The best streaming service for you will depend on your entertainment preferences, budget and TV habits. We chose the following streaming services with an eye toward price, variety and genre so you can choose the service that best meets your needs and interests.
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Max, formerly known as HBO Max, consistently pumps out high-quality, award-winning films and TV shows. We love the service’s collection of original, premium scripted television; HBO basically invented prestige TV when it launched “The Sopranos” two decades ago, and Max continues to carry the torch. You also have the option to add a sports bundle called B/R Sports, which offers select games (subject to blackouts and other limitations) for an additional $9.99 per month.
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Apple TV+ offers an elegant, ad-free streaming experience with all-original content. Unlike other streaming services, you can give Apple TV+ a test run thanks to the seven-day free trial. That will let you see whether you like the kind of content you’ll find on Apple TV+: overwhelmingly award-winning, if the app’s 425 wins (and 1,700+ nominations) are any indication. We wish you could set up user profiles with Apple TV+ the way you can with other services like Netflix and Disney+, but the complete lack of ads makes up for that small quibble. Soccer fans can add the MLS Season Pass to their Apple TV+ subscription to watch every game with no blackouts for $12.99 per month.
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Disney+ locked down some of the biggest names in family entertainment, creating a top-tier content library of favorites and originals for both kids and adults. If you don’t mind ads, the service’s lowest-tier offering costs just $7.99 per month, which is budget-friendly compared to some other streaming services. You can upgrade to an ad-free experience for $6 more per month, and you also have the option to bundle Disney+ with Hulu and ESPN+ to broaden your content selection for an additional charge. There are no live TV options if you don’t bundle.
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As one of the original streaming services, Netflix still offers a staggering array of content, with more than 18,000 titles to watch in a wide range of categories. You’ll find original content, licensed shows and movies, documentaries, reality TV, titles from overseas, anime—if you want it, you’ll probably find it on Netflix. The app also has a fairly effective recommendation engine to help you find your next binge-watch. You can download titles to watch on the go and connect to Netflix in dozens of ways, including on your gaming console. Netflix offers three packages to choose from: Standard with Ads ($6.99), Standard ($15.49) and Premium ($19.99).
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For the price, Peacock Premium offers plenty to watch, including new movies, exclusive originals, NBC and Bravo TV shows, live news, late-night shows, Telemundo shows and Peacock Channels 24/7. Even the top-tier Peacock package is still only $9.99 per month, and that includes live sports like golf and college basketball in the spring and Sunday Night Football in the fall, among many others. While it may not have the basketfuls of Emmy nominations or tens of thousands of titles to choose from like other big-name streamers, Peacock has been slowly but steadily growing its offerings, and it makes a great pick for first-time streamers as well as a solid supplemental streaming service for veteran cord-cutters.
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If access to live sports has been the factor keeping you tethered to your cable TV provider, Fubo may be the streaming solution for you. The streaming service offers a wide array of sports programming, including prime-time games. The monthly price seems high until you compare it to what you may be paying for a hefty lineup of cable TV channels—and you’ll still get cable TV channels with Fubo, including ESPN, ESPN2, ACC Network and SEC Network. If you’re looking for a Spanish-language streaming service, Fubo’s Latino package offers 65 channels and 250 hours of cloud DVR space for $32.99 per month.
New to streaming? Here’s a quick rundown of what streaming services are, how they work and who uses them.
Streaming services are a way to watch media and entertainment, such as movies and TV shows, using an internet connection. The streaming service streams the media over the internet, and you can typically stream on almost any device with an internet connection. Streaming services offer an alternative to over-the-air television or cable programming, and you can typically watch them on various devices: streaming sticks that plug into your TV, smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, apps on your gaming console and laptop and desktop computers.
Streaming services provide a way to watch without downloading each program or file to your local device. The streaming service purchases the digital rights to a particular piece of content and then compresses it into digital packets that can be sent over the internet to you. When you launch a streaming service app, it reads those packets and reassembles them to display the content on your screen.
Streaming services are best for people with a fast, stable, and reliable internet connection that allows them to stream at a reasonable quality with minimal interruption. Streaming services can be an affordable alternative to cable TV for people on a budget, although many people subscribe to several streaming services at the same time.
Streaming services typically offer one or both of the following formats:
Common types of streaming services include:
When trying to choose a new streaming service for your household, the following factors can help you make your decision.
Think about what kind of content you consume most. Movies, TV, sports? What genre do you prefer? Do you want to keep up with the latest releases or will you find comfort in watching your favorite shows over and over?
Next, compare the types of programming available with each provider. If you’re signing up for your first streaming service, choose one that offers lots of variety. If you’re adding to your streaming lineup, look for a service that complements what you already have access to.
Consider your budget. Many streaming service providers offer multiple packages, which allows you to choose the right option for your budget. You may also be able to bundle one or more services together and save a few bucks; just don’t sign up for extra services you don’t need.
Many streaming services offer both ad-free and ad-supported packages. If you don’t mind commercial interruption and want to save money, an ad-supported package might be a good choice. You can always upgrade to the ad-free, more expensive version later. And some services, such as Apple TV+, don’t have any ads at all.
In addition to our top picks for streaming services, there are many alternatives. Check out whether the popular services below may suit your lifestyle and preferences better.
You get free access to Amazon Prime Video with your Amazon Prime membership, including access to Thursday Night Football, exclusive originals and hit movies and TV shows. Watch online or with the app on your smartphone, tablet, smart TV and other platforms. Signing up without a Prime membership costs $14.99 per month.
Hulu offers a huge variety of plans and pricing, so you can customize your entertainment to your budget. Choose from $1.99 monthly student rates all the way up to live TV bundles for $90 per month, plus add-ons that include Max, Cinemax, Showtime and others for an additional charge.
You’ll often find ESPN+ offered as part of a bundle with Disney+ and Hulu. Individually, the service costs $10.99 per month. ESPN+ offers live sports streaming as well as a selection of studio shows and originals. Sports options include MLB, PGA tours, a variety of soccer leagues and combat like UFC. You can stream ESPN+ on up to three devices at once.
Paramount+ offers movies and originals plus a livestream of your local CBS station. You can try the service free for one week; subscriptions are $5.99 per month for Paramount+ Essential (with ads) or $11.99 per month for Paramount+ with Showtime (mostly no ads).
If you’re going to subscribe to more than one streaming service, consider bundling two or more services. This often broadens your access to different kinds of content yet costs less than signing up for each service individually. For example, you can bundle Disney+ and Hulu for much less than it would cost to subscribe separately.
If you want to stream to your TV, your best bet is to use an app on your smart TV or use a streaming stick such as the Roku or Amazon Fire Stick. These methods let you use a remote control for easy channel selections and volume control.
You can add a streaming service to your lineup for free if you know where to look. Our favorite free streaming services include Freevee, Fandango at Home and the Roku Channel.
The post Best Streaming Services of May 2024 first appeared on Newsweek Vault.
2024-04-26T15:51:00Z dg43tfdfdgfd