, Prime Instant Video is available for PC and Mac, the Kindle Fire HD, iPad, Xbox One, PS4, internet-enabled TVs and Blu-ray players, Sony's Home Cinema system, Sony's Network Media Player and myriad other minor devices that will go unmentioned.
Like Netflix, Amazon has its own set of original series - Transparent, Alpha House and Mozart in the Jungle among others - but, generally speaking, they don't receive the same fanfare as their Netflix-bred brethren.
The two big differentiators between the services are the fact that access to Prime Instant Video comes standard with a subscription to Amazon Prime, and Amazon has two proprietary set-top boxes, the Amazon Fire TV and Amazon Fire TV Stick.
The $99/$39 streamers aren't the only connected devices with access to Amazon obviously, but engulfing yourself into the Amazon ecosphere greatly improves your chances of falling in love with Instant Video.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and his crew in white reportedly spent $1.6 billion on the service last year, and while that's far more than any other company on the list - YouTube excluded - it falls just a hair short of the whopping $3.6 billion Netflix soaked into its service in 2014.
As far as its cost, a subscription to Amazon Prime will run you $99 a year - just $3 more than a year's subscription to Netflix, and like Netflix, Prime Instant Video also offers a 30-day free trial so you don't have to pony up any money when you first start.
Verdict: 4/5
3. Hulu and Hulu Plus
If you would've told us back in the '90s that a video streaming service called "Hulu" would be the best way to watch shows like The Simpsons, Saturday Night Live and South Park in the 21st century, we would've thought Y2K succeeded in corrupting the human consciousness.
Yet here we are in 2015 and the Douglas Adams-sounding Hulu is indeed the best way to watch our favorite shows from NBC, FOX and Comedy Central.
Hulu comes in two flavors: the free, ad-supported Hulu and more substantial, but costly, Hulu Plus.
The former works well and is well worth its cost of entry. Sure, there's three minutes of advertising every 10 minutes, but it's nothing you're not used to coming from traditional cable. On the homepage you'll find highlighted shows based on your past visits to the site as well as curated content from Hulu HQ. This includes game trailers, new movie trailers, popular clips from last week's new episodes as well as a few themed playlists.
The problem with Hulu's freemium model is that it only works on desktops and laptops, if you want to access it on the go via a smartphone, tablet or gaming device you're going to need to pony up $7.99 per month for Hulu Plus. Not only will you get access to Hulu on any device, but you'll also gain access to full seasons of shows instead of the last four or five episodes, as well as a plethora of older content.
The biggest problem with Hulu is that it lets users run head first into the paywall, keeping you from the content you're most apt to pay for.
Some call this good business. Some call it extortion. Wherever you stand on the subject the fact that you get so much free content upfront means that the old adage of "you get what you pay for" definitely does not apply here.
Verdict: 4/5
4. YouTube
Ask someone what they think was the biggest internet revolution of the 21st century and they'll probably say it was YouTube. And with good reason - the user-generated video-blogging site has changed the online landscape forever.
It lets anyone, however well known they are (or not), whatever the quality of their content and wherever they hail from, upload their weird and wonderful videos for anyone around the world to watch at their convenience. The beauty of YouTube is that in the blink of an eye it's taken the broadcasting power from the bigwigs and placed it right in our hands.
OK, so it might not have stopped people wanting to watch a high quality, professionally made production in their living room TVs, but it's an insight into how TV might be produced in the future. After all with YouTube you don't need a big budget – or indeed any budget at all – to produce your own TV series and establish a massive following.
YouTube also lets you share high definition content all the way up to the mighty 4K, and the site has even started experimenting with 3D viewing. The service isn't just dedicated to amateur video bloggers and filmmakers either - it also has a section where you can watch TV clips from shows like Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and The Jimmy Fallon Show, as well as a variety of films and live TV events.
Although it's at a disadvantage in terms of the amount of relevant content it can offer through these channels, YouTube's key strength is its ability to find something you're interested in watching quickly and easily. If YouTube's limited TV selection doesn't offer what you're looking for, chances are you'll be able to find it elsewhere on the site - after all, its users upload a staggering eight years' worth of content every day.
