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Consumers are faced with a growing number of technological conundrums: Mac vs. Pc, Kindle Fire vs. iPad 2 and Samsung Galaxy Nexus vs. Droid Razr, just to name a few. One of the recurring dilemmas in the new tech-age is how to best watch movies and television shows. As standard cable packages become obsolete, users have turned to online streaming to access everything from classic films to last-night's episode of Gossip Girl. If you're in the market for a new online streaming package, what is the best deal for you?
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We take a look at Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu Plus and Vudu to check out the best online streaming deal based on selection, price and user friendliness.
Amazon Prime ($79 per year)
Amazon Prime offers access to over 10,000 instant videos, including NBC and CBS television shows. The service is $79 for one year of access. Amazon's Instant Video services also allow users to rent individual films or episodes of television shows, which extends users' access to over 90,000 films.
Selection: Amazon Prime offers over 10,000 instant videos, including popular TV shows such as Lost, Arrested Development, 24, the Tudors and Grey's Anatomy and hot movies, like Ip Man, Notting Hill, The Shawshank Redemption, among others.
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Price: The service costs $79 per year. If you use Amazon to purchase gifts and books, the service will be especially useful because a Prime subscription comes with unlimited free two-day shipping with no minimum size order and, for Kindle users, a Kindle book to borrow free each month from the Kindle Owner's Lending Library. While Amazon Prime only offers a year-long subscription, for comparison's sake, a month of Prime would cost users approximately $6.59, which is the cheapest of all the packages we have reviewed.
User Friendly: The Amazon store has a lot to offer, but Prime's selection of television shows and film is difficult to navigate. It is easy to confuse which films are eligible with a Prime membership and which films will require you to pay extra to rent or buy them.
Our Verdict: While Amazon Prime is one of the cheaper options available, compared to Hulu+ and Netflix the selection leaves much to be desired. You might be better off spending a little more for a wider selection of videos.
Netflix ($8 per month)
Netflix is one of the few services that offers both an online video collection set for streaming and a wider collection of films and TV shows that can be ordered by DVD. While Netflix has been widely popular since it first debuted, price increases over the summer lead many consumers to switch companies. For the instant video option, Netflix costs $8 a month and gives access to an enormous selection of TV and film options.
Selection: Netflix has a large and promising selection of television shows and movies for users to watch instantly. Popular television shows, like How I Met Your Mother, Futurama, Mad Men and Gossip Girl can be streamed within seconds on your computer, Television, Kindle Fire or tablet computer. The service also gives access to thousands of popular films, like Iron Man, Shutter Island, The Fighter, Elizabeth and Breakfast at Tiffany's. For an additional fee, you can subscribe to have one DVD at a time sent to your home, which will allow you to gain even further access to Netflix's enormous selection of films, television shows and documentaries.
Price: Netflix has different packages depending on your interests. For $7.99 per month, users can access unlimited movies and television shows instantly on your computer or television. There are no commercials and you can watch any film or episode as many times as you would like. Netflix offers a one-month free trial so you can get a taste of what films, television shows and other offerings an "instant" subscription will give you. For $15.98 per month, users can access unlimited material streaming online and get one DVD shipped to their home at a time.
User Friendly: Netflix's store is incredibly easy and accessible. After signing onto the site, Netflix distinguishes clearly between videos you can watch instantly and those you will need to order on DVD. You can rate videos for future recommendations and the store will also offer you suggestions based on your past viewing patterns. You can keep track of the videos you have already seen and also keep track of videos you would like to see in the future.
Our Verdict: Netflix is accessible, easy to use and offers one of the largest selections of instant online streaming. While a subscription might be pricier than other alternatives, you will find yourself impressed by Netflix's growing online collection.