Multi-platform
YouTube has universal appeal, and it's no surprise that you can access its video-sharing resource almost anywhere, no matter what the device you're using. There are apps available for just about any mobile device, media player and smart TV, but the unique thing about YouTube is the way its content is shared between users.
The site is a social powerhouse, with around 17 million people sharing their videos with an accompanying social network like Facebook or Twitter. Although it might sound like an excuse for one of your friends to annoy you with yet another video of a dog being beaten up by a cat or a dancing parrot, the sentiment is important: if everyone shared the programmes they watched live or via catch-up with their online associates, their viewing figures would no doubt increase dramatically.
The latest HTML5 versions of YouTube apps across all devices allow secure pairing; browse for video on one device (say, a smartphone or tablet), add it to your 'watch later' list and it's instantly available on another device (including a smart TV's YouTube app, the YouTube app on a TiVo box, games console, tablet or smartphone).
Verdict: 4.5/5
5. HBO Go
HBO Go? More like HBO-Do-Not-Pass-Go-Without-a-Cable-Subscription, amiright?
But no, seriously, in order to get into the member-only club that is HBO Go you're really going to need the login info of a paying cable subscriber … at least until HBO finally follows through with its promise of a standalone streaming service.
That said, borrowing mom and dad's account isn't the end of world, and once you do everything from Season 1, Episode 1 of Game of Thrones to the latest episode of Silicon Valley will be at your binge-watching disposal.
Alongside the new shows you'll also find heaps of big-budget films, new and old, and the stable of HBO classics like The Sopranos, Deadwood, Oz, True Blood, Sex in the City, Rome and The Pacific. The service doesn't get as many updates as say, Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon do, but episodes are typically added within hours of them airing on cable.
HBO is a bit more selective about which device it interfaces with than Netflix and YouTube, but so far you can find it on Amazon Fire TV, Android/iOS, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Xbox One and the whole line of Samsung Smart TVs. PS4's HBO Go app is still MIA at the moment, but it's not unreasonable to expect next-gen Sony fans to get their TV-MA fix later this year.
Because the service isn't universally available and is completely dependent on having a cable and HBO subscriptions - or know someone who does - it's hard to give it a top rating. It's not that its service quality is sub-par (it's not), but until the world can get its HBO fix without shelling out for the rest of cable we'll just have to watch Daenerys take over the Iron Throne on someone else's dime.
Verdict: 3.5/5
Best TV streaming service - 6-10
6. Sling TV
We've spoken at length about Sling TV in our review but in case you missed it, here's what you need to know: Sling TV is live TV streaming from DISH whenever and wherever. But unlike traditional cable or satellite, there's no contracts, no equipment and no costly bill at the end of the month.
Sling TV is a kind of cure-all for the cord-cutting generation, something that we knew we needed but no company stepped up to make. That said, it's everything cable's not. It's affordable. It's no-obligation. And there are absolutely zero sales reps trying to stop you from canceling your contract.
Best of all, you won't have to give up some of the perks cable provided in the last few years like the ability to pause live TV or watch something that aired up to 72 hours ago.
But let's get down to brass tacks. $20 a month gets you 13 cable channels - ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS, HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, Travel Channel, CNN, Cartoon Network, ABC Family, Disney Channel and AMC, plus three add-on packages are available for $5 apiece per month:
- Kids Extra, with Disney Jr, Disney XD, Boomerang, Duck TV, and Baby TV.
- Sports Extra, which includes the SEC Network, ESPNEWS, ESPNU, Universal Sports, Univision Deportes, beIN Sports, ESPN Buzzer Beater, ESPN Bases Loaded and ESPN Goal Line.
- News and info extra, which has HLN, Cooking Channel and Bloomberg TV.
It's available on iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV and Amazon Fire TV Stick, Google's Nexus Player, Xbox One and Roku TV. The service will also work on select LG and Samsung smart TVs, and on Macs and PCs via a website portal. The service is expected to come to Google Chromecast later this year.
It's not without limitations, however. Sling TV, while available on a plethora of mobile and living room gadgets, will only work on one device at a time and, admittedly, at $20 per month doesn't present the same content-to-dollar ratio that Netflix or Prime Instant Video provide.
Verdict: 3.5/5
7. Crunchyroll
Call us crazy but there's something endearing about a streaming service that knows exactly what its audience wants. Crunchyroll is the streaming service any anime, manga or East-Asian cinema fan in your life has always wanted and never knew about.
Founded by Berkeley graduates back in 2006, Crunchyroll started as a bootleg website of sorts where users uploaded their favorite shows without permission of the original owners. Not the humblest of beginnings. Fast-forward to 2015 where the service has over five million community members, 200 series available on tap and is worth, when last checked, $100 million.
While you won't find genre staples like Dragon Ball Z, Digimon or Pokémon around, most of the site's 200-plus series are available to watch for free in SD, typically prefaced with a 20-second advert. Watching any content in full 1080p HD requires a $6.95 monthly subscription to the service, just be sure to check out the 14-day free trial before you begin.
Besides the slick web interface, Crunchyroll is available on iOS, Android, Windows Phone, PS4, Wii U, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Chromecast, Apple TV, Roku, Google TV and Samsung and Panasonic's line of Smart TVs.
Verdict: 3.5/5
8. Twitch.tv
For a certain crowd, Twitch.tv (formerly known as Justin.tv) is about the best invention since sliced bread. Essentially it's a livestreaming platform that focuses primarily on videogames where you can find everything from world tournament coverage to someone muddling their way through that indie darling you had your eye on buying.
It's not traditional by any means, but you'll find plenty to see and do on Twitch. Best of all the app is free on almost any platform you can think of: iOS, Android, Xbox One, PS4, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV … you name it, it probably has a Twitch app.
Twitch may be limited to a niche audiences of gamers at the moment, but the platform clearly shows promise. Amazon bought the service wholesale in December of last year for a cool $970 million. Whether you count it as real TV programming, however, is another question.
Verdict: 3/5
9. iTunes / Google Play Store
Second-to-last on our list are iTunes and its Android counterpart, the Google Play Store. "Wait," you might say. "Why lump these two titans together?" Because it makes sense.
Every other entry on this list has one factor going for it - it's either free or offers a buffet-style, all-you-can-stream option. Apple and Google's primary storefronts don't offer that.
Payment is always done per title - which makes sense when you want to stream, say, the latest movie once per month - but is one of the most illogical ways to consume media if you plan on binge-watching anything.
That said, they're not all bad. In fact, there's no better way to own a digital copy of your favorite film or TV series than to buy it off one of these. Its ability to transfer any movies or TV shows straight to your mobile device makes these two of the slickest staples in the streaming world. Didn't have time to finish that movie on your desktop last night? Save it to your iPad and watch the rest of it on the way to work the following morning. Easy.
iTunes isn't perfect, we'll admit. It's a little bit clunky and slow at times, the newest version is slightly baffling, and Windows aficionados will baulk at the need to install Apple software just to get access to something you want to watch. Conversely, the Google Play Store will have you shelling out $3.99 for an SD version of a film that came out years ago, even if it's available elsewhere for free.
But that's the real Marmite bit of these e-commerce services. You pay to play or you can take your business elsewhere.
Verdict: 2.5/5
10. Crackle
While creating this list, we gave some serious thought to leaving Crackle off completely. With a poor selection and even poorer streaming quality you'd be forgiven for never knowing about Sony Pictures Entertainment's unfortunate streaming offshoot.
Crackle offers a rotating selection of a few dozen films from motion picture studios' archives that focus on six categories: action, comedy, crime, drama, horror and sci-fi. One month you might see a kitsch classic like Ghostbusters, while the next you won't be as fortunate and will only find a few throw-away films from the '90s. Warning: Each film is streamed in standard definition, and a tiny ad floats at the bottom of the screen throughout the entirety of your stay.
What helped it make the cut? Its price. Streaming any one of the few dozen movies found on Crackle's website is completely free, no strings attached. Keep in mind that advertisements pop up before each movie starts, and expect a few intermittently throughout the film.
Should you choose to endure it, Crackle is available on iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Nook, Kindle, Roku, PlayStation TV, Chromecast, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, most Blu-ray players, smart TVs, game consoles including the PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PlayStation Vita, online and T-Mobile TV.
Verdict: 1.5/5
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